Ring ni Kakero

Ring ni Kakero (Japanese: リングにかけろ, Hepburn: Ringu ni Kakero), or Put It All in the Ring, is a manga created by Masami Kurumada. A total of 25 volumes were published in Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1977 and 1981. It is one of the magazine's best-selling manga series of all time, with over 13 million copies sold.^[1]

About

Story

The story centers around the life of a young boxer named Ryuuji Takane and his sister Kiku, who is his coach. Ryuuji and his sister both inherited their father's talent for boxing with Ryuuji inheriting his strength and techniques while Kiku picked up his talent for analysis and strategy. In the past, their father was a famous boxer. Ryuuji and Kiku went away from home to train and become famous in order to help their lonely mother. On the way to stardom, they have to defeat the strongest challengers all over the world.

In Ring ni Kakero 1, the characters are briefly introduced, telling the story from the moment Ryuuji and Jun Kenzaki (his eternal challenger and supposedly best friend) fight for the National Boxing Title and having both achieved stardom. Ryuuji's sister then tells the story from the beginning which starts from when Ryuuji is the finalist in a local youth championship and had to compete against Kenzaki, the latter winning after an almost tie and K.O. one-to-one fight.

Afterwards, most of the series tells about Ryuuji being the successor of Kenzaki (as the latter was terribly injured and almost crippled), who competes in the Japan National Boxing Championship, where he encounters strong and deadly opponents, including Ishimatsu Katori (a comic relief, but also a strong fighter), Takeshi Kawai (who specializes in the upper jab technique; he is also a pianist and also likes to cheat) and Kazuki Shinatora (who specializes in the Rolling Thunder technique; he is a former kendo practitioner, who retired when he challenged his father due to his cruel training).

It should be noted that other opponents make cameo appearances, such as the USA (Black Shaft) and France (Napoleón Bara) Champions. Also Führer Scorpion had an appearance, who ordered a fellow member of the Boxing Team to "follow" (i.e.: spy on) Kenzaki and Ryuuji, as possible threats to the World Championship.

Later on, the Jr. Japan team facing Black Shaft's team was adapted into an anime. Ryuji, Jun, Katori, Kazuki, and Takeshi represented Japan. Black Shaft had no intention of taking Japan seriously in a boxing match so he recruits Mick, leader of the Great Angels New York Branch (originally the Hells Angels in the manga), a deathrow inmate Monster Jail, Miss Charnel, a mysterious woman boxing champion known for her unhealthy obsession with her own beauty that knows no bounds (even in the ring) as well as that in which she savors reducing the "pretty" faces of any opponent she faces in the ring into mush, along with hypnotic powers that she casts upon her opponents to leave them as sitting ducks for her attacks and high-speed punches and fancy footwork, and N.B. Forrest, also known as the emperor of the south and a Ku Klux Klan member (in the manga). The second season ends with The Shadow clan, formed by a boxer who used the sweet science as an assassination art, aiming after Team Japan.

The main techniques of Ryuuji are his Left-Right Jabs, his stubborn courage (similar to that of Seiya when fighting and never giving up) and his special technique, the "Boomerang Hook" and "Boomerang Thelios". Ryuuji and Kawai were the finalists of the tournament.

History

27 years after the first chapter debuted, the manga was finally adapted into an anime series by Toei Animation which premiered October 6, 2004 and was broadcast on TV Asahi. This covered the first story arc of the manga. Since Ring ni Kakero 2 was being serialized in Super Jump at this time, the anime was titled "Ring ni Kakero 1" in order to distinguish it from the more current manga (the original manga was later republished under the anime title).

After B't X, Kurumada created Ring ni Kakero 2, which is currently published in Super Jump (a seinen magazine). Ring ni Kakero 2 tells the story of Kiku and Jun's son, Rindo Kenzaki who is now raised by Katori Ishimatsu after losing both of his parents. Kurumada is thinking of ending it this year.^[2]

This series has a lot in common with Saint Seiya (which appeared nine years later, in 1986), with astonishing combat techniques, references to Greek Mythology, and characters with similar physical and personality traits. Ring ni Kakero is generally considered the manga that originally "made" style Shōnen Jump; because of this manga, readers can have series like Hokuto no Ken and Yu Yu Hakusho

Characters

Ryuuji Takane (高嶺 竜児,, Takane Ryūji)

Voiced by: Masakazu Morita

The main character of the series, Ryuuji is a fierce and spirited young man who is trained in boxing techniques by his older sister Kiku. He has strong skill in basic techniques like jabs and one-twos. His special attacks include the Boomerang Hook and Boomerang Telios.

