Hajime no Ippo - Rising

[Buffalobiian]

Alternative title:
はじめの一歩 Rising (Japanese)

Themes: boxing, sport

Plotline:

-Sequel to Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger

Makunouchi Ippo is an ordinary high school student in Japan. Since he spends most of his time away from school helping his mother run the family business, he doesn't get to enjoy his younger years like most teenagers. Always a target for bullying at school (the family fishing business grants him a distinct odor), Ippo's life is one of hardship.

One of these after-school bullying sessions turns Ippo's life around for the better, as he is saved by a boxer named Takamura. He decides to follow in Takamura's footsteps and train to become a boxer, giving his life direction and purpose. Ippo's path to perfecting his pugilistic prowess is just beginning ...
-ANN

Links: ANN, AniDB, MAL




HorribleSubs - Episode 01

-----------------------









For a good part of the episode I thought we wouldn't get any actual boxing done, but I'm glad that was wrong.

[David75]

Yeah, it was hard to get back to Ippo in such a way.
Everything happening in the ring was so obviously scripted, that it left no room for surprise.
I will not comment on the rythm or atmosphere/tension, as usually it get some eps to come back.

[MFauli]

solid first episode, i guess.

but someone needs to explain boxing to me: so ippo is the champion, as is one of his team colleagues. different weight classes, i know that. but do they mean champion of japan, .... or worldwide? the latter would be ridiculous and remove any sort of exciting expectations. i mean, its just no fun having a main character who´s already at the top, is it.

[fireheart]

Ippo is the Japanese feather weight champion, Takamura on the other hand is a worldwide champion.

[Belial]

Terrible first episode, the pacing was all wrong and there was no build up for the fight, made me not care at all... also do we really need a flashback episode after 100 episodes and 4 years of waiting ....

[Buffalobiian]

Terrible first episode, the pacing was all wrong and there was no build up for the fight, made me not care at all... also do we really need a flashback episode after 100 episodes and 4 years of waiting ....

Well to be fair, the bigger the wait and the further down the story we are.. the more appropriate flashbacks become.

[David75]

Not as more than half of the first ep in 4 years, I agree with Belial.

[Buffalobiian]

Oh, I didn't like it either but I can see the necessity. It's not even that much of a flashback, right? I don't remember seeing his dad's death being explained. At the same time, I'm not surprised if we've covered it before though.

I blame it more on execution and my expectation. Flashback or not, it was rather bland. Expectation-wise, I wanted blood-pumping boxing that didn't deliver.

And what do you guys mean by "in 4 years"? You think a flashback like this should only happen after a haitus of 8 years? Or do you think that after 4 years of waiting, they should get back in as soon as possible instead of wasting time?

If the latter, that's seeing flashbacks as being time-wasters/fillers instead of actual reminders - hence why I said that the longer waits should demand more thorough flashbacks.

[David75]

Well flashback isn't the right word. More like Ippo's past.
I guess we were waiting for either comedy/training, or some tension building and start of the match.
Ippo's past would have been great inside the match, to show how strong his resolve has always been and why his will is strong enough to beat the Okinawaïan sea troll.

[DarthEnderX]

Hmm. I wonder what's happening there. Is he having some kind of airflow problem from squatting down the whole match?

[Buffalobiian]

Hmm. I wonder what's happening there. Is he having some kind of airflow problem from squatting down the whole match?

I think what they're going for is Exercise Induced Arterial Hypoxemia (EIAH). Realistically I think it limits performance instead of making you sick like that (cyanosed). It's like the concept where you can't drown yourself.

The diver is supposed to be better since he dives and has developed higher oxygen efficiency or something like that.

I'm not sure how it works exactly. Here's a book by people trying to find out though. I can send someone the pdf if they really want to read it.

[David75]

Hmm. I wonder what's happening there. Is he having some kind of airflow problem from squatting down the whole match?

My guess is that the sea troll keeps pressuring Ippo so much he has to attack at a very high pace and his cardio/pulmonary functions can't follow that high output rythm.
If you think about what you've seen, everytime Ippo has been slowing down for any reason, the sea troll placed a very dangerous attack and even connected.
So Ippo reacted by increasing the rythm of his attack, which was the exact purpose of the sea troll.

For the sea troll, this is a gamble, because he still takes strong hits. But my guess is his stamina is enough to sustain enough damage and then attack right when Ippo can't react anymore.
After all, they implied that guy can swim under cold waters at high depths for 13 minutes, without insulation suit. Of course, the way they showed that, you could always say he was gone for 13 minutes of which less than 5 were underwater... but this is anime and to my knowledge, getting such a fish is only possible at high depths and you need time.
So 13 minutes, actively swimming, high depth, cold water no protection. When the world record seems to be 11'30" static and with protection against cold.

[Buffalobiian]

Did they say it was cold water? Okinawa is hot, but I don't know how cold water gets when you go deep.

[David75]

Did they say it was cold water? Okinawa is hot, but I don't know how cold water gets when you go deep.

To my knowledge, it goes cold very quickly.

[Buffalobiian]

HS - Episode 02


---------------------------------









INTENSE, gripping.. you name it. Makunouichi is back! It felt just like the good days where I watched Ippo (or whoever) exchange blows, hoping with each punch that the opponent would go down and Ippo won't. Calling the episode "Dempsey Destroyed" certainly helps.

This isn't the first person to try countering the Dempsey. I remember a Thai guy from last season who missed Ippo's head because the Ippo's first punch grazed his chin. I also can't remember who it was that made Ippo realise the inadequacies of the Dempsey, since he then had to develop the Liver -> Feint-stare-> Gazette -> Dempsey combo. Maybe it was the Kyoto guy..

[David75]

Felt intense yup, but the coach is right. Ippo's career won't last long if he has to go near his physical limits everytime.
I'm a little surprised they never ever mentioned a control by a neurologist.

[Buffalobiian]

What do you mean by "a control"?

Ippo had that doctor from last season, but she hasn't played a bit role overall.

[David75]

What do you mean by "a control"?

Ippo had that doctor from last season, but she hasn't played a bit role overall.

Brain control, X-rays or anything.
He takes a lot of strong hits in the head, always finishes matches losing consciousness or near losing it.
I thought regulations were quite strong regarding boxers, at least it did become stronger, because after all they really risk their health/life in the ring.

[DarthEnderX]

Brain control, X-rays or anything.
He takes a lot of strong hits in the head, always finishes matches losing consciousness or near losing it.
I thought regulations were quite strong regarding boxers, at least it did become stronger, because after all they really risk their health/life in the ring.

I really hope they don't get into ANY of that, because the depressing realities of being a boxer would absolutely ruin this series.

It's basically the reason I hate the later Rocky movies.

[David75]

But the second's remark was like some grim prophecy.