Hajime no Ippo and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog can now be streamed on RetroCrush.
As reported by Anime News Network, RetroCrush added the classic boxing anime to its video-on-demand service, along with the anime television film, Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road, and the original video animation (OVA) release, Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura. All three can be streamed in Japanese (with English subtitles) and in English. Sequel series Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger and Hajime no Ippo: