Fighting Spirit (2000) s01e26 Episode Script
The Battle for Distance
1
ORIGINAL WORK BY GEORGE MORIKAWA
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
The key to getting close to Mashiba
is my dart-and-dash.
I've been running to improve that, but
I haven't sparred since then,
so I can't tell if my step-in
has improved.
But I have no chance
of winning if I don't dive in.
No matter how hard it is
I have to dive in!
THE BATTLE FOR DISTANCE
TANAKA TRANSPOR
Hey, Mashiba! Are you done?
Good work, man!
Thanks.
Well, he's grumpy as usual.
That's why he gets shut out at work.
I'm sorry.
Oh, Kumi-chan. I didn't know
you were here!
I brought something Ryo forgot at home.
I'm sorry. It's not
that I meant to badmouth him.
I already know he's just that kind of guy.
I'm sorry.
But I'm sure he appreciates you as well.
He's been able to hold down his job here
for a long time thanks to you.
What? Well, regardless of his past,
he's doing his best right now.
He's just a little clumsy
and not good at socializing.
The people around him will come
to realize that before long.
He's a boxer after all.
He literally risks his life on the ropes.
Not everyone can do that!
Maybe, but I'm not crazy about boxing.
He trains hard,
goes through horrible diets, suffers,
gets even more hurt in the fights,
and even if he wins
The more he wins,
the stronger his opponents become.
The thought of it scares me.
Hey, I didn't know you were here.
Oh, Ryo! You forgot your workout clothes.
You're going to
the gym again today, right?
Oh, come on! She came all the way here
to bring it to you.
You could at least thank her!
It doesn't bother me.
He's preoccupied with the upcoming match.
Yeah, but still.
Thank you for your time.
What? Sure.
Big brother looks out for little sister,
and little sister looks out
for big brother.
KAMOGAWA BOXING GYM
Hey, get into the ring.
We're going to spar.
What? But I'm not supposed to.
Chief's instructions. We'll help you out.
Chief? Is it okay for me to use my fists?
Yeah. They should be healed by now.
Show me the moves you've been working on
in shadow boxing.
All right, finally! Here goes.
Unfortunately, I can't throw flickers.
I'll be sticking to long left jabs.
I'm pretty quick too.
-If I don't think about the next punch.
-Get ready.
-Kid!
-Sir?
Even if you do get near him,
your reach is too short
to get Mashiba's face.
Aim at his body first.
Keep going for body blows,
and he'll eventually lower his chin.
Right!
Spar with the final match in mind!
Put your heart into it!
-Here it comes, Ippo!
-Right!
This is your sparring partner.
He came from another gym
just for your final tune-up.
Hello.
He's an onrush-type boxer.
He's almost identical to Makunouchi
in height and build too.
Mashiba, where's your headgear?
I don't need it.
Whoa, he's fast!
He can't even get close to Mashiba,
never mind punch him.
Why, you
Ippo's weaving is pretty good, huh?
Sort of.
Mashiba will have trouble zeroing
in on Ippo if he weaves like that.
Now all he has to do
is improve his step-in.
It won't be easy to dive
in through jabs that fast.
All right! You're fully prepared,
physically and emotionally!
The Rookie Championship title is ours!
Hey, you! Don't back off!
Jump right in, will you?!
But it's kind of difficult with
all these fast jabs coming at me!
If you can't do it by now, it's hopeless!
You'll be beaten to a pulp
and you will lose!
I have to go in!
I don't think so!
What horrific dart-and-dash power!
He dove in a flash,
while diverting the opponent's attention.
So, this is the result of him
working on nothing but weaving
and dart-and-dash
while he couldn't use his fists.
That really caught me off-guard.
His punch was that much sharper
with the added speed.
Amazing.
It was like an out-of-body experience.
I went forward so easily.
Hey, kid! We're going to win
the Rookie Championship final!
Yes, sir!
KOURAKUEN HALL
Now, the day has finally arrived!
Eastern Japan Rookie
Championship Tournament!
EASTERN JAPAN ROOKIE
CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMEN
Kourakuen Hall has already
reached a fever pitch excitement!
