With the first two series streaming in Japan via NTV during August and September for Hajime no Ippo, it’s the perfect time to get more of a clue about what the third season will be like this fall. The latest issue of Weekly Shonen Magazine has landed with a full page piece that you can see below which lists the cast and staff for the series. The new season follows the lengthy season from earlier in the last decade and the short 2009 series by continuing on where it left off. The series has had a seventy five episode run with its fist season and then a twenty-six episode run a couple of years later in addition to a few TV specials. The manga is about to release its 104th volume this year.
Production:
Director: Jun Shishido
Series Composition: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Character Designer: Koji Sugiura
Animation: Madhouse / Mappa
Cast:
Rikiya Koyama as Mamoru Takamura
Daisuke Namikawa as Manabu Itagaki
Keiji Fujiwara as Tatsuya Kimura
Kohei Kiyasu as Ippo Makunouchi
Wataru Takagi as Masaru Aoki
Property concept: Makunouchi Ippo has been bullied his entire life. Constantly running errands and being beaten up by his classmates, Ippo has always dreamed of changing himself, but never has the passion to act upon it. One day, in the midst of yet another bullying, Ippo is saved by Takamura Mamoru, who happens to be a boxer. Ippo faints from his injuries and is brought to the Kamogawa boxing gym to recover. As he regains consciousness, he is awed and amazed at his new surroundings in the gym, though lacks confidence to attempt anything. Takamura places a photo of Ippo’s classmate on a punching bag and forces him to punch it. It is only then that Ippo feels something stir inside him and eventually asks Takamura to train him in boxing. Thinking that Ippo does not have what it takes, Takamura gives him a task deemed impossible and gives him a one week time limit. With a sudden desire to get stronger, for himself and his hard working mother, Ippo trains relentlessly to accomplish the task within the time limit. Thus Ippo’s journey to the top of the boxing world begins.
[Source: ANN]