I was a little disappointed with the second season of Hajime no Ippo for taking the focus away from our main character and putting it almost exclusively on the messy, drawn-out nature of the larger boxing world. Hajime no Ippo: Rising scales back that scope, which initially sounds like the series is taking a step back. But after looking at the final results, that might've been the best thing for this season. Season two ended with a strong character moment for Ippo as he became painfully aware that he still has much to learn and this season is about resolving that weakness.

The Dempsey Role is Ippo's most iconic technique. While it is based on a real-world technique named after a real-world boxer, it's a technique that Ippo developed on his own and is a signature of his fighting style. The problem is that when you are considered the best of the best, you paint a pretty big target on your back, and when you have a distinct fighting style, everyone will try to come up with ways of countering it. Two main fights in this series focus on addressing that weakness. There is now an actual narrative throughline that both takes advantage of Ippo's position as champion and creates circumstances for him to organically level up. One of those matches gives us the closest thing the series has had to an actual villain since Mashiba from season one.

That alone puts Rising above New Challenger because, while there are still a few matches here that do not focus on Ippo, there is enough here that helps solidify his status as the main character. It also helps that the pacing is much tighter than New Challenger. We get more matches condensed into smaller batches of episodes. There are matches with Ippo's challenges, another world title match with Takamura, and smaller matches with some of the side characters.

It also helps that these matches are better animated and directed than New Challenger. I would probably put the fights in this season on par with some of the better fights from season one. The character models still look like they were drenched in oil, but the matches feel more kinetic. There are still moments of frames and repeated animation, but it's hidden better with strong framing. Combine that with the returning stupendous sound design and these matches just feel better to watch.

Surprisingly, the soundtrack leans further into the dramatic direction established in New Challenger. Not only do we have that continued emphasis on stringed instruments like the violin, but now we also get opera singing in the middle of these matches. I miss the more rustic and energized guitar of season one, but I appreciate and respect the commitment made here. It's not bad, but it gets repetitive about halfway through the season.

I was already very happy that my supposed final venture into the animated world of Hajime no Ippo ended on a high note. The happiness shot even higher when we hit this season's final batch of episodes that focus on Ippo's coach Genji Kamogawa, and his childhood rival Ginpachi Nekota. This mini-arc takes place as a flashback sequence sometime after WWII, and it might have one of the best self-contained arcs in the entire franchise. You could tell that a lot of passion went into key moments throughout this season and those final ones truly felt special. The show may not be perfect and we may not get another Hajime no Ippo, but this is a great note to end it on.