8.1/10420 votes#1 - The First Step
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 10/3/2000
Ippo is a high school student who works full time at his mother's fishing though. Because of this, he gets bullied on by the kids at his school. That's when his life turns around, when a professional boxer happens to be jogging along the way, and introduces Ippo to the world of boxing.
Director: Kenichi Kawamura
Writer: Tatsuhiko Urahata
7.8/10296 votes#2 - Fruits of Labor
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/2000
Ippo succeeds in catching 10 falling leaves, and is granted his first sparring session.
Director: Saburo Hashimoto
Writer: N/A
8.3/10301 votes#3 - Tears of Joy
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/17/2000
Ippo loses his first sparring session, but shows enough potential to be accepted into the gym.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.6/10259 votes#4 - Shadow Boxing
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/24/2000
Ippo practices shadow boxing.
Director: Nanako Shimazaki
Writer: N/A
7.8/10252 votes#5 - 3 Months to Counter
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/31/2000
Ippo trains for a rematch.
Director: N/A
Writer: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
8.6/10272 votes#6 - The Opening Bell of the Rematch
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/6/2000
Ippo and Miyata face off in a rematch.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.8/10295 votes#7 - The Destructive Force Of One CM
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/13/2000
Ippo and Miyata are in the last round of the rematch
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/10236 votes#8 - Promise to Meet Again
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/20/2000
Ippo trains with Takamura and discovers the hardship of pro boxing.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.7/10220 votes#9 - C Class License
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/27/2000
Ippo takes the License Test and meets Mashiba.
Director: Rokou Ogiwara
Writer: N/A
7.6/10217 votes#10 - Debut Match!
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/4/2000
Ippo and his opponent Yusuke train for Ippo's debut match.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.1/10227 votes#11 - Obsession for Victory
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/11/2000
Ippo defeats Yusuke via K.O.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/10212 votes#12 - Becoming a Bully's Buddy
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/18/2000
Ippo fights and wins his second match via K.O.,After the fight he was befriended by Umezawa, his former bully.
Director: Yasuhiro Matsumura
Writer: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
7.6/10204 votes#13 - The Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament Begins
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/25/2000
Ippo and his opponent Jason prepare for the first match of the Rookie King Tournament.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/10205 votes#14 - Powerful Arms! Hooks vs. Uppercut!
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/8/2001
Start of Ippo vs Jason match, both men exchange powerful punches but neither goes down.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.5/10232 votes#15 - Test of Endurance
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/15/2001
Ippo defeats Jason via K.O. after a tough match.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.1/10193 votes#16 - Premonition of a Hard Battle
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/22/2001
Ippo watches the fight videos of Kobashi and Hayami, his future opponents.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.4/10200 votes#17 - Ippo on the Beach
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 1/29/2001
Ippo joins Takamura, Kimura, and Aoki in a training camp near the beach.
Director: Yuzo Sato
Writer: Yasuko Kamo
7.4/10183 votes#18 - Clinch
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/5/2001
Start of Ippo vs Kobashi match, Ippo is loosing by points because of Kobashi's strategy.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.2/10201 votes#19 - K.O. Dream
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 2/12/2001
Kobashi abandoned his strategy and loses the match to Ippo via K.O.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/10193 votes#20 - Threat of Shotgun
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 2/19/2001
Takamura wins the Japanese Middleweight Championship belt, Ippo trains with Aoki to counter Hayami's Shotgun punch.
Director: Hideo Hayashi
Writer: Ryosuke Nakamura
7.9/10185 votes#21 - The Way to Capture a Prodigy
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 2/26/2001
Start of Ippo vs Hayami fight, Hayami takes the advantage during the early rounds.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.3/10200 votes#22 - Forward! Forward!!
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 3/5/2001
Ippo defeats Hayami via K.O. Ippo's training with Aoki and Kimura's help Ippo win the match.
Director: Mitsuyuki Masuhara
Writer: Yasuko Kamo
8.3/10187 votes#23 - Another Semi-Final
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 3/12/2001
Ippos day off. Miyata and Mashiba face off.
Director: Nanako Shimazaki
Writer: N/A
8.9/10253 votes#24 - To the Place We Promised...
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 3/19/2001
Miyata and Mashiba continues to fight. Ippo is angred by the outcome.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.6/10175 votes#25 - Every Emotion
Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 3/26/2001
Ippo trains for Mashiba flicker jabs.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Fighting Spirit Season 1
Every episode of Fighting Spirit Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Fighting Spirit Season 1!
Makunouchi Ippo is an ordinary high school student in Japan. Since he spends most of his time away from school helping his mother run the...
Genres:AnimationComedyDramaAction & Adventure
Network:Nippon TV
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"The First Step" is the best rated episode of "Fighting Spirit" season 1. It scored 8.1/10 based on 420 votes. Directed by Kenichi Kawamura and written by Tatsuhiko Urahata, it aired on 10/3/2000. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "Fruits of Labor".