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Let's just just be honest with each other. Most mangas/animes are stupid. You get a fifteen year old, you give him a superpower, some superpowered friends(who are actually useless as they always get smashed and the main character has to save the day) a revolving door of villains to keep the story going(read: profits up), an emo rival, and hot damn, you got a story.

And unfortunately, the above description would actually fit most mangas/animes to the t.

We don't have to read such predictable drek, though. There are other mangas/animes that actually possess originality, that draw in readers with great illustration and rewards them with incredible character development and heartfelt emotion.

I'm speaking of the great boxing series. Hajime No Ippo.

Hajime No Ippo captures the very spirit of boxing. Both ends of the spectrum are displayed here, with boxers that range from genius technicians to ring weary journeymen with no hope of winning a title, to dirty fighters with no regard to the rules. The vast is colorful and varied, and each of them are so developed, that the story could easily follow them in their struggle to the top.
But the story revolves around one dude, Ippo Makunouchi.

Ippo starts the series off as a high schooler who's afraid of his own damn shadow. He's totally unknown in his school, and bullies kick his ass every day.

On on regularly scheduled asskicking, Ippo is saved by a boxer named Takamura(spoiler: best character in the whole damn series), who inadvertently introduces Ippo to boxing by being an otherworldly badass. and saves him from getting his ass kicked. Of course, when Ippo tells Takamura he wants to be a boxer, Takamura reminds him that he is a megawuss, and tells him to fuck off.

But Ippo is determined, and it's that determination that leads him through the feather weight class of Japan to become one of the most feared ko artists in his class.

It's really encouraging stuff. If Ippo could become a champion, hell, you can do anything.

If you're character in a manga. We all know you're limited to being a gas attendant in real life.

The sport of boxing is surprisingly well represented here, with the true pitfalls of being a pugilist detailed throughly. Of course, in ring action is stylishly over the top, but everything here is pretty much true to real life. Spoiler, the parts of the story where characters have to make weight are ridiculously intense.

I really don't want to reveal any more plot points, but Ippo's journey to the top is one that is drenched in sweat and blood.

And tears.

Stop picking your nose and go read the manga, and watch the anime(Volumes1-30, Volumes 36 and on, the missing volumes are covered in the OVAs which I haven't read but have heard nothing but good things about, rawr(which is about the same as the manga, don't worry)) and be amazed.

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