Our focus on the Fighting Spirit: Hajime no Ippo property over the years has been on the anime adaptation because the manga just wasn’t going to make its way over here way back in the day. That’s now finally changing as Kodansha has added the first ten volumes of the series onto its K MANGA app in English. They’ll be adding new chapters weekly going forward as well.
The manga from Jyoji Morikawa began in 1989 and has 138 volumes out and is ongoing as serialized in Shuukan Shounen Magazine.
The 2000 anime series was directed by Satoshi Nishimura based on the series composition by Tatsuhiko Urahata. Koiji Sugiura worked on the character designs based on George Morikawa’s original manga work with Madhouse handling the animation production.
The Japanese cast includes Kohei Kiyasu as Ippo Makunouchi, Keiji Fujiwara as Tatsuya Kimura, Kenji Utsumi as Genji Kamogawa, Rikiya Koyama as Mamoru Takamura, Sanae Kobayashi as Kumi Mashiba, Tomokazu Seki as Ichiro Miyata, and Wataru Takagi as Masaru Aoki.
The English dub was directed by Richard Epcar based on scripts by Yurika Dennis and Anna Exter. The English cast includes Steve Cannon as Ippo Makunouchi, David Lelyveld as Alexander Volg Zangief, Doug Erholtz as Takeshi Sendo, Eddie Frierson as Mamoru Takamura, Grant George as Tatsuya Kimura, Jason Palmer as Ichiro Miyata, Jennifer Sekiguchi as Kumi Mashiba, Jim Taggert as Masaru Aoki, Rafael Antonio as Eiji Date, and Richard George as Genji Kamogawa.
Plot Concept: Ippo, a timid highschooler, is one day saved from being beaten up by Takamura, a boxer. Enthralled by Takamura’s skills Ippo begins to learn boxing, soon finding love for the sport and a drive to challenge the boxing world.
Big News: "Hajime no Ippo" by George Morikawa has been added in English to @KMANGA_KODANSHA
The first 10 volumes are available now, new chapters will be added every week! pic.twitter.com/UH7xzF39de
— Manga Mogura RE (@MangaMoguraRE) September 26, 2023
