Hajime no Ippo: Rising

[Ryu]

Title: Fighting Spirit: Rising
Japanese: はじめの一歩 THE FIGHTING! Rising
Airing date: 5/10/2013 (TV series 3rd season, 25 episodes + OVA)
Genres: Sports, Comedy, Drama, Shounen
Original creator: George Morikawa
Director: Jun Shishido
Writted by: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Music by: Tsuneo Imahori and Yoshihisa Hirano
Character designer: Koji Sugiura
Producers: VAP
Studios: Madhouse and MAPPA
Network: NTV
Opening theme: "Yakan Hikou (夜間飛行)" by Wasureran nee yo
Ending theme: "Buchikome!! (ブチコメ!!)" by Shikuramen

Main cast: Ippo "Wind God" Makunouchi (幕之内 一歩) voiced by Kohei Kiyasu
Mamoru "Bear slayer, lord of perverts" Takamura (鷹村守) by Rikiya Koyama
Masaru "Leapfrog" Aoki (青木 勝) voiced by Wataru Takagi

Tatsuya Kimura (木村 達也) voiced by Keiji Fujiwara
Manabu "Speed King" Itagaki (板垣 学)http://www.ntv.co.jp/ippo/images/character/itagaki_img.gif voiced by Daisuke Namikawa
Rival boxers: Ichirou "Lightning God" Miyata (宮田 一郎)http://www.ntv.co.jp/ippo/images/character/miyata_img.gif by Tomokazu Seki

Ryō "Shinigami" Mashiba (間柴 了)http://www.ntv.co.jp/ippo/images/character/mashiba_img.gif voiced by Masahiko Tanaka
Takeshi "Naniwa Rocky" Sendō (千堂 武士)http://www.ntv.co.jp/ippo/images/character/sendou_img.gif voiced by Masaya Onosaka
Alexander Volg Zangief (アレクサンドル・ヴォルグ・ザンギエフ) Toshiyuki Morikawa
New boxers: David "Golden" Eagle (デビッド・イーグル) voiced by Hidenobu Kiuchi
Ryuhei "Owari Dragon" Sawamura (沢村 竜平) voiced by Shinichiro Miki
Imae Katsutaka (今江 克孝) voiced by Shuuhei Sakaguchi
Iwao "Ryukyu Warrior, True Seaman" Shimabukuro (島袋岩男) Hisao Egawa
Larry Bernard (ラリー・ベルナルド) voiced by Tetsu Inada

Supporting cast: Genji Kamogawa (鴨川 源二) voiced by Shozo Iizuka
Kumi Mashiba (間柴 久美) voiced by Saori Hayashi
Eiji Date (伊達 英二) voiced by Masaki Aizawa
Masahiko Umezawa (梅沢 正彦) voiced by Mitsuaki Madono
Mari Iimura (飯村 真理) voiced by Emi Shinohara
Minoru Fujii (藤井 稔) voiced by Kenichi Ono
Nanako Itagaki (板垣 菜々子) voiced by Yuu Kobayashi
Dr. Yamaguchi (山口先生) voiced by Yuko Kobayashi
Hiroko Makunouchi (幕之内 寛子) by Yorie Terauchi and Masako Katsuki (young)
Kazuo Makunouchi (幕之内 一男) voiced by Masaki Terasoma
Haruhiko Yagi (八木 晴彦) voiced by Toshihiko Nakajima
Tomoyuki Shinoda (篠田) voiced by Seiji Sasaki
Ginpachi Nekota (猫田 銀八) voiced by Ichirou Nagai
Tomiko (トミ子) voiced by Shouko Tsuda
Bryan Hawk (ブライアン・ホーク) voiced by Akio Ōtsuka
Itagaki's father (板垣父) voiced by Nobuaki Fukuda
Isamu Akamatsu (赤松勇) voiced by Kazuhiro Fusegawa
Hiroshi Kizakura (黄桜 大) voiced by Toru Nara
Kawabe (河辺) voiced by Yūya Murakami
Wanpo (ワンポ) voiced by Wataru Takagi
Sachiko (サチ子) voiced by Maasa Kobayashi
Miyata's father (宮田の父) voiced by Unshou Ishizuka
Yanaoka (柳岡) voiced by Naoki Tatsuta
Commentator (実況アナウンサー) voiced by Masashi Funakoshi
Fanmade PV: http://www.youtube.com/embed/dmwzlCwdx3U
Official website: http://www.ntv.co.jp/ippo/
Season 1 website: http://www.vap.co.jp/ippo/
Champion Road website:
New Challenger website:

Synopsis: Rikiya Koyama, the voice actor of the Mamoru Takamura character in the Hajime no Ippo boxing anime franchise, has revealed in his blog that a sequel to the Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger television series is being planned. Koyama was posting about the end of dialogue recording for the series, since the cast just finished work on the 26th and final episode. (The final episode, "New Challenger," aired in Japan on June 30.) At the end of his Friday blog entry, he wrote, "Of course, a sequel is also being planned!!"

