But Ippo has had fights drag on too, you know. I think it kind of hard to tell for you because you basically watched and read all of it in one go. However, the Woli fight for example dragged on for me while I was reading it on a week to week basis. I've had a similar experience with Slam Dunk. I read all of it in one go and didn't notice how the volumes just went flying buy. Then I thought it was worth buying when Viz (I think) was rereleasing it. I lasted like 4 volumes because I read them in about 15 minutes and at the end I realized that absolutely nothing happened in between (or maybe that's just Basketball).
On the other hand, I've read and watched series like One Outs or Ookiku Furikabutte, that go into minutiae and details of almost every little detail that is occurring, and it doesn't get boring at all. When Baseball games last 5 episodes a piece, you are in for the long haul, but it is actually really interesting and grabbing. Ippo has that on occasion too.
I don't think the quality is necessarily proportional to the length of the battles or anything. It is simply what is occurring within the battle that makes the quality. Does it tell a narrative? Are there twists that aren't simply deus ex machina BS? Can it keep the viewer/readers attention? Can it surprise the viewer/reader and keep him guessing about what will happen next?
I know you stopped reading One Piece in Arlong Park, but as the series progresses, Oda makes really big strides in improving upon the old Shonen Formula because he implement a neat, elegant trick: Rather than have the rest of the cast stand around and watch the main character duke it out with the big bad, have them do something else on the side and advance the plot. That also helps a lot.
TL;DR: The quality of a shonen series doesn't depend on the length of the fight, but the quality of the things within the fights.
Just finished watching Takamura vs Hawk fight and that took it's time. I wouldn't say that Hajime no Ippo is strong series, because fights don't take forever, but because it knows how to pace it's fights. Short fight here, long there. The thing that makes HnI different from some shounen fighting series, is that fights are not really about moving the plot forward, but the fights are the plot. For example in the Takamura vs Hawk fight I had no doubts which one would win, but I still enjoyed the fight because it showed us sides of Takamuras characters that hadn't been shown before and it also gave some depth to Hawks character too.
I know you stopped reading One Piece in Arlong Park, but as the series progresses, Oda makes really big strides in improving upon the old Shonen Formula because he implement a neat, elegant trick: Rather than have the rest of the cast stand around and watch the main character duke it out with the big bad, have them do something else on the side and advance the plot. That also helps a lot.
Haven't read or watched One Piece more than little bit, so I can't speak from experience, but doesn't have the possibility that readers have to focus on multiple things happening at the same time. Jumping from fight to plot resolving might not be confusing, but maybe a bit taxing for the reader.
Started watching the second season. I'm on episode 3 in the middle of the Miyata vs Arnie fight. While I'm still enjoying the show, the cliches and plot devices that they're using over and over again are starting to grate on me.
Also, the idea that Miyata would stay in the lightweight division, just to fight Ippo is stupid. I know he made a promise and all that, but if he's using up and wasting all of his energy to make the weight, he should just switch to the heavier division and dominate there, just like Mashiba did.
In real life, I don't think a boxer would continue to kill himself or herself staying at a lighter division just for a rival.
Oh, and Ippo's man-crush on Miyata is just annoying as well.
I played the GBA game and the DS game for Ippo. The DS game has crap for boxing, but it has these really awesome training games where you use the stylus that are just like the training in the show. Dodge the tennis balls. Hit the wood into the hillside. All the classics.
The GBA game has really great boxing, and matches the show very well. Every fighter fights just like the show, and the gameplay matches the boxing strategy in the show. I beat it. The only major problem I have with it is that defense is basically worthless. Dodging really doesn't work for shit. Dodging in Punch-Out was so much better. Basically once the other guy starts attacking, all of your buttons stop working. You can only block or attack in the brief moments the opponent isn't swinging. The only way I was able to beat the game was to lay on the combos so thick that I was able to get tons of first round KOs.
Then I played some tournament mode using Mashiba. Flicker jabs were such hax! I won so easy.
