Fighting Spirit (2000) s01e75 Episode Script
A Step Further
1
ORIGINAL WORK BY GEORGE MORIKAWA
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
Become strong.
Become a kind man
who protects others, like your father.
I couldn't protect them. I feel so upset.
I'm bored. Isn't there
anyone tough out there?
I've become strong just as I was told to.
But I never understood
what it means to be strong.
I'll get my answer when I defeat this man.
Where did you get all those injuries?
I want to become strong like you.
I want to be a new person.
How does it feel to be strong?
I've fought all kinds of people
since then.
I trained every day,
and I gained confidence in myself.
But I still never understood
what it means to be strong.
I have to win
to get my answer!
A STEP FURTHER
Round Six is over!
The fighters engage in a desperate fight!
Their feet look understandably heavy!
Surely they are fighting
on willpower alone by now!
What is this?
Neither man sits down!
They are not taking their seats
for the interval!
What's going on?
Is he so tired
that he won't be able to stand up again
if he sits down?
That could be part of it.
But most of all,
they don't want to relax
their willpower by resting.
That's the kind of strain
I see on their faces.
What's up, Makunouchi?
You look way too serious.
Are you thinking the same thing I am?
I can't move anything properly anymore.
The next round is it!
I'm sure Sendo-san is thinking
the exact same thing.
Neither of us is in any shape
to try anything tricky.
I can't knock him unconscious
with one-shot punches.
I'll do it with my specialty punch,
the smash.
This is all I have the Dempsey Roll.
Now the contenders leave their corners!
How long will this struggle go on?
Round Seven begins!
I can't say a word to him.
Chief
He wore the face of a guy
prepared to end it this round.
I believe he will win this
and come back to me.
But
Oh, my! What is this?
The crossed arm block!
Sendo is in defensive mode?
I can't believe it. He's so proud.
I know
I know that the time spent
exchanging blows with Makunouchi
is like supreme bliss to him.
Don't back away, Ippo!
Sendo won't throw anything!
I doubt that.
He's storing up.
He's storing up
even the strength to throw a jab
to score one strike
in the opponent's windpipe.
He's aiming for that one shot.
He's finally going in for the final fight!
He's definitely aiming for it.
Not yet. Wait for it.
But this
Makunouchi will also come at me
with a finishing blow.
This is all I have!
In the end, I'm sure he'll
What's this?
It's the Dempsey Roll!
The challenger makes the first move!
Go!
He stops it!
I have a regret!
In the end,
I never found a way
to make Takeshi Sendo retreat.
I never found the complete version
of the Dempsey Roll.
This is what I was waiting for!
A smash!
What's this?
A left from the challenger also stabs
into the champ's stomach!
A simultaneous hit!
He knew he'd be blocked!
Makunouchi predicted the smash as well.
A right!
Was it effective?
This is it!
I'm at the end of my rope!
This is my last chance!
His eyes
are still alive!
Don't get a swelled head just
because you saw the left punch coming!
I still have the other
I still have my right!
Ma
Makunouchi!
Sendo-san!
Stronger.
I'll get stronger
and I'll
and I'll
He's down!
To your neutral corner!
He did it.
The kid came up with the completed version
of the Dempsey Roll at the eleventh hour.
Liver blow,
Gazelle Punch, and Dempsey Roll.
A selective three-step attack
combining the blows boasting
the greatest destructive power.
He didn't merely stack up
the three techniques.
He knit feints in-between the punches.
It's an attack using everything
from his own experience
and the results of training camp.
The countdown continues!
But he suffered overwhelming damage!
Please get up, Sendo!
Don't let it end this way!
I wonder what it means to be strong.
To be strong
I have to win to get the answer.
If I win, I'll have the answer.
He's up! The champion!
He leans on the rope
and rises to his feet!
That's enough.
You're no longer in any shape to fight.
Just stay down.
You can close your eyes now.
I won't I won't close my eyes.
