How to Watch Hajime no Ippo In the Right Order

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Anime expert Ryan Burns breaks down the best order to watch Hajime no Ippo

Co-authored by Ryan Burns and Devin McSween

Last Updated: February 25, 2026 Fact Checked

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Watch Order

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What is Hajime no Ippo about?

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Series Breakdown

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Where to Watch

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Will there be more seasons?

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Hajime no Ippo is a boxing anime that’s beloved for its characters and exciting fighting sequences. If you want to dive into the series but aren’t sure where to start or what to watch next, we’re here to help! In an exclusive interview with wikiHow, an anime expert explained the recommended watch order for Hajime no Ippo. We’ll also tell you what the series is about, break down each season and film, where you can watch the anime, and whether you can expect more seasons of the series.

Best Watch Order for Hajime no Ippo

Anime expert Ryan Burns says Hajime no Ippo is a critically acclaimed boxing anime best watched in the season’s order. This includes the TV film and OVA: Hajime no Ippo, Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road, Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura, Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger, and Hajime no Ippo: Rising.

Section 1 of 5:

How to Watch Hajime no Ippo in Chronological Order

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Hajime no Ippo has 3 seasons and 2 films (a TV special and OVA), so getting into the series is actually pretty easy! According to Burns, you simply have to watch Hajime no Ippo in the order it was released.^{[1]
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Ryan Burns
Anime and Manga Expert

Expert Interview} This also follows the chronological events of the series. Here’s how to watch the anime in the recommended order:
- Hajime no Ippo (Season 1): Episodes 1-76 — October 2000-March 2002
- Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road (TV Special) — April 2003
- Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura (OVA) — September 2003
- Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger (Season 2): Episodes 1-26 — January-June 2006
- Hajime no Ippo: Rising (Season 3): Episodes 1-25 — October 2013-March 2014
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Ryan Burns is an anime and manga expert.

Section 2 of 5:

What is Hajime no Ippo about?

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Hajime no Ippo is about a teen who trains to become a professional boxer. The sports anime follows Ippo Makunouchi, a 16-year-old high school student. In the very beginning of the series, he gets saved from some bullies by a professional boxer named Mamoru Takamura. This inspires Ippo to stand up for himself and become a pro boxer himself, and the series follows his journey—including his many boxing matches and the friends and opponents he meets along the way.^{[2]
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- The anime is based on the manga of the same name, which is written and illustrated by George Morikawa.
- According to Burns, Hajime no Ippo is one of the best sports anime out there, especially if you’re a fan of boxing. He says it is an older classic anime.^{[3]
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  Ryan Burns
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Section 3 of 5:

Hajime no Ippo Series Breakdown

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1
Hajime no Ippo (Season 1) Season 1 of the anime series introduces Ippo Makunouchi, a kind and modest high school student, as he starts to train to become a professional boxer. He works out at the Kamogawa Gym, where he’s mentored by Genji Kamogawa and Mamoru Takamura, and makes friends with other boxers. During season 1, Ippo competes in several championship fights and faces off against his rivals, Ichiro Miyata and Takeshi Sendo.^{[4]
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Hajime no Ippo: Champion RoadChampion Road is a special TV movie that directly follows the events of Season 1. As the new boxing champion, the movie follows Ippo as he defends his title against a new opponent, Kazuki Sanada.^{[5]
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Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. KimuraMashiba vs. Kimura is an OVA (original video animation) that follows 2 major side characters: Tatsuya Kimura and Ryo Mashiba. Kimura, who’s an underdog in the series, fights against Mashiba to compete for the JBC junior lightweight championship.^{[6]
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Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger (Season 2)New Challenger picks up where Season 1 left off. Ippo continues to defend his champion title and sets his sights on becoming a world champ. The season sees Ippo compete in matches against old and new opponents, like Naomichi Yamada, and features more development among the secondary characters.^{[7]
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Hajime no Ippo: Rising (Season 3)Rising takes place after the second season and continues to see Ippo defend his position as the featherweight champion in Japan. The series also follows Takamura’s world title match against David Eagle.^{[8]
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Section 4 of 5:

Where to Watch Hajime no Ippo

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Watch all 3 seasons of Hajime no Ippo on Netflix. All 3 seasons of Hajime no Ippo are available to watch on Netflix with a subscription. Additionally, the first season is free to watch on Pluto.TV.
- Unfortunately, there is currently nowhere to stream Champion Road or Mashiba vs. Kimura.
- Crunchyroll previously streamed Hajime no Ippo, including Champion Road and Mashiba vs. Kimura, but as of January 2026, they do not currently stream the series. It’s possible that they’ll host the series again in the future.

Section 5 of 5:

Will there be more seasons of Hajime no Ippo?

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It’s unlikely that Hajime no Ippo will get any more seasons. Since Season 3 finished in 2014, there hasn’t been any word from the creators that Hajime no Ippo will get a fourth season. While the series is beloved and has plenty of content to adapt from the long-standing manga (which is still being released), fans speculate that the series just isn’t popular enough to get more seasons.
- If you want more Hajime no Ippo, definitely give the manga a try! The manga has 144 volumes (with the 145th on the way in January 2026), so there’s plenty of content to keep you hooked.^{[9]
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