IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
Name: Hajime no Ippo
Japanese: はじめの一歩 THE FIGHTING!
Episodes: 75 + 26 + 25 + Movies
Aired: Oct 4, 2000 to Mar 27, 2002
Language: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English
Genre: Sports
Theme: Combat Sports
Duration: 23 min. per ep.
Age Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older
Makunouchi Ippo is an ordinary high school student in Japan. Since he spends most of his time away from school helping his mother run the family business, he doesn’t get to enjoy his younger years like most teenagers. Always a target for bullying at school (the family fishing business grants him a distinct odor), Ippo’s life is one of hardship. One of these after-school bullying sessions turns Ippo’s life around for the better, as he is saved by a boxer named Takamura. He decides to follow in Takamura’s footsteps and train to become a boxer, giving his life direction and purpose. Ippo’s path to perfecting his pugilistic prowess is just beginning…