Fighting Spirit(2000)

series - first aired/released 2000-10-03 - audience 8.7

Directed by Akira Mano, Fujiaki Asari, Futoshi Higashide, Hisato Shimoda, Hitoshi Nanba, Jun Shishido, Keiji Hayakawa, Kentaro Nakamura, Kim Min-sun, Mana Uchiyama, Masayoshi Nishida, Masayuki Kojima, Rokou Ogiwara, Shun Kudo, Takahiro Natori, Toshiharu Sato, Yasuhiro Matsumura, Yoshifumi Sueda, Yuji Yamaguchi

Makunouchi Ippo is an ordinary high school student in Japan. Since he spends most of his time away from school helping his mother run the family business, he doesn't get to enjoy his younger years like most teenagers. Always a target for bullying at school (the family fishing business grants him a distinct odor), Ippo's life is one of hardship. One of these after-school bullying sessions turns Ippo's life around for the better, as he is saved by a boxer named Takamura. He decides to follow in Takamura's footsteps and train to become a boxer, giving his life direction and purpose. Ippo's path to perfecting his pugilistic prowess is just beginning...