I grew up with ippo, enjoyed his growth, the slapstick and surprises. But after 1000 episodes, the lack of clue-ins into why things are happening the way they are makes me feel more and more distant from the series. In matches, you rarely get insight into the opponents' competetive edges in terms of psychology and conditioning. You often follow 10 or more chapters of blow exchanges, there is a flashback, and one of the really beat up guys win. It always feels like the winner was decided by freak chance. Between chapter 1200 and 1300, characters question ippo's choices multiple times. What follows but a panel of ippo standing there with an unreadable expression. This late into the series, readers should be empathizing rather than feeling dissociated from characters. I fantasize about the author getting a little inspiration from works such as the Dune novels. These excel at giving readers insight into the characters' thought processes and challenges and this helps create a much more intimate relationship with character struggles. The backstories, slapstick humor, and plot twists outweighed this problem before but as the tropes get old, it's get the readers on your side or go home. I'd rather this long series gets a good ending than a bad one.

... Last updated on August 18th, 2020, 11:08am

A great series about boxing, but lost the meaning and nostalgia later.
Some spoilers about the recents chapters:

I am really sad for writing this comment. However...

Another deception in the list.

when i started reading it, only 1000 chapters were released, and i thought i would never catch up to. Its now 1131 and ive read 1131 chapters so far. the fights are memorial and takamura is one of a kind. I do feel like Ippo is getting beaten up a little too much in some of his matches. I really wanna see just how far Ippo and Takamura will go.Recommended to everyone.

I learned 99% of what I know about boxing from this manga, so there's that. You wouldn't imagine a manga about boxing could run for 1000+ chapters and still be interesting after all this time. The author has uncanny skills. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop.

I've read up to 1035 and I think everyone should read this, that's how good I think this manga is. But it's not without its flaws, in my opinion. So I'm gonna focus on those since it's good points need not be repeated.



So many matches end in ways that make me wanna meh. For instance, the guy who dominates the match and beats his opponent senseless somehow loses because the plot demands the half-dead guy be the eventual winner, regardless of who was on the brink of victory and obviously the more skilled boxer.





Takamura rulez. And you just gotta love Aoki. I've faced plenty of gags in plenty of manga, but Takamura's antics, which involve Aoki as the victim most of the time, nearly always make me lose control of myself. I end up LOLing, which is really rare for me.

... Last updated on November 1st, 2013, 4:04pm

but itagaki just reeeeeallly annoys me those last couple of chapters in which he starred kinda pissed me off.
I am now a full fledged un repentant otaku. I like all types of manga not just sports or even shounen but i admit without hesitation that hajime no ippo is the absolute best. I have read dozens of manga and i'm sure to name this one in the top five for sure!!!!
P.S. this manga is older than i am!!!!!

>interesting boxing manga
>ippo is the strongest infighter with explosive punch but he's still far away from being a world champion ( might take another 1000 chapters for him to become one)
>he likes kumi but he is definitely loves miyata more (miyata being on the top of course)
>takamura is the main character in this manga
>and my biggest fear is the mangaka end first before the manga itself.

Well, I don't know about others but while the recent two fights for Ippo have been not up to par and not keeping the excitement up, it feels like the mangaka has regained some of the creative, expressive juice of old. the manga once more seems focused with

//Spoiler//
Miyata saying essentially that he doesn't care about "fastest in Japan" but only interested in the "fastest in the world"
//Spoiler End//

among other things. I think its quite worth reading, 100 volumes or 200 volumes as long as the author is able to keep his creative/expressive juices flowing because a certain kind of stamina is necessary on a work this long about a single subject. I've fully enjoyed the ride even when it was at its lowest (Gedo). I'm glad to have read this best of all sports manga and glad to have come to terms with a sport that I'd never have encountered by choice otherwise. Please read this and do not worry about the length. I won't say its uniformly good by any choice of words but its still damn good even on the verge of the 100th volume

-Pakuen

... Last updated on April 27th, 2012, 8:05pm

As an ex-competitive boxer / Thai boxer, I had to stop reading this after seeing the protagonist suffer so much head trauma, with the never-ending focus on simple 'toughness'. The fact of the matter is that you suffer permanent damage when you receive continual trauma like that, and that you will basically end up like Mohamed Ali if you don't wise up - what good is it to celebrate watching someone destroy themselves like that?

A real pro with a smart management team will do their best to avoid having too many brutal matches, as sooner or later you come back a changed man. (FWIW, I think Ali got his brain damage mostly from his training, which involved daily doses of massive head trauma to condition himself and thus be able to succeed with 'rope a dope' - it was insane training that required huge guts, but when you consider how it silenced a great thinker and social commentator, it is a terrible shame).

Anyhow, as a boxer once more, I think there is plenty to love and learn from in this manga. I really appreciated the research and references to the training that old-time greats used, as well as the many insights into different types of boxers (some of which are very pertinent). You can actually learn some useful stuff from reading this manga, if you happen to be a boxer.

The story, characters, comedy and such are all quite good, although I am not surprised to learn that it has become repetitive (based on the reviews below). I quit reading it before that, as I simply couldn't bear to watch the hero progressively destroy himself to such an extent. I have seen too many men destroyed by such a process to be able to ignore it in the manga...

I really liked the manga the first 10 volumes, but the pace is way too slow, the plot way to repetitive, the characters did not really evolve in 22 years much.

Unlike in mangas like Dragonball Z where better and stronger opponents seem plausible with transformation and stuff, Hajime no ippo as a boxing manga has gotten unrealistic and boring in its own world.

Maybe its because i've raised my standarts as i got older, so neverending plots like this one where the author will never finish it, just can't seem to interest me anymore.

It's got a classic formula that somehow always keeps you on your toes. The fights are enthralling, the artwork acceptable, and the pacing keeps the action flowing. It's not surprising that this series is about to break a 100 volumes. Try it out and you can even chip away with it in small bites.