I am so happy that they made a sequel to one of my favorite anime of all time…seven years later. OK, that's not technically true, considering that between the airing of the first season of Hajime no Ippo and New Challenger there was a movie, as well as a fairly popular OVA, that was released. While the OVA focuses on one of the series' side characters, it is a little strange that the movie isn't available on Netflix with the rest of the show since it is about Ippo's first title match defense. This season starts with a recap of how that title defense went. It's not a huge deal but it does feel a bit odd, especially when you consider that the overarching theme of this season is about the responsibilities of being a champion.

This season continues that wonderful narrative trend found in the first season of taking established elements and using them to widen the scope of the boxing world. This is used most effectively with the use of Eiji, the former Japanese Featherweight champion and the only other character in the series that gave Ippo a loss. We showcase how much Ippo has to learn as a boxer by having him witness a fight between the one man who beat him and arguably one of the strongest men on the planet. The fights aren't just intense because of the status of those who participate in them, they're because of the results. The difficulties of weight control and the sheer permanent damage that can be done to the body when people of a certain level are exchanging blows can be downright scary. Ippo has a front-row seat to all of it.

Ippo witnesses a lot of different matches throughout the season. While I'm happy that we are highlighting the other characters in the show, it comes at the cost of Ippo feeling less like the main character in this season. Outside of one sparring match, Ippo only has one real fight throughout this season. The fight ties into the narrative theme of bearing the responsibility that comes with being a champion. While Ippo was once aiming to overcome the challenge of being a champion, now he IS the challenge to so many other people. However, that doesn't stop it from being one of the least exciting fights in the series.

Most of the narrative weight and emotional resonance of the season are given to Eiji and Takamura, who are both people that Ippo looks up to. While Ippo always remains our point of view character for the events that transpire, he unfortunately isn't given a lot to do. The season subverts our expectations by emphasizing just how small Ippo is compared to all of the other people around him. It's clear that all of this is intentional and that the show is very strongly trying to highlight that just because Ippo has reached this amazing goal, that doesn't mean his journey should end, and there's a lot of setup for his next goal. This is where you can see the series creator being on this journey for the long haul. I respect the commitment but it does feel very narratively unsatisfying if you're somebody who went into the season to see Ippo shine.

Season one also took the time to highlight other characters, but it never felt like Ippo was sidelined during those matches since everything eventually tied back into him. It also doesn't help that most of those matches weren't nearly as long as the ones here. Some matches in this season are almost five episodes long, which indicates a more drawn-out pace. There's a lot more monologuing during these fights, and a part of me worries that this was done to scale back on showing the fights themselves.

I do think the series made a solid jump to digital animation. The thick outline and occasional pencil scratches on the bodies to emphasize shading are still there. Everybody looks like they got doused in oil when they're put under the light of the boxing ring, but artistically, everything looks solid. However, the actual animation surprisingly feels like a step back from the first season. I was impressed at how varied, dynamic, and fast the fights in the first season were. Here, things are a lot slower with a stronger use of still shots and speed lines.

To make up for this, the sound design for the anime has gotten extra crunchy with a strong emphasis placed on the impact of the punches. You can hear every bone break and shatter when a punch connects to a jaw or rib cage. There were a lot of moments during the show where I visibly winced because of the sound design alone. The soundtrack also takes a step back from using instruments like the guitar and instead uses more classical-sounding instruments like the violin to sell the tragedy of what is happening in the ring. I can't say I prefer it over what they did in the first season, but I at least recognize what they are doing and it is effective. I don't think it makes up for what they accomplished before.

Reaching the end of this review, I realize that I probably sound a lot more negative about this season than I originally intended. The more I think about how this season follows up everything in season one, I can't help but feel a little bit disappointed. While the brutality is intense and the dangers of boxing are still on full display, it does feel like a lot of the charm was stripped back. I understand the narrative choice to sideline Ippo to have him witness a lot of this brutality, but the show would've been stronger if it tried to have him more directly involved in that brutality. While the show looks very clean and the sound design continues to be top-notch, the fights aren't as interesting. There is one more anime season after this, and the manga is still ongoing even at the time of writing. I hope things get better from here.