To the Promised Place is Round 3 of the Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger anime, which is the adaptation of Jōji Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo series.
Summary[]
As Miyata gets up from his down, Mr. Sakaguchi laughs, as he believes that Gregory has now blocked off Miyata's counter, so he has no reason to worry about a boxer who has no way to finish off his opponent, comparing Miyata to a bird with a broken wing. With Miyata on shaky footing and only twenty seconds left for the round, Gregory rushes towards him. Gregory throws a right hook that Miyata blocks. Miyata tries to strike back, but Gregory blocks it as well. Miyata gets hit by left and right combinations while missing his punches at the ropes until he falls down. The referee declares it as a slip, and the second round ends. Takamura mentions to Ippo, Aoki, and Kimura that it must have been rage that kept Miyata going, as he has never been all that durable, and it wouldn't have been odd if he lost from the second down. He adds that by having his counter preyed on and his pride wounded, his rage kept him standing. Ippo wonders how the next round will turn out, since whether Miyata goes on the offensive or tries to defend, it hinges on how much stamina he can get back and how much damage he can recover from before the next round. Kimura doesn't think Miyata will recover since his weight control is harder than most people can imagine and he must now be almost out of gas.
At Gregory's corner, Mr. Sakaguchi thinks that Gregory has won, but is surprised by how Miyata was able to fight in the condition he was in, adding how it must be the Japanese' Yamato-damashii he has heard about. As Mr. Sakaguchi continues to make mocking comments about Miyata, Gregory tells him to stop it, claiming that he has never seen a boxer as brave as he is before, deeming him the greatest challenger. Gregory plans to show Miyata his respect by knocking him out with all of his strength, and tells Mr. Sakaguchi to be quiet and watch or it will be the last time he is used as his cash cow. At Miyata's corner, Miyata is irritated with himself that he got angry and fought back against Gregory. and now he can't dodge punches that he sees coming, starting to dislike his fragile body. Miyata thinks that Gregory's strategy against counters is almost perfect, while his trademark speed is shot, and if he remains cautious, it will only prolong things, so he believes he should pour all of his stamina into it and continue fighting back even if it is reckless in hopes of getting lucky. Miyata's father correctly guesses that Miyata is going to try to keep Gregory on edge and hope for a lucky punch and wonders if he even knows the situation he is in. He mentions to Miyata that people call him clever but he is really more stubborn than anyone else, because instead of suffering a shameful decision, he wants to risk it all for an honourable defeat. He adds that after decades of being involved with boxing, it became clear to him that there are no such thing as a lucky punch. He remembers that when he retired, he complained that he got hit by a lucky punch, but he was wrong. He notes that a punch thrown by someone who's given up on the match will never land, but on the off chance it does, a "dead fist" cannot knock someone out. He adds that some boxers do it for fame and glory, some do it for money, but they all withstand brutal training, and while it may seem like a punch landed as a fluke, it was a punch they have thrown tens of thousands of times, making it a punch thrown by a "living fist" that make miracles happen. As the third round is about to begin, Miyata stands up and thanks his father, telling him to watch and see if his fists are still alive.
As the third round begins, neither boxer moves as they stand at the centre of the ring. Takamura tells Ippo that Gregory doesn't want Miyata to rest, and him being careful shows that he has gotten used to fighting him. Takamura believes a comeback knockout will be tough if Gregory is still not showing any openings yet. Miyata moves first, throwing a one-two at Gregory that gets dodged, but leaves him shocked by how sharp and fast it was. Miyata gets closer to Gregory and a close-ranged exchange begins. Both boxers land punches on each other, and the exchange ends after Miyata lands a fast triple left jab combination, pushing Gregory to the ropes. Miyata repeatedly hits Gregory's guard wit left and rights until Gregory starts to throw a left jab. Miyata tries to go for a Cross Counter, but stops himself since he knows that Gregory was going to strike back with the Bloody Cross. With Miyata unguarded, Gregory lands a right body blow, causing great pain. Gregory attacks the defenceless Miyata with left and right hooks and uppercuts. After a punch pushes Miyata back, Gregory is shocked as he fights back with weak punches. Gregory doesn't think it is just Miyata's fighting spirit keeping him going, but something else supporting him. Miyata thinks about his promise to Ippo about settling their score in the pro ring, not wanting to leave it unfulfilled. Gregory starts throwing a big left straight towards Miyata. Miyata attempts to use a Cross Counter, but he stops himself as the gong sounds, ending the third round.
