Hajime no Ippo (in english, Fighting Spirit), is an anime that has 127 episodes divided into 3 seasons, with 2 filler episode and its percentage is 2%. The anime adapted up to chapter 557 of the manga (this has 1482 chapters, being published)
- Rating: 4.4/5 ( votes).
- Written by: Jyoji Morikawa
- Published by: Kōdansha
- Magazine: Shōnen Magazine
- Original run (manga): October 11, 1989 – present
- Studio: Madhouse
- Directed by: Satoshi Nishimura
- Music by: Tsuneo Imahori
- Original run (anime): October 4, 2000 – March 29, 2014
During his father's passing, teenager Ippo Makunouchi dedicates himself to helping his mother run their fishing boat rental business. His shy demeanor, constant fatigue, and the lingering scent of the sea make him an easy target for relentless bullies who frequently leave him battered and bruised. One day, aspiring boxer Mamoru Takamura rescues Ippo from an attack and takes him to the Kamogawa Boxing Gym to recover. There, Takamura and fellow boxers Masaru Aoki and Tatsuya Kimura are amazed by Ippo’s raw punching power—developed through years of demanding physical labor.
After brief training under Takamura, Ippo impresses everyone in a sparring match against prodigy Ichirou Miyata, earning both a rival in Miyata and a mentor in Genji Kamogawa, the gym’s owner and a former boxer. As Ippo embarks on his official boxing journey, he faces increasingly formidable opponents, experiencing both victories and defeats along the way. Through relentless training and unwavering determination, he pushes himself toward greatness. With his resilient body and indomitable spirit, the kindhearted young fighter sets out to make his mark on the boxing world.
Hajime no Ippo Filler Episodes List
The list will highlight the filler episodes of Hajime no Ippo (if any) and detail the episode-to-chapter conversion. Additionally, to help you watch the anime in order, any extra material, such as OVAs or movies, will be arranged according to its chronology. Finally, I will indicate the manga chapter where the anime ends and where to start reading from.
SEASON 1: Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!
The first season has 76 episodes, the openings used are Under Star (1-25), Inner Light (26-52) and Tumbling Dice (53-76); the endings used are Yuuzora no Kamihikouki (1-25), 360 (26-52) and Eternal Loop (53-76). ~ Adapted from manga 1 to 269.
| # | Title | Chapters | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | The First Step | 1 | |
| 02. | Fruits of Labor | 1, 2 | |
| 03. | Tears of Joy | 2, 3, 4 | |
| 04. | Shadow Boxing | 5, 6 | |
| 05. | 3 Months to Counter | 7, 8 | |
| 06. | The Opening Bell of the Rematch | 9, 10, 11 | |
| 07. | The Destructive Force of 1 cm | 11, 12, 13 | |
| 08. | Promise to Meet Again | 13, 14, 15 | |
| 09. | C Class License | 15, 16 | |
| 10. | Debut Match! | 17, 18, 19 | |
| 11. | Obsession for Victory | 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 | |
| 12. | Becoming a Bully's Buddy | 24, 25, 26 | |
| 13. | The Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament Begins | 27, 28, 29 | |
| 14. | Powerful Arms! Hooks vs. Uppercut! | 30, 31, 32 | |
| 15. | Test of Endurance | 33, 34, 35 | |
| 16. | Anticipating a Fierce Fight | 36, 37, 38 | |
| 17. | Ippo on the Beach | 39, 40, 41, 42 | |
| 18. | Clinch | 43, 44, 45, 46 | |
| 19. | Dream of a KO | 47, 48, 49, 50 | |
| 20. | The Threat of Shotgun | 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 | |
| 21. | The Way to Capture a Prodigy | 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 | |
| 22. | Forward! Forward!! | 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 | |
| 23. | The Other Semi-Final | 65, 66, 67, 68, 69 | |
| 24. | To the Promised Place... | 69, 70, 71, 72 | |
| 25. | Grudges, Sorrows & Dreams | 73, 74, 75, 76 | |
| 26. | The Battle for Distance | 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 | |
| 27. | Death Match | 82, 83, 84, 85 | |
| 28. | Victory or Defeat | 85, 86, 87, 88 | |
| 29. | Rocky of Naniwa | 88, 89, 90, 91 | |
| 30. | To Enemy Ground | 92, 93, 94, 95 | |
| 31. | N/A | ||
| 32. | Throw Your Right! | 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 | |
| 33. | Smash Force | 101, 102, 103, 104 | |
| 34. | The Rookie King | 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 | |
| 35. | The Counting Journey | 109, 110, 111 | |
| 36. | The Champ and I | 112, 113, 114, 115, 116 | |
