What does it mean to be strong? is one of the main questions and themes that Hajime no Ippo presents to its viewers, and I think it’s the perfect question to ask in a sports anime.
I’ve been involved with sports all my life; I’ve played football since I was a kid and I enjoy watching volleyball and box a lot. When I was confronted with this question by the show I came to the realization that it depends on the person, and because of that there’s no right answer… yet this anime manages to touch on a lot of different ways to be strong besides actual fighting. In my opinion that’s what makes it so engaging to watch.
Hajime no Ippo walks the fine line that divides fantasy and realism in sports anime, which makes the fights extremely enjoyable, and the moments out of the ring really relatable. But I guess I’m getting ahead of myself; this anime tells the story of Makunouchi Ippo and his rise in the boxing world, where he meets new friends and new people that help him – directly or indirectly – to understand what being strong means, making him grow to be not only a better boxer but a better person.
– Spoilers ahead –
To find my own answer to the meaning of strength I have to look no further than Takamura Mamoru, one of the main characters in the show. I’ve always found the contrast between what Takamura appears as and what he really is interesting. Our first impression of Takamura is a guy that is insanely talented, but also quite arrogant and lazy. You’d think he would be the roll model that Ippo needs and he is to an extent, but that comes from a different place; it’s not because Takamura is perfect and wants to teach Ippo, but instead Ippo admires him because in reality Takamura is one of the most hardworking characters in this show.
I remember someone saying how Japan wasn’t enough for him, and I believe that 100%. But that inner talent never made him lazy, in fact he worked even harder to make his talents shine. When he finally gets a chance to fight the World Middleweight Champion in season 2 we see him training to death so he can cut weight – which was always a struggle for him – and so he can go in the best condition possible. I really thought it’d go smoothly, maybe a bit more struggle, but we’re talking about Takamura so it should go ok… until it didn’t. Takamura was losing, because the champion was clearly more talented than him. I was astonished to see this cause I realized for the first time Takamura needed to use everything he had to defeat him.
There’s this beautiful scene in episode 23 when he almost goes down, but his trainer – that prior to this gives him a slap in the back – appears and holds him up in the same spot where Takamura received the slap. Obviously that never happened; it’s visual metaphor of how the only thing that held him back was the effort he put on his training and all the things his coach taught him. I think that’s a really fitting moment that describes the attitude of the show towards effort.
At the end, after all the struggles, Takamura wins and we get to see how working hard for what you want is the best way to achieve your goals. I think the show does an amazing job at showing us this aspect with the best character possible; instead of showing us an all powerful character it shows us that to be strong you need to work hard, because talent without work won’t get you anywhere.
That’s what I take from Hajime no Ippo, and why I think it’s the best sports anime I’ve watched so far. Not only is it outstanding animation and a great soundtrack – the former being really important for a sports anime- but it also taught me a lot about myself and how effort is the best and most reliable way to become strong.
Draz' Thoughts 