Fighting Spirit: Season 1
2000 · 75 episodes · ★ 8.6
The First Step
What Season 1 of Fighting Spirit
Makunouchi Ippo is 17 years old and is fed up with everyone seeing him as a weakling. He helps his mother run the family business, but the kids at his school won't let him off the hook. One day, a group of gang members bullies him, and Mamoru Takamura, a national boxing champion, steps in. He defends Ippo and scolds him for looking so pathetic when he won't throw a punch back. From that moment on, Takamura teaches him professional boxing, and Ippo finally finds a goal. The season follows his first steps into a new world, where physical effort and determination are the first things he must prove. Between training sessions, grudge matches and his debut, Ippo faces rivals who test his endurance.
Season 1 Episodes
1x01 The First Step
Ippo is a high school student who works full time at his mother's fishing though. Because of this, he gets bullied on by the kids at his school. That's when his life turns around, when a professional boxer happens to be jogging along the way, and introduces Ippo to the world of boxing.
Directing: Kenichi Kawamura · Writing: Tatsuhiko Urahata
1x02 Fruits of Labor
Ippo succeeds in catching 10 falling leaves, and is granted his first sparring session.
Directing: Saburo Hashimoto
1x03 Tears of Joy
Ippo loses his first sparring session, but shows enough potential to be accepted into the gym.
Directing: Hitoshi Nanba
1x04 Shadow Boxing
Ippo practices shadow boxing.
Directing: Nanako Shimazaki
1x05 3 Months to Counter
Ippo trains for a rematch.
Directing: Toshiharu Sato · Writing: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
1x06 The Opening Bell of the Rematch
Ippo and Miyata face off in a rematch.
Directing: Yasuo Iwamoto
1x07 The Destructive Force Of One CM
Ippo and Miyata are in the last round of the rematch
Directing: Yuji Yamaguchi
1x08 Promise to Meet Again
Ippo trains with Takamura and discovers the hardship of pro boxing.
Directing: Akira Mano
1x09 C Class License
Ippo takes the License Test and meets Mashiba.
Directing: Rokou Ogiwara
1x10 Debut Match!
Ippo and his opponent Yusuke train for Ippo's debut match.
Directing: Mitsuyuki Masuhara
1x11 Obsession for Victory
Ippo defeats Yusuke via K.O.
Directing: Shin'ichi Tsuji
1x12 Becoming a Bully's Buddy
Ippo fights and wins his second match via K.O.,After the fight he was befriended by Umezawa, his former bully.
Directing: Yasuhiro Matsumura · Writing: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
1x13 The Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament Begins
Ippo and his opponent Jason prepare for the first match of the Rookie King Tournament.
Directing: Nanako Shimazaki
1x14 Powerful Arms! Hooks vs. Uppercut!
Start of Ippo vs Jason match, both men exchange powerful punches but neither goes down.
Directing: Akira Mano
1x15 Test of Endurance
Ippo defeats Jason via K.O. after a tough match.
Directing: Kenichi Kawamura
1x16 Premonition of a Hard Battle
Ippo watches the fight videos of Kobashi and Hayami, his future opponents.
Directing: Mitsuyuki Masuhara
1x17 Ippo on the Beach
Ippo joins Takamura, Kimura, and Aoki in a training camp near the beach.
Directing: Yuzo Sato · Writing: Yasuko Kamo
1x18 Clinch
Start of Ippo vs Kobashi match, Ippo is loosing by points because of Kobashi's strategy.
Directing: Takaaki Ishiyama
1x19 K.O. Dream
Kobashi abandoned his strategy and loses the match to Ippo via K.O.
Directing: Yasuhiro Matsumura, Jun Shishido
1x20 Threat of Shotgun
Takamura wins the Japanese Middleweight Championship belt, Ippo trains with Aoki to counter Hayami's Shotgun punch.
Directing: Hideo Hayashi · Writing: Ryosuke Nakamura
1x21 The Way to Capture a Prodigy
Start of Ippo vs Hayami fight, Hayami takes the advantage during the early rounds.
Directing: Akira Mano
1x22 Forward! Forward!!
Ippo defeats Hayami via K.O. Ippo's training with Aoki and Kimura's help Ippo win the match.