On July 19, 2013, it was reported in the 34th issue of Kondasha's Weekly Shounen Jump magazine that a third season of Hajime no Ippo will air in the Fall 2013 season.

QUOTE (franzoir @ Jul 31 2013, 09:06 PM)OH SWEET LORD. Thank the heavens.

I have been absolutely craving a new sports anime and suddenly the best one (IMO) is returning.

I have watched some shounen's in my time but nothing compared to the octane giddy heights Takamura vs Hawk ascended to.

I spot the grim Sawamura in the poster which is another epic fight. Just really cannot wait.

It is scary to think it has been four years since the last series. Wowzers.my thoughts exactly ^^ it's the series and sequel i'm looking forward most this year by the looks of it we'll see Aoki vs. Imae as well, also Takamura vs. Eagle will be epic (their surnames are based from birds like Hawk ;p)... Shimabukuro isnt shown in the poster but as seen in ep.1 he'll fight ippo in the first episodes, about Sawamura I wonder if this S3 will cover a match against Mashiba too but i doubt it because it'll be only 26 eps like S2; Ex: very high - PS 10/10

 

[franzoir]

For shame... where is Sendo vs Ippo round 2 in the poll? I tease.

As much as I think Takamura vs Hawk was the definitive fight (one of the best shounen fights I have ever seen)... in terms of what was iconic, it has to be the intro to champion's road. I show that to non-anime watching friends and they start binging on the series the following day.

Really just happy to have to this show back.

Edit: ep1 was great as expected. I can tell from the OP Ippo vs Sawamura is going to be wild.

 

[Klyern]

inb4, ashita no joe 2014 animation

 

[JCDRANZER]

Just watched episode 1, it was great and I'm really glad they got into the fight, I was a little worried that it would dwell too long in the past.

 

[franzoir]

Body, Body, Body!

Da Da Dempey Roll!

The announcer just cracked me up.

When Shimabukuro remembered his island and stood his ground only to receive Ippo's right hook. Yeah, that was the knockout punch alright.

These fight are always so immersive.

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (Klyern @ Oct 06 2013, 10:03 AM)inb4, ashita no joe 2014 animation
QUOTE (franzoir @ Oct 05 2013, 03:23 PM)For shame... where is  Sendo vs Ippo round 2 in the poll? I tease.

As much as I think Takamura vs Hawk was the definitive fight (one of the best shounen fights I have ever seen)... in terms of what was iconic, it has to be the intro to champion's road. I show that to non-anime watching friends and they start binging on the series the following day.my bad ;p if you read above again the 2nd fight is listed as Takeshi "Naniwa Tiger" Sendo vs. Ippo (S1 eps. 71-75) and the 1st one "Ippo vs. Sendo (S1 eps. 32-34)", i didn't list them as 'round #' because it would be confusing as both matches lasted many rounds so just vote for your favorite: #2 is Champion Road's intro after all... about Ashita no Joe for me the HnI series so far is better in boxing or other sports and one of the best animes i have seen overall ^^ so back to ep.3 Ippo's 'harem', I noticed not only Kumi's seiyu is different (Sanae Kobayashi S1 & Yuka Hirata S2) but also Kamogawa (Kenji Utsumi S1&2) and the announcer (Jin Horikawa S1&2)

 

[franzoir]

Decisions....decisions.

Ippo is a lucky man. Does he choose the delicacy of youth, the cool contemporary, or the sultry mature. As his mother said "Not bad."

The second half of the ep was really funny. Seeing Aoki's weight yoyo was too much for me. The hollow sounds of his punch with his underweight body sent me off my chair. And everytime he messed up his weight, he would look towards the sunset and say i'm betting it all. What a lovable dope.

