Love of Shooting Star is sending you
A flash of light... Yeah!
With eternal dreams
Let's roll and go
Without thinking anything
I'm just living in the Now
What keeps me going is
A street song
I want to dive lost mind, I want to dive lost mind (I want to immerse myself in my dream till I can't think of anything else)
I want feeling, I want feeling, always (That's how I want to feel all the time)
I want to dive lost mind, I want to dive lost mind (I want to immerse myself in my dream till I can't think of anything else)
Why, why, why, why? I want to dive feeling over (I don't know why, but I want to keep feeling passionate)
Love of Shooting Star is sending you
A flash of light... Yeah!
With eternal dreams
Let's roll and go
Ippo, shouldn't you be resting?
Fishing Boat Rental MAKUNOUCHI You'll get sick!
Fishing Boat Rental MAKUNOUCHI It's okay!
I have to be active the morning, or I don't feel right the rest of the day!
See you at the boat!
Look at how elated he is.
I'm sorry about staying over so late yesterday.
That's okay. I had a great time.
Doing homework together makes it go really fast...
so come over again sometime.
Thanks, I will!
This is great!
This must be a heavenly reward for winning my debut match!
Oh, yeah.
I won!
Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.
The winner, Makunouchi!
It was just like Takamura-san said it would be.
The applause fell on me like rain.
I'll never forget that!
I'll try to forget that.
I bet everyone's gonna be shocked at these bandages.
Besides, when they find out I won my pro debut match...
Awesome, Makunouchi!
You are awesome!
Way to go, Makunouchi!
I could really admire you, Makunouchi-kun!
All right! To celebrate Makunouchi's first victory...
let's toss him in the air!
Heave-ho! Heave-ho!
Congratulations, Makunouchi-kun!
Aw, stop!
But it would be in bad taste if I sounded boastful.
That's the tricky part.
And you know what Yoko said after that?
Huh?
What happened? You're all bandaged up!
Here it comes!
What?! You're a professional boxer?!
Yeah, sort of.
I never would have figured you for a boxer.
Really?
So, you're a pro.
What are you going to do about college?
Well...
That must have taken a lot of determination.
Yeah.
Are you gonna do boxing for a living?
Uh, I haven't thought that far ahead yet.
Right now, I'm just devoting myself to boxing.
Wow.
I'll probably be bombarded with questions all day!
I should've known better.
It's not like I took up boxing to be popular.
You're eating lunch here? That's pathetic.
Umezawa-kun!
I left my license at home, and there's nothing else for him to take.
Uh, hi! Did you want to see me about something?
What's that?
Are you saying I can't talk to you unless it's important?!
Uh, no.
Say...
Uh, yes?
Come on, Umezawa-san.
Huh?
Umezawa-san!
Say...
I heard from a guy in your class...
Well, you know.
You won your debut match?
Uh, well... Sort of.
Looks like it's true.
Yeah, but still...
- So... - So?
How did you win?
Huh? Didn't you come to bully me?
Umezawa-san is asking you a question! Answer him!
R-Right!
I did this and...
Are you mocking us?!
We can't understand that! Explain from the beginning!
Uh, right.
Well, in the first round...
You started to bleed?!
You were happy that you didn't lose by technical knockout?
And you won with right jabs only?
Don't try to sell me that, you bastard!
I bet his opponent was weak.
That's how it was, right, Ippo?
Uh, um...
Do you all like boxing?
Of course we like boxing!
Boxers are at the pinnacle of manly strength!
All delinquents idolize 'em! That's why we think you're...
You idolize me?!
Don't push your luck!
We don't idolize worms like you!
R-Right!
Umezawa-san!
Oh, yeah.
So, when's your next fight?
What?
When's your next match?!
Uh, right.
Um, my opponent hasn't been selected yet...
but it'll be at Korakuen Hall in a month.
Oh. In a month, huh?
At Korakuen Hall, huh?
In a month, huh?
What was that all about?
That's not how we discussed it, Umezawa-san!
Shut up!
Weren't you gonna apologize to him? I thought you wanted to be his friend!
It's a little late for that now!
Umezawa-san!
Oh, shut up!
KAMOGAWA Boxing Gym
Hi there, Yagi-san.
Ah, Fujii-san.