Directing: Mitsuyuki Masuhara · Writing: Yasuko Kamo
1x23 Another Semi-Final
Ippos day off. Miyata and Mashiba face off.
Directing: Nanako Shimazaki
1x24 To the Place We Promised...
Miyata and Mashiba continues to fight. Ippo is angred by the outcome.
Directing: Yoshito Hata
1x25 Every Emotion
Ippo trains for Mashiba flicker jabs.
Directing: Jun Shishido
1x26 Battle for Distance
Ippo VS Mashiba Round 1
Directing: Yukina Hiiro · Writing: Kenji Sugihara
1x27 Death Match
Ippo VS Mashiba continues.
Directing: Kenichi Kawamura
1x28 Victory or Defeat
Ippo defeats Mashiba for Rookie King of Eastren Japan.
Directing: Akira Mano
1x29 Rocky of Naniwa
Sendo goes to Japan to meet Ippo and make him go to All Japan and gets a chance to spar with Takamura.
Directing: Shin'ichi Masaki
1x30 To Enemy Ground
Ippo learns how to heal his right fist and gets ready for the All Japan but something happens his powerful right punches!
Directing: Nanako Shimazaki · Writing: Ryosuke Nakamura
1x31 Traces of Intense Battles
Episode 31 is a retrospective on the hope that managed Ippo championship. It is made in the form of a newspaper article commented and written Fuuji, journalist of the monthly "boxing fan."
Directing: Kenichi Kawamura · Writing: Tatsuhiko Urahata
1x32 Throw Your Right!
After two straight missed Ippo, the sparring match is abandoned. Meanwhile, Sendo, the great favorites of the match, continues to train. Just before the game, the pain in the fist Makunouchi have not disappeared, his orthopedic injects an anesthetic. The pain, however, can return at any time of the match, but Ippo is determined to face Sendo costs!
Directing: Jun Shishido
1x33 Smash Force
Makunouchi takes the smash improved Sendo, and crashed into the ropes, but do not fall! Alas, his legs tremble, Sendo and the opportunity to boost its smash. Ippo then chooses the combat body to body pure to prevent Sendo launched its smash, blow midway. Both boxers are equal forces in this area, and no stroke reaches its target.
Directing: Mitsuyuki Masuhara · Writing: Kenji Sugihara
1x34 The Rookie King
Sendo Makunouchi and continues to cast powerful blows to turn, but neither weakens, they are very determined !! But after a few moments, Sendo eventually take the lead, and pushes Ippo the ropes. Our hero then decides to fight back, he took advantage of a moment's respite to launch its right on Sendo, but he dodges and launches Smash Makunouchi that takes the brunt, then connects with an uppercut and a violent series Ippo preventing strokes to attack ...
Directing: Yukina Hiiro
1x35 The Continuing Journey
It is the day of graduation, Ippo has also obtained his. At his high school, he became The Star, Idol of all students. This awareness leads logically significant upsurge in new boxers Club Kamogawa, known mainly through Takamura, Aoki and Kimura. But most do not have the mind needed to make boxing, and quickly brought back to reality by Takamura which they all did make a fool of jogging. Only a poor fan Ippo Yamada, managed to keep up, somehow.
Directing: Akira Mano
1x36 The Champ and I
Ippo finally meets the champion in its class, Eiji Date. The latter is there to comment on the evening's matches as a guest. It turns out that date and Takamura are old friends. It is then time fighting. Aoki and Kimura wins them narrowly, and ranks both 5 of their category. Takamura broke his opponent as usual. Ippo meanwhile, is ranked 10 ° in its class. A few days later, the right fist Ippo is healed and he immediately asked by Newest Eiji in person for a sparring.
Directing: Keiji Hayakawa
1x37 A Thing to Strive For
Ippo gets to get up, the game resumes. Date returned, and hardly the match resumed, Ippo is again stuck in the ropes. Date then returns its corkscrew, trying to anticipate where Ippo Date will strike, and protects his body. But the blow-out date is very accurate and comes crashing right in the heart of Ippo. The latter is then locked again, and again takes the left of Date. Our young boxer collapses into the ring for the 2nd time. Date who just wanted to test this one, decided to no longer use and Sparring resumes...