I won't go to sleep for anything.
Does he still want to continue?
He can't be serious.
Will he assume a fighting pose?
His arms are coming up!
Will it continue? Will it end?
I can't let myself sleep.
The last time I blanked out
I didn't remember anything.
No! Open your eyes!
Look at him
until the very end.
I have to see it all!
I have to see
the face of the man who defeated me.
The match is over!
A new champion is born!
He overcame the deadly struggle
to reign as Featherweight
Champion of Japan!
His name is Ippo Makunouchi, age 19!
-Kid!
-Ippo-kun!
There is a standing ovation
for the new champion!
-You did it!
-It was a great fight that'll go down in
the history
of Japan Featherweight matches!
You're the champion! The champion!
Champion?
He actually did it!
He really became the champion!
What's wrong, Ryo?
I'm done here. I'm leaving.
Uh, Ryo, wait!
That bastard. This match
worked me up too much.
I need to work out immediately
or I'll explode.
Congratulations, Makunouchi-san.
Thank you, everyone!
Thank you for your support!
Congratulations, Makunouchi.
You really moved me.
Jeez. The older you get,
the easier the tears flow.
You be happy, too.
You did very well! You're the champion!
Me? The champion?
That's right! It was a brilliant KO!
Champion.
It doesn't feel real?
Then turn around and have a look.
Sendo san.
What's with the sloppy face?
Stand up with more pride, will you?
You defeated the great Takeshi Sendo.
You're number one.
I used all I had.
I was able to use my full strength
because you were my opponent.
If it had not been you
I I
Thank you so much!
We'll meet again, Makunouchi.
We'll meet in the ring for sure.
-Hold on to me, Sendo.
-I'm okay.
Sendo!
NANIWA
He left the ring with his head held high.
He was laudable to the very end.
I did it!
Makunouchi!
Whoa! Ippo's wearing the belt!
We'll have to bust in on the scene now!
What the
New Champion, please look this way!
Please make a pose!
A pose?
To commemorate.
Get them to take your picture.
Yes, sir.
Like this?
JAPAN FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
KO TIME: 7R 1 MINUTE, 34 SECONDS
IPPO MAKUNOUCHI TAKES THE TITLE
JAPAN FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION
13 BOUTS, 12 WINS, 1 DEFEAT, 12 KO
Oh, enough already!
Can't you see he's tired?
What? But we still have a lot to ask him.
It was such an incredible punching match.
He'll make time for it at a later date.
You're too beat up
to go to some celebration party.
-At any rate, go home and get some rest.
-Yes, sir.
Well, Chief, Yagi-san, Shinoda-san,
thank you for all of your help today.
Yes.
-Oh, one other thing.
-Yes?
You're having a thorough physical exam
in a few days.
Yes, sir. Understood. Well, then
-Also
-Yes, sir?
Good job hanging in there.
ROOM E
Thank you, sir!
SENDO VS. MAKUNOUCHI
This is a problem.
No matter how eloquently I describe it,
I'm not sure if I can fully describe
today's match in words.
Just write it as you saw it.
-Aren't you more worried about Sendo?
-What?
He lost twice to the same opponent.
His natural charisma and his pride
are probably horribly wounded.
You're suggesting he might retire?
It would be a true shame if a talent
like his were to end like this.
Yes.
What's wrong?
Oh, I wanted to go take a leak,
but the car next to us
is packed with the cheering group.
SENDO
Maybe it didn't look like it,
but I lost doing my absolute best.
I feel good about it.
But I didn't keep my word.
They all kept quiet about it,
but how can I face them?
At any rate, let's return to our seats.
Hey!
Rocky?
Guys
I I'm
Hold your chest out proudly, Rocky!
There's nothing to be ashamed of.
Yeah, it was your best match to date.
We weren't keeping quiet
because we were depressed,
we were too moved to speak.
We can also go home feeling proud!
Wherever you go, we'll follow!