| 37. | A Thing to Strive For | 117, 118, 119, 120 | |
| 38. | Two Rookies of the Year | 121, 122, 123, 124 | |
| 39. | Challenge in a Foreign Land | 125, 126, 127, 128 | |
| 40. | A Counter to Surpass All Counters | 128, 129, 130, 131 | |
| 41. | Barf-michi's Big Fight | 132, 133, 134, 135 | |
| 42. | Sharing a Dream | 135, 136, 137 | |
| 43. | The Speed Star | 138, 139, 140, 141 | |
| 44. | Blind Spot in the Ring | 142, 143, 144, 145, 146 | |
| 45. | The White Fangs of the Wolf | 147, 148, 149, 150 | |
| 46. | Be the Gazelle | 151, 152, 153, 154, 155 | |
| 47. | The Fighting Spirit Within | 155, 156, 157, 158, 159 | |
| 48. | The Red Wolf | 159, 160, 161, 162, 163 | |
| 49. | The Courage to Believe | 163, 164, 165, 166 | |
| 50. | Something to Convey | 166, 167, 168, 169, 170 | |
| 51. | The Group Date | 170, 171, 172, 173 | |
| 52. | N/A | ||
| 53. | So That I Can Be Myself | 174, 175, 176, 177 | |
| 54. | Fists of the Champ | 177, 178, 179, 180, 181 | |
| 55. | The Japan Featherweight Title Match | 182, 183, 184, 185, 186 | |
| 56. | The Power that Stands in the Way | 187, 188, 189, 190 | |
| 57. | Conclusion | 190, 191, 192, 193, 194 | |
| 58. | Heartbroken | 194, 195, 196, 197 | |
| 59. | A Determined Gaze | 198, 199, 200, 201 | |
| 60. | Rival | 202, 203, 204, 205 | |
| 61. | Comeback Anxiety | 206, 207, 208 | |
| 62. | Revival | 210, 211, 212, 213, 214 | |
| 63. | Youth of Fire | 215, 216, 217, 218, 219 | |
| 64. | Hot Rod Era | 219, 220, 221, 222 | |
| 65. | The Summer of the Kamogawa Corps | 222, 223, 224, 225, 226 | |
| 66. | Mr. Takamura's Tears | 227, 228, 229, 230, 231 | |
| 67. | The Kamogawa Gym Swings Into Action | 231, 232, 233, 234 | |
| 68. | The Chief's Peril | 235, 236, 237, 238 | |
| 69. | The Trap of the Southpaw | 239, 240, 241, 242, 243 | |
| 70. | The Young Punk | 244, 246, 247 | |
| 71. | Time for the Showdown | 248, 249, 250, 251, 252 | |
| 72. | Lallapallooza | 252, 253, 254, 255, 256 | |
| 73. | Surpass that Moment | 256, 257, 258, 259, 260 | |
| 74. | Mix-Up | 259, 260, 261, 262, 263 | |
| 75. | A Step Further | 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269 | |
| 76. | Boxer's Fist | 383 | |
| <--------------------- Special: Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road --------------------> | |||
| <--------------------- OVA: Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura - Execution ---------------------> | |||
SEASON 2: Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger
The second season has 26 episodes, the opening used is Hekireki (1-26); the ending used is 8 am (1-26). ~ Adapted from manga 315 to 389.
| # | Title | Chapters | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 077. | (01). | The New Step | 315, 316 |
| 078. | (02). | Bloody Cross | 317, 318, 319, 320 |
| 079. | (03). | To the Promised Place | 321, 322, 323, 324, 325 |
| 080. | (04). | Towards the World | 325, 326 |
| 081. | (05). | The Strength of the World | 327, 328, 329, 330 |
| 082. | (06). | A Figure to Chase After | 330, 331, 332, 333, 334 |
| 083. | (07). | The Advent of the Devil | 334, 335, 336, 337 |
| 084. | (08). | Spirit for One Last Attack | 337, 338, 339, 340 |
| 085. | (09). | Qualifying for Succession | 341, 342, 343 |
| 086. | (10). | Cannon Fodder | 344, 345, 346, 347 |
| 087. | (11). | Ippo vs. Hammer Nao | 347, 348, 349, 350, 351 |
| 088. | (12). | What It Means To Be a Pro | 351, 352, 353, 354 |
| 089. | (13). | Ippo on the Beach 2 | 355, 356, 357 |
| 090. | (14). | Two Sparring | 357, 358, 359, 360, 361 |
| 091. | (15). | Itagaki's Debut Match! | 362, 363, 364, 365 |
| 092. | (16). | The 2 Hawks | 365, 366, 367, 368 |
| 093. | (17). | Wild Child | 368, 369, 370 |
| 094. | (18). | Extreme Weight Control | 371, 372, 373 |
| 095. | (19). | Explosive Confrontation | 374, 375, 376, 377 |
| 096. | (20). | World Jr. Middle Weight Title Match | 377, 378, 379 |
| 097. | (21). | The Battle of the Hawks! | 380, 381, 382, 383, 384 |
| 098. | (22). | Supporting Hand | 384, 385, 386, 387, 388 |
| 099. | (23). | Support Hand | 389, 390, 391, 392 |
| 100. | (24). | The King | 392, 393, 394, 395, 396 |
| 101. | (25). | My Bronze Statue, Please | 397, 398, 415 |
| 102. | (26). | New Challenger | 416, 417, 418, 419, 420 |
SEASON 3: Hajime No Ippo: Rising
The third season has 25 episodes, the opening used is Yakan Hikou (1-25); the ending used is Buchikome !! (1-25). ~ Adapted from manga 390 to 557.
