Anime Review: Fighting Spirit

Review Fighting Spiritaka Hajime no IppoWritten by WarpshadowRating excellent

One thing I have gotten used to in anime is gigantic fights with supernatural powers. However Fighting spirits shows that the super powers are not needed to make a good show, even one that has a lot of action.

Ippo Makenouchi was always busy helping his mother and since he had not time to make friends he was an easy target for bullies. One day while being beaten up he was saved by a boxer who just happened to be running by. The boxer (a big guy named Takamura) takes Ippo back to his gym to patch up his wounds. It is there that Ippo learns that he has a powerful punch. He also takes home some videos that spark an interest in boxing and a fascination with becoming a new man, an idea that drives Ippo to become a professional boxer.

In shonen anime that centers around fighting (although one could argue that fighting spirit is a sports show the fact that boxing is a combat sport it bears a strong resemblance) the laws of physics (and often logic) are usually thrown out the window. Fighting spirit shows that in fact a realistic show can be made while maintaining a level of intensity equal to the best shows of the genre. This show is not only great as a showcase for action but also a character show as well. Even with the action and drama the show doesn't get too heavy, it is generously sprinkled with quality comedy, most of it being from Ippo and his fellow gym members. Overall this is a show that really rises above the chaff of the most shows and is a lesser known classic that anybody who likes action should see.