About “Hajime no Ippo” in a few words:

“Hajime no Ippo” is a popular sports manga and anime series that revolves around the story of a young high school student named Ippo Makunouchi. After being saved from bullies by a boxer, Ippo discovers his passion for boxing and decides to become a professional boxer himself. With the help of his trainer, Kamogawa Genji, and his friends at the gym, Ippo embarks on a journey to become the best boxer in Japan. Along the way, he faces various challenges and opponents, both in and out of the ring.

Meet the characters from Hajime no Ippo

Mamoru Takamura

Takamura is loud, brash, and somehow both impossible and totally believable — like a walking tornado who eats more than three people would and still has room for dessert. He’s the kind of guy who hits so hard you forget he’s also a giant goofball who cracks jokes mid-fight (also, he’s suspiciously sentimental about something tiny like cereal mascots — don’t ask). World-class ego, world-class talent, and an unshakable belief that rules are suggestions unless he made them, which he probably did. Also, he swears he hates romance but will dramatically save you from a falling piano while reciting terrible pickup lines; that sounds about right.

Ippo Makunouchi

Ippo is the heart of the gym — shy, earnest, and surprisingly ferocious when he finally lets the beast out (yes, the Dempsey Roll, obviously). He’s that classic underdog who trains until his knuckles glow and still blushes when praised, like a cinnamon roll who can knock your lights out. He’s sweet to a fault, clings to nostalgia, and has weirdly specific habits (meat obsession? probably. Secretly sings to his gloves? maybe). Also he’s somehow both a gentle softie and a relentless tornado in the ring — don’t try to make sense of it, just cheer.

Masaru Aoki

Aoki is pure chaotic joy — pervy, loud, kind of slapdash in training but weirdly effective when it matters, like a drunken alligator that bites precisely. He’s the comic-relief teammate who eats ramen like it’s oxygen and brags more than he should, yet you’d trust him with your last can of tuna. He’s inconsistent in the best way: clumsy one moment, unexpectedly crafty the next, and always ready with a ridiculous anecdote you didn’t know you needed. Also, he insists he’s a ladies’ man while tripping over his own shoelaces; it’s endearing and a little tragic, in a good way.

Genji Kamogawa

Kamogawa is the grizzled, no-nonsense coach who yells like thunder and gives pep talks like ancient parables — tough love personified but with a soft, oddly tender corner for his fighters. He runs the gym with a steely hand and a secret hobby (bonsai? tea ceremonies? probably both, sometimes he’s weirdly zen) and will bench-press your self-doubt into shape. He’s all about discipline, respect, and making you stare down your fears until they apologize, yet he’ll also feed you weird, home-cooked meals that remind you of childhood. He looks like a stern samurai and cries over old match footage in the same breath; total contradiction, total legend.

Tatsuya Kimura

Kimura is low-key, stoic, and quietly intense — the kind of guy who does his work, never brags, and somehow holds the emotional scaffolding of the gym together. He’s dependable down to his habits (alarm at dawn, stubborn training, inexplicable love for cheap candy), fiercely loyal, and way more layered than his calm exterior suggests. He doesn’t say much but when he does, it lands like a gut punch — and then he’ll smile awkwardly and hand you a bandage. Also, rumor has it he hums old tunes while shadowboxing; I can’t confirm, but honestly makes total sense.