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The happy-go-lucky Michi Sonoda announces to her teammate, Sanae Takigawa, that she will quit judo for good after her final middle school tournament. This leaves Sanae in disbelief; after all, it was Michi's passion toward the sport that reeled Sanae into judo in the first place. Michi claims that a well-spent youth should be associated with things such as getting a boyfriend rather than sweaty tatami mats. However, Michi's plan to end her fledgling judo career with a bang is spoiled after experiencing an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the talented Towa Hiura. Later, her plan is further derailed when she finds out that Towa has enrolled in the same high school as herself and Sanae. With the sudden appearance of her past foe, Michi may soon realize that she still has lingering feelings for the sport of judo. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Megalo Box is an advanced form of boxing where competitors wear metal frames called Gear. When the first ever Megalonia tournament took place, "Gearless" Joe became its champion and known to all as a legendary fighter. However, soon after, he lost an exhibition match against the second champion and vanished from the public eye. Seven years later, Joe now goes by "Nomad" and keeps a low profile, occasionally fighting in a few underground matches to get by. He is haunted by hallucinations and relies on a set of painkillers to numb his mind. During a match, Joe wins against an opponent, Chief, who purposefully loses for some extra cash from gamblers. Subsequently, Joe discovers that Chief is from a community of immigrants called the Casa. Chief is gradually trying to make enough money to purchase the land where they live illegally. At first, Joe hesitates to get involved, but eventually decides to lend the Casa a helping hand. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

In professional sumo, there are no weight classes. It's a savage sport where the strongest survive, and anyone willing to test their mettle can step into the ring. There is, however, a minimum size requirement to be a pro sumo wrestler, and young Hinomaru Ushio, incredibly talented and hardworking though he may be, does not meet that requirement. This small boy has big dreams of reaching the highest class of sumo, Hinoshita Kaisan. The only way he could possibly go pro is if he becomes the High School Yokozuna, a title given to the strongest wrestler in high school tournaments. Ushio is under a lot of pressure, as well as a time limit. If he can't show off his skills in the high school tournaments, he may lose his chance to go pro permanently, and the odds are stacked against him. Instead of enrolling in Ishigami High, the best school for sumo in Japan, he enrolls in Odachi High and must build a sumo club from the ground up with the one devout member Shinya Ozeki. Odachi High is the true underdog of the sumo world, but Ushio has to push forward with all his strength if he is going to make it professionally. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

"To be quiet and do as you're told, that's the cowardly choice." These are the words of Junk Dog, an underground fighter of Megalo Box, an evolution of boxing that utilizes mechanical limbs known as Gear to enhance the speed and power of its users. Despite the young man's brimming potential as a boxer, the illegal nature of his participation forces him to make a living off of throwing matches as dictated by his boss Gansaku Nanbu. However, this all changes when the Megalo Box champion Yuuri enters his shabby ring under the guise of just another challenger. Taken out in a single round, Junk Dog is left with a challenge: "If you're serious about fighting me again, then fight your way up to me and my ring." Filled with overwhelming excitement and backed by the criminal syndicate responsible for his thrown matches, Junk Dog enters Megalonia: a world-spanning tournament that will decide the strongest Megalo Boxer of them all. Having no name of his own, he takes on the moniker of "Joe" as he begins his climb from the very bottom of the ranked list of fighters. With only three months left to qualify, Joe must face off against opponents the likes of which he has never fought in order to meet the challenge of his rival. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Japan's latest competitive sport, keijo, is dictated by a simple set of rules: female-only participants must stand on circular platforms floating in a pool—referred to as "lands"—with the goal being to knocking off opponents using only their breasts and butts. Despite this outlandish premise, the sport attracts millions of viewers across the country and boasts a lavish prize pool. Many aspiring athletes take up the challenge in hopes of becoming the next national champion. After graduating from high school, the lively 18-year-old Nozomi Kaminashi enters the world of keijo, hoping to bring home a fortune to her poor family. As a gifted gymnast, Nozomi quickly proves herself a tough competitor after stealing the spotlight in her debut tournament. Meeting new friends and rivals as she climbs the ranks, Nozomi discovers that the path to stardom as a keijo player is filled with intense competition that will challenge not only her body, but also her soul. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Japanese Featherweight Champion Makunouchi Ippo has defended his title belt once more with the help of his devastating signature move: the Dempsey Roll. However, new challengers are rising up left and right, claiming to have an answer for the move responsible for crushing his opponents. Will Ippo be able to step up to the challenge, or will the weight of his pride destroy him before he finds out just what it means to be strong? Meanwhile, fellow Kamogawa Gym mate Aoki Masaru is just a hop, skip, and a Frog Punch away from claiming his own belt, ready to take on the Japanese Lightweight Champion! Hajime no Ippo: Rising continues Ippo's quest to become stronger, featuring the same cast of loveable dimwits from Kamogawa Gym, as they put their bodies and hearts on the line to make their way in the harsh world of professional boxing. With a will of iron, Ippo steps into the ring once again. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Japanese Featherweight Champion Ippo Makunouchi has successfully defended and retained his title. Meanwhile, his rival, Ichirou Miyata, has resurfaced in Japan, aiming for his own Featherweight belt in the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation. When the rest of the world comes knocking, however, will Japan's best fighters rise to the challenge and achieve glory at the top? Or will the small island nation be crushed under the weight of greater entities? This time, champions will become challengers issuing a call to the rest of the world and ready to show off their fighting spirit! [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kojirou is the kendo instructor for Muroe High School and he's totally broke. But then an unexpected chance is given to him: his team must win against his senpai's team and the prize is: free meals for a whole year! Now, the only problem left... where to find girls skilled enough and willing to join the kendo team?