Glad the animators are getting a bit more stylisticly closer to the manga. In the original series they played it pretty straight. If they can work in some of Takamura priceless facial expressions... I will love them forever.

 

[Ryu]

yup for me Takamura's gestures make the comedy in the manga quite unique so I expect to see how studio MAPPA, alongside Madhouse animate it in S3 because I'm surprised they're mixing the great s1 soundtrack with s2's (which wasnt as good)... also i would love to see that hot megane Dr. Yamaguchi from S1 join Ippo's harem too ^^ about Imae vs. Aoki as I expected, it'll be a hilarious match xD lol'ed when reporters ask him surprised "a new move? one that surpasses even the Frog?"

 

[franzoir]

Oh my god this was the best episode of the series so far.

Stylistically, they are definitely copying the manga...which is great, they should have done that from the beginning. Aoki wiggling about like a snake was hilarious. For the full 22 mins, I was laughing my ass off...especially watching Imae get completely dragged into Aoki's pace. Then Aoki reveals his secret and it is too unreal to believe he did it once but he did it twice. Outstanding. Imae's face the second time around was hilarious. "Dont do it" he cried, yet he couldnt help but follow Aoki...knowing full well it would lead to his doom.

Bravo! I also need to find the BGMs they used. The jusxtaposition of tracks added to atmosphere of absurdity and hilarity.

Just a superbly produced episode all around. It has been a while since an anime kept laughing like that throughout.

 

[Ryu]

LOL definitely funniest 'mudfight' of the entire series! even odder than Hawk vs Takamura, not only that world champ fell for Aoki's trick twice but the audience did too xD... though Imae wasn't tricked a third time thanks to Sachiko -.- Aoki was so close! more than Kimura when he lost vs Mashiba, both fights were way unpredictable and frustrating than Ippo's or Takamura's who almost always win
Best - 'Slapfest' - Ever!

 

[franzoir]

Forgotten just how brutal Sawamura is.

Must find that blood and flesh bgm.

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (franzoir @ Nov 16 2013, 08:15 PM)that blood and flesh bgm.we must wait for the OST until December 18 but the full OP and ED songs were released already, about Sawamura's brutality I would say it's 'between Mashiba and Hawk' who almost killed people... by the title of ep.8 at first I thought Volg would be back to fight (or spar) with sawamura, at least Itagaki figured out the Dempsey Roll blind angles thanx to Aoki's lackeys but still it'll be hell for Ippo

 

[Victory]

Just finished up graduating from university and what-not and come home to find there's a whole new season of Hajime no Ippo!! Oh my Lord I am so hyped up to catch up on this it's ridiculous.

Legitimately vomiting with excitement - rainbows everywhere!

 

[franzoir]

"He was born with a talent for hurting people"- Sendo

Something about that quote just made me laugh but is a total apt description of Sawamura. I cant imagine this guy holding a 9-5 in an office. He was born as a warrior and a sadistic one at that.

His total attitude and demeanor in the early part of the match just made me laugh. But I think what I love about this is it forces Ippo to confront a natural enemy to his style.

This is the moment when Ippo will become a true blue champion or remain a cheese chump.

Cant wait for the next ep.

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (franzoir @ Dec 28 2013, 03:56 PM)This is the moment when Ippo will become a true blue champion or remain a cheese chump.

Cant wait for the next ep.
QUOTE (Victory @ Dec 21 2013, 03:45 PM)Just finished up graduating from university and what-not and come home to find there's a whole new season of Hajime no Ippo!! Oh my Lord I am so hyped up to catch up on this it's ridiculous.

Legitimately vomiting with excitement - rainbows everywhere!congrats for your graduation Victory a fitting username! im excited too because Mashiba, Volg and even Yamaguchi-sensei are back from s1 my wish above was granted so this s3 is turning better... also can't wait for 'Sawamura vs Ippo to continue' after a long wait in a few hours, with the champions who witnessed Sendo's rematch and the 'battle of hawks' i expect this fight to be just as epic

 

[franzoir]

Ah man I read this fight in the manga maybe about 6 years ago but now I'm starting to remember why I considered this a stand out arc. It is less a stand out fight but an awesome character moment.

