I've talked about manga previously, and like all comic book mediums I find something I like everywhere. In manga there are the obvious ones like Toriko, early Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, Monster, Kekkaishi, Yu Yu Hakusho, Shiki, and several others. (Even History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi makes it into manga I enjoy). Even though, there's one I like probably above all others. I speak of course of Hajime no Ippo.
Hajime no Ippo isn't exactly a comic most would assume I like so much. It's not a heroic or supernatural manga really that would fit the mold of superheroes like Bleach or One Piece. It's not a big psychological magazine like Death Note or anything. It's a boxing comic. Seriously. It's about a boy named Ippo Makunouchi and his life from a humble bullied kid to boxing champion. Known as "The Fighting" here in the good ol' US, home to Bryan Hawk and David Eagle, the story just more or less follows Ippo and his comrades at Kamogawa Gym as he trains and fights opponents making his way to title matches both at home and abroad. But every series offers that, so what makes this one so unique to me?
Well, it's a toned down series to be honest despite it being a shonen series. It can be pretty flashy, and some of the fights can go out of hand (and extremely long), but overall it definitely shows an understanding of the boxing world and how fighters work in it which you don't see too much of in other manga. You could almost say it's a more toned down version of another popular sports manga Kuroko no Basket in how everybody has special moves and traits, but rarely would you say anything borders on the supernatural. Everybody has their natural talents be they physical, psychological, or simply personal. Unlike most other shonen series, Ippo is only special due to his extremely resilient body and extremely powerful blows. "But Mak, you just said-" I know, but this is what I meant by the author, George Morikawa, having a sharp sense of boxing. Ippo's great strengths are also great weaknesses and are more or less non-repeatable by Ippo himself. While Ippo is greatly skilled, he is greatly limited as a performance boxer and most of his fights come down to his ability to weather beatings while making other fighters crumple under his power. Basically he can take their best shots and they build up damage from his powerful, if sometimes just glancing blows until their weapons are gone while Ippo's full power is still available due to his resilience. It can make many of the fights somewhat predictable, but you definitely feel the excitement and you pretty much get the sense Ippo can only pull this off once per opponent (except Sendo). When it comes to more skilled boxers, Ippo tends to win just because they're taken off balance by his ridiculous stamina and power, but you know if there was ever a rematch Ippo wouldn't fair as well the second time. It's not that Ippo can't, because like any other shonen comic Ippo trains like crazy and becomes stronger and varies his arsenal, but it's more like Ippo lacks the true versatility you see in his opponents.
And my what opponents Ippo has. Mashiba the "Grim Reaper," Sendo the "Naniwa Tiger," and the ultimate rival Miyata, all of whom reflect weaknesses in Ippo. Mashiba is a very long range combatant with a lethal flicker jab that Ippo struggles with due to his very short range, Sendo is basically more brutal Ippo with less skill, and Miyata is the ultimate in skill with flawless technique.
But still... Why is this different? It's not like same/opposite/similar rivals and determinator protagonists are rare in shonen. What makes this one so much different? Sure, Ippo fights, but is it the more played down realism I enjoy? Is it the come back excitement of a KO? Not exactly. It's the characters.
"You're kidding me you sick f-" No no. Hear me out. Every book has characters, of course. Supporting and main characters exist in all shonen comics from Naruto's background case in his entire ninja village, to Ichigo Kurosaki's shinigami and non-shinigami allies, to supporting story characters in Yu Yu Hakusho like Koenma and Botan. But the difference is Naruto's village is filled with fodder you care less about, Ichigo's allies completely overwhelm Ichigo despite not being much, and Koenma and Botan rarely if ever seem more than plot advancing characters. They all interact, but it just doesn't seem to match a good flow. Not like HNI's cast.