Directing: Kentaro Nakamura · Writing: Kenji Sugihara
1x38 Two Rookies of the Year
Okita also control the blow that had allowed Date set down Ippo 2 times !! Ippo, panicked, took distance, and Okita feints put the uncomfortable, it can not predict its moves. Ippo then test to get closer, but is kept at bay by jabs Okita !! The latter took the lead thanks to its experience and managed to place all his shots !! He finally ends up stuck Ippo in the corner, what he expected from the beginning of the round, in order to launch its Corkscrew, once dreaded by Makunouchi !!!
Directing: Jun Shishido · Writing: Ryosuke Nakamura
1x39 Challenge in a Foreign Land
In Thailand, Miyata a draw against a second-class boxer. Decision of the arbitrator although debatable, the Japanese are not welcome there, and Miyata seems to be the target of combatants wishing to earn points easily. But our young prodigy does not intend to scroll and accept a new challenge, against the wishes of his father, who would rather see it go up in the lightweight category. For Miyata, that change is impossible, it MUST NOT prevent Ippo, about dignity, he refused to flee the face of obstacles.
Directing: Yukina Hiiro · Writing: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
1x40 A Counter to Surpass All Counters
The boxing stadium tremble with excitement, the crowd goes wild and wants to see only one thing, the victory of Jimmy Sisfer, and the defeat of Ichiro Miyata ... While the gong is about sound, Payao and baby Chana brother are on their way to see one of the most beautiful game of the life Miyata. Back at the stadium Runpini, Miyata can only see the reputation of Jimmy Sisfer, while his father described the situation of the failed against Ichiro. Payao Chana and finally arrives at the stadium before the match is over.
Directing: Yuzo Sato · Writing: Kenji Sugihara
1x41 Barf-michi's Big Fight
At sunset, While Ippo's mother prepares the material for fishing, it can hardly his training, sorry for being late to help his mother. The next day at Kamogawa club, while everybody is training, the coach delivers some news: Aoki and Kimura are registered in Class A tournament - a competition of the highest level. Ippo learns with astonishment that it is also registered for this tournament. But always with astonishment, Geromichi learns that he was included in Pro test.
Directing: Masayuki Kojima · Writing: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
1x42 Sharing a Dream
Ippo thinks of quitting boxing.
Directing: Akira Mano · Writing: Yasuko Kamo
1x43 The Speed Star
Ippo gets ready for his match against Saeki the Speed Star.
Directing: Hiromitsu Morita · Screenplay: Daisuke Aranishi
1x44 Blind Spot in the Ring
Ippo fights Saeki.
Directing: Yoshito Hata · Writing: Ryosuke Nakamura
1x45 The White Fangs of the Wolf
Gero-michi leaves and has to move away.
Directing: Nanako Shimazaki
1x46 Be the Gazelle
Aoki, Kimura & Ippo train hard for their next match of the tournament class A. They linked together jogging, sparring and Shadow Boxing to be at their best. It is time for the semifinals of Aoki. The match was balanced, but the 4th round, Aoki is counter to "the shot of the Frog" and collapses in the ring. But he gets up, feint and then delivers a powerful one to two who puts his opponent down. The latter in turn reports to, and through a nice web...
Directing: Jun Shishido
1x47 The Fighting Spirit Within
The tactics of the coach against Vorg is based on a succession of sudden melee after which the least enduring two boxers will drop his guard for breath. The victory Ippo so upon his endurance. He will have to work hard breathing and cardiovascular system. In order to have a chance, the coach must impose an extremely strong pace to Ippo. Because of that, a few days before the game, Ippo begins to think that it will not recover in time from his training.
Directing: Mihiro Yamaguchi
1x48 The Red Wolf
The match between Volg and Ippo begins.
Directing: Yoshio Suzuki · Screenplay: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
1x49 The Courage to Believe
Volg and Ippo continue to duke it out in a hard-fought and long battle.
Directing: Yukina Hiiro
1x50 Something to Convey
The end of the Volg match.
Directing: Kentaro Nakamura
1x51 Group Date
Group date, literally. Ippo walks Mashiba's Kumi home.
Directing: Mitsuyuki Masuhara
1x52 The Challenger
Recap episode.
Directing: Kenichi Kawamura
1x53 So That I Can Be Myself
Background episode for Date Eiji.
