Hajime no Ippo New Challenger Ep 12

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Summary:

  Nao is on the attack with Ippo only able to guard; Nao pulls on Ippo’s arm breaking his guard and lands a Solar Plexus blow on him. Ippo describes the feeling as being similar to being electrically shocked and he can’t move his feet. Nao continues aiming for body blows while Ippo continues boxing; up in the stands comments on Nao’s Solar Plexus blow and how Nao has considerable lower body strength judging by the strength of his blows. Takamura continues that Nao lower body strength is the result of grueling training and that’s proof that as a boxer he spent the last 2 years well. While  Nao continues his attack on Ippo, the crowd starts commenting on how Ippo’s having a hard time and the crowd starts to recognize Nao as a respectable challenger and with that a “HAMMER” chant floods the hall. Back in the stands, Aoki notices a woman near the door who he recognizes as Nao’s mother. 

 

  As Nao continues attacking Ippo he recounts how he has always chased after him and how he’s done his best even when Ippo wasn’t there and wonders how close he’s gotten to Ippo’s level. While guarding, Ippo comments to himself that Nao has gotten stronger and has become a true pro and parries one of Nao’s punches and opens up his guard with the thought of “There’s still something you don’t know yet”. Both fighters take their distance and Nao recounts how he has to be careful since Ippo is the type to make comeback KOs, but Nao calms himself down telling himself this is his chance and is the first to attack. All Ippo is able to do is dodge; to which Aoki and Kimura criticize Ippo for lower his guard, but Takamura tells them Ippo is fighting Nao seriously and the reason Ippo lowered his guard is to put mental pressure on Nao. 

 

  Nao lands a left uppercut on Ippo, but Ippo retaliates with a right uppercut with Nao barely able to dodge it. Nao is able to push Ippo to the ropes and starts slugging it out. Throughout the exchange Nao slowly starts doubting himself, wondering why Ippo can still stand when any other man would be down by now. The coach however isnt’ surprised by Ippo’s resilience  and comments that he’s survived worse; at this point Nao desperate throws punches at Ippo, but Ippo is able to dodge them. Nao lands another hit to the Solar Plexus, but before he can finish Ippo off Nao is hit with a Liver blow by Ippo causing Nao to fall. Ippo thinks to himself that Nao doesn’t know what it’s like to lose and recounts his experience with it and while it’s a difficult thing to accept, it can be used to make you stronger. While the referee counts, Nao struggles to get up thinking about how while other boxers admire the world champion he admires Makunochi Ippo and has made him his goal. In the crowd Nao’s mother recounts what he said about quitting boxing after his match with Ippo; Nao is finally able to get up and makes a fighting pose. Nao’s mother remembers when her son first started boxing and how much he would talk about Ippo, and mentions that even though she was worried when he took up boxing she was also proud of and quietly encourages her son to do his best. In the stands Aoki and Kimura comment on how calm Ippo’s face is now and Takamura comments that he’s accepted Ippo as  having replaced Date, but whether or not he has a firm grasp of the baton passed to him will be decided here. 

 

  As the match continues, Nao begins by rushing forward and tries to land a liver blow; though it’s blocked by Ippo. Ippo retaliates with a strong 1-2 and combos in another Liver blow, and finishes up with a right uppercut. As Nao falls he comments to himself how he has always respected Ippo and how he wishes for him to continue winning, and while his conscience fades Ippo finishes Nao off with a right hook. As Nao falls it seems as Ippo’s about to catch him, but the referee steps in and announces Ippo as the winner. During his victory speech, Ippo comments that the fight wasn’t easy and putting their former relationship aside Nao was a strong challenger; it’s just that when he lost to Date before, it was  a tough time for Ippo, but also served to make him stronger. Ippo concludes saying that the next time Nao steps into the ring that he’ll be much stronger than he was today. 

 

The coach starts tearing into Ippo about all mistakes he’s made, but Ippo doesn’t care about that. The coach tells him that he won’t be seeing Nao if he’s worried about him. Ippo protests this since the match is over, but the coach tells him in boxing the winner has nothing to say to the loser as either condolences or encouragement would end up hurting Nao. In his room, Nao’s coach tells him to make sure to check up with a doctor and asks him if he’s said everything he needs to with Ippo. Nao states that he’s satisfied, and his coach tells him that he’ll tell everyone back at the gym that Hammer Nao has retired. Nao tells him that he’ll have to apologize to his mother; he says he heard Ippo’s interview and how Ippo said he could be stronger and feels that these were words of experience from his sempai and that it’d be a waste to retire in that case. 

 

  As Nao gets ready to leave, he notices Ippo leaving his room and his coach encourages him to go talk to him as the match is over. He almost does, but stops himself when Itagaki, Takamura, Aoki, and Kimura come over to Ippo. Nao tells his coach it’s ok since he and Ippo told everything they wanted to each other in the ring. While Ippo is showering he recounts his match with now and comments on how strong he was. 

 

 

Opinion:

Well, it certainly wasn’t the most exciting match, but I did enjoy seeing a match Ippo doing what I consider a “teaching” match. As soon as he took Nao seriously he decides to teach him “defeat”; it does bother me that he couln’t go into the match with that mentality in the first place, but I won’t drag into that. I did like the parts where they showed Nao’s mom, I just find moments like that touching. You know, the parent is worried or dissaproves of what their child is doing, but supports them because it’s their kid. It coould be me being biased as I didn’t get too much of that, but then again what kid these days does? In any case, next week is Ippo recuperating at the beach with Kumi, it doesn’t promise too much in terms of excitement, but with Takamura there it does promise to be hilarious!