Ring ni Kakero

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Ring ni Kakero


caption =
ja_name = リングにかけろ
ja_name_trans =
genre = Sports (Boxing)Infobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Masami Kurumada
publisher = flagicon|Japan Shueisha
publisher_other =
demographic = Shōnen
magazine = Weekly Shōnen Jump
first = 1977
last = 1983
volumes = 25Infobox animanga/Manga
title = Ring ni Kakero 2
author = Masami Kurumada
publisher = flagicon|Japan Shueisha
publisher_other =
demographic = Seinen
magazine = Super Jump
first = 2000
last = ongoing
volumes = 25Infobox animanga/Anime
title = Ring ni Kakero 1
director = Toshiaki Omura
studio = Toei Animation
network = TV Asahi
network_other =
first = October 6, 2004
last = December 15, 2004
episodes = 12Infobox animanga/Anime
title = Ring ni Kakero 1: Nichi-Bei Kessen Hen
director = Yukio Kaizawa
studio = Toei Animation
network = TV Asahi
network_other =
first = April 6th, 2006
last = June 12, 2006
episodes = 12

nihongo|"Ring ni Kakero"|リングにかけろ|, or "Put It All in The Ring", is a manga created by Masami Kurumada, and was published in "Shōnen Jump" between 1977 and 1983. It had great success, arguably even more than "Saint Seiya" (another Kurumada work) in Japan. 25 volumes were published.

About

tory

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 Fuhrer 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" (later known as 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 broadcasted 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). Currently, there are 20 volumes. 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. [http://www.kurumadapro.jp/e-kinkyou2007b.htm]

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.

Cast

;nihongo|Ryūji Takane|高嶺 竜児,|Takane Ryuuji: anime voice|Masakazu Morita;nihongo|Kiku Takane|高嶺 菊,|Takane Kiku: anime voice|Rie Tanaka;nihongo|Jun Kenzaki|剣崎 順,|Kenzaki Jun: anime voice|Ryōtarō Okiayu;nihongo|Ishimatsu Katori|香取 石松,|Katori Ishimatsu: anime voice|Takeshi Kusao;nihongo|Kazuki Shinatora|志那虎 一城,|Shinatora Kazuki: anime voice|Hideo Ishikawa;nihongo|Takeshi Kawai|河井 武士,|Kawai Takeshi: anime voice|Hiroshi Kamiya;nihongo|Futaba Shinatora|志那虎 二葉,|Shinatora Futaba: anime voice|Fumiko Inoue;nihongo|Takako Kawai|河井 貴子,|Kawai Takako: anime voice|Mami Kingetsu;nihongo|Catherine|キャサリン: anime voice|Mai Aizawa;nihongo|Black Shaft|ブラック・シャフト: anime voice|Takehito Koyasu;nihongo|Scorpion|スコルピオン: anime voice|Ryō Horikawa;nihongo|Helga|ヘルガ: anime voice|Hiro Yuki;nihongo|Napoleon Barona|ナポレオン・バロア: anime voice|Toshiyuki Morikawa;nihongo|Don Juliano|ドン・ジュリアーノ: anime voice|Takaya Kuroda;nihongo|Jun Shadow|影道殉,|Shadou Jun: anime voice|Takahiro Sakurai

References