Fighting Spirit (2000) s01e34 Episode Script

The Rookie King

1
ORIGINAL WORK BY GEORGE MORIKAWA
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
Listen to this intense cheering!
What an amazing guy Sendo-san is!
But I won't give up first!
I must hit back for all I'm worth!
This is cool! This is so cool!
This is it! I've been wanting
to do this forever, Makunouchi!
THE ROOKIE KING
Take this!
It doesn't hurt!
I'm not done yet!
Ippo, lash out more!
Yeah! Hit him, and finish him off!
Rocky! Hurry up and beat that guy!
Beat him and buy us video games!
Both contenders maintain
the intense fistfight with terrific force!
They are total equals!
It is impossible to predict the outcome!
What power!
I'm not about to lose! I must strike back!
The liver blow isn't working!
It It's no good!
I have to lash out or else!
I must hit back!
Oh, a hit-for-hit!
They both stopped in their tracks!
Now, who will it be?
Who will be first to step out?
Ippo!
Kid, stand your ground!
Oh! Sendo takes the initiative!
Take that!
Sendo makes a bullish rush!
Makunouchi is pinned down!
Sendo out punches him!
I have to lash out! I have to hit back!
I must hit back!
This match is mine!
There it is! Sendo's smash!
It scores a direct facial hit!
Kid!
That definitely hurt!
Makunouchi is going to fall!
Whoa, a punch from below
lifts him up again!
Sendo will not permit him to fall!
I have to lash out. I have to hit back!
Good! Keep going and give him all you got!
I know it already!
Oh, no! Makunouchi lowers his guard!
Ippo!
Sendo poises to smash!
Ippo-kun!
I have to lash out
Kid!
Yes!
Now you're through!
What?!
Oh, dear! Makunouchi crumples over,
to his great fortune!
He misses the smash by a hair!
I must lash out!
Ah! Makunouchi scores a right!
It scores a direct hit on
Sendo's unprotected temple!
How about that?
How about that?!
Oh, my! Sendo doesn't flinch
and he proceeds to strike back!
Ooh! All right, that's the way, Sendo!
But that's impossible.
I felt a solid impact!
Sendo goes wild! He makes a bullish rush!
Rocky!
Thirty seconds remain in round three!
Will the match be settled
in the time remaining?!
Sendo connects left!
Then right!
Sendo attacks, buoyed by the calls
for Rocky!
But can he even hear our voices
from the spectator stands?!
The cheers are simply deafening!
An upper connects!
A right!
Punches shower on Makunouchi!
Can he endure for
the seven seconds remaining?!
Hang in there, kid!
Can Sendo bring him down?!
Oops! Will Makunouchi fall?!
The bell rings! Makunouchi is saved
by the bell in the nick of time.
What?! Sendo's fists stay in motion!
He can't hear the bell for the cheering!
Neither can the referee!
Makunouchi is being pummeled.
This is dangerous!
Hey, something weird is going on!
Didn't the bell ring?!
The three minutes are up! Stop them!
Referee, the bell!
The bell has rung, referee!
Stop, Sendo!
Sendo!
Sendo, the bell rang!
Return to your corner, Sendo!
Approximately ten seconds
into the ending bell for round three,
Makunouchi takes a merciless beating!
The follow-up attack
after the bell is a foul.
However, the referee has full authority
of what goes on inside the ring!
Since the referee did not notice it
Sendo's actions have
been deemed unavoidable!
But technicalities aside,
my concern is for Makunouchi's health
after taking such dangerous blows
in a virtually defenseless state!
He's strong.
Sendo-san is really strong.
I know, so stop talking.
Now sit down and get some rest.
I I can't.
If I sit down
I won't be able to get up again.
I I have to get up.
Just sit there!
Damn! But how is it possible?
When I hit him in the temple,
I felt the impact in my right fist.
So how is he still standing?!
Sendo feels the same.
You took far more hits than he did.
However, you're still standing.
I'm sure that sucks for him too.
Are you all right, Makunouchi?
How should we handle the next round?
I can do it! I'm still okay.
But still
I I'm all right.
Like the Chief said
I took the greater number of punches,
but I'm still standing.
That's why I'm okay!