When Ippo was a just a challenger he would always have trouble against veterans because veterans were too seasoned to be overpowered by Ippo's strength and that is ultimately how Date beat Ippo. However, Ippo is now the veteran and despite the absolute neckbreaking counters that Sawamura hit him with he is still able to maintain his ground thanks to the long road it took to become a champion. But much more than all of that...it is a great character moment for Makonuchi. Ippo has always been fairly prideless...so he when was in corner muttering to himself that he will not lose as a matter of principle to what boxing represents and furthermore because he is the champion...that shows real growth and purposeness in his fights... as oppose to the kid that was too scared to believe in his own strength.

As for Sawamura... he is a total glutton and everytime he punched a 'slacked' Ippo, he looked like he was about to jizz his pants. Totally sadistic.

Lastly for cliffhanger, it cannot be understated how awesome that was. It is funny how just a pause can drastically change the predictability of the dempsey roll and infact it makes it even more deadly. And thats why Ippo was doing that low squat training because doing something crazy like that cracks your hip in half. If Ippo was a real character he would most likely develop arthritis as he got older.

Edit

Ooo a two parter I didnt expect that. Yes the moment when Ippo became a true champ was when Sawamura tried to trip him up and Ippo dodged. That was it... true blue champ. Cheap tricks will no longer work on him and he has developed a near impossible to predict anti- counter strategy.

Awesome production all around.

 

[JCDRANZER]

Two episodes....that was sweet. I'm a little annoyed or probably should say I'm confused as to why they didn't include certain events of this arc, such as when Sawamura spits on the teacher guy when he tries to advise or give support to him during the match, which ended up being completely taken out of the anime. Hence, the event after the match at the hospital, where Sendou revealed to Sawamura about the teacher guy being in a similar situation when he was younger, this revelation shocked Sawamura emotionally.....doesn't happen in the anime, I was sorta looking forward to it and I'm gutted that it wasn't included.

Franzoir, the production was good for the most part but whenever it took the scene to Date, Sendou and Miyata having a conversation during the match, the anime would show the match in the background a few times and in one instance, it was just Ippo getting punched in the face continously by Sawamura, the animation just looked shitty and weird, made it seem like animation from an 8-bit game. However, in general, the production was brilliant particularly the scenes in the ring.

I like the fact that they used a track by Pay Money to my Pain in this season of Hajime, worked really well with the scenes it accompanied. Sucks that the lead vocal is dead, may his soul rest in peace.

 

[Ryu]

QUOTE (franzoir @ Jan 04 2014, 02:48 PM)Ah man I read this fight in the manga maybe about 6 years ago but now I'm starting to remember why I considered this a stand out arc. It is less a stand out fight but an awesome character moment.

Ooo a two parter I didnt expect that. Yes the moment when Ippo became a true champ was when Sawamura tried to trip him up and Ippo dodged. That was it... true blue champ. Cheap tricks will no longer work on him and he has developed a near impossible to predict anti- counter strategy.

Awesome production all around.
QUOTE (JCDRANZER @ Jan 06 2014, 03:31 AM)Two episodes....that was sweet. I'm a little annoyed or probably should say I'm confused as to why they didn't include certain events of this arc, such as when Sawamura spits on the teacher guy when he tries to advise or give support to him during the match, which ended up being completely taken out of the anime. Hence, the event after the match at the hospital, where Sendou revealed to Sawamura about the teacher guy being in a similar situation when he was younger, this revelation shocked Sawamura emotionally.....doesn't happen in the anime, I was sorta looking forward to it and I'm gutted that it wasn't included.I hope they'll add scenes that weren't animated if they release extended BRs or in its upcoming OVA, still im glad for '1-hour special' aired instead of making us wait to see this epic arc end until today... about anticounter strategy Takamura made me laugh with his ''anti-anti-anti-dempsey roll'' gibberish, also ep.14 was hilarious when he rips ex-bully Umezawa's manga xD what's his age again?

'

 

[JCDRANZER]

Takamura is 26, 4 years older than Ippo. Episode 14 was pretty darn faithful to the manga, a few scenes cut but not too much of a big deal....anyways, 11 more episodes left. I wonder how long we're gonna have to wait for season 4.

 

[Ryu]

lol I asked because he's a bad loser and acts like a kid when others beat him in something else, specially Yagi in ep.15 who with Shinoda humilliated Takamura and Kamogawa in a fishing contest ^^'... even Aoki and Kimura did better than them but looks like ''the japanese hawk'' finally found how to win, or cheat ''the banned demon'' ;p also i'm looking forward to ''golden eagle''s arc next week