Seek... without asking for the answer
I want to discover in the match on the edge
GET LIFE... not much time is left
That is the beginning
I WANT THIS ONLY
I will continue to seek
In the midst of that silver light
I may hurt others
As others may hurt me
But it doesn't end there
Keep seeking single-mindedly
I still don't see anything... WHY?
But I still keep seeking
NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
The semi-final is coming up soon. Both of you do your best!
- Right. - Right.
Man, he's carefree. He gets to fight his final right away.
Yeah, but is he a stamina monster or what?
He still has the energy to shadowbox after running so hard.
If you look at his fight record alone, he's definitely a monster.
He's an invincible hopeful with nine consecutive KO's.
They both have no losses...
but he leaves a different impression than Takamura-san.
When I first met the big guy...
I thought I'd never be able to catch up to him...
but Ippo is clearly much better than...
He's already passed us?
I won't accept that!
Takamura-san is a natural.
His talent is way above that of your average Joe.
However, Ippo is a guy who got this far through effort.
I won't let him leave me in his dust!
I agree!
I got a case of the nerves because the match is coming up soon.
If we lose, we'll not only be outdistanced by a junior...
we'll waste the chance that finally came our way...
after four years of hard work.
If we win two more...
Title match!
- All right, let's do it! - Yeah!
Uh, right!
Let's all do our best, aiming for the victory!
You little...
Hey! What are you guys doing here?
Oh, Ippo says he wants to watch the Chavez video.
Chavez is a textbook fighter, so I thought I'd study him.
Well, come on in.
Chavez... Chavez video...
Ah, here it is.
How come it's buried in a pile of dirty magazines?
The champion belt's buried in there, too!
How could you?!
I'm only interested in the world title.
And we're dying to get our own belts.
If you want it that bad, you want mine?
NOT!
Goddammit!
Aoki-san!
Sheesh. Please don't use old jokes on us.
Well, I'll also be going now.
That was bad. They're already nervous about their upcoming matches.
What do you mean? I cheered them up.
What?
Listen, the belt isn't something someone gives you.
It's something you have to take with your fists.
That's what I taught them by playing the bad guy myself.
He's sure good at quibbling.
What is it? All right, then how did you encourage them?
I told them to do their best. That I wanted them to fight a match...
to be proud of regardless of winning or losing.
I guess it's true that guys who have it too good can't stick to reality.
Four years?
Yep. It took them four years to get this far.
However, if they lose this one, they can't try for a title match for another year.
A whole year?
It must be like being on the edge of a cliff.
They're too neurotic right now to sleep at night to get the rest they need.
Their anxiety makes them train from dawn to dusk.
The vicious cycle won't let them fight in their best condition.
Whenever they realize this, the anxiety returns.
Do you think a little "Do your best" will perk up guys in that kind of position?
You're right. But what should I do?
How the hell should I know?!
What's this?
Videos of Aoki-san and Kimura-san's opponents.
Damn, he makes so much work for me.
KAMOGAWA Boxing Gym
What's with the kid's wide swing?
All right, switch!
Now he's distancing himself.
Hey, why don't you rest a little?
You've been tag fighting us for eight rounds now.
I'm fine! I can still fight!
I appreciate the thought, but...
Take him down! He says he wants to do it.
Of course, if you can worry about others, that's a different story.
It takes a lot of guts to mimic our opponents.
That's for sure.
But, you know, now we've done everything that needs to be done.
Yeah! All we have to do now is give it our best!
That sounds like something Ippo'd say.
Damn, it's catching.
At any rate, I think I'll be able to get some real sleep tonight.
Let's both go for our title matches together!
I'll go alone for mine if necessary.
You bastard! Don't say stuff like that now!
Sorry, sorry.
A-Class Boxer Prize Tournament
It's finally time.
They'll win, won't they, Takamura-san?
What are you getting nervous for, moron?
Ooh! That's a flawless punk face!
That's nothing! He hasn't got a thing on Aoki-san's punk face!
Oh, yeah.
That's him! The froggie-jump boxer!
Jump! Jump quick!
It's the frog! The frog!
It looks like "Frog" has become his ring name.
Why, you... I knew you'd distance yourself!
Round Four!
There's no difference in our points so far!
I'm gonna belt him one now!