The elite boxers
who have fought long and hard
for the last six months,
are all gathered here today!
Who will be the strongest rookie
in this year's Eastern Japan block?
We have exciting cards of events
from middle class to straw class!
We can't take our eyes off any of them!
ROOM D
Mashiba, you've gotten stronger all-around
since your match
with Miyata one month ago.
On top of that, your final tuning
was the best to date.
You can get the Rookie title!
No, duh.
How could I possibly lose?
ROOM B
Well, we're headed up
to the spectator stand.
We want to check out our own weight class.
Of course. Go ahead.
Make sure you get that Rookie title!
Do it for those of us
who didn't quite make it there.
Well, since it was all too easy
for me to make Rookie of the Year,
I have no hopes to pin on you,
but do your best anyway.
Fight, Ippo!
Knock that sucker out!
He's under a lot of pressure.
Yeah, his butt's been glued to that bench.
Well, he is up against that Mashiba.
Ordinarily, he'd be doing
warm-up exercises by now.
-Maybe he doesn't need to.
-What?
Didn't you feel the heat
when you touched his shoulder?
It means his body is
already in battle mode.
All he needs now is the opening bell.
He's keeping it bottled up until it rings.
He's stockpiling his energy
for the moment he can let it explode!
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
The winner, Ishiwata!
Thank God the junior light winner
is a total pushover.
Yeah, but the light class winner
is so strong it's not funny.
And now, the 7th match of the day,
the featherweight class Eastern Japan
Rookie Championship Tournament final!
Finally the featherweight class final
is about to begin.
This is the most talked-of card
in the tournament.
These boxers advanced
through the most difficult block
to be here today, and here they come!
This boxer's fighting style
deserves the name "Hitman."
He conquered B Block with
his deadly weapon, the flicker jab
Ryo Mashiba.
And this boxer scaled the A Block ladder
by sinking the title number one favorite,
Ryuichi Hayami, into the mat,
the incredible hard puncher
Ippo Makunouchi!
Here he comes!
Beat him, Ippo!
Indeed, this is an interesting face-off.
It is not an overstatement
to say that points will not be deciding
the winner!
Look, they're full of fighting spirit!
Boxers to center!
Hey!
All right! Stare down!
That's the spirit!
-Don't look away!
-Go for a KO!
Don't let him leave in one piece!
You guys really stir us up!
Good. Return to your corners.
Now it's about to begin.
Will the Hitman take out
his mark with flicker jabs?
Or will Makunouchi's dynamite explode?
The outlook is 50-50.
Either way, it should end by KO!
Anyway, stick to close range!
Fight at close range at all times!
Right!
They can only fight at close range.
Stop him with your jabs
and get him at long-range, got it?
REMAINING TIME
Round one!
Both contenders are ready for action!
The most anticipated match,
the feather class Eastern Japan
Rookie Championship Tournament final!
Whoa! Makunouchi has lunged out!
He missed!
He missed, but what a tremendous swish!
The audience reels
from the psychological impact!
That's not like him.
He threw caution to the wind
and charged right in!
That's how fired up he is!
Now Mashiba keeps
Makunouchi at a distance.
And even more so!
What's this? He's already taking up
the hitman style!
He's in position to launch flicker jabs.
Right from the get-go?!
Makunouchi follows suit,
ready to respond with
his own "peek-a-boo" style!
He's too far away! He's just bluffing.
Ippo's first big swing scared him.
You think so?
I'm going to get to
the very edge of his striking distance
and dash into him!
Not yet. Just a little closer.
What?!
It connected! The first hit
belongs to Mashiba!
I'm sure it's hard to believe,
but that's Mashiba's striking distance.
No way! He reached me from there?!
But I studied his tapes thoroughly!
The contenders stare each other down.
Mashiba gauges the best timing
to launch his flicker jabs.
Meanwhile, Makunouchi edges forward
to shorten the distance.
The difference in reach is obvious.
As long as they stay apart,
Makunouchi has no chance of victory!
The extension of his arm was unbelievable.
Screw striking distance.
As long as I'm in the ring,
I'm in his striking distance!
I can't do anything unless I step forward.
But at this rate,
I have no idea when to move!