Everyone
Thank you.
Thank you!
I have to start over from the beginning.
However, I swear
I'll claw my way to the top again.
I swear!
That's the way! That's our Rocky!
-We're counting on you!
-We'll follow you anywhere!
CANDY MARKET SENDO
I'm tired. I'm hitting the sack.
Right.
-Hey, Grandma?
-Hm?
I'm still weak.
Your kid came home
one notch stronger than before.
FISHING BOAT RENTAL MAKUNOUCHI
Congratulations, Ippo.
THREE DAYS LATER
Um, maybe I'm a little early.
Oh, well. It's better than being late.
Oh, Chief!
Kid.
About Sendo
Halfway through Round Five,
he apparently broke two ribs
from your liver blows.
He broke his ribs?
He didn't show it whatsoever.
Watching the video,
I can see that his reactions
were slightly delayed after Round Five.
If it hadn't been for that,
his team might have been
walking along feeling the way we do today.
Though he was your opponent,
he deserves a lot of praise.
Yes, sir.
Do you remember, kid?
What?
What you asked me
in the interval following Round Five?
So, did you find the answer?
What it means to be strong?
In the ring,
when I was fighting Sendo-san,
I really felt I was on the verge
of grasping something,
but I didn't find anything.
So
I am counting on your further instruction.
Hey, what are you doing?
SNACK SUGAR RAY
Get in here! It's already started!
Uh, right!
What the kid is seeking
is not something tangible.
It's like trying to grasp a cloud.
Hey, are you two already plastered?
-Congratulations, Makunouchi-san!
-Kumi-san?
Perhaps he has chosen a path
more difficult than obtaining any belt.
I hope that I can help him
find what he seeks
while I'm still alive.
CONGRATS, IPPO MAKUNOUCHI!
YOU GOT THE FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE!
TO KUMI-SAN
IPPO MAKUNOUCHI
"THE CHAMPION"
WRITTEN AND COMPOSED BY SHINJI TANIMURA
KAMOGAWA BOXING GYM
ORIGINAL WORK BY GEORGE MORIKAWA
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
Become strong.
Become a kind man
who protects others, like your father.
I couldn't protect them. I feel so upset.
I'm bored. Isn't there
anyone tough out there?
I've become strong just as I was told to.
But I never understood
what it means to be strong.
I'll get my answer when I defeat this man.
Where did you get all those injuries?
I want to become strong like you.
I want to be a new person.
How does it feel to be strong?
I've fought all kinds of people
since then.
I trained every day,
and I gained confidence in myself.
But I still never understood
what it means to be strong.
I have to win
to get my answer!
A STEP FURTHER
Round Six is over!
The fighters engage in a desperate fight!
Their feet look understandably heavy!
Surely they are fighting
on willpower alone by now!
What is this?
Neither man sits down!
They are not taking their seats
for the interval!
What's going on?
Is he so tired
that he won't be able to stand up again
if he sits down?
That could be part of it.
But most of all,
they don't want to relax
their willpower by resting.
That's the kind of strain
I see on their faces.
What's up, Makunouchi?
You look way too serious.
Are you thinking the same thing I am?
I can't move anything properly anymore.
The next round is it!
I'm sure Sendo-san is thinking
the exact same thing.
Neither of us is in any shape
to try anything tricky.
I can't knock him unconscious
with one-shot punches.
I'll do it with my specialty punch,
the smash.
This is all I have the Dempsey Roll.
Now the contenders leave their corners!
How long will this struggle go on?
Round Seven begins!
I can't say a word to him.
Chief
He wore the face of a guy
prepared to end it this round.
I believe he will win this
and come back to me.
But
Oh, my! What is this?
The crossed arm block!
Sendo is in defensive mode?
I can't believe it. He's so proud.
I know
I know that the time spent
exchanging blows with Makunouchi
is like supreme bliss to him.
Don't back away, Ippo!
Sendo won't throw anything!
I doubt that.
