Ring ni Kakero
Ring ni Kakero (リングにかけろ Ringu ni Kakero? , Let's bet it in the ring) is a manga drawn by Masami Kurumada and published in Shōnen Jump magazine between #2 of 1977 and #44 of 1981. 25 tankōbon were published between the years 1977 and 1981, but later, after finishing B't X, the cartoonist created Ring ni Kakero 2 a second part, which was published in Super Jump magazine, reaching 26 tankōbon. Apart from these Tankōbon the first part was also published in Bunkoban in 15 volumes and a Deluxe edition with 18 volumes, but since Ring ni Kakero 2 was already being published, the latter came out with the name of Ring ni Kakero 1. Toei Animation has animated four series of OVAs, two seasons of twelve episodes and two of six. Many of the elements were later used to create Saint Seiya, for example spectacular combat techniques, references to Greek mythology, etc. This manga sold more than 13 million copies in Japan in its first publication, a great success.
Plot
Ryuji and Kiku Takane are the sons of an exceptional boxer who died before reaching the title of World Champion. After his death, the life of the little ones is not easy, since his mother marries an alcoholic man who constantly mistreats them; Kiku cannot bear the beatings and decides to go with his brother to Tokyo to train him and become a boxer. At first Ryu doesn't want to be a boxer because he doesn't like him, but later, when he meets Jun Kenzaki, he decides to become a trainer and thus overcome the bullying he suffers from Kenzaki and the rest of his classmates. On his way he will meet real friends like Katori Ishimatsu, Kawai or Shinatora with whom he will form the Japan Junior Gold team.
Characters
Main
- Ryūji Takane (⋅ Takane Ryūji?)
- Seiyū: Masakazu Morita
Ryuji is the protagonist of the story, his father was a great boxer who died before reaching glory. After his death, Kiku promises to turn him into a dragon that will fly over the ring. However, Ryuji hates boxing and refuses to put on his father's gloves. Kiku becomes the trainer of his younger brother and they leave for Tokyo. There she will meet Jun Kenzaki, son of a wealthy Japanese family whose nickname is "the genius". Ryu will face Kenzaki and he will lose his Golden Arm. He will replace Jun as the representative in Tokyo of the Champion Carnival. Along with Katori Ishimatsu, Kazuki Shinatora and Takeshi Kawai will form the Japanese team fighting against the USA.
- Kiku Takane (,, Takane Kiku?)
- Seiyū: Rie Tanaka
Kiku is Ryu's older sister and also his trainer. After her father's death, she vows to make Ryuji a great champion. She will witness the fight between Jun and her brother, Kiku will give Jun a revitalizing talisman, later, he will fall in love with her, on their wedding day she will have to endure that her brother and her future husband have to face each other in the championship
- Jun Kenzaki (,, Kenzaki Jun?)
- Seiyū: Ryōtarō Okiayu
- Ishimatsu Katori (▷✅, Katori Ishimatsu?)
- Seiyū: Takeshi Kusao
Ishimatsu is the scion of a poor family. He decides to go to the city to box and earn money for his family by taking references from different boxers in a notepad. Although he is very small, he is very good in the field of fighting.
- Kazuki Shinatora (∞, madrid, Shinatora Kazuki?)
- Seiyū: Hideo Ishikawa
Kazuki is the eldest son of the great master Shinatora, an expert in the art of traditional kendo. When he was little he stuck his right hand into a moving fan and this rendered it useless. He had to learn how to handle his left hand like no Japanese had ever done before.
- Takeshi Kawai (אוה, Kawai Takeshi?)
- Seiyū: Hiroshi Kamiya
Born into a wealthy family, he is a genius in boxing and in the art of playing the piano, just like Ryuji, his sister, Takako, taught him everything he knows, for that reason he depends a lot on her. During the Champion Carnival, he meets Ryuji, Ishimatsu and Shinatora, staying distant, showing an arrogant and cruel attitude towards everyone, especially we can see this in his fight against Ishimatsu, he thinks that Ryu is participating by mere luck, since he considers it someone very weak, they fight in the final, Takeshi loses against Ryuji, having a great life lesson, even a change of attitude towards people, becoming friends with the team members. Against the United States, his sister decides to leave him, so that Takeshi has the bases to fend for himself, he faces Miss. Channel, who mesmerizes people with her gaze, having a lot of trouble against her, defeating her in the end with the help of her melodies. After this competition he decides to leave the box, dedicating himself only to his piano. But after a while he realizes that his friends and boxing are his life, he decides to come back to help his friends against Shadow, fighting against Kuroyasha, having difficulties for an amulet that a fan gave him, to win he uses a punch almost impossible, trusting in its melody. During the world championship he has a hard time against his enemies, but with his melodies he shows his true power, facing off in the end against the legendary genius of music.
Media
Anime
On October 6, 2004, in Japan, TV Asahi aired the first episode of the Ring ni kakero anime, this season begins at chapter 33 of the manga, and ends at the chapter 49. Later the Ring ni Kakero anime continued after the Hell Saga of Saint Seiya, this new saga corresponding to the battle against the United States, adapting up to chapter 54 of the manga. On April 2, 2010, the third part of the anime called Ring ni Kakero Shadow premiered, where the junior gold team of Japan faces a group of boxers marginalized in the dark, the Shadow Clan, led by by Jun Kenzaki's twin brother. Finally, the fourth part of the anime called Ring ni Kakero Sekai Taikai, was released on April 23, 2011, corresponding to the World Youth Boxing Championship, where Japan faces strong rivals, such as France, Germany and Greece.
All of these 36 episodes of Ring ni Kakero were released on DVD by Toei Animation in Japan between 2008 and 2011.