Fighting Spirit: New Challenger (2009)

Action · Animation · Comedy

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...

IMDb rating: 8.8 (4,954 votes)
Episode average: 8.6 -0.2 vs IMDb
Seasons: 1
Streaming (US): Netflix · Crunchyroll
Language: JA
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 1 season indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (2009)

8.58 avg 26 episodes 7.7 → 8.6 23 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The New Step	7.7	642
2	Bloody Cross	8.4	238
3	To the Promised Place	8.4	239
4	Movement Towards the World	7.9	220
5	The Strength of the World	8.7	270
6	A Figure to Chase After	8.4	225
7	The Advent of the Devil	9.1	304
8	Spirit for One Last Attack	9.6	986
9	Qualifying for Succession	8.0	206
10	Cannon Fodder	8.0	206
11	Ippo vs Hammer Nao	8.1	216
12	What It Means to Be a Pro	8.0	262
13	Ippo on the Beach 2	8.2	231
14	Two Sparring	8.1	205
15	Itagaki's Debut Match!	8.0	201
16	The 2 Hawks	8.6	227
17	Wild Child	8.2	207
18	Extreme Weight Control	9.0	293
19	Explosive Confrontation	9.1	321
20	World Jr. Middle Weight Title Match	8.8	285
21	The Battle of the Hawks!	9.3	365
22	Battle Fight!	9.5	831
23	Supporting Hand	9.7	1,054
24	The King	9.8	1,712
25	My Bronze Statue, Please	7.9	224
26	New Challenger	8.6	228