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Over the last few decades we have seen boxing animes appear time and time again. Today, I compiled a list of three boxing anime that display what boxing anime truly is!
Getting into our first boxing anime on the list, Megalobox. This world is similar to a sort of Cyberpunk 2077 feeling and has such a realistic grasp on real-world issues, such as boxing just being seen as a “brawling” sport. Our main character, Junk Dog is shown to have such passion for turning the mechanic brawling boxing scene, into a true demonstration of skill and prowess. This anime easily ranks among this list because of its unique art style, especially for the time of release, 2018 when anime was rapidly getting better, this anime feels like it is perfect in the chosen slum-like style, and doesn’t make it feel rough around the edges at all and only improves the quality of the anime. An anime that was truly ahead of its time, and deserves a ton more recognition. If you’re a fan of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, or other boxing animes, this is a MUST-watch!
On to our second boxing anime, Baki and Baki Hanma. Our main character in this anime is good old Baki. If you have been living under a rock and have never seen this anime yet, you’re in for a really good treat! This anime displays amazing graphical design and coordinated fight scenes, truly amazing work from the artists who produced this masterpiece. The anime starts a little abruptly but it slows you into its really nice universe of boxing. In Baki, boxing is a tad more realistic compared to Megalobox, but it still has people with completely impossible skill sets and designs, which still makes for an interesting anime to watch. The variety in each episode keeps you watching every single minute of this anime, waiting for the next epic boxing match or fight scene. This anime is worth a million dollars to the average anime enjoyer, I recommend this anime to anybody wanting to get into boxing animes or anybody that loves thrilling fight scenes in anime, it is right up your alley!
And finally, last but not least we have Hajime No Ippo. The main character, Ippo Makunouchi provides realism from the get-go with his non-stereotypical energy, he is a rather shy and amazingly strong-willed man which totally strays away from the positive upbeat main character vibe. Aside from the main character alone, for an anime that aired its first episode in 2003, it might not have the most up-to-date graphics at all, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a realness to it. In the anime you might find yourself in such a real setting, watching true voice acting and expression on your screen. Looking past the artwork is a complete piece of cake when you get invested in the thick and heavy plot that it provides, it lets you enjoy yourself and it really shows what an amazing boxing anime is supposed to look like. You can tell that the anime, especially for 2003, was made with such realism and dedication, its artwork honestly provides even more realism. This anime is absolutely perfect for anybody looking for older animes, especially boxing anime, this anime is incredibly real and is amazing for veteran anime watchers, and some beginners.
These three anime truly embody what boxing animes are, aside from being so realistic and enjoyable, they also inspire the Creed franchise and many others to date. If you’re still thinking of animes to watch, try some of these, or all of them!