【Hajime no Ippo】Action x Sports More than 96 million copies in circulation!! Winner of 15th Kodansha Manga Award in Shounen category!!

Hajime no Ippo is a Japanese boxing-themed manga series written and illustrated by George Morikawa.

The manga has been serialized by Kodansha in Weekly Shounen Magazine since 1989 and collected into 132 Separate volumes as of September 2021. A 76 episode anime adaptation produced by Madhouse aired from October 2000 to March 2002.

The manga has over 96 million copies in circulation, worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series. Hajime no Ippo also won the 15th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shounen category. Hajime no Ippo: Rising, was listed among the best anime series of 2010s by IGN.

The manga starts off with Ippo Makunouchi, the protagonist, declining an offer to go to the movies with his friends, because he has to help out with his family’s fishing boat business.

As he is returning home, he gets stopped and beaten up by some kids, who even insult his father, but he does not resort to violence.

That is when Mamoru Takamura shows up and stops the fight. He intimidates the bullies into running away with his Impressive evasive skills. Mamoru ends up taking the passed out Ippo to his boxing gym.

After waking up, Mamoru tells Ippo to puch a boxing bag, Ippo uses so much strength that his hand gets injured, this shocks Mamoru.

Mamoru gives Ippo a video tape containing Mike Tyson’s boxing matches. Ippo watches the tape and is greatly inspired by Tyson. He then finds Mamoru saying that he wants to become a pro boxer.

Mamoru shows of a technique in which he catches falling leaves with his bare hands. He tells Ippo that if he can manage to catch ten leaves by the end of the week, then he’ll teach him.

This is in no way easy for Ippo, but he trains tirelessly and manages to catch ten leaves on the Promised day.

As per their promise, Mamoru agrees to train him. He tells Ippo to throw some punches at him, Ippo starts punching his palm, this actually hurts Mamoru and he ends up whacking Ippo on the head. Mamoru then runs of and Ippo runs after him.

Will Ippo be able to achieve his new dream of becoming a professional boxer?