I dont think so
madhouse doesnt do that.

probably around 50 episode or something,then after few years a new season

Been looking at the Manga vs the Anime. And for the most part ( except the first 2 eps ) it has been faithfully following the Manga storyline.

Based upon the amount off released Manga chapters, they have the material to do +- 120 episodes. Thats not taking in effect, how many more chapters are released by the time they reach the current known chapters ( in theory, we are talking 160 to 180 episode ).

So, no way its going to be 13 episodes. There is a high chance that the current season, its going to be a serie like One Piece / Bleach, etc. One with a very long run from now on.

The fights are just one aspect off the anime. Most off it are the interesting side characters, the development off the main characters, the rather unique drawing style. Most off the side characters have a rather large background, a reason to want to win.

Very few opponents are betrayed as pure evil ( a typical formula ). Even Mashiba, when first introduced looked like one block off pure evil, but things are not black & white. And soon you learn why he’s like that.

There are plenty off sport series that have a interesting impact. Slam Dunk, Capeta, Major ( especially the first season ). But Ippo is one that stands on top ( with Slam Dunk, a long time favorite off mine ).

And it does remind me of an old Boxing series called “Ashita no Joe”, it was also filled with drama and fateful matches between meaningful characters … i think “ippo” is carrying on its legacy.

O,h and why isn’t “Bamboo Blade” on the Poll, it is a very enjoyable and light-hearted sports anime … it was a fun watch really.

@JKTrix: I’m looking forward to episode 3, but still waiting for a release (as I’m following the Saizen fansubs). It’s exciting to hear about the soundtrack, though; orchestral music + boxing can only mean epic win.

@kurisu: It’s lovely to hear from a girl that’s watching something as ostensibly manly as Ippo. I must admit, I was wondering whether or not this was one of those ‘male-only’ kind of things, but then again, good characters are good characters, regardless of gender. Thank you for the encouragement, too!

They combine some of the rock n’ roll stuff with the violins and brass. The music itself isn’t particularly spectacular (and definitely not as overblown as Death Note’s choral ‘epics’), but definitely adds a lot to the drama.

As for ‘moe’, I really don’t think the art style for Ippo is good for making attractive characters

great writing as always bateszi

Also, I would hesistate to compare this to something like Prince of Tennis, if just because the latter seems to be all about angst and pretty boys, while Ippo has a more realistic, inspiring perspective on sport (in other words, they couldn’t be more different). In conclusion, it’s worth a look, at least.

@Square: Yeah, so far the speed of the second season has been break-neck, it’s almost moving too fast, and I’m a bit worried about the length of it, too– ANN is only listing 13 episodes! God, I hope it’s more than that. We haven’t waited all these years for only 13 measly episodes!

@Baka-Raptor: Damn right, and your theory applies to basically every genre of anime. Can you imagine how much they’d love Hokuto no Ken if it was produced by Kyoto Animation with Kenshiro (etc) as a cute teenaged girl? How depressing.

@gaguri: If just because it’s short and sweet, I definitely recommend you take a look at Ookiku Furikabutte. It’s another very character-driven sports drama, using baseball as a tool to probe and expose the psychology of its participants. The lead character is very much a Shinji Ikari-esque personality too, particularly with the way things break down in the end, very reminscent of the last couple of episodes of Evangelion TV.

Anyway, Ippo never struck me as repetitive. Like any drama, the characters constantly breathe life into plot, and when (/if) you come to care about them, their journey always takes on some added colour. I suppose with a show like this, it always depends on how much of yourself you’re willing to surrender.

@Knurek: Heh I do love those jokes, especially with the gross pixelation of that entire ‘area’, but I’m trying to talk this up as a serious drama. People can be ‘pleasantly’ surprised by those scenes! Hahaha

@Lupus Inu: There appears to be a bad-ass moment in episode 3, so hopefully the OST will shine then, as so far it’s been pretty non-descript. Also, just looking at ANN, I actually preferred the other guy who worked on the Death Note OST, Hideki Taniuchi– he did all the guitar-driven stuff, and his later music for Kaiji was similarly rockin’ and awesome. Anyway, we seem to share a lot of our favourites, so I’m sure you’ll love Ippo too. Watch it, ASAP!

@Anti: Ippo is a slow building series, really. It gradually follows the main character’s rise from a geeky kid in to this powerful boxer. His (and others) moments of glory are constant (if occasionally faultering i.e. you can’t win all the time), as are the moments of intense pathos and ‘manly tears’. If you’re this pumped just from watching that clip, I’d definitely suggest you start watching this now. You won’t regret it.

@Omisyth: Great anime will always survive the test of time. As far as I’m concerned, it was never a matter of if I’d watch Hajime no Ippo, more a matter of when!

@THM: Hi! I’d never even heard of Over Drive until I read your comment, can’t believe it aired in 2007! Suffice to say, I’m downloading the first episode now and I hope it’s good– 8.00 rating on MAL seems promising, and obviously, I can’t resist good sports anime!