Ep 20. Shotgun Threat
- February 20, 2001
- 24 min
Hajime no Ippo is a popular sports anime which revolves around the life of a young high school student named Ippo Makunouchi. The series showcases his journey as a professional boxer under the guidance of his coach Kamogawa Genji. In season 1 episode 20, titled "Shotgun Threat," Ippo is facing one of his toughest opponents yet, an unconventional boxer named Eiji Date.
As the episode begins, Ippo is still reeling from the shock of Date's unique fighting style, which involves using his long reach and a shotgun jab to keep his opponents at bay. Despite Ippo's best efforts, he is unable to close the distance between him and Date, leaving him no opportunity to land punches. Date dominates the first few rounds of the fight, leaving Ippo with a bruised and battered face. However, Ippo refuses to give up and continues to look for openings in Date's defense.
As the fight progresses, Ippo tries to change his strategy to adapt to Date's unorthodox style of fighting. He starts using his head movement to dodge Date's jabs and tries to counter-attack with body shots. However, Date seems to anticipate Ippo's moves and continues to land his shotgun jab with precision, making it difficult for Ippo to land any meaningful punches.
Despite being outmatched in terms of reach and speed, Ippo refuses to lose hope and continues to fight with everything he's got. He starts using his footwork to evade Date's punches and tries to get inside his range to land his own punches. Ippo's efforts start paying off as he lands a few clean punches on Date's body, causing him to lose his balance.
As the final round of the fight approaches, both boxers are exhausted and have taken considerable damage. However, Ippo refuses to give up and continues to push forward. In the closing moments of the fight, Ippo finally manages to get inside Date's range and lands a powerful uppercut on his chin, knocking him out cold. With this victory, Ippo moves one step closer to his goal of becoming a professional boxing champion.
Overall, Hajime no Ippo season 1 episode 20 is an intense and action-packed episode that showcases the resilience and determination of the main character, Ippo Makunouchi. Despite facing a technically superior opponent, Ippo refuses to give up and continues to fight with everything he's got. The episode also highlights the importance of adapting to different styles of fighting and using one's weaknesses as strengths. Overall, this episode is a must-watch for fans of sports anime and boxing in particular.