Takamura's origin story hits because it shows you exactly why he's such an insufferable bastard and somehow makes you love him more for it. The special trades the main series' tournament grind for pure character comedy, letting his arrogance and charm do all the heavy lifting without needing a ring to prove anything. Twenty minutes is all it needs to explain how a delinquent becomes the guy who later mentors Ippo, and the animation is sharp enough that you actually want to watch it again.

Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting! - Boxer's Fist is a single-episode special from 2003 that was released with the DVDs. It tells the story of how Takamura first got into boxing. As a sports story with comedy and drama in the mix, it gives a focused look at the beginnings of one of the franchise's boxers.