Hajime no Ippo Manga Punches Its Way to Over 100 Million Copies

Joseph Luster July 18, 2023

hajime no ippo

George Morikawa’s boxing manga Hajime no Ippo has been running for an incredible 34 years, and the 138th volume just launched in Japan on July 14. This one features a cover illustration that hearkens back to the cover of the very first volume, and with its launch comes word that over 100 million copies of the series have been printed physically and sold digitally.

Morikawa whipped up a celebratory illustration for Weekly Shonen Magazine, pictured above, and Kodansha unveiled massive banners on its building, pictured below.

講談社社屋でも1億部突破をお祝いしております👊🔥🔥
お近くの方はぜひご覧になってください🙏 pic.twitter.com/Sqsg1sD1Xj

— 『はじめの一歩』担当 (@hajimenoippo100) July 14, 2023

Check out the covers of volume 1 and 138 side by side:

【はじめの一歩138巻】本日発売。
表紙は一巻と同じ構図ですが拳を逆に描いてしまい、いつか描き直したいなあと思っていました。
間違いが大きすぎて気づかない例です。
138巻、30年以上かけて一億部に到達しました。
全て皆様のおかげです。
ありがとうございます。
今後もよろしくお願いいたします。 pic.twitter.com/qI0qRZIajF

— 森川ジョージ (@WANPOWANWAN) July 13, 2023

The Hajime no Ippo manga launched in Weekly Shonen Magazine on October 11, 1989, spanning 1,418 chapters over the years. Crunchyroll streams both the Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting! anime and Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting! – Rising – and describes the first like so:

Ippo Makunouchi’s gentle spirit and lack of confidence make him an easy target for the bullies at his high school. Rescued from a beating by Takamura, a professional boxer, Ippo aspires to learn the art of boxing, and attempts to join the Kamogawa Boxing Club. But, to find his fighter’s spirit, Ippo must first spar with Miyata, an extraordinarily talented and skilled boxer. Can Ippo even survive the first round?!

Via Crunchyroll News