Hajime no Ippo watch order
Bullied, timid Ippo Makunouchi is rescued by the boxer Takamura, discovers he can punch, and joins the Kamogawa gym. Madhouse's adaptation of George Morikawa's long-running boxing manga (known as Fighting Spirit in English): a 75-episode series, two specials, and the sequel seasons New Challenger and Rising.
First time? Watch The Fighting! (episodes 1–75), then Champion Road, Mashiba vs. Kimura, New Challenger and Rising, in that order. Only the disc-only episode 76 and the two recap episodes are skippable.
Story order
The manga's order, which swaps the two 2003 specials: Kimura's fight with Mashiba happens before Ippo's defence against Sanada. The anime made them the other way round and treats Champion Road as coming first, so release order is still the better first watch.
- Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!
From Ippo's first sparring with Miyata through the Rookie King tournaments (Mashiba, Sendo), the Class A tournament (Saeki, Volg), his only loss to Japanese champion Date, and the rematch with Sendo that makes him champion. Episodes 31 and 52 are recaps you can skip.
- Hajime no Ippo: Boxer's Fist (optional)
A disc-only episode, counted as episode 76 on streaming: an anime-original story of how coach Kamogawa met Takamura and got him boxing. Optional; nothing later depends on it.
- Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura
An hour-long OVA: Kimura, feeling left behind by Ippo and Takamura, challenges Mashiba for the Japanese junior lightweight title. In the manga this fight comes before the Sanada fight; the anime made it afterwards.
- Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road
A 90-minute TV special: Ippo's first defence of the Japanese featherweight title against Sanada, a doctor trained by Kamogawa's old rival. Not skippable; New Challenger assumes you've seen it.
- Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger
Seven years later, the sequel season: Miyata's title fight, Date's world-title rematch with Ricardo Martinez, Ippo's defences against Hammer Nao and Yi Yonsu, and Takamura's world-title fight with Bryan Hawk, which closes the season. Spends as much time on the gym's other boxers as on Ippo.
- Hajime no Ippo: Rising
Ippo's defences against Shimabukuro and Sawamura, Aoki and Kimura's title shots, Takamura's second world title against David Eagle, and a closing four-episode flashback to young Kamogawa in post-war Japan. The anime stops here, around volume 61 of the manga.
Release order
Everything in the order it came out, which is the order the anime itself assumes. Boxer's Fist is an optional side story; the rest is one straight continuity.
- Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!
From Ippo's first sparring with Miyata through the Rookie King tournaments (Mashiba, Sendo), the Class A tournament (Saeki, Volg), his only loss to Japanese champion Date, and the rematch with Sendo that makes him champion. Episodes 31 and 52 are recaps you can skip.
- Hajime no Ippo: Boxer's Fist (optional)
A disc-only episode, counted as episode 76 on streaming: an anime-original story of how coach Kamogawa met Takamura and got him boxing. Optional; nothing later depends on it.
- Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road
A 90-minute TV special: Ippo's first defence of the Japanese featherweight title against Sanada, a doctor trained by Kamogawa's old rival. Not skippable; New Challenger assumes you've seen it.
- Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura
An hour-long OVA: Kimura, feeling left behind by Ippo and Takamura, challenges Mashiba for the Japanese junior lightweight title. In the manga this fight comes before the Sanada fight; the anime made it afterwards.
- Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger
Seven years later, the sequel season: Miyata's title fight, Date's world-title rematch with Ricardo Martinez, Ippo's defences against Hammer Nao and Yi Yonsu, and Takamura's world-title fight with Bryan Hawk, which closes the season. Spends as much time on the gym's other boxers as on Ippo.
- Hajime no Ippo: Rising
Ippo's defences against Shimabukuro and Sawamura, Aoki and Kimura's title shots, Takamura's second world title against David Eagle, and a closing four-episode flashback to young Kamogawa in post-war Japan. The anime stops here, around volume 61 of the manga.
Explained
Do I need the two 2003 specials?
Yes. Champion Road and Mashiba vs. Kimura are both canon fights from the manga, and New Challenger starts with them already behind the characters. Only Boxer's Fist, the disc-only episode 76, is an optional original story.
Is there filler?
Almost none. Episodes 31 and 52 of the first series are recap episodes, built around characters looking back at Ippo's fights, and can be skipped. New Challenger and Rising have no filler or recaps.
Why is the sequel called New Challenger, and why does it focus on other boxers?
New Challenger came seven years after the first series and adapts the next stretch of the manga, where Ippo is already champion and defends his belt while Miyata, Date and Takamura have the big fights. Rising does the same. That's the manga's structure, not padding.
Where does the anime stop? Is the manga finished?
Rising ends around volume 61. The manga is far longer (over 140 volumes) and still running, with breaks for the author's health in 2025–26. No new anime has been announced as of October 2026.
Is there an English dub?
Only for the first series and Champion Road, released by Geneon as Fighting Spirit. Mashiba vs. Kimura, New Challenger and Rising are subtitled only. Netflix and Crunchyroll carry the series in various regions, and Discotek has released the first series on Blu-ray with both specials.