Kiku Takane (高嶺 菊,, Takane Kiku)

Voiced by: Rie Tanaka

Jun Kenzaki (剣崎 順,, Kenzaki Jun)

Voiced by: Ryōtarō Okiayu

Ishimatsu Katori (香取 石松,, Katori Ishimatsu)

Voiced by: Takeshi Kusao

Kazuki Shinatora (志那虎 一城,, Shinatora Kazuki)

Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa

Takeshi Kawai (河井 武士,, Kawai Takeshi)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya

Futaba Shinatora (志那虎 二葉,, Shinatora Futaba)

Voiced by: Fumiko Inoue

Takako Kawai (河井 貴子,, Kawai Takako)

Voiced by: Mami Kingetsu

Catherine (キャサリン,, Kyasarin)

Voiced by: Mai Aizawa

Black Shaft (ブラック・シャフト,, Burakku Shafuto)

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu

Führer Skorpion (フューラー・スコルピオン,, Fyūrā Skorupion)

Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa

Krüger Helga (クリューガー・ヘルガ,, Kuryūgā Heruga)

Voiced by: Hiro Yuki

Napoléon Valois (ナポレオーン・バロア,, Naporeōn Baroa)

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa

Don Juliano (ドン・ジュリアーノ,, Don Juriāno)

Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda

Shadow Juhn (影道 殉 (シャドー・ジューン),, Shadō Jūn)

Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai

Media

Video game

• Ring ni Kakero (video game) - Super Famicom (Nintendo Power)

Manga

After B't X, Kurumada created Ring ni Kakero 2, which was published in Super Jump, a seinen magazine. Ring ni Kakero 2 tells the story of Kiku and Jun's son, Rindo Kenzaki, who is raised by Katori Ishimatsu after losing both of his parents. The manga ended in 2009 after 26 volumes.

Anime

27 years after the first chapter debuted, the manga was finally adapted into an anime series by Toei Animation. The series premiered October 6, 2004 and was broadcast on TV Asahi. It covered the first story arc of the manga. Since Ring ni Kakero 2 was being serialized in Super Jump at the time, the anime was titled Ring ni Kakero 1 to distinguish it from the more current manga (the original manga was later republished under the anime title).

Season 1: Carnival Champion arc (2004)

In order to fulfill their dead father's wish, the siblings, Takane Kiku and Takane Ryuji aims for the champion title of the boxing arena. The sister, Kiku, will act as the trainer while her brother, Ryuji, will concentrate on the role of the boxer and learn the Boomerang. His battle with many rivals has led to the growth and maturity of Ryuji. The junior high boxing tournament has begun and Ryuji will be fighting with his arch-rival, Kenzaki Jun. The battle begins.

Season 2: The Pacific War arc (2006)

Immediately after Ryuuji Takane won the Champion Carnival, the U.S. Junior Champion Black Shaft appeared, and challenged the best Japan has to offer, just before the World Tournament is about to happen. Now Ryuuji, Takeshi Kawai, Kazuki Shinatora, Ishimatsu Katori, and Superstar Jun Kenzaki have to prove to not only Black Shaft, but the world, that they are truly world-class boxers before the World Tournament starts. But Shaft is not recruiting boxers for his challenge, but instead gets a life-timer criminal from Death Row, the leader of the Great Angels, one of the toughest gangs in America, a mysterious woman, and the "Dark Emperor of the South".

Season 3: Shadow arc (2010)

After defeating Black Shaft's makeshift Team America, the Golden Japan Jr. team returns to training for the World Tournament that will be held in Tokyo. But during training the Shadow Clan, who was written out of Japanese boxing history due to its deadly use of the style, kidnaps Kiku in order to lure Ryuji and the others into a fight to see who's truly the better representatives of Japan's junior boxers.

Season 4: World Tournament arc (2011)

After defeating Black Shaft's makeshift Team USA and proving their worth to the Shadow Clan, Team Golden Japan Jr. will finally enter the World Jr. Boxing Tournament. In order to fulfill their goal of a perfect victory they'll have to take on teams from countries like Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, and the mysterious and godlike Team Greece.

References