Directing: 杉村泰弘
1x54 Fists of the Champ
"The champions have special powers! "That is what was said to Takamura Ippo before his defense of the title match. But after weight problems and a passage in a sauna that has significantly weakened, Takamura finds himself in trouble with his challenger Tamaki but still holds out and the gong sounds the end of the 1st round. The 2nd round barely begun, but Takamura load Tamaki is pushing his fitness is at its lowest, it is out of breath and roll with the punches of his opponent.
Directing: Atsushi Takahashi
1x55 The Japan Featherweight Title Match
The episode begins the day before the match for the title of Ippo, during training with mittens. But the latter is shortened, the coach looks ill. While Aoki asks Ippo to reach him, Kimura Takamura and Tomiko to make something interesting ... When the young boxer arrives, he learns that Tomiko will predict his future, but then refuses Takamura and Kimura are there to prevent him from leaving the coach then makes appearance and berates everyone !!!
Directing: Shin'ichi Masaki
1x56 The Power that Stands in the Way
During the break, Ippo is concerned, he has not had the sensation he usually hit when Date but his coach made him regain confidence in him. The beginning of the 3rd round is the perfect copy of the 2nd, shots exchanges and this time it's the date that takes advantage. But Ippo not allowed to do, Liver Blow launches and connects to a violent attack! Ippo but still has that feeling to touch and see in fact nothing Date Eiji swinging his head depending on the direction of the shot, a technique made to dissipate the power of the blows ...
Directing: Kentaro Nakamura
1x57 Conclusion
"What should I do?". This is the question that arises while Ippo Date street shots, then he remembers that he told Takamura just give the maximum for this fight. It resumes and cons Date of overkill shot! Champion legs no longer obey him and Ippo launches a huge live date but with its iron will narrowly dodge and 4th round ends. No one in the audience knows what will happen, not even the defending champion of average weight Takamura Mamoru.
Directing: Mitsuyuki Masuhara
1x58 Heartbroken
While the coach Okita Date and congratulated the champion, Ippo wishes to thank for this game then goes on a stretcher to applause from the audience ... We then see Takeshi Sendo raging against Ippo! He thought that he would win and would give him a match demand, but he realizes that there are now two people above him. Vorg then appeared, both boxers are actually in the same situation, they want to take their revenge on Makunouchi!
Directing: Nanako Shimazaki
1x59 Look of Determination
The match between Sendou Takeshi and Volg Zangief starts.
Directing: Yukina Hiiro
1x60 Rival
Sendou wins the match versus Volg.
Directing: Kentaro Nakamura
1x61 Comeback Anxiety
Miyata Ichirou defeats Li Chou Bil.
Directing: Kenichi Kawamura, Yasuhiro Sugimura
1x62 Revival
Coach returns from the hospital, and Makunochi "hits without being hit".
Directing: Kenichi Kawamura
1x63 Youth of Fire
The past of Aoki and Kimura is shown.
Directing: Ryosuke Nakamura
1x64 Hot Rod Era
Second part of Aoki's and Kimura's past.
Directing: Atsushi Takahashi
1x65 The Summer of the Kamogawa Corps
The group go to training camp in the mountains.
Directing: Mitsuyuki Masuhara
1x66 Mr. Takamura's Tears
Takamura fights a bear.
Directing: Nanako Shimazaki
1x67 The Kamogawa Gym Swings Into Action
After this strong hectic camp, we find our boxers at the gym. While the coach told them all to go to rest, two men have one a shin-coach nihon club and the other being Shigeta Akira, a young boxer ranked 4th featherweight and will therefore fight for the title against Sendo. The coach asks the coach if his boxer could eventually do a sparring ippo face. The coach agrees. We then see ippo completely lost against an opponent whose main feature is ...
Directing: Mihiro Yamaguchi
1x68 The Chief's Peril
Finally the day of the games of our boxers happens, Kimura very fit explodes his opponent, when Aoki to beat his opponent but as usual with a little more difficulty. But hey go to the main match of the evening, obviously this is the game Takamura who calls himself "the bear killer" now. While everyone is impatient in the room. Takamura offers us a memorable entrance, nay exceptional !!! He wears the skin of the bear Nekota-san brought him mountains.