From Kamogawa Gym itself:
Ippo Makunouchi
Ippo is the determinator and main character. He fights hard, trains harder, is an all around great guy, isn't stupid, isn't too smart, isn't smug, sometimes is a bit too humble, a bit oblivious, but all around is a character you root for. You literally find yourself rooting for his win, inevitable or not. Unlike Ichigo where you're in it for the fast style, Luffy who you feel is righteous, and Naruto to see him save a world, Ippo genuinely captures emotion and pushes the reader to hold their breath. He's funny, awkward, and just a joy. Unlike others who carry natural confidence, Ippo requires training to build up confidence and will often overwork himself to get there. His Sunday Punch is the Dempsey Roll, though he's well known for his devastating Liver Blow, Right Uppercut, and Gazelle Punch. And he's the tip of the iceberg. |
| Ippo practicing his fatal uppercut |
Takamura Mamoru
Takamura is the guy who pulled Ippo in and is the resident unrepentant and unsympathetic jerkass of Kamogawa Gym. In the story he is the ideal boxer who will conquer eight weight divisions and has never EVER lost a fight. He's beat up rooms full of people, outmonstered even the most unbeatable of monsters, and punched a bear so hard he knocked it out. His ferocity is matched only by his jerk nature. He commonly picks on his youngers in cruel ways, and particularly Aoki. He plays pranks, gets in the way, insults, and is well known as an overaggressive pervert. He molests Aoki's girlfriend while Aoki and said girlfriend (Tomiko) are on the beach, and apologizes to Aoki by claiming she has nice breasts. It actually starts a hilarious back and forth between Aoki and Takamura which as to be read to believe. He also outdoes a title holder named Bryan Hawk who is a sickening champion who you can easily hate. Hawk claims if Japan wants champions he should impregnate all Japanese women. Takamura comes back after the match and simply says the same thing. This behavior is recurring as Takamura is commonly in papers with compromising pictures of him potentially assaulting women. It even happens in the ring with a news reporter when he grabs her and holds her underarm while yelling at the crowd she loves it despite her terror. It's all played for laughs, but Takamura gets worse every time he pulls these stunts. The bit where he gives Ippo porno videos interspersed with an actual boxing match is hilarious when it fails to help Ippo and Ippo's mom sees it. Also, when Takamura gets angry you feel the fear everybody else describes. It only really happens once, but it leaves an impression. He hasn't really shown much in the way of special moves to rely on, instead having inhuman strength and instincts.
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| Takamura making Bryan Hawk look good |
Kamogawa Genji aka the Coach
Kamogawa aka the Coach is Ippo's trainer and a great source of inspiration. He doesn't have to be strong to teach Ippo. He isn't weak, but he's by no means as strong as everybody else. He was powerful back in his day, what with PUNCHING LOGS INTO THE SIDES OF HILLS, but those days are past and nobody else has ever done anything that ridiculous. He serves as Ippo's will, pushing him higher and higher through tricky means to help right Ippo's sometimes wavering attention, helping him as a father figure. All in all the Coach is inspirational to the reader and helps build up tension and excitement as he talks through matches and delivers intensity with his gruff demeanor. His old Sunday Punch was the Tekken which was so powerful it shattered a man's ribs in two blows, but also shattered his fist and forced him to retire. |
| The Coach in a rare smile |
Itagaki Manabu
Itagaki. Alright, I don't care much for him. Young upstart speedy type who is a bit too big for his britches, even if he will probably someday surpass everybody but Takamura. He and his family practice horrible puns. He sort of just picks up moves as he goes along, adopting Miyata's Jolt Counter, Kimura's Dragon Fish Blow, the "Itagaki Shuffle" which was adapted from the Ali Shuffle, but his Sunday Punch is the Hedgehog, which mixes his inhuman speed by landing several precise punches which stack up damage to his opponents and seals their weapons. |
| Itagki getting a much better scene than he deserves |
Kimura Tatsuya
Kimura is a journeyman fighter who helps teach Ippo techniques in defense and footwork. Described as having zero weaknesses, he also possesses zero strengths and that's what makes him stick where he is. Alongside Aoki, he reflects the sadness of a veteran who just can't quite make it, several times contemplating retirement and once actually retiring, though he comes back. He helps to represent the inevitability of boxing for most boxers and plays a lot of the straight man to everybody else in the gym. When he feels sad, you feel sad. When he struggles with girl problems, you laugh with the rest of the cast. You want to see him win, you cheer for him, and you feel your heart stomped on when he loses tragically or laugh hysterically when he draws. Almost never seen without Aoki, Kimura carries a maturity without being too serious and is always down for fun. Of all fighters, he is easily the most "normal" in terms of combat style. His only Sunday Punch is the Dragon Fish Blow which he devised due to pressure of not having a Sunday Punch and relies on a near suicidal mix of diversion and capitalizing on his opponent's focus. His only other high technical skill was a Counter, but even despite his high skill with it, others have better counters including Itagaki.
