Even after thirteen volumes and 65 episodes, Fighting Spirit is still a fun and enjoyable show. The story of Ippo Makunouchi, a young man with a fierce will to succeed, is both engrossing and easy to watch. In this volume we get to find out the history of some of the supporting characters in the series as well as start the next (and possibly final) story arc in the series as Ippo starts to train for the Japanese featherweight championship bout.

Series Synopsis:

Ippo Makunouchi is a high school student who is constantly harassed by a group of bullies. When a professional boxer, Takamura, saves him from a beating Ippo decides that he wants to be a boxer too. Spending just about all of his time doing manual labor at his families boat rental company Ippo is already quite strong but untrained and awkward. He's taken under Takamura's wing though, and it is soon discovered that Ippo has a good amount of natural talent and the stamina that is needed to become a great boxer.

Over the course of the last few volumes, Ippo has trained, honed his natural talent and turned pro. Entering the rookie tournament, Ippo doesn't seem like a contender, but he ends up winning not only the tournament but also wins the MVP award. As he wins more and more matches, Ippo climbs up in the rankings and starts to get a reputation as a talented fighter and a tough opponent.

Ippo does so well that he gets a match against the Japanese champion in his weight division, and though the kid is good, he can't beat the champ. Now he has to get past his loss, get back in shape, and put some more wins under his belt.

This volume:

After five months out of the ring, Ippo gets his chance at a comeback fight. He's gotten a match with a fighter from Asia, someone who hasn't fought in Japan before. There aren't any videos of the challenger and that worries Ippo a bit, so he trains extra hard.

A spanner gets thrown into the works when Ippo's coach collapses during a training session. Without the coach's instructions the young fighter is forced to train himself, and while he does Ippo comes up with a new move that just might be effective.

Following that fight is a nice two-part story that tells how Kimura and Aoki became professional boxers. They were the two toughest kids in their high school, the guys that everyone else called to when there is trouble with a group from a rival school. The pair would take on groups of five or six guys without flinching, and win.

After beating several guys from North Side High, the other school decides it time for payback. When the fighting escalates, Kimura and Aoki's classmates decide to call it quits. They don't see the point in constantly fighting, and when they hear that the two tough guys turn on their classmates. This gets them kicked out of school. Angry and filled with rage, Kimura and Aoki go looking for a fight and run into a big guy from North Side: Mamoru Takamura.

The volume ends by starting the next story arc. The current feather weight champion, Takeshi Sendo, wants to fight Ippo in a bad way. They've fought before, and Sendo lost, but he's also advanced a lot since then. To get Ippo ready for this big fight, the chief takes all of the fighters up to the mountains to train. There's a lot that Ippo needs to learn if he's going to beat Sendo again.

I'm still really enjoying this series. I'll admit that when the fight began at the start of this volume, I let out a deep sigh. I just didn't feel like yet another two or three episode battle. When it starts and is finished in less than one show, I was surprised and astounded, as I'm sure the creators intended viewers to be. This is a very fun show that should be more widely viewed.

This volume includes an ample five episodes on a single sided DVD.

Audio:

I viewed this DVD while listening to both the English stereo dub and the original stereo Japanese soundtrack. I preferred the original track, but only slightly. The dub was very good, with the voice actors not overplaying their rolls as they often do when dubbing anime. Both audio tracks sounded a little thin, but otherwise very nice. There was limited use made of the soundstage, but when there were directional effects they were very effective. Hiss and distortion were nonexistent, making this a pleasure to listen to. There was also a Spanish dub in stereo.

Video:

The full frame image was very clean and clear. The colors were bright and varied. The picture has a good amount of detail with the lines being tight and clean. Digital defects were minimal, though there was some light aliasing. A very good-looking DVD.

Extras:

Unfortunately, this disc doesn't have any extras on it aside from a few previews (which are in Japanese with no subtitles. What's the point in that?) I really wish they had included a blooper reel like the first two volumes had.

Final Thoughts:

I'm a bit astounded that this series has managed to keep up the excitement over 65 episodes. That's not easy to do. With endearing characters, exciting fights, and a few humorous situations thrown in for good measure, this show's a winner. Highly Recommended.