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In the realm of the sports manga community, the one series that stands at the pinnacle isHajime no Ippo. Based on the theme of boxing,Hajime no Ippofollows the story of high school student Ippo Makunouchi, who is often bullied but learns the importance of boxing through Takamura Mamoru and then goes on to change his life for the better.
Hajime no Ippois one of the greatest series of all time, which started in 1989 and now has over 141 volumes with over 100 million copies in circulation. The series is the third best-selling sports manga in the world, behind Slam Dunk and Touch. And the majority of its credit goes to George Morikawa, the writer and illustrator of the series.
While Morikawa earned the fame that came withHajime no Ippo, the creator had one thing that he liked to change about the story. He once revealed that if he ever got the chance to alter one aspect ofHajime no Ippo, it would be his drawing skills.
George Morikawa Wants To Change His Drawing inHajime no Ippo
In 2020,Hajime no Ippocelebrated its 30th anniversary and Morikawa was interviewed by the French daily morning newspaper,Le Figaro. During the interview, Morikawa talked about the various aspects ofHajime no Ippoand how he created it. The manga creator also pointed out that the biggest regret he has after so long is his drawing within the series.
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Morikawa stated:
I imagine like all cartoonists, if you look at your drawings from thirty years ago you may only say “how badly I drew”. As I gained experience my style has become considerably more refined. I think I am part of a rare species of mangaka because I do not define my scenario in advance. I let the characters guide the story.
The manga creator believed that asHajime no Ippowas released way back in 1989, his drawing skills werenot as profound as they are today. Thus, he regrets how badly he drew the series.
He does not plan the scenario in advance and lets the characters take control of the narrative, and this in a way affects his drawing skills. Which is why if he could have changed them now, he would have done it.
Hajime no IppoWould Have Been Something Else Today
While talking about his imperfect drawing skills when he startedHajime no Ippo, Morikawa expressed his opinion about how the story would have been different if he had started working on it today. But it also raises the question about everything he had already done in the past and the success he achieved through it.
I am the vessel through which Ippo and Takamura express themselves. If I had fun taking up the story today I am sure that it would give something completely different. Which is to say that it is impossible to change anything because it would call everything into question. So no, I would not change anything.
Although Morikawa expresses concern for his “bad drawing” when he startedHajime no Ippo, he knows that recreating it would be impossible as it would affect almost every possible element of the story.
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Thus, he would muchrather stay with the choices he madein the beginning as they worked in his favor and madeHajime no Ippoone of the greatest sports manga series of all time.
Hajime no Ippois available to watch on Netflix.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2957
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
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