Anime is a very versatile format for entertainment and to explore different ideas. You can hear stories of ninjas trying to find their place in the universe from a school kid daydreaming about his own life. There are sports anime, comedy anime, love anime, and whatnot. One such genre is boxing anime. Imagine Rocky, but in anime style; that’s exactly what these anime are, but with a twist.
While boxing anime sounds like a very compact niche, you will soon see how versatile this genre is. We have steampunk dystopia; we have a story set in ancient Japan; and we’ve got romantic comedy. There are a lot of stories revolving around boxing in the anime. Here is a list of the top 10 best boxing anime.
Top 10 Best Boxing Anime
Here is the list of the top 10 best boxing anime for the year 2023:
10. Baki The Grappler
Released in: 9 January 2001
Creator: Keisuke Itagaki
Baki Hanma is a rich kid who dreams of becoming a great fighter like his father. His mother funds his training, hoping he’ll be like his father, Yujiro Hanma. Baki completes the training and enters a martial arts tournament. Baki is undefeatable until he faces Kosho Shinogi, who defeats his opponent by breaking their jugular vein. The story is one of the best boxing stories. The story has its intense moments while also balancing it with a lightheartedness that doesn’t feel cringeworthy. Baki, The Grappler is available on Netflix; its first episode was released on January 9, 2001.
9. Nozomi Witches
Released in: 5 August 1992
Creator: Toshio Nobe
Nozomi Witches or Bewitching Nozomi is the story of Ryoutaro Shiba, who moves next door to a beautiful girl named Nozomi Egawa. Nozomi is an athlete and an actress, and she wants Ryoutaro to become a boxer. Ryoutaro isn’t excited about this, but Nozomi sends his resume to his high school boxing club, claiming he is a boxing genius.
The anime keeps getting funnier as the story goes on. Ryoutaro’s relationship with Nozomi and her dream for him put them in some fun places. It’s a fun series; if you want to watch it, definitely give it a go. It was first aired on August 5, 1992. It is an underrated anime; it has a great story, funny scenes, great characters, and their relationships with each other. If you are able to get a chance to watch this, definitely give it a watch. You won’t regret the time you spend watching Bewitching Nozomi.
8. Megalo box
Released in: 6 April 2018
Creator: Katsuhiko Manabe
Set in the late 21st century, Megalo Box is a perfect mixture of science fiction and boxing stories. The story of Megalo Box follows a young boxer named Junk Dog, a young underground fighter who takes part in the Megalo Boxing Tournament in Megalonia. The story is set in this dystopian world where people with citizenship live in a metropolis called ‘The Administrative Area.’ Just as a boxing story is extremely great, a lot of the dystopian elements in the story are used pretty well. There are two seasons of the anime that you can watch on Netflix.
7. Kengan Ashura
Released in: 31 July 2019
Creator: Daromeon & Yabako Sandrowich
Kengan Ashura steals the show. If you like a show that is heavy on story and has fights in between, Kengan Ashura is the way to go. Kengan Ashura is the story of a fighter, Tokita Ohma, who fights gladiator matches on behalf of Nogi Hideki, a business mogul who makes deals on the outcome of the gladiator matches. The story of Kengan Ashura is great; the character of Tokita Ohma is well written, and his motivations and feelings are felt. Kengan Ashura was released on July 31st, 2019.
6. One Pound Gospel
Released in: 12 January 2008
Creator: Rumiko Takashi
One Pound Gospel is a funny, lighthearted, and heartwarming tale of Hatanaka Kasu, who is a great boxer but unable to control his diet and addicted to hamburgers. He overeats hamburgers right before a bout and ends up having to compete in higher-weight classes. After the first fight, he gets punched in the abdominal area and loses as he vomits out all the hamburgers he ate.
This shameful defeat became a turning point for his career. Hatanaka meets with a nun, Sister Angela, who decides to help him in his endeavor. The One Pound Gospel is a lighthearted tale of two polar opposite people and definitely a great boxing anime.
5. Slow Step
Released in: 12 April 1991
Creator: Mitsuru Adachi
Slow Step is a romantic comedy plus boxing anime. Slow Step is about a young girl named Minatsu Nakazato, who is quite popular in her high school and has to deal with unwanted romantic attention from boys from her school and her teacher. She tries everything to get their attention, even changing into alternate identities. The anime is very funny, and the art style feels very warm. If you want to laugh and feel nice, this anime is definitely a must-watch. This 1991 anime has great rewatchability and is fun to watch in your free time.