At Gregory's corner, Mr. Sakaguchi scolds Gregory for not finishing off Miyata and letting him intimidate him. He wants Gregory to consider his position as the one who set the match up, and that his value as a boxer will go down if he can't finish someone off in a situation like this. Gregory, annoyed by Mr. Sakaguchi's business talk, claims that he will finish Miyata in the next round, and he might need to think about what he is going to do with himself next, as he doesn't feel like returning to a corner that doesn't consider its boxer's feelings anymore. Gregory tells Mr. Sakaguchi that he is dismissed, ending his partnership with him, but also thanks him for bringing him the greatest challenger imaginable in the end. Mr. Sakaguchi is in disbelief, but Gregory tells him to leave, and will go for the world title himself after being Miyata. At Miyata's corner, Miyata drinks water and believes that he has enough energy for one more punch with all his weight behind it. As Miyata leaves his corner, his father notices by the look on his face that he is ready to end the match in the next round.
As the fourth round begins, Miyata wishes to fulfil his promise with Ippo, who he knows is watching in the audience. Miyata motions with his fist for Gregory to come to him at the centre of the ring. Gregory accepts the invitation and goes to him. Gregory launches punches first as Miyata dodges and blocks them. Miyata lands multiple one-twos on Gregory, however, Gregory strikes back with a left straight, as he thinks about how Miyata's punches are already dead. As Miyata is pushed to the ropes, Takamura mentions to Ippo, Aoki, and Kimura how Miyata is hoping to land one more punch. Ippo thinks that there is only one punch that can change the outcome: a counter. Miyata guards against Gregory's left and right hook combinations with back against the ropes. Gregory lands a liver blow and a downward right to the jaw. Miyata stays standing as he thinks that he still hasn't used the one punch left with all his weight behind it. Gregory begins to throw a left straight at Miyata. Miyata steps in while throwing a right straight. Gregory starts using his Bloody Cross, knocking Miyata's inner elbow with his elbow. Gregory is shocked as Miyata forces his elbow to go back to the correct angle by using his entire body weight instead of just his arm. Miyata successfully lands his Jolt Counter on Gregory's face, sending him down.
Anime-Manga Differences[]
See also: Anime-Manga Differences
Credits[]
Characters are named as they appear in the credits.
| Role | English Name | Japanese | Rōmaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ippo Makunouchi | Kōhei Kiyasu | 喜安 浩平 | Kiyasu Kōhei |
| Mamoru Takamura | Rikiya Koyama | 小山 力也 | Koyama Rikiya |
| Masaru Aoki | Wataru Takagi | 高木 渉 | Takagi Wataru |
| Tatsuya Kimura | Keiji Fujiwara | 藤原 啓治 | Fujiwara Keiji |
| Ichirō Miyata | Tomokazu Seki | 関 智一 | Seki Tomokazu |
| Miyata's Father | Unshō Ishizuka | 石塚 運昇 | Ishizuka Unshō |
| Arnie Gregory | Takaya Kuroda | 黒田 崇矢 | Kuroda Takaya |
| Sakaguchi | Minoru Inaba | 稲葉 実 | Inaba Minoru |
| Live Announcer | Jin Horikawa | 堀川 仁 | Horikawa Jin |
| OPBF Ring Announcer | Nobuyuki Furuta | 古田 信幸 | Furuta Nobuyuki |
| OPBF Referee | Masayuki Katō | 加藤 将之 | Katō Masayuki |
| Audience | Kiyoshi Katsunuma Kazutoshi Hatano Takashi Ōhara Noriko Fujimoto |
勝沼 紀義 波多野 和俊 大原 崇 藤本 教子 |
Katsunuma Kiyoshi Hatano Kazutoshi Ōhara Takashi Fujimoto Noriko |
Episode Credits[]
| Role | English Name | Japanese | Rōmaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screenplay | Kazuyuki Fudeyasu | ふでやす かずゆき | Fudeyasu Kazuyuki |
| Storyboard | Jun Shishido | 宍戸 淳 | Shishido Jun |
| Director | Takatoshi Suzuki | 鈴木 孝聡 | Suzuki Takatoshi |
| Animation Director | Kyōko Kotani | 小谷 杏子 | Kotani Kyōko |
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| Bloody Cross Arc | |||||||||||||||||||
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