Alternative titles: English: The First StepSynonyms: Fighting Spirit
Type: TV
Episodes: 76
Status: Finished airing
Airdate: 4 Oct, 2000 to 27 Mar, 2002
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Shounen, Sports
Duration: 00:23:00 per episode
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 and older
Makunouchi Ippo has been bullied his entire life. Constantly running errands and being beaten up by his classmates, Ippo has always dreamed of changing himself, but never has the passion to act upon it. One day, in the midst of yet another bullying, Ippo is saved by Takamura Mamoru, who happens to be a boxer. Ippo faints from his injuries and is brought to Takamura boxing gym to heal his injuries. As he regains consciousness, he is awed and amazed at his new surroundings in the gym, though lacks confidence to attempt anything. Takamura places a photo of Ippo’s classmate on a punching bag and forces him to punch it. It is only then that Ippo feels something stir inside him and eventually asks Takamura to train him in boxing. Thinking that Ippo does not have what it takes, Takamura gives him a task deemed impossible and gives him a one week time limit. With a sudden desire to get stronger, for himself and his hard working mother, Ippo trains relentlessly to accomplish the task within the time limit. Thus Ippo’s journey to the top of the boxing world begins.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Masaru Aoki Main | Wataru Takagi Japanese Jim Taggert English |
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Genji Kamogawa Main | Kenji Utsumi Japanese |
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Tatsuya Kimura Main | Keiji Fujiwara Japanese Grant George English Donald Reignoux French |
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Ippo Makunouchi Main | Kohei Kiyasu Japanese Steve Staley English |
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Mamoru Takamura Main | Rikiya Koyama Japanese Eddie Frierson English |
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Dr. Yamaguchi Supporting | |
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Eiji Date Supporting | Tony Oliver English Masaki Aizawa Japanese |
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Mari Iimura Supporting | Emi Shinohara Japanese |
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Ryo Mashiba Supporting | Masahiko Tanaka Japanese |
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Kumi Mashiba Supporting | Stephanie Sheh English Sanae Kobayashi Japanese |
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Ichiro Miyata Supporting | Tomokazu Seki Japanese Jeff Nimoy English |
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Keigo Okita Supporting | Hiroaki Hirata Japanese |
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Jason Ozuma Supporting | |
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Takeshi Sendou Supporting | Masaya Onosaka Japanese |
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Masahiko Umezawa Supporting | Mitsuaki Madono Japanese |
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Haruhiko Yagi Supporting | Toshihiko Nakajima Japanese |
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Naomichi Yamada Supporting | Daisuke Sakaguchi Japanese |
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Alexander Volg Zangief Supporting | Toshiyuki Morikawa Japanese Eduardo Garza Spanish |
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Yuzo Sato Storyboard |
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George Morikawa Original Creator |
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Tsuneo Imahori Music |