Tatsuya Kimura is beginning to feel left behind. With his friends Ippo Makunouchi and Mamoru Takamura holding the championship belt in their respective weight classes, Kimura's inability to become Japan's Junior Lightweight boxing champion eats away at him. Scheduled to fight with the current champion Ryo Mashiba, Kimura begins to train with Ippo's rival Ichirou Miyata, who previously suffered a crushing defeat from Mashiba's signature "Hitman" style of boxing. But Mashiba has his own desire to hold onto the belt, hoping to soon shoot for the World title and secure financial stability for his sister Kumi. Will Kimura's overwhelming drive to prove his strength as a boxer overcome Mashiba's desperate wish to provide a better life for Kumi? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

The challenger has become the champion as Ippo Makunouchi now wears the featherweight championship belt of Japan. Some time has passed since Ippo's victory, and he has found his friends and coach as supportive as ever; his crush, Kumi Mashiba, seems to enjoy spending time with him as well. Things are looking bright for the new champion, but just as he once set his sights on becoming the best, his first challenger poses an intimidating threat. Kazuki Sanada works as a doctor at the same hospital as Kumi and fights strategically. Known for integrating his knowledge of the human body into his fights, Sanada is a fearsome contender—however, more unnerving than his physical ability, he has garnered the support of the nurses. Despite being the champion, Ippo feels the pressure as he must face the daunting challenge, retain his belt, and win over the girl he loves. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

A special episode included in the DVDs. It tells the story of how Takamura started boxing.

Ever since he was born, Baki Hanma has always known nothing but fighting—strengthening every single muscle and learning different techniques from various martial arts under the supervision of his mother, Emi Akezawa. He trains in order to prepare himself to face and eventually surpass his own father, Yuujirou Hanma, a man feared by the masses as the "Ogre" and deemed the strongest being in the world. However, when Baki realizes his mother's techniques are no longer enough, he sets out to become stronger in his own way. Seeking out powerful opponents and forming unbreakable bonds with them, he continues to grow both body and his soul, as the clock continues to tick closer toward the inevitable showdown against his father... [Written by MAL Rewrite]

In his father's absence, teenager Ippo Makunouchi works hard to help his mother run her fishing boat rental business. Ippo's timid nature, his lack of sleep, and the sea smell make him an easy target for relentless bullies who leave him bruised and beaten on a daily basis. Mamoru Takamura, an up-and-coming boxer, rescues Ippo from a violent after-school incident and takes him back to the Kamogawa Boxing Gym for recovery. Takamura and his fellow boxers, Masaru Aoki and Tatsuya Kimura, are stunned by Ippo's powerful punches—a result of strong muscles developed through years serving his physically taxing family business. Following brief training under Takamura, Ippo impresses the other boxers in a practice match against prodigy Ichirou Miyata. He gains a rival in Miyata and a coach in Genji Kamogawa, the gym owner and a former boxer himself. As Ippo takes the first steps in his official boxing career, he faces off against a series of challenging opponents, each more powerful than the last. Victory, loss, and a cycle of dedicated training await Ippo on his journey to achieve greatness. With his tough body and unstoppable fighting spirit, the kind young man seeks to take on the world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

High school student Yawara Inokuma lives a completely happy and ordinary life. She aspires to an average lifestyle as a delicate young lady with a handsome boyfriend in the near future. Unfortunately for Yawara, she has an undesirable prodigious talent in Judo, a modern martial art that is neither feminine nor fashionable. Moreover, Yawara is the only granddaughter of the seventh dan Judo master Jigorou Inokuma, who expects her to become a Japanese Judoka superstar of the '90s. Yawara cautiously hides her strength from everyone to maintain a normal reputation but is often pushed to situations when she must exercise her Judo skills. Observing Yawara's immense potential from the shadows, Kousaku Matsuda, a sports reporter from a substandard paper, is willing to do everything he can to bring her into the limelight. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Joe Yabuki is a troubled youth, whose only solution to problems is throwing punches at them. What he lacks in manners and discipline, he makes up for with his self-taught fighting skills. One day, while wandering the slums of Doya, Joe gets into a fight with the local gang. Although greatly outnumbered, he effortlessly defeats them, drawing the attention of Danpei Tange—a former boxing coach turned alcoholic. Seeing his potential, he offers to train Joe into Japan's greatest boxer. At first, Joe dismisses Danpei as a hopeless drunk; but after the trainer saves his life, he agrees to live with him and learn the art of boxing. Unfortunately, Joe's personality makes him an unruly student, and he often falls back to his old ways. To survive the harsh world of his new career, Joe needs to trust his mentor and master the techniques taught to him. However, the road to becoming a professional boxer is rife with struggles that will test his mettle to the end. [Written by MAL Rewrite]