Hajime no Ippo Final Chapter Decided, Says Creator George Morikawa

When you think of the best stories or the best manga/anime series out there, particularly in the sports genre, Hajime no Ippo will always come across as a no-brainer classic. Since 1989, the boxing manga series has entertained and inspired its readers, and it continues to do so.

Being in continuation for more than three decades, it is natural to wonder when and how the series will end. Finally, the manga creator has thrown some light on that.

George Morikawa, the man behind Hajime no Ippo, posted a note on Friday on his official Twitter account. The mangaka reflects on his journey as a manga artist so far and adds that he has decided on an ending for the iconic series.

I made my debut at the age of 17, so I turned 40 as a manga artist on my birthday in January.

34 of those years are just the beginning.

I think it’s quite long, but there’s not much to be proud of.

Because I never finished the series myself.

The final episode of Ippo has already been decided, so I hope I can welcome it with the readers.

English Translation, Twitter Translate

Morikawa added in a further set of tweets that he is not sure about how the serialization will change, but he intends to conclude the series as soon as he can while his physical health supports him.

According to him, he still wonders if he would be able to call himself a manga artist once the final episode comes out. 

Hajime no Ippo has inspired several animated series, with the last series Hajime no Ippo: Rising released in 2013. Both the manga and the anime have been received well consistently. We can’t wait to see how the story will end, but we are sure it would be satisfying.

About Hajime no Ippo

The anime centres around an under-confident Ippo Makunouchi – a victim of bullying. Unable to stand up to his bullies, Ippo builds a weak sense of self. During one of the incidents, he encounters a pro-boxer Takamura who brings him to the gym to heal. After much reflection and obstacles, Ippo takes up Boxing as a career and a way to strengthen himself.

The anime focuses on perseverance – something that applies not only to the sport but to life as a whole. It brings forth characters – even opponents – with depth, motivations and drives of their own and therefore, does not only center itself around Ippo’s perspective. The world is too big for that.

Source: Official Twitter