News
Hajime no Ippo's Morikawa Starts 1st New Series in 22 Years
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Hajime no Ippo creator George Morikawa revealed on his Twitter account on Wednesday that he will be starting a new series in the 31st issue of Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine on July 4 titled Ai ni Iku yo.
Ai ni Iku yo will be based on Nobumi's Ue wo Muite Arukō! (I look up when I walk down) picture book about the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster. Nobumi traveled to the areas affected by the earthquake as a volunteer two weeks after it struck, and Ue wo Muite Arukō! documents that experience.
Morikawa started publishing his Hajime no Ippo boxing manga in 1989. The manga's 99th volume (pictured at right) shipped in Japan in April. The manga spawned a popular 75-episode television anime series, a television special and spinoff video in 2003, and more recently the 26-episode Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger sequel series in 2009. Geneon Entertainment released the first anime series as Fighting Spirit in North America.
Update: Link to clarify source material added. Thanks, Liam.
Update: The series will run for five chapters. [Via Manga News]
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history