Directing: Yoshiyuki Takei
1x69 The Trap of the Southpaw
Ippo and coach arriving in the city where the featherweight champion, Takeshi Sendo must defend his title against Shigeta Akira, 4th category. At the beginning of the match, we see very manhandled by the champion challenger. Indeed, as Ippo, Sendo is struggling to impose its style of boxing against a southpaw boxer, that is to say a southpaw boxer. Sendo tries to put his best shots Shigeta, but it dodges every time and even manages to outsmart his famous fatal blow, the Smash.
Directing: Yukina Hiiro
1x70 The Young Punk
We find our hero in him, in his room, he can not help thinking about the game he has just seen in Osaka, acceleration Sendo, his blows so powerful and his expression bloodthirsty killer scared. The Ippo thoughts suddenly stopped by his mother. Kumi, the friend of ippo wants to talk on the phone joy Ho, Ho love, Ippo is quick to take the handset. After some discussion between timid, our lovebirds decide when even an appointment.
Directing: Kentaro Nakamura
1x71 Time for the Showdown
While the title match approach Ippo trains again and again. As it enters its footing, a crowd gathered in front of the room, there are people coming to buy their tickets for this match promises to be memorable. Yagi advertisement for Ippo that all match tickets were sold in one day, amazing. The next day is the day of the weigh-in. Ippo enters the room, always a little anxious, he sees Sendo, the defending champion has not changed, still relaxed too.
Directing: Shinji Satoh · Screenplay: Ryosuke Nakamura
1x72 Lollapalooza
What wonder what Dempsey Roll early in the 1st round, Ippo sends his best and most powerful blow while Sendo had not yet had time to get into position. The champion is found on land that is a panic down. But we suspected that Sendo was not going to stop there, he gets up with difficulty ... In revenge and especially to repel the new qu'Ippo Dempsey Roll is about to launch, the champion sent a straight right in the custody of our hero, not to worry, in theory ...
Directing: Kenichi Kawamura, Yoshiyuki Takei
1x73 Surpass That Moment
Ippo happens somehow to join his corner. This end of the second round was very rude for the challenger, the 3rd round starts in exactly the same way as has finished the second. Ippo gets scared, he knows a single shot Sendo could send it to the mat. Distraught, our hero does not know what to do, he took refuge behind his guard and cash titanic blows champion. After an uppercut and a smash Sendo took the full brunt, it makes up for in accuracy and sends a desperate shot ...
Directing: Nanako Shimazaki
1x74 Mixup
Takamura has noticed, Ippo has had enough it is burnt and courage in this game is like a time bomb because if Sendo quite put down Ippo, it will never recover. 5th round begins with a superb one to two of Ippo, but Sendo replica and sends ippo the ropes and starts sending high-powered shots in the custody of the challenger. Seeing his boxer so ready for victory, the coach still Sendo revisit it when it was just a thug brawler.
Directing: Yukina Hiiro
1x75 One Step Further
The match between Ippo and Sendo finally reaches its conclusion after seven ruthless rounds.
Directing: Kentaro Nakamura · Writing: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Season 1 Cast
Tomokazu SekiIchiro Miyata (voice)75 episodes
Kohei KiyasuIppo Makunouchi (voice)75 episodes
Wataru TakagiMasaru Aoki (voice)75 episodes
Toshihiko NakajimaHaruhiko Yagi (voice)75 episodes
Sanae KobayashiKumi Mashiba (voice)75 episodes
Kiyoyuki YanadaTakuma Saeki (voice)75 episodes
Koji TsujitaniRyuichi Hayami (voice)75 episodes
Masahiko TanakaRyo Mashiba (voice)75 episodes
Masaki AizawaDate Eiji (voice)75 episodes
Nobutoshi CannaYusuke Oda (voice)75 episodes
Unsho IshizukaMiyata's father (voice)75 episodes
Yorie TerauchiHiroko Makunōchi (voice)75 episodes
Kenichi OnoMinoru Fujii (voice)75 episodesAll Seasons
Season 22009 · 26 eps · 
Season 32013 · 25 eps · Where to Watch Season 1 of Fighting Spirit
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Season 1 of Fighting Spirit have?
Season 1 of Fighting Spirit has 75 episodes.
When did season 1 of Fighting Spirit premiere?
Aired October 3, 2000.
Where to watch Fighting Spirit Season 1?
Available with a subscription on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads and Crunchyroll Amazon Channel (availability may vary by country).