I haven't lost just yet!
I understand.
Since the man himself is saying so
All right.
Kid! All you need is one more effort!
Right. I'll do my best.
Any more will be life-threatening.
If you wobble even slightly
in the next round, I will not hesitate.
Don't hate me for it.
We know who's going to win.
In his current state,
Makunouchi will fall over
with one little push.
Ro-o-cky!
That's all you have to do now.
They're waiting for you to finish it.
Listen to them.
Everyone's calling for you.
Go Rocky!
Game systems!
You'll buy them for us when
you win, right?!
You wouldn't lie to us, Rocky, would you?!
Get real! If I bought one for
each of you, that'd be 200,000 yen!
The fight money won't cover that!
Uh, how much would
I have to add to the All-Japan purse?
You promised, so you got
to buy them for us!
I know.
Just wait.
It'll only take a little longer.
Just wait.
I'm almost there.
Seconds out!
Okay! Go, Sendo! Finish him off!
Go give the audience what they want!
Sendo
Seconds out!
Now, round four is about to begin!
Will Sendo take the win by storm?
Or will Makunouchi hold on?!
Damn, that's dangerous.
He looks like he'll fall over.
Go finish him, Rocky!
He's exhausted!
Put him out of his misery!
KO him, Rocky!
Flatten the guy!
Seconds out!
The seconds in the blue corner
still won't leave the ring.
Are they being cautious
of this opportunity?
Rocky! Don't tease the poor slob too much!
Seconds out!
What's wrong? Get him ready.
Seconds out!
Sendo!
Huh?
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
Sendo!
Huh?
What on earth has happened?
The referee suddenly signaled
that the match is over!
How long?
How long have you been unconscious?
Since that single hit to the temple?
You sure gave the audience
what they wanted.
You still respond to your fans
even when you're out like a light.
You were charged by their cheers,
though you were dead on your feet.
You wanted to fight for them
didn't you, Sendo?
The match is over!
Sendo is not responding to
the fourth round opening bell!
He loses by default!
The entire stadium is silent.
People still do not
comprehend the situation!
And the one who comprehends
it least is Makunouchi!
He stands dumbfounded,
still staring at the blue corner!
Apparently, Sendo is unconscious!
The cause is probably the single hit
to the temple from Makunouchi.
Yet Sendo still fought on!
The element that kept him
in motion was, without a doubt,
the spectators filling
this stadium to capacity today!
At this moment,
Makunouchi's hand is raised!
Makunouchi claims the Featherweight
Class All-Japan Rookie title!
In the meantime,
Sendo is taken away on a stretcher.
He has still not regained consciousness.
The unrecognizable face of the victor
and the sorry state of the defeated
speak volumes of the scars of battle!
Takeshi Sendo vs. Ippo Makunouchi!
Without a doubt, this will be
a fight to go down in the history
of the All-Japan Rookie
Championship Tournament!
He's not moving. Is he really unconscious?
Did he fight while he was unconscious?
He lived up to our cheers to the very end.
Sendo! You're the best!
You were our Rocky to the bitter end!
Rocky!
Kid!
Ippo-kun!
-Chief
-What is it?
Did I really
Did I really win the fight?
That's right. You're the winner!
It doesn't feel real whatsoever
that I could beat the amazing Sendo-san.
I left the corner sure
I was going to lose.
It's like a dream.
Kid?
You really hung in there.
Now, let's go.
Come on, Ippo-kun. Grab on.
Thanks.
I still can't believe the match is over.
I know he isn't there
but it feels like Sendo-san
is still there looking straight at me.
It feels like Sendo-san
is still sitting there,
getting ready to fight.
Sendo! Sendo, can you hear me?
You're awake, Sendo.
What is it?
I can't remember.
What can't you remember?
Who won the match?
That I can tell I lost.
I lost, but
You lost, but what? You can tell me.
How exactly did I lose?
What happened to me?
I can't remember
that part of the match whatsoever.
Don't dwell on today's match.
It was a great fight.
A great fight?
What do you mean, a great fight?
I want you to tell me
how I lost the match!
Sendo!
This is all I have on me.
I know it's only enough for one system,
but take it.
