Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting! - Collection 01 Blu-ray Movie Review

A sports anime with something for everyone: a tale of strength and what it means to be a hero.

Hajime no Ippo The Fighting – Collection 1 contains the first batch of episodes in the classic boxing anime. The sports anime is produced by Hiroshi Yamashita, Manabu Tamura, Masao Maruyama, and Mitsuru Ōshima. Based on the original manga by George Morikawa, the series explores the question of strength and what it means to truly be strong. The animation is by Madhouse (Trigun, Texhnolyze). An anime originally broadcast on the Japanese Nippon Television Network, Hajime no Ippo The Fighting – Collection 1 is at last available in North America from Discotek Media.

Ippo Makunouchi (Kohei Kiyasu) aims to be a boxer and to make his dreams come true. The teenage boy is exploring his fighting style while attending high school after being rescued by an expert from the boxing profession. After being bullied time and time again, Ippo decides he should never give up standing up for himself.

Underestimating his own abilities is no longer an option for Ippo as he ultimately becomes the hero he always wanted to become. As the ring heats up with new matches, Ippo soon discovers his first rival: Ichiro Miyata. Can Ippo fight to the end and emerge victorious?

Ippo Makunouchi makes a compelling lead character on the series. The protagonist of the story, Ippo is self-determined and strong-willed. The character is so resilient and determined that it makes this an even more engaging tale. Audiences will easily identify with Ippo and his drive to succeed in life. Wonderful characterization.

The chief animation direction is by Hiroshi Koujina (City Hunter, Area 88) and Masanori Shino (Banner of the Stars, No Guns Life). The animation style on the series is traditional and hand-drawn. This is a truly beautiful looking production. The art style soars with creativity and an abundance of class: giving the entire story a more grounded energy. The art showcases Ippo in a mor realistic way at times – which gives the production more depth. When the boxing scenes swing in to action, these moments find compelling ways to demonstrate the strength and determination of Ippo (and the animators have capably handled the material).

Never give up and always dream big.

The character designs by Koji Sugiura (Blood Blockade Battlefront, Bomberman Bidaman Bakugaiden) certainly fit the tone of the production. The designs are true to the time-period of the production: imbuing the series with a time-capsule of creativity that only hand-drawn animation can muster.

The cinematography by Hisao Shirai (Cardcaptor Sakura, Galaxy Express 999) is outstanding. As a classic anime, Hajime no Ippo The Fighting – Collection 1 is a great showcase for a boxing anime. Sports anime usually don’t look as artistic as this series does. This is partly due to the lighting and use of color from cinematographer Shirai. It brings out the best of the animation.

The score composed by Tsuneo Imahori (Trigun, Trigun: Badlands Rumble) is outstanding and one of the best components of the series. Imahori is a talented composer and the music is essential to the viewing experience. Just as with his classic scores for Trigun, Imahori provides great music that highlights the characters and the essence of the story.

Written by Tatsuhiko Urahata (Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, Buddy Complex), Hajime no Ippo The Fighting – Collection 1 is a story with a great message. The story is entirely about resilience and the drive of the human spirit. There is always a reason to strive for tomorrow and to be the best version of yourself (whether that be in sports or elsewhere). Ippo is a strong-willed character and Urahata manages to make the tale all the more compelling with a strong focus on the characterization: developing a central lead audiences can truly connect with.

Hajime no Ippo The Fighting – Collection 1 is directed by Satoshi Nishimura (Trigun, Trigun: Badlands Rumble). Nishimura is a gifted director with a wonderful knack for great visuals. This makes Hajime no Ippo The Fighting much more enjoyable than typical sports anime. Whether or not you are a big boxing fan, the series has a lot to offer audiences. Hajime no Ippo The Fighting is directed with elegance and grace.

Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting! - Collection 01 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The series is beautifully encoded. Though the release is a standard-definition upscale and isn't as impressive compared to a native high-definition scan, the material utilized for the master on the release is noteworthy. Discotek continues to demonstrate how wonderful a job the company does with presentations native and otherwise.

The Blu-ray release has excellent clarity and is much better than upscaled presentations from Funimation and some other studios. The release retains a natural aesthetic with grain intact and the print looks far better for it. Rather than egregious DNR (digital noise reduction), Discotek provides the master with the level of clarity the source-footage material can work with best. The results are impressive and the animation has likely never looked better than it does on this newly remastered presentation.

Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting! - Collection 01 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes several audio options: Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles), English uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo, and Spanish uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo. Hajime no Ippo The Fighting – Collection 1 has a somewhat more modest sounding soundstage but the tracks are still worthwhile. Dialogue is clear and the music sounds good on the release. The stereo imaging isn't too complex but it fits the series style well. The English subtitles are clear and well presented on the release. A worthwhile effort from Discotek Media.

Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting! - Collection 01 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Dub Outtakes (SD, 7:42)

Spanish Dub Credits (SD, 1:14)

Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting! - Collection 01 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting – Collection 1 is an entertaining action-anime series with a compelling concept. The production has great animation and the team of animators involved on the series is superb. The series has strong direction from Satoshi Nishimura (Trigun). The Blu-ray release has impressive video and audio. The release is light on extras but does include some outtakes from recording sessions. The set also includes a nice o-card slipcover on the first pressing of the series. Recommended.