Title: Hajime no Ippo
Alternate titles: Fighting Spirit, The First Step (Japanese)
Genre: Action, Humor, Drama, Tournament
Episodes: 76
Summary: Ippo Makunochi is a timid high-school student, who devotes his time to aiding his mother with the family fishing business and school work. However, his personality attracts the attention of bullies and, in a fateful twist, a harsh encounter with them leads to Makunochi meeting a professional boxer: Mamoru Takamura. He is taken to Kamogawa Gym, and allows Ippo to vent on some of their boxing equipment; through this, Ippo's potential as a boxer is revealed and Takamura and others help Ippo to reach his true power. As he reaches his potential, Ippo meets new people, forges new friendships, and in the ring he starts becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Opinion: Even if you're not into sports anime, this is a title that I'd suggest you don't miss. Hajime no Ippo is very enjoyable; the characters are beautifully fleshed out and likable and it smoothly transitions to moments of sidesplitting laughter to complete edge-of-your-seat moments. The action scenes are a blend of realism with some anime excesses (the good kind!), which meshes together wonderfully in the ring. The anime, although made in 2000 (the manga is actually still running), has great animation and fantastic music. Recommended for those who enjoy a nice dose of (jaw breaking) action, with a good plot and characters.
First opening, featuring the song "Under Star" by Shocking Lemon.
