Also known as Hajime no Ippo, Makunouchi Ippo Helps his mom at a fishing dock, he is currently in school and because he has to help his mom he couldn't make very many friends if any at all.. Walking home from school a bully named Umezawa-kun and his two friends walk up to Makunouchi and as always he doesn't try to defend himself and leaves an open weak point for being bullied around and this is where Makunouchi gets beaten up pretty bad and Takamura-san comes to save him. The bullys run off in fear of Takamura-san and Makunouchi passes out1. He wakes up in the gym and before leaving, Takamaura-san tries to help give him the courage to defend himself by putting a drawing on a punching bag for Makunouchi and he punches with unbelievable power and thus reveals the type of fighter he would become.
Now he gets some video tapes of some boxing matches and starts to desire the idea of becoming 'strong' and begins to buy boxing magazines and now his desire and respect for the sport grows. He meets up with Takamura-san on the road side, here he says he wants to become a Pro Boxer, Takamura-san thinking he doesn't have the ability to become anything good he tries to stop him from doing it, but Makunochi doesn't give in so Takamura-san gives him a really hard mission that normally he wouldn't be able to fulfill, having to catch 10 leaves while they fall from a tree.
Last episode: Mashiba vs. Kimura