What kind of article brings you here today?
Oh, it's nothing much.
Are you here to interview me?
Okay, how about this?
A Special Feature Article! A whopping 20 pages...
"All about Mamoru Takamura!" You'd be guaranteed double the sales.
Where's Makunouchi? I brought what the Chief asked me to bring.
He's in the ring downstairs. Be my guest.
I will, thanks.
Fujii-chan, you must have good footwork to get behind me so quickly.
What? Did you say something, Takamura-kun?
You're just as guilty, Yagi-chan!
What did I do?!
Hey, come on!
Don't rest after the one-two! You're forgetting three, the hook!
Working hard, I see.
Your after-punch pull is too slow!
Don't go in straight! Move your upper body sideways or you'll get countered!
He's biting his thumbs.
Oh, I see! It's the peek-a-boo technique.
He says it'll get him into the habit of keeping his fists under his chin.
That makes sense. His guard did look awfully loose at his debut match.
'Peek-a-boo' is an English expression, right?
It's a unique pose the renowned trainer, Cus D'Amato, taught Mike Tyson.
It involves holding the gloves firmly to the chin...
and peeking through at the opponent.
Chief Kamogawa would think of something like that.
He came up with a plan of counterattack in no time flat.
Hook! Hook!
Throw a hook immediately after the one-two!
I appreciate it, Fujii-kun.
No problem. I'm only happy to accommodate a request from you.
For you.
It's a video of Miyata's match from the other day.
Watch it for your reference.
Oh! Thank you, sir!
Your next match along with the Rookie Tournament is coming up, right?
Do your best.
Dynamic Gloves #1 Dynamic Gloves #2
Yes!
Three fights, three KO wins. Way to go, Miyata-kun!
The Rookie King Tournament.
I have a rough road ahead of me, but I'll make it!
Is the kid here? Hey, kid!
Uh, yes!
The opponent for your second match has been selected!
What?
Your opponent is Yoshio Fujiwara of Maeda Gym.
So far he's got one win and one loss.
The win was by decision.
He's no biggie.
You can't judge by record alone.
In boxing, you never know the result until the match is over.
However, this upcoming match is important...
in terms of getting a boost before the tournament.
You can't afford to lose this! Don't slack off!
Yes, sir!
He's on fire!
Yoshio Fujiwara 4R Ippo Makunouchi I'm still having trouble believing it even after seeing this.
Yoshio Fujiwara 4R Ippo Makunouchi He'll probably end up being knocked out anyway.
Japan Featherweight Class (Kamogawa Gym) IPPO MAKUNOUCHI That's true. Let's laugh our heads off at him.
But what if he turns out to be incredibly strong?
Th-That's impossible, and you know it.
Y-Yeah, good point.
- Good! Go for it! - Keep it up!
- Go for the body, then the head! - Close in on him!
- Ooh, look at 'em go! - Just a little more!
Ippo's next. He'll probably last all of ten seconds!
That's possible.
Yeah, we know how he is.
It's finally Ippo's turn.
H-Hey, you guys! What are you getting nervous about?!
Look who's talking!
It's Ippo! It's Ippo!
It's really him that came out!
- It's that polite bowing again!
- I love it!
Good luck!
He's an instant hit!
Umezawa-san!
Look at his opponent!
Holy crap!
He looks strong in every way!
Ch-Chief! He has no eyebrows!
Humph! He has the appropriate look...
but you don't box with your face.
Don't let that scare you and step forward.
You'll have no problem if you make the moves we practiced!
Right!
Like I said, his guard is soft.
Let him have it from the get-go.
You got it! I'll send that baby face home to his mama with one punch.
Box!
It's on!
Here he comes! I'll counterpunch!
Damn, his guard seems firm to me!
That was close. The peek-a-boo style is working!
What's with this guy's punches?!
It destroyed my guard!
It feels like being hit with a rock!
Good job! You're on a roll!
Is this for real? Ippo's got the upper hand!
Which of you is the bozo who said it'd be over in ten seconds?!
You, Umezawa-san!
Damn! Don't get carried away!
You're mine!
Hey! He went down!
But didn't that guy just use his head?!
He did, he did! That was definitely a head-butt!
Yeah!
That's dirty! That bastard!
That was butting! Referee, what are you doing?