Damn it!
That idiot! He's forgotten everything
he practiced about bobbing his head
in the heat of the moment!
Damn!
The distance between
the two fighters gradually shrinks.
Should I time my attack
to Mashiba-san's swings?
Or should I dive in out of nowhere?
-You idiot!
-Airhead!
Oh, shit!
The opportunity didn't slip him by!
It's a flicker barrage!
Makunouchi is caught! He fell for it hard!
Makunouchi jumps to the side!
But he cannot leave striking distance!
He's caught on the rope!
Mashiba is strong in this position!
The flickers are unrelenting!
That idiot!
I can't believe he fell for that feint!
What skill!
He aimed his flickers on the face
and got his cheek!
Chopping right!
He escaped death!
Makunouchi somehow managed
to escape death.
But Mashiba is tough!
He allows Makunouchi no chance to jump in!
Those sharp flicker jabs,
and that heavy chopping right!
I thought he learned boxing
from the street,
but his combinations are amazing!
This guy is truly powerful.
Mashiba, that bastard!
He had the perfect chance.
Is he tormenting him little by little?
He's probably keeping away
while Ippo still has life in his punches.
Mashiba is a conniving fox.
Mashiba lashes out once again!
Bob your head, fool!
Those punches are going to hurt later!
Damn it!
This is bad.
You can tell by his face
that he can't even hear the Chief.
Oh, come on! This is exactly
when he needs to be clever.
-Actually, maybe it's better that way.
-What?
He has a ticked-off look in his eyes.
That's how his eyes looked
when he was training to fight Mashiba.
He's strong! This guy is really strong!
But if that's true, then why?
Tightening up your guard like a clam.
How long do you think that's gonna hold?
If you're this strong, then why?
Why did you pull such a dirty trick
on Miyata-kun?!
Oh, my! Makunouchi starts
to sway back and forth!
Is Mashiba unable to aim properly?
He's not launching his flickers!
Don't stop!
Keep punching from the left!
He's going to charge you!
-All right!
-He's in!
Go, kid!
My God, the bell rang!
The first round is over!
All right, break it up.
Back to your corners!
The scores here at the box
are ten to nine.
The first round goes to Mashiba.
However, the match has just begun.
We can't wait for round two!
So what's your impression
of fighting Mashiba face-to-face?
He's strong.
I thought he might be more
of a rough fighter,
but his techniques are brilliant.
And his reach
That's true.
But I got the feel for going in deep.
Good!
But don't get optimistic
just because you got in a couple times!
Keep swaying your body!
And as soon as you're in, deliver a right!
Don't forget these two points!
-Yes, sir!
-Right on!
He's studied the weaknesses
of the hitman style thoroughly.
Also, if he's mastered
the timing to go in,
you'll have to change your strategy.
So, now what?
Are you going to raise your guard?
If you let him in, you'll have to deal
with his destructive power!
His destructive power?
Yeah, it's pretty good.
However, that same power
will give him hell.
The bastard will destroy himself
with his own punches.
REMAINING TIME
Now for round two.
Makunouchi begins to sway
his body as he did earlier.
And in defense, Mashiba
is assuming hitman style as expected!
Ippo didn't do so hot in round one,
except for the last move
when he got inside.
Yeah. Just a little more,
and his right would've hit home.
He's got a chance!
This bothers me.
Ippo's right-attack strategy
isn't a secret anymore,
so why isn't Mashiba raising his guard?
I won't let you get away!
Whoa! Mashiba cannot maintain
his distance!
It's the complete opposite of round one!
Now Makunouchi is the aggressor!
Crank up the pressure!
You'll get in soon!
He's against the rope! It's my chance!
-There you go!
-You snuck in!
His body's open!
Makunouchi throws
a powerful right body blow!
That sounded awfully good.
An elbow block!
KAMOGAWA BOXING GYM
The elbow block.
A technique that uses the elbow
to block an opponent's punches.
Not only does it block
a potential body blow,
it also does damage
to the opponent's fist.
But I have no choice but to keep punching.
Turning it into a close-range fight
is my only way to break through.
And if it doesn't work, I can't win.
