New world, new fear: Ippo episode 9 analysis

“I didn’t start boxing for a pitiful reason like revenge. I’m going to be a professional boxer because I love boxing!” -Ippo Makunochi

SPOILERS FOLLOW FOR EPISODES 1–9 OF THE ANIME HAJIME NO IPPO

It’s nice having Ippo, the main character, be the comedic relief. This method has always landed well with me and humanized the protagonist in anime, whether it’s Goku, Naruto, or Luffy. It avoids making the main character look infallible and unreachable, and gives the story a more friendly tone — as if the viewer is on the ride together with the main character. The integration of this technique helps in avoiding making the story feel like an exposition or

information dump, but a story with real and relatable human-like characters.

Especially with Ippo, who’s just naturally clumsy. This was one of the reasons he got bullied. It works well with his story, because like Naruto, his initial start as a joke makes his journey to seek strength that much more meaningful.

Ippo goes on to fool around at the pro boxing certification exams, much to the amusement and laughter of his peers. At the exams, we get another measurement of Ippo’s growth.

In his first ever official sparring match against someone not named Miyata, Ippo is amazed at his own strength. He floors the guy in seconds-like Takamura did in his certification sparring match — as fighting with the quick-footed Miyata has let him develop unprecedented speed.

At the exams, Ippo also watched a boxer named Ryo Mashiba. Mashiba is around his age, but he has a bloodthirsty look about him, unnerving everyone at the exams. After he brutally KOs his opponent — a friend Ippo had made during the exams — and continues beating him down after the referee declared him the winner, we see something new in Ippo. He walks with his

head down, and his eyes showcase fear.

But this fear is not like that he had against his bullies, or when facing Miyata. Both of those fearful looks were like a deer in headlights.

Ippo was relatively innocent and confused at how to behave when getting bullied, and at

seeing someone his age so far along in the boxing world.

This new look was of genuine fear, the young boxer looked spooked. He’s not used to this new world — this extreme brutalist side of boxing. The reporter Fujii introduces Ippo and Mashiba, and Ippo’s look is still faintly there during the meeting. However, he perseveres.

When Mashiba tells him to switch from the featherweight division because it’ll end badly for Ippo, Ippo refuses, remembering his promise to meet Miyata in the ring. He does this with more conviction in the past, no longer sounding hesitant about boxing.

The meeting affirms to the viewer two things. The first is that after last episode’s revelation, Ippo has properly committed to becoming a boxer. The pro license he receives at the end of the episode affirms that.

The second is that he is viewed as a real threat. Mashiba doesn’t talk much throughout the whole episode, and the fact that he felt the need to intimidate Ippo can only mean one thing; he finds Ippo to be a challenging opponent. Mashiba gives the impression of a person who would not waste his breath on an unworthy opponent, so telling him off can only mean that the boxing world has properly recognized Ippo. His training has paid off.

The episode ends with Ippo watching and discussing tape from both Miyata and Mashiba. It’ll be interesting to see Miyata and Ippo develop counters for each other after the close fight last time. However, it’s even more interesting to ponder Ippo’s counters for Mashiba.

Mashiba has a long wingspan and utilizes flicker jabs at a distance. Ippo is built for power and close-distance fighting, preferring to get in close and launch his destructive uppercut. Fujii comments on Ippo’s uppercut, saying the power packed behind it is what’ll allow him to compete with Miyata and Mashiba, who are not your average rookies.

How will Ippo land a victory over Mashiba? I’m not sure, but I can’t wait to see. With a new dangerous rival under his belt comes a new fear. And what is a new fear, except an invitation to grow?