Keep your eyes open!
Four! Five!
It didn't hurt me! I can continue!
What the heck was that?
Box!
A four-round match is a two KO system. I can't fall again!
Ippo's on the offensive!
He isn't losing the battle!
Yeah!
It's no good! I can't win by fighting fair!
Ow!
Hey! That was head butting, Referee!
Ow...
Watch carefully, Referee!
Watch his head!
Stop! Stop!
Huh?
You, watch your head!
What? It was an accident.
His head's so low, I can't help bumping into it.
Do it again, and I'll deduct points. Got it?
Yes.
You watch out, too.
Sure.
The peek-a-boo style involves posing low...
so I wonder if that makes me easier to bump into?
He did it on purpose!
That piece of crap! What a cheater!
He's not fit to be called a boxer!
Box!
Ippo! Take that sucker down!
Yeah! Get him, Ippo!
Good!
Aw, you moron!
There!
Get him!
They hit each other!
It's okay. He's overpowering him!
Good job! It's working, it's working!
Go, go! Finish him!
Get him there, Ippo!
He's relentless! I can't get a shot in edgewise!
Damn! I'll do it as many times as I have to!
He's doing it again! Dodge him, Ippo!
Man! He got it!
That's a penalty, Referee!
If I know a head-butt is coming...
An uppercut?
I can take it!
- Did he block it?!
- No!
Give him another!
Go!
All right!
Down!
One! Two!
Three! Four!
Five! Six!
Seven! Eight!
Nine!
Ten!!!
The winner, Makunouchi!
He did it!
Ippo, congratulations!
Thank you, sir!
That was brilliant.
- Great job, Kid.
- Ouch!
What's wrong? I didn't hit you that hard.
Look, Yagi-chan! This is impressive!
It's not nice to laugh.
They're having a blast in Ippo's corner.
They have reason to.
That uppercut was intense!
I already knew he'd be victorious when they hit each other simultaneously.
I knew a guy like Ippo could pull through!
Well, I knew we had nothing to worry about even before the opening gong.
What are you talking about?! I'm the one who first noticed him!
I noticed him as someone to bully.
We saw his hidden side.
Yeah. That we did.
He's tough.
KO Time 1R 2 Minutes 50 Seconds Ippo Makunouchi 2 matches 2 wins (2KOs)
Wanna go somewhere on the way home?
- Sure! Where do you wanna go?
- I feel like a parfait.
Hey, Ippo.
Come here for a second.
Uh... sure.
Hey, guys! This is Ippo Makunouchi, the guy I just told you about!
He's my buddy!
B- Buddy?
He may not look like it, but he's a professional boxer!
Huh?
Just yesterday, he won again with a powerful KO victory!
I wish you guys could've seen it!
You mean, Umezawa-kun... you came to see the match?
Of course! You're my buddy!
You and I are friends, aren't we?
He was up against a scary-looking guy with no eyebrows...
a no-good cheater who screwed the rules when he started losing.
The guy made this eerie smirk back in his own corner.
He starts going full-blast in the first round, but...
I don't know how to feel.
But I'm glad there's someone at my school...
who's this excited about my victory.
We all thought he was about to get a KO out of the guy...
but that's when the cheating bastard pulls a head-butt!
But that's not the amazing part. This is where Ippo shows his stuff!
Ow!
It... It hurts...
but I'm happy!
That's when Ippo's left uppercut exploded!
Then, another one! A killer right uppercut!
The head-butting bastard finds himself flat on his ass!
The referee starts counting and we all count with him.
One!
Two!
The guy doesn't even twitch. Eight! Nine!
Ten! KO!
Reflecting on Today
That's coming to an end
I try to search for what I can do
I might have thought too hard
If I can tell myself, "I'll be fine"
That would be the first step
A paper plane is flying away
Hopefully it will make it to Tomorrow
Forever, forever, forever, forever
I'll keep believing
That's why... forever, forever, forever, forever
It will keep flying
Ducking. To lean the upper body forward almost into a squat...
to exchange blows with your opponent.
If you can't do it, you're down on the mat and the tournament is over.
Then the dream will end a dream, and promises will go unfulfilled!
That's why I'll give it all I've got!
All I can do now is not give up!
The next round is "The Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament Begins!"