We'll take it for now.
However, you promised us five!
When are you going to buy them for us?!
If you become champion
you can do it, right?
I can wait. We'll postpone
your promise to us.
We'll wait until you become champion.
Next time
Next time, swear you'll buy them
for sure, Rocky!
Rocky? Are you guys still willing
to call me that name?
That's what the entire audience
called you.
That's the kind of fight you had!
Makunouchi, how does it feel to
be the All-Japan Rookie of the Year?
What was it like fighting Sendo?
Now that you're a ranked fighter,
what's your next goal?
Uh, well I can't respond
to all that at once. I, uh
Hey, the guy's hurt!
He hasn't been fully treated for
his injuries yet. That's all for today!
-No fair!
-Hold on a second!
Wait
How is he?
Oh, he regained consciousness
a little while ago.
He gave us the one comment,
"Today, I lost."
I I see.
-Now go!
-Chief?!
Thank goodness he's awake.
Humph. "Today," is it?
That headstrong comment is Sendo all over.
What is it?
It's like after hearing his comment,
it all suddenly feels real.
I finally feel that I won
against Sendo-san today.
I did it!
KO TIME: ENDED AT ROUND THREE
IPPO MAKUNOUCHI
ALL-JAPAN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WINNER
AWARDED THE MVP AWARD!
PLUM VILLAGE
In celebration of Ippo Makunouchi-kun
taking the All-Japan Rookie
of the Year title, cheers!
Cheers!
Wow!
Thank you. Thank you so much!
Now, now, Ippo-kun.
Don't be so stiff and formal.
Yeah, everybody's family
at the celebration table!
It was nerve-wracking,
but Ippo won right on schedule.
I'll use this victory in order to
Or at least, that was the plan,
but just look at him.
Even I know better than to
drag a wounded boxer around town
on the night after the fact.
What is it, Takamura?
Don't tell me you're plotting
some insolence again.
I won't let it happen.
Give me a break.
I just gave up on it, didn't I?
Jeez! What the hell did
I come all the way to Osaka for?!
Oh, your beer glass is empty, Chief.
Oh, thank you kindly.
Wow, amazing! Please, have another glass.
Oh, no, no. I've had enough, thank you.
Don't be like that
No, really, I'm fine.
Let me fill up your glass instead.
What are you doing all of a sudden, you?!
That's what I'd like to ask!
What a place to leave wide open!
Oh, no! Chief
So, you want to make an impression,
you old sex fiend!
Think of your age!
And what about you then?!
Your punch is peeking out below!
Shut up! I have an excuse
because I'm young!
BS-ing young fool!
A counterpunch!
Can someone over 70 normally
do a move like that?!
You freaky geezer zombie!
Oh, shit! Stop him!
Ippo, we need some help!
Huh? Ippo?
Yeah. It's true, Mom. I really won!
I'm not interested in who won.
I'm more worried about your health.
You always worry like that.
I'm the All-Japan Rookie of the Year.
And I also got the highest prize,
and I really won!
I'm okay. I got beat up a little,
but my health is fine.
I see.
I'm coming home tomorrow,
so I'll bring souvenirs. See you.
Ippo?
Congratulations.
Thanks, Mom.
Congratulations, huh?
I can't believe I came this far.
I don't know how much further I can go,
but I want to go as far as I can!
What's going on?!
Is the party over already?!
-It's bad.
-What?!
Takamura-san KO-ed the Chief!
What?!
I couldn't help it!
After he threw that great punch at me,
I did it by accident!
An accident?!
You're the Middleweight Champion!
Shut up! At any rate, run!
Since we're already running,
let's get our fill of Osaka women!
I'm up for that action!
-Me, too!
-Our fill?
Prepare to enter the adult world!
What?! This is a bad idea!
I'm still a minor, and I don't want to!
KAMOGAWA BOXING GYM
Roadwork. Training that
takes place outside the gym,
primarily on the dart-and-dash.
It fosters basic endurance for boxing,
important for maintaining stamina,
which is where daily results
will generally appear.
I also found it hard in the beginning.
But now I'm totally used to it.
And that is the one most certain bit
of proof of my two years of effort!
Next time, "The Continuing Journey."
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