Fighting Spirit

Synopsis

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...

First Air Date: 2000-10-03

Last Air Date: 2014-03-29

Number of Seasons: 3

Number of Episodes: 126

Networks: Nippon TV

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Kohei Kiyasu as Ippo Makunouchi (voice)
Rikiya Koyama as Mamoru Takamura (voice)
Wataru Takagi as Masaru Aoki (voice)
Keiji Fujiwara as Tatsuya Kimura (voice)
Tomokazu Seki as Ichiro Miyata (voice)
Kenji Utsumi as Genji Kamogawa (voice)
Toshihiko Nakajima as Haruhiko Yagi (voice)
Sanae Kobayashi as Kumi Mashiba (voice)
Masaya Onosaka as Takeshi Sendo (voice)
Akemi Okamura as Reiko Mikami (voice)

Seasons

Specials (2003) - (3 Episodes)

The First Step (2000) - (75 Episodes)

New Challenger (2009) - (26 Episodes)

Rising (2013) - (25 Episodes)

Specials (2003)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Boxer's Fist (2003-03-21)

A special episode included in the DVDs. It tells how Takamura started boxing.
Ep. 2: Champion Road (2003-04-18)

Makunouchi Ippo is the new Featherweight champion of Japan and is now ready for his first title defense. His opponent, the former Jr. Featherweight champion and a medical student, Sanada Kazuki. In addition to this feud, Sanada is being coached by Kamogawa's former rival, Hama Dankichi. What makes things worse is that Sanada works at the same hospital where Kumi is a nurse at and everybody at the hospital wants Sanada to win. Not only does Ippo have to defend his title, he has to reclaim his love.
Ep. 3: Kimura vs Mashiba (2003-09-05)

Kimura finally has his championship match. It takes place at the annual champion carnival. But now he must face the intense champion, Mashiba for the Junior Lightweight championship.