Third season coming. Excited. Sure I've read the manga already, but I feel that Ippo is the kind of series where re-experiencing it with animation and situation appropriate music is totally worth it.
Funny story, I once went to a convention and bought a DVD not knowing exactly what it was. I thought it looked really similar to Ashita no Joe, so I bought it. Turned out it wasn't Ashita no Joe.
Didn't know about Hajime no Ippo, or "Fighting Spirit" as it was called, back when I bought the DVD.
I kind of don't want to watch the latest episode, because I know what happens and it makes me sad... But the fight in the manga is looking sweet, and I really wish Morikawa's/Mangastream's releases weren't so spotty.
A little late, but Batoto also has most of the chapters in similar quality, though they're lagging a little behind mangastream. Helpful for catching up, though, if you stopped reading before chapter 927.
Who is the best anime/manga character of all time, and why is it Takamura?
I don't know, man. I understand being a "real boxer" and doing what you have to to win, but his decisions in the last episode made me sad and actually want to root for Eagle more.
Who is the best anime/manga character of all time, and why is it Takamura?
I don't know, man. I understand being a "real boxer" and doing what you have to to win, but his decisions in the last episode made me sad and actually want to root for Eagle more.
Who is the best anime/manga character of all time, and why is it Takamura?
I don't know, man. I understand being a "real boxer" and doing what you have to to win, but his decisions in the last episode made me sad and actually want to root for Eagle more.
Comments
On the other hand, I've read and watched series like One Outs or Ookiku Furikabutte, that go into minutiae and details of almost every little detail that is occurring, and it doesn't get boring at all. When Baseball games last 5 episodes a piece, you are in for the long haul, but it is actually really interesting and grabbing. Ippo has that on occasion too.
I don't think the quality is necessarily proportional to the length of the battles or anything. It is simply what is occurring within the battle that makes the quality. Does it tell a narrative? Are there twists that aren't simply deus ex machina BS? Can it keep the viewer/readers attention? Can it surprise the viewer/reader and keep him guessing about what will happen next?
I know you stopped reading One Piece in Arlong Park, but as the series progresses, Oda makes really big strides in improving upon the old Shonen Formula because he implement a neat, elegant trick: Rather than have the rest of the cast stand around and watch the main character duke it out with the big bad, have them do something else on the side and advance the plot. That also helps a lot.
TL;DR: The quality of a shonen series doesn't depend on the length of the fight, but the quality of the things within the fights.
Also, the idea that Miyata would stay in the lightweight division, just to fight Ippo is stupid. I know he made a promise and all that, but if he's using up and wasting all of his energy to make the weight, he should just switch to the heavier division and dominate there, just like Mashiba did.
In real life, I don't think a boxer would continue to kill himself or herself staying at a lighter division just for a rival.
Oh, and Ippo's man-crush on Miyata is just annoying as well.
The GBA game has really great boxing, and matches the show very well. Every fighter fights just like the show, and the gameplay matches the boxing strategy in the show. I beat it. The only major problem I have with it is that defense is basically worthless. Dodging really doesn't work for shit. Dodging in Punch-Out was so much better. Basically once the other guy starts attacking, all of your buttons stop working. You can only block or attack in the brief moments the opponent isn't swinging. The only way I was able to beat the game was to lay on the combos so thick that I was able to get tons of first round KOs.
Then I played some tournament mode using Mashiba. Flicker jabs were such hax! I won so easy.
Excited. Sure I've read the manga already, but I feel that Ippo is the kind of series where re-experiencing it with animation and situation appropriate music is totally worth it.
Didn't know about Hajime no Ippo, or "Fighting Spirit" as it was called, back when I bought the DVD.
EDIT: I mean in the manga. I'm not watching the new anime at the moment, but I guess I will do that as well.
But the fight in the manga is looking sweet, and I really wish Morikawa's/Mangastream's releases weren't so spotty.
That said, I read the manga chapters a while ago and I had forgotten some of it.
I'm not sure it's the best, but that's what I've been using.