He's storing up.
He's storing up
even the strength to throw a jab
to score one strike
in the opponent's windpipe.
He's aiming for that one shot.
He's finally going in for the final fight!
He's definitely aiming for it.
Not yet. Wait for it.
But this
Makunouchi will also come at me
with a finishing blow.
This is all I have!
In the end, I'm sure he'll
What's this?
It's the Dempsey Roll!
The challenger makes the first move!
Go!
He stops it!
I have a regret!
In the end,
I never found a way
to make Takeshi Sendo retreat.
I never found the complete version
of the Dempsey Roll.
This is what I was waiting for!
A smash!
What's this?
A left from the challenger also stabs
into the champ's stomach!
A simultaneous hit!
He knew he'd be blocked!
Makunouchi predicted the smash as well.
A right!
Was it effective?
This is it!
I'm at the end of my rope!
This is my last chance!
His eyes
are still alive!
Don't get a swelled head just
because you saw the left punch coming!
I still have the other
I still have my right!
Ma
Makunouchi!
Sendo-san!
Stronger.
I'll get stronger
and I'll
and I'll
He's down!
To your neutral corner!
He did it.
The kid came up with the completed version
of the Dempsey Roll at the eleventh hour.
Liver blow,
Gazelle Punch, and Dempsey Roll.
A selective three-step attack
combining the blows boasting
the greatest destructive power.
He didn't merely stack up
the three techniques.
He knit feints in-between the punches.
It's an attack using everything
from his own experience
and the results of training camp.
The countdown continues!
But he suffered overwhelming damage!
Please get up, Sendo!
Don't let it end this way!
I wonder what it means to be strong.
To be strong
I have to win to get the answer.
If I win, I'll have the answer.
He's up! The champion!
He leans on the rope
and rises to his feet!
That's enough.
You're no longer in any shape to fight.
Just stay down.
You can close your eyes now.
I won't I won't close my eyes.
I won't go to sleep for anything.
Does he still want to continue?
He can't be serious.
Will he assume a fighting pose?
His arms are coming up!
Will it continue? Will it end?
I can't let myself sleep.
The last time I blanked out
I didn't remember anything.
No! Open your eyes!
Look at him
until the very end.
I have to see it all!
I have to see
the face of the man who defeated me.
The match is over!
A new champion is born!
He overcame the deadly struggle
to reign as Featherweight
Champion of Japan!
His name is Ippo Makunouchi, age 19!
-Kid!
-Ippo-kun!
There is a standing ovation
for the new champion!
-You did it!
-It was a great fight that'll go down in
the history
of Japan Featherweight matches!
You're the champion! The champion!
Champion?
He actually did it!
He really became the champion!
What's wrong, Ryo?
I'm done here. I'm leaving.
Uh, Ryo, wait!
That bastard. This match
worked me up too much.
I need to work out immediately
or I'll explode.
Congratulations, Makunouchi-san.
Thank you, everyone!
Thank you for your support!
Congratulations, Makunouchi.
You really moved me.
Jeez. The older you get,
the easier the tears flow.
You be happy, too.
You did very well! You're the champion!
Me? The champion?
That's right! It was a brilliant KO!
Champion.
It doesn't feel real?
Then turn around and have a look.
Sendo san.
What's with the sloppy face?
Stand up with more pride, will you?
You defeated the great Takeshi Sendo.
You're number one.
I used all I had.
I was able to use my full strength
because you were my opponent.
If it had not been you
I I
Thank you so much!
We'll meet again, Makunouchi.
We'll meet in the ring for sure.
-Hold on to me, Sendo.
-I'm okay.
Sendo!
NANIWA
He left the ring with his head held high.
He was laudable to the very end.
I did it!
Makunouchi!
Whoa! Ippo's wearing the belt!
We'll have to bust in on the scene now!
What the
New Champion, please look this way!
Please make a pose!
A pose?
To commemorate.