That's all I believed in to get here!
Next time, "Death Match."
ORIGINAL WORK BY GEORGE MORIKAWA
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
The key to getting close to Mashiba
is my dart-and-dash.
I've been running to improve that, but
I haven't sparred since then,
so I can't tell if my step-in
has improved.
But I have no chance
of winning if I don't dive in.
No matter how hard it is
I have to dive in!
THE BATTLE FOR DISTANCE
TANAKA TRANSPOR
Hey, Mashiba! Are you done?
Good work, man!
Thanks.
Well, he's grumpy as usual.
That's why he gets shut out at work.
I'm sorry.
Oh, Kumi-chan. I didn't know
you were here!
I brought something Ryo forgot at home.
I'm sorry. It's not
that I meant to badmouth him.
I already know he's just that kind of guy.
I'm sorry.
But I'm sure he appreciates you as well.
He's been able to hold down his job here
for a long time thanks to you.
What? Well, regardless of his past,
he's doing his best right now.
He's just a little clumsy
and not good at socializing.
The people around him will come
to realize that before long.
He's a boxer after all.
He literally risks his life on the ropes.
Not everyone can do that!
Maybe, but I'm not crazy about boxing.
He trains hard,
goes through horrible diets, suffers,
gets even more hurt in the fights,
and even if he wins
The more he wins,
the stronger his opponents become.
The thought of it scares me.
Hey, I didn't know you were here.
Oh, Ryo! You forgot your workout clothes.
You're going to
the gym again today, right?
Oh, come on! She came all the way here
to bring it to you.
You could at least thank her!
It doesn't bother me.
He's preoccupied with the upcoming match.
Yeah, but still.
Thank you for your time.
What? Sure.
Big brother looks out for little sister,
and little sister looks out
for big brother.
KAMOGAWA BOXING GYM
Hey, get into the ring.
We're going to spar.
What? But I'm not supposed to.
Chief's instructions. We'll help you out.
Chief? Is it okay for me to use my fists?
Yeah. They should be healed by now.
Show me the moves you've been working on
in shadow boxing.
All right, finally! Here goes.
Unfortunately, I can't throw flickers.
I'll be sticking to long left jabs.
I'm pretty quick too.
-If I don't think about the next punch.
-Get ready.
-Kid!
-Sir?
Even if you do get near him,
your reach is too short
to get Mashiba's face.
Aim at his body first.
Keep going for body blows,
and he'll eventually lower his chin.
Right!
Spar with the final match in mind!
Put your heart into it!
-Here it comes, Ippo!
-Right!
This is your sparring partner.
He came from another gym
just for your final tune-up.
Hello.
He's an onrush-type boxer.
He's almost identical to Makunouchi
in height and build too.
Mashiba, where's your headgear?
I don't need it.
Whoa, he's fast!
He can't even get close to Mashiba,
never mind punch him.
Why, you
Ippo's weaving is pretty good, huh?
Sort of.
Mashiba will have trouble zeroing
in on Ippo if he weaves like that.
Now all he has to do
is improve his step-in.
It won't be easy to dive
in through jabs that fast.
All right! You're fully prepared,
physically and emotionally!
The Rookie Championship title is ours!
Hey, you! Don't back off!
Jump right in, will you?!
But it's kind of difficult with
all these fast jabs coming at me!
If you can't do it by now, it's hopeless!
You'll be beaten to a pulp
and you will lose!
I have to go in!
I don't think so!
What horrific dart-and-dash power!
He dove in a flash,
while diverting the opponent's attention.
So, this is the result of him
working on nothing but weaving
and dart-and-dash
while he couldn't use his fists.
That really caught me off-guard.
His punch was that much sharper
with the added speed.
Amazing.
It was like an out-of-body experience.
I went forward so easily.
Hey, kid! We're going to win
the Rookie Championship final!
Yes, sir!
KOURAKUEN HALL
Now, the day has finally arrived!
Eastern Japan Rookie
Championship Tournament!
EASTERN JAPAN ROOKIE
CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMEN
Kourakuen Hall has already
reached a fever pitch excitement!
The elite boxers
who have fought long and hard
for the last six months,
are all gathered here today!