| # | Title | Chapters | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103. | (01). | The Strongest Challenger | 418, 419, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430, 503, 504 |
| 104. | (02). | The Dempsey Roll Destroyed | 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439 |
| 105. | (03). | A Woman's Battle | 440, 441, 442, 444 |
| 106. | (04). | The Goddess of Victory | 443, 444, 445, 446, 447, 448, 453 |
| 107. | (05). | 100% Fake | 448, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 455 |
| 108. | (06). | The Distance Between Me and Glory | 456, 457, 458, 459, 460 |
| 109. | (07). | Cheese Champion | 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466 |
| 110. | (08). | The Mad Dog and The Red Wolf | 462, 463, 467, 468, 469, 470, 471 |
| 111. | (09). | A Savage Scenario | 473, 474, 475, 476, 477 |
| 112. | (10). | The Face of Determination | 477, 478, 479, 480 |
| 113. | (11). | Fearless Challenger | 480, 481, 482, 483, 484, 485, 486, 487, 488, 489 |
| 114. | (12). | The Anti-Dempsey Perfected | 489, 490, 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, 496, 497 |
| 115. | (13). | A Fist that Picks You Up | 497, 498, 499, 500, 501, 502 |
| 116. | (14). | Empowering Words | 505, 506, 507, 508 |
| 117. | (15). | A Storm Descends on Makunouchi Fishing Boat! | 510, 511, 513, 514, 515, 516, 519 |
| 118. | (16). | Golden Eagle | 520, 521, 522, 523 |
| 119. | (17). | Eleki's Shocker and Papaya's Coconut | 524, 525, 526, 527, 528 |
| 120. | (18). | The Unfinished New Counter | 529, 530, 531, 532, 533 |
| 121. | (19). | Hawk vs. Eagle | 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 539, 540, 541, 542 |
| 122. | (20). | A Lesson Never Forgotten | 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 547, 548, 549, 550, 551 |
| 123. | (21). | The End of the Death Match | 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558 |
| 124. | (22). | Flower of Hope (*) | 400, 401, 402 |
| 125. | (23). | The Courage to Live (*) | 402, 403, 404, 405 |
| 126. | (24). | Iron Fist (*) | 406, 407, 408, 409, 410 |
| 127. | (25). | A Vow for Honor! (*) | 410, 411, 412, 413, 414 |
| Where Does the Anime End? | Where Should I Start Reading? |
|---|---|
The anime ended at episode 123 (21 of Season 3), which corresponds to Chapter 552, 553, 554, 555, 556 and 557 of the manga. The adaptation covers up to this point. (*) Episodes 124, 125, 126, and 127 adapt chapters 400 to 414 of the manga, placing them after the second season. |
After watching the anime, to continue the story in the manga, start reading from Chapter 558, which corresponds to Volume 61 (collecting chapters 552 to 561). |
How to Watch Hajime no Ippo in Order?
Unlike other anime, Hajime no Ippo includes extra material that is canon, making it essential to watch. This refers to the special and OVA, which are chronologically set after the first season within a total of three seasons. The complete chronology is as follows:
- Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting! – The first season consists of 76 episodes, adapting chapters 1 to 269 of the manga (volumes 1–30). After finishing Season 1, it is essential to watch the special and OVA in the following order:
- Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road – This special adapts chapters 291 to 314 of the manga (volumes 33–35).
- Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura – Execution – This OVA adapts chapters 270 to 289 of the manga (volumes 31–32).
- Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger – The second season has 26 episodes, covering chapters 315 to 389 of the manga (volumes 36–43).
- Hajime no Ippo: Rising – The third season consists of 25 episodes, adapting chapters 390 to 557 of the manga (volumes 44–61).