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| Kimura really doesn't have any iconic stuff, so here you go |
Aoki Masaru aka Broccoman aka the Frog
And finally Aoki who is probably my favorite character. If Ippo defines the straight forward boxer, Itagaki represents pure unbridled natural skill, Kimura represents strong form and a good mind, and Takamura represents perfection of power, instincts, and natural talent, Aoki represents the tricky veteran. Aoki is truly the buttmonkey of the entire gym with the shiftiest of records. He's over the top as a personality, commonly becoming overexcited, perverted, or simply overconfident. He's the quickest to become overly sad, quickest to start a fight, and quickest to move on the ladies. In fact, in a manga where every guy is either too shy or unsuccessful with girls, Aoki is the only successful one to have a girlfriend, but it's still a joke. His girlfriend is considered unattractive, but with a great body. When the boys go on a multi date, Aoki is the only one who goes home with the girl Tomiko. Ippo is too shy to make a move on his love interest Kumi, Itagaki wants Kumi but knows Kumi doesn't like him, Takamura is feared by women for his reputation, and Kimura is just unlucky with women. Aoki has a healthy relationship in contrast, and it's always funny. He and Takamura actually have an ongoing side story about picking on one another and it is as simple as beating on each other, making fun of each other, or when Takamura gropes Tomiko and Aoki makes Takamura think he's cursed with parasites in his intestines. Takamura shaves his eyebrows and even gives him a terrible haircut, which backfires when it makes Aoki successful as an advertisement named Broccoman. But truly what is the most unique of Aoki is his fighting style. Aoki is an extremely unconventional boxer who specializes in screwing up other boxers. By this I mean Aoki uses tricks to succeed, tricks so dumb and so far out there it just catches others off guard. While Aoki has a Sunday Punch, it's more of a trademark and Aoki is simply well known for a variety of tricks. His best known attack is the Frog Punch which has him crouching all the way down and leaping up like a frog with a powerful uppercut. Playing Dead where he fakes being out of steam so his opponent burns up all their energy trying to KO him and then strikes back during his "Swamp." The Double Punch where he just sends out both fists. The Spinning Corkscrew which is a perversion of the Corkscrew punch in how it's not powerful and Aoki turns away. And what is quite possibly the most dastardly of Aoki's techniques, the Look Away, where Aoki takes advantage of a fighter's focus and sort of looks off in a, "Look over there!" sort of fashion and the opponent (and often the audience) looks to see what it is only for Aoki to cheap shot the opponent. Commonly people pay to see his matches for a laugh and to see him lose, and it's not even uncommon for the crowd to turn on him and complain about him.
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| A move so powerful, Takamura even used it once |
In truth, the characters make up the entire series for me. Their interactions out of the ring are absolutely superior to inside the ring. Fun, heartfelt, energetic, intense, all sorts of things you feel as a reader since the characters are perfectly balanced with one another. It isn't like many other shonen where people get left behind and are relegated to background, all of them constantly interact and play out their own stories and help each other in different ways. And this extends to opponents. I mean it. Commonly the opponents Ippo fights are as fleshed out and well rounded as the main characters. You feel for them, you even sort of root for them or feel like you should. They have heart and soul. And don't let me fool you, all of the characters are wildly different in "power." Ippo fights near equals and sometimes fights more powerful/less powerful opponents and trickery makes up the difference. There isn't the, "MY POWER CANNOT BE SURPASSED!!" which is somehow surpassed by random power ups. The fights all carry through and it becomes chance or skill or innate toughness which wins. Usually a single technique cannot solve a fight, and it isn't just Ippo growing in power so much as it is him growing as a fighter. It's very hard to explain but very different from what you see in comics like One Piece where Luffy outright becomes stronger than his opponent. Ippo commonly fights fighters who have different stats and there are younger fighters who carry stronger natural abilities beyond that of Ippo in destructive power and stamina. The world he's in isn't move on from one opponent to the next and "level up," because Ippo's world is in flux all the time due to training and adapting. Opponents he fought before stay relevant usually.
Another big part is the semi-realism. From Ippo's very first hard punch you are told about how boxers accumulate damage, that you don't just eat a bunch of meat and sleep to recover. Ippo is told flat out several times his way of fighting is leading to a short career. Commonly jaws are broken, careers are ended, and spines are damaged. Several techniques Ippo uses are explained as literally chipping away at his life as a boxer, and unlike Luffy's Gear Third or Naruto's Wind Shuriken Ransengan which are forbidden moves and have their drawbacks taken away due to new strength or abilities, Ippo's trade in his future and body for victory. He trains to limit the damage, but the end result is inevitable. The way he takes in punches has caused him concussions and even a loss. People suffer the severe side effects of boxing such as dementia pugilistica, punch eye, deformed bodies, etc. It's all alleged Ippo will face these as he continues, and they are all starting to take route. It's a sad tale, and since you know Ippo doesn't have a magical friend or ability to remove these problems you feel the pressure. How much more times can he punch from that angle before his leg tendons rip apart forever, how many more blows can he take before his retina detaches? Will damage to his friends cause them to leave him alone? It's all a very sad inevitable tale upcoming covered with a veneer of high hilarity and awesome characterization. It's really a story you don't want to end because you know how it has to end and it forces you to enjoy the ride in a way other stories just can't.
However, this series is very long lived being around since 1989. Due to it's age there is considerable art evolution and if you go back and read the earliest issues you might find the art hard to swallow. But stick to it, because the art eventually becomes beautiful and energetic. And the art actually changes around the mood the manga is taking. You see in Aoki's fights that while there is movement, it's more or less comedic and in other scenes there is dynamic beautiful stills and breathtaking art meant to drive home the intensity like the Itagaki one above and the Ippo example below. They're good enough that even though they're standing still, it's like they're racing from the page right at you.
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| Frog Punch! |
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| Ippo sending someone to their maker |
And honestly, I cannot do this comic justice in a blog post no matter how long I make it. You should, for yourself, go out and read this. Even if you aren't normally a sport comic fan, or couldn't imagine being one. Just try it. Much like Saga, I cannot recommend this one enough.
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