- That's... - He's gonna do it!
- The frog! - Jump for it!
He got squashed before he could jump! He's frog road-kill!
One!
He waited for that.
His legs go together for the frog, making him an easy target.
But the damage should be spread out because his legs weren't braced...
so it couldn't have hurt that much!
Keep going! Get up, Aoki-san!
Show some guts!
- He's up! - Go, go! He's still good to go!
No matter how many times you do it, it'll be the same!
He did it!
He made it look like a frog jump and attacked from the side.
But he's gonna stand up!
Ooh! He got back up, too!
Nice fight!
You scumbag!
Aoki-san, keep going!
Only one more push until the final round!
Control him with intimidation!
Aoki-san...
He did well against an opponent who is out of his league.
The final punch was a runaway fluke.
He got unlucky.
Go, Kimura-san!
Use your feet! Your feet!
It's down to points!
Kimura-san is winning, isn't he?
He was on the defensive for most of it, but how will the judges call it?
Draw!
It's a tie!
You really stuck to your guns!
How does a draw work in a tournament?
According to a special rule of the A-Class Tournament, it's an extra round.
After one more, the superior fighter will be deemed the winner.
Overtime.
Keep it up, Kimura-san! Use up every bit of your power!
It appears as though they're matched...
but his opponent is actually one level up...
in both speed and destructive power.
How far will his last push take him?
I... I can't move my body.
Kimura-san!
It probably took everything he had to get it to decision by points.
He'd already used up every last scrap of energy by then.
The difference is very small, isn't it?
Either one of them could have won.
If that tiny difference was luck, why couldn't it have come his way?!
He trained so hard for this.
So hard.
I forgot that you're not used to seeing family lose.
Yeah, there was only a tiny difference between them...
but, you know, there can be only one winner.
No matter how hard you practice and burn with hope...
in the ring there is only the winner and the loser...
the light and the shadow.
That's what boxing is.
It's a harsh world, isn't it?
Well, let's go pay them a visit.
What should I say to them at a time like this?
What did you say to them after they lost before?
Oh, that.
There's only one thing to say.
"You asked for it!"
The time before that, I said "You're pathetic."
The time before that, I said "You're an embarrassment."
- And before that... - Never mind.
They should finish changing and come out soon.
What'll I do? What'll I say?
Hey, sorry I took so long!
Sorry about that.
I cheered for you, you know.
Forgive me.
We did the best we could.
You need a stronger finish.
Whatever...
They're in a more cheerful mood than I anticipated.
I'll take advantage of the confusion to say something, too.
I didn't get outdone in mine, either.
U-Um...
Uh, no. Um...
You don't have to tiptoe around us.
I can't say that I'm used to it, but I've lost before!
But still, I'm beat. Think I'll go home and sleep.
Good idea.
Hey!
Yes?
Yeah, you lost, but from what I saw, it was your best fight to date.
It's no joke having a losing match called your best bout.
N-No, they really were good fights!
Next it's your turn. I'll be praying this doesn't happen to you.
Of course, I'll do my absolute best!
But my opponent is strong, and who knows...
Ouch!
Don't talk so timidly. If you can continue winning...
it'll make us more competitive, too.
I'm counting on you, Ippo.
It's not the first time they've lost.
However, it's not as if they have forgotten how pathetic it feels.
It's impossible to grow accustomed to regret.
Their faces were smiling, but they spoke through clenched teeth.
It's your choice how you'll respond to them.
I'll do it.
I'll respond to their feelings!
I got charged up and watched Volg-san's video over and over, but...
There's no opening for a breakthrough!
What should I do?!
What? The Chief isn't here?
I wanted to ask him something.
He said it was an interview. He should be on his way back by now.
Interview?
You could call it a talk between famous trainers.
He says he's having a talk with Volg's Chief Ramuda.
So it's coach versus coach representing Russia and Japan.
In that case, I guess the old man left in a good mood, huh?
He sure doesn't look like he's in a good mood.
Welcome back. How did your talk go, sir?
S-Say, Chief? About my match with Volg-san...
I've been thinking about it, but, um... Well...
It's like I don't have a chance or a decisive blow to use against him.
It's your fault for being like that! All your fault!
What's wrong? Did he diss Japanese boxers or something?
The opposite. He praised them enough to make my teeth rot!
In a tone of utter indifference!
Japanese boxers are superb.
Above all else, their fighting spirit is superb.
Even in my country...
Japanese boxers' fighting spirit is very respected.
However, and this is most unfortunate...
many Japanese boxers break down.
Why is that?
W-Well, that would be because they're all desperate to win.
Japanese trainers always resort to phrases like that.
They substitute the words "willpower" and "effort"...
for lack of skill... to pressure their pupils.
Resulting in retinal detachment, brain damage.
Talented youths end up washing their futures down the drain.
Are you suggesting that the trainers have the wrong way of thinking?
I didn't say that.
Only... it's becoming clear to me...
I can't think of any fighter who can defeat my boxer.
It's been a long time since anything's pissed me off like that.
I feel like he not only ridiculed me...
he ridiculed the entire Japanese boxing world!
However! Unfortunately, there was truth to what he said.
I couldn't say anything in my defense.
That's unusual. You let him have his say?
Shut up! Kid...
Yes, sir!
We're gonna win the Volg fight no matter what!
I'm going to teach you a new weapon for that purpose.
A new weapon?
Start with a squat!
Squat?
Come on, get to it!
R-Right!
Thrust your hands upwards with a momentum good enough to jump with!
Like this, sir?
Good! Now do 200 of them!
200?
What?
Nothing.
1, 2, 3, 4...
Um, what about the new punch?
I just taught it to you.
You have good leg muscles, but they are still too stiff!
Become a gazelle.
I want you to develop flexible muscles like that of a gazelle.
Once you do, it will naturally give rise to a new punch.
Gazelle?
Unless I'm reading it wrong, that will be the key to fight Volg.
A punch that will give me the key to fight Volg.
I have no idea what kind of a punch it is...
but if the Chief says so, it must be amazing.
All right, I'll become a gazelle! A gazelle!
Swimming School
Hey, is he really here?
I heard it from his mom.
Apparently he's been coming here for a week now.
I phoned her to make sure he'd be here today, too, but...
Found you!
Huh? You're all here.
Aoki-san, Kimura-san, have you already recovered from your matches?
You bet! I'm totally recovered!
That aside, why are you doing squats in a pool?
Well, you see, I have to make my muscles more flexible.
I checked out a lot of books...
and they all say swimmers are the most flexible.
Is that true?
But your body will float in water, so I'm sure it makes it easier.
Yeah. The buoyancy eliminates stress to the knees...
and it's good rehabilitation for athletes, isn't it?
Since we're resting to recoup from the match, why don't we try it, too?
- And then, you know. - It's settled!
Hey! There's lots of hot babes in here!
55!
56!
57!
Why does my body feel so heavy?!
This is more difficult in water than it is on dry land!
199!
200!
They underestimated it.
There's resistance in water, so your muscles are used constantly.
If you keep this up, you'll develop incredible leg muscles.
Do you think so, too?
All right! I'm going to keep at it and take myself to a much higher level!
Looks like you completed the groundwork.
I will now teach you the form for the new blow.
Yes, sir!
You're getting too close. Back up a bit.
Yes, sir.
Further!
Neither a hook nor a short uppercut can reach at this distance.
The new blow has to either be a straight or maybe...
Pose for a hook, keep your left arm crooked at a 90-degree angle...
and punch solidly up from below!
A left hook from below.
This is the new blow?
You didn't hit anything, dummy!
But it's too far to reach from here.
I want you to step in hard like you're leaping.
On one condition...
I want you to duck this on the way without touching it.
Let's see, a quick dive inside and a hook from below.
Come on!
Step in... and duck!
And then...
from below!
What?
No matter what I do, it's the same
I keep making mistakes
What is truly important?
Weary about what's under my feet
I can't stop looking down
When that happens
Just look up
Look far into the distance
Find a new perspective from a different angle
When walking down a narrow path, look up
You'll find the world has a 360-degree view
Gazelle Punch.
From a hook pose, quickly step in and duck...
and fire using your entire body. It's a punch that ruled the world.
But in order to connect it, I need to overcome a barrage at close range...
and win a breath-holding test of endurance.
That's why I need more training than ever before!
The only way to break through is by running...
and working on my cardiopulmonary functions!
The next episode is, "The Fighting Spirit Within."