4. Levius
Released in: 28 November 2019
Creator: Haruhisa Nakata
Levius is the story of young Levius, who is haunted by the horrors of war. Levius is a fighter in a metal boxing tournament. Set in an alternate 19th century, where the world is reviving from a war, A new type of boxing has been invented called ‘metal boxing.” Metal boxing combines the elements of boxing with robotics, and one such fighter is Levius Cromwell, who lost his father in the war.
He fights for the Imperial City and for his family. The anime has a great art style and cool character design. It does a great job at mixing futurist tech with 19th-century aesthetics. This dystopian, steampunk world will definitely win your hearts. The anime was released on November 28, 2019, and has only 12 episodes.
3. Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure
Released in: 5 October 2012
Creator: Hirohiko Araki
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure isn’t your traditional boxing anime. The anime follows the story of a man named, sorry, a family of men called “Jo Jo.” While Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure isn’t extremely boxing-focused, it has quite a number of boxing matches that you can enjoy. Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure is an extremely bizarre story, and the art style is extremely unique and weird. The story starts in a very normal place, but it keeps getting bizarre as the episodes go on.
The anime is held in a very high place by many anime fans; some even call it the greatest anime of all time, and it definitely is a good contender for that title. But being the best anime doesn’t make it the best boxing anime; even then, it is a great boxing anime and highly recommended. Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure is a long anime with 5 seasons, 8 protagonists, and 20 years of history. The anime is quite confusing and doesn’t miss an opportunity to live up to its name.
2. Ashita No Joe
Released in: 8 March 1980
Creator: Asao Takamori
Ashita No Joe is the story of young Joe Yabuki, a drifter who meets Danpei Tangei, a former boxing teacher, while he is roaming in the slums of Tokyo. Danpei trains him to be a great fighter. But then he is thrown into jail for fraud. The story is very funny and not the traditional “hero takes part in a tournament” type. This is so funny, and the story keeps holding our interest.
The story is about the rivalry between Joe Yabuki and his jailmate, Tohru Rikiishi. Ashita No Joe was released in 1970, ran for one year, and had 79 episodes. Later, it was turned into a movie and released on March 8, 1980. And then the second season of Ashita No Joe, Ashita No Joe 2, was released on July 18, 1981, and had 47 episodes.
1. Hajime no Ippo
Released in: 6 June 2009
Creator: George Morikawa
I don’t think there has ever been a conversation about anime, and Hajime No Ippo hasn’t been recommended. This fan-favorite boxing anime is loved and revered by all. Hajime No Ippo is the story of a boy named Ippo, who is saved by a boxer from his bullies. This encounter ignites in Ippo the desire to learn boxing. He swears to enter the ring and be one of the finest boxers of his time. The story is extremely inspirational and will keep you on the edge of your seats as you watch Ippo fight his way to the top. There’s no doubt or debate about whether Hajime No Ippo is at the top spot on the boxing anime chart.
The anime came out in the year 2000 and is considered a classic. There are three seasons of the classic anime, with the fourth one releasing by the end of 2023. The series is a classic and highly recommended for new anime fans who have just started watching anime. The story is simple, the art style is great, the characters are relatable, and the protagonist is a kind-hearted, flawed guy who’s trying to earn his identity. This all ends up making this anime quite interesting for everyone who starts to watch it.
Conclusion
Sports anime is quite a vast genre with different stories and plots, and sports are used to explore them. Even in boxing anime, we’ve got 19th-century dystopian steampunk anime to 80’s classic Saturday morning anime. All these animes are fun to watch and tell so many different stories. It is wonderful what you can do with just one genre in anime.
FAQs: The Top 10 Best Boxing Anime
1. Which is better, Ashita No Joe or Hajime No Ippo?
It depends. If you want to watch an anime focused on stories, watch Ashita No Joe, but if you want to watch an anime focused on boxing, watch Hajime No Ippo.
2. Is Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure a boxing anime?
Yes, while the anime isn’t very boxing-focused, Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure has boxing in it, and it’s fun to watch with the art style.
3. Is Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple realistic?
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is quite realistic for an anime. It is a very grounded anime and doesn’t do anything over the top.
4. What is boxing anime?
Boxing anime is a genre of anime whose story revolves around boxing. It is a subgenre of sports anime.
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