Get them to take your picture.
Yes, sir.
Like this?
JAPAN FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
KO TIME: 7R 1 MINUTE, 34 SECONDS
IPPO MAKUNOUCHI TAKES THE TITLE
JAPAN FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION
13 BOUTS, 12 WINS, 1 DEFEAT, 12 KO
Oh, enough already!
Can't you see he's tired?
What? But we still have a lot to ask him.
It was such an incredible punching match.
He'll make time for it at a later date.
You're too beat up
to go to some celebration party.
-At any rate, go home and get some rest.
-Yes, sir.
Well, Chief, Yagi-san, Shinoda-san,
thank you for all of your help today.
Yes.
-Oh, one other thing.
-Yes?
You're having a thorough physical exam
in a few days.
Yes, sir. Understood. Well, then
-Also
-Yes, sir?
Good job hanging in there.
ROOM E
Thank you, sir!
SENDO VS. MAKUNOUCHI
This is a problem.
No matter how eloquently I describe it,
I'm not sure if I can fully describe
today's match in words.
Just write it as you saw it.
-Aren't you more worried about Sendo?
-What?
He lost twice to the same opponent.
His natural charisma and his pride
are probably horribly wounded.
You're suggesting he might retire?
It would be a true shame if a talent
like his were to end like this.
Yes.
What's wrong?
Oh, I wanted to go take a leak,
but the car next to us
is packed with the cheering group.
SENDO
Maybe it didn't look like it,
but I lost doing my absolute best.
I feel good about it.
But I didn't keep my word.
They all kept quiet about it,
but how can I face them?
At any rate, let's return to our seats.
Hey!
Rocky?
Guys
I I'm
Hold your chest out proudly, Rocky!
There's nothing to be ashamed of.
Yeah, it was your best match to date.
We weren't keeping quiet
because we were depressed,
we were too moved to speak.
We can also go home feeling proud!
Wherever you go, we'll follow!
Everyone
Thank you.
Thank you!
I have to start over from the beginning.
However, I swear
I'll claw my way to the top again.
I swear!
That's the way! That's our Rocky!
-We're counting on you!
-We'll follow you anywhere!
CANDY MARKET SENDO
I'm tired. I'm hitting the sack.
Right.
-Hey, Grandma?
-Hm?
I'm still weak.
Your kid came home
one notch stronger than before.
FISHING BOAT RENTAL MAKUNOUCHI
Congratulations, Ippo.
THREE DAYS LATER
Um, maybe I'm a little early.
Oh, well. It's better than being late.
Oh, Chief!
Kid.
About Sendo
Halfway through Round Five,
he apparently broke two ribs
from your liver blows.
He broke his ribs?
He didn't show it whatsoever.
Watching the video,
I can see that his reactions
were slightly delayed after Round Five.
If it hadn't been for that,
his team might have been
walking along feeling the way we do today.
Though he was your opponent,
he deserves a lot of praise.
Yes, sir.
Do you remember, kid?
What?
What you asked me
in the interval following Round Five?
So, did you find the answer?
What it means to be strong?
In the ring,
when I was fighting Sendo-san,
I really felt I was on the verge
of grasping something,
but I didn't find anything.
So
I am counting on your further instruction.
Hey, what are you doing?
SNACK SUGAR RAY
Get in here! It's already started!
Uh, right!
What the kid is seeking
is not something tangible.
It's like trying to grasp a cloud.
Hey, are you two already plastered?
-Congratulations, Makunouchi-san!
-Kumi-san?
Perhaps he has chosen a path
more difficult than obtaining any belt.
I hope that I can help him
find what he seeks
while I'm still alive.
CONGRATS, IPPO MAKUNOUCHI!
YOU GOT THE FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE!
TO KUMI-SAN
IPPO MAKUNOUCHI
"THE CHAMPION"
WRITTEN AND COMPOSED BY SHINJI TANIMURA
KAMOGAWA BOXING GYM