Who will be the strongest rookie
in this year's Eastern Japan block?
We have exciting cards of events
from middle class to straw class!
We can't take our eyes off any of them!
ROOM D
Mashiba, you've gotten stronger all-around
since your match
with Miyata one month ago.
On top of that, your final tuning
was the best to date.
You can get the Rookie title!
No, duh.
How could I possibly lose?
ROOM B
Well, we're headed up
to the spectator stand.
We want to check out our own weight class.
Of course. Go ahead.
Make sure you get that Rookie title!
Do it for those of us
who didn't quite make it there.
Well, since it was all too easy
for me to make Rookie of the Year,
I have no hopes to pin on you,
but do your best anyway.
Fight, Ippo!
Knock that sucker out!
He's under a lot of pressure.
Yeah, his butt's been glued to that bench.
Well, he is up against that Mashiba.
Ordinarily, he'd be doing
warm-up exercises by now.
-Maybe he doesn't need to.
-What?
Didn't you feel the heat
when you touched his shoulder?
It means his body is
already in battle mode.
All he needs now is the opening bell.
He's keeping it bottled up until it rings.
He's stockpiling his energy
for the moment he can let it explode!
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
The winner, Ishiwata!
Thank God the junior light winner
is a total pushover.
Yeah, but the light class winner
is so strong it's not funny.
And now, the 7th match of the day,
the featherweight class Eastern Japan
Rookie Championship Tournament final!
Finally the featherweight class final
is about to begin.
This is the most talked-of card
in the tournament.
These boxers advanced
through the most difficult block
to be here today, and here they come!
This boxer's fighting style
deserves the name "Hitman."
He conquered B Block with
his deadly weapon, the flicker jab
Ryo Mashiba.
And this boxer scaled the A Block ladder
by sinking the title number one favorite,
Ryuichi Hayami, into the mat,
the incredible hard puncher
Ippo Makunouchi!
Here he comes!
Beat him, Ippo!
Indeed, this is an interesting face-off.
It is not an overstatement
to say that points will not be deciding
the winner!
Look, they're full of fighting spirit!
Boxers to center!
Hey!
All right! Stare down!
That's the spirit!
-Don't look away!
-Go for a KO!
Don't let him leave in one piece!
You guys really stir us up!
Good. Return to your corners.
Now it's about to begin.
Will the Hitman take out
his mark with flicker jabs?
Or will Makunouchi's dynamite explode?
The outlook is 50-50.
Either way, it should end by KO!
Anyway, stick to close range!
Fight at close range at all times!
Right!
They can only fight at close range.
Stop him with your jabs
and get him at long-range, got it?
REMAINING TIME
Round one!
Both contenders are ready for action!
The most anticipated match,
the feather class Eastern Japan
Rookie Championship Tournament final!
Whoa! Makunouchi has lunged out!
He missed!
He missed, but what a tremendous swish!
The audience reels
from the psychological impact!
That's not like him.
He threw caution to the wind
and charged right in!
That's how fired up he is!
Now Mashiba keeps
Makunouchi at a distance.
And even more so!
What's this? He's already taking up
the hitman style!
He's in position to launch flicker jabs.
Right from the get-go?!
Makunouchi follows suit,
ready to respond with
his own "peek-a-boo" style!
He's too far away! He's just bluffing.
Ippo's first big swing scared him.
You think so?
I'm going to get to
the very edge of his striking distance
and dash into him!
Not yet. Just a little closer.
What?!
It connected! The first hit
belongs to Mashiba!
I'm sure it's hard to believe,
but that's Mashiba's striking distance.
No way! He reached me from there?!
But I studied his tapes thoroughly!
The contenders stare each other down.
Mashiba gauges the best timing
to launch his flicker jabs.
Meanwhile, Makunouchi edges forward
to shorten the distance.
The difference in reach is obvious.
As long as they stay apart,
Makunouchi has no chance of victory!
The extension of his arm was unbelievable.
Screw striking distance.
As long as I'm in the ring,
I'm in his striking distance!
I can't do anything unless I step forward.
But at this rate,
I have no idea when to move!
Damn it!
That idiot! He's forgotten everything
he practiced about bobbing his head
in the heat of the moment!
Damn!
The distance between
the two fighters gradually shrinks.
Should I time my attack
to Mashiba-san's swings?
Or should I dive in out of nowhere?
-You idiot!
-Airhead!
Oh, shit!
The opportunity didn't slip him by!
It's a flicker barrage!
Makunouchi is caught! He fell for it hard!
Makunouchi jumps to the side!
But he cannot leave striking distance!
He's caught on the rope!
Mashiba is strong in this position!
The flickers are unrelenting!
That idiot!
I can't believe he fell for that feint!
What skill!
He aimed his flickers on the face
and got his cheek!
Chopping right!
He escaped death!
Makunouchi somehow managed
to escape death.
But Mashiba is tough!
He allows Makunouchi no chance to jump in!
Those sharp flicker jabs,
and that heavy chopping right!
I thought he learned boxing
from the street,
but his combinations are amazing!
This guy is truly powerful.
Mashiba, that bastard!
He had the perfect chance.
Is he tormenting him little by little?
He's probably keeping away
while Ippo still has life in his punches.
Mashiba is a conniving fox.
Mashiba lashes out once again!
Bob your head, fool!
Those punches are going to hurt later!
Damn it!
This is bad.
You can tell by his face
that he can't even hear the Chief.
Oh, come on! This is exactly
when he needs to be clever.
-Actually, maybe it's better that way.
-What?
He has a ticked-off look in his eyes.
That's how his eyes looked
when he was training to fight Mashiba.
He's strong! This guy is really strong!
But if that's true, then why?
Tightening up your guard like a clam.
How long do you think that's gonna hold?
If you're this strong, then why?
Why did you pull such a dirty trick
on Miyata-kun?!
Oh, my! Makunouchi starts
to sway back and forth!
Is Mashiba unable to aim properly?
He's not launching his flickers!
Don't stop!
Keep punching from the left!
He's going to charge you!
-All right!
-He's in!
Go, kid!
My God, the bell rang!
The first round is over!
All right, break it up.
Back to your corners!
The scores here at the box
are ten to nine.
The first round goes to Mashiba.
However, the match has just begun.
We can't wait for round two!
So what's your impression
of fighting Mashiba face-to-face?
He's strong.
I thought he might be more
of a rough fighter,
but his techniques are brilliant.
And his reach
That's true.
But I got the feel for going in deep.
Good!
But don't get optimistic
just because you got in a couple times!
Keep swaying your body!
And as soon as you're in, deliver a right!
Don't forget these two points!
-Yes, sir!
-Right on!
He's studied the weaknesses
of the hitman style thoroughly.
Also, if he's mastered
the timing to go in,
you'll have to change your strategy.
So, now what?
Are you going to raise your guard?
If you let him in, you'll have to deal
with his destructive power!
His destructive power?
Yeah, it's pretty good.
However, that same power
will give him hell.
The bastard will destroy himself
with his own punches.
REMAINING TIME
Now for round two.
Makunouchi begins to sway
his body as he did earlier.
And in defense, Mashiba
is assuming hitman style as expected!
Ippo didn't do so hot in round one,
except for the last move
when he got inside.
Yeah. Just a little more,
and his right would've hit home.
He's got a chance!
This bothers me.
Ippo's right-attack strategy
isn't a secret anymore,
so why isn't Mashiba raising his guard?
I won't let you get away!
Whoa! Mashiba cannot maintain
his distance!
It's the complete opposite of round one!
Now Makunouchi is the aggressor!
Crank up the pressure!
You'll get in soon!
He's against the rope! It's my chance!
-There you go!
-You snuck in!
His body's open!
Makunouchi throws
a powerful right body blow!
That sounded awfully good.
An elbow block!
KAMOGAWA BOXING GYM
The elbow block.
A technique that uses the elbow
to block an opponent's punches.
Not only does it block
a potential body blow,
it also does damage
to the opponent's fist.
But I have no choice but to keep punching.
Turning it into a close-range fight
is my only way to break through.
And if it doesn't work, I can't win.
That's all I believed in to get here!
Next time, "Death Match."