Fighting Spirit - Champion Road TV Special

Product Description

Ippo Makunouchi's first title defense match is against a relentless challenger named Kazuki Sanada, but this isn't just any formidable pugulist. Sanada also happens to be a medical school student, and using his thorough knowledge of human biology, he knows which parts of the body to hit in order to defeat an opponent and the skills to accurately deliver the most damaging blows, while draining away an opponent's stamina. Not only does Ippo face a tremendous boxer who possesses the most intellectual fighting skills in Japan, but Sanada's trainer, Dankichi Hama, was also Chief Kamogawa's rival during his prime, and is now sharing his legendary fighting technique, the "Flying Swallow" with Sanada. It's Ippo vs. Sanada and the explosive collision of the coaches, Chief Kamogawa vs. Dankichi Hama - each of these individuals' thoughts entangle as the day of the battle finally arrives! Will Ippo be able to overcome the deadly "Flying Swallow" and claim victory?

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It took Ippo Makunouchi 76 episodes of the broadcast series Fighting Spirit (2000) to win the featherweight championship of Japan; in this 2003 special, he defends his title for the first time. The challenger is Sanada Kazuki, a rich, suave medical student who boxes as an avocation. He's coached by Dankichi, the master of the "Flying Swallow" punch and the arch-rival of Kamogawa, Ippo's trainer. The outcome of the title match may never really be in question, but the depth of the characters sets Fighting Spirit apart from other battle-oriented anime. Unlike Baki Hanma in Baki the Grappler, Ippo isn't a bully who delights in thrashing others. He begins the TV series as a high school dork who's always getting the sushi beaten out of him by the local toughs: under Kamogawa'stutelage, Ippo reinvents himself. But even as a buffed-out champion with 12 knock-outs to his credit, Ippo enters the ring feeling like a challenger who doesn't know what it means to feel strong. Nor can he summon the courage to tell Kumi he's in love with her. Fighting Spirit remains underrated in America: its stylized action sequences and endearing characters deserve a wider audience. (Rated 13 and older: violence, alcohol and tobacco use, minor profanity) --Charles Solomon