Michael B. Jordan has given the saga a twist with multiple references to anime. But beyond the rivalry between Sasuke and Naruto or the punches between Goku and Vegeta, Rocky has the mirror of him in the story of ‘Hajime No Ippo’.
In our review of ‘Creed 3’ we said that Michael B. Jordan stays with the saga. Taking into account that he not only stars in it, but also that he directs it and that there is no trace of Rocky on the tape, why is obvious. But there are many more reasons than the visible ones. Creed 3 is something new, different. The saga is rejuvenated, and one of the secrets, it seems, is the enormous influence of the anime in the film. Amazon and Michael B. Jordan are preparing an anime based on Creed, but beyond future relationships, we’re talking about past ones.
Michael B. Jordan has spent the entire press tour talking about anime. It seems that the Japanese animated series have inspired both the rivalry that makes up the film between his character and that of Jonathan Majors, as well as the camera shots and the rhythm of the fights.
‘Dragon Ball’, ‘Naruto’, ‘Hunter X Hunter’, ‘Bleach’, ‘One Piece’, ‘My Hero Academia’… There are kicking references and inspirations, and the good old Michael B. Jordan has cited many . But beyond these five ultra-popular giants, the truth is that there is an anime that every fan of the Rocky saga or boxing should see: ‘Hajime No Ippo’.
Translated in Spain as ‘Fighting Spirit’, the truth is that his fans continue to call him by his original name. ‘Hajime no Ippo’ is the overcoming story of a young boxer named Makunouchi Ippo. It is based on a manga by Jyogi Morikawa that began publication in 1988 and currently has more than 132 volumes. Published last in 2021, the truth is that the story is not over yet.
But beyond the manga, we want to talk about that great gem of the genre that is its anime. ‘Hajime no Ippo’ has 2 movies but what we should focus on is its three animated seasons. Being such a long-running but also highly acclaimed anime, the manga has been adapted three times into anime, always following the story to the point already written. The first time was between 2000 and 2005 and it has 76 chapters. Let’s say that this is the most famous part, the one that made ‘Fighting Spirit’ an essential classic of the genre. In 2009 came ‘Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger’, with 25 episodes and in 2013 it was the turn of the last adaptation of the manga to date, ‘Hajime no Ippo: Rising’, with another 25 episodes.
The entire first season, the original ‘Hajime no Ippo’ is available in its entirety on Netflix. Although there is still no streaming platform that has ‘Hajimo no Ippo: New Challenger’, ‘Hajime no Ippo: Rising’ can be seen on Crunchyroll. Sin, the perfect anime for those fans of boxing and the Rocky saga, but also for all those fans of the genre who are looking for something far from fantasy without abandoning the epic or the stories of improvement and growth of a protagonist with a difficult life. If in the end Michael B. Jordan is going to be right and Rocky and the shonnen anime are very similar.
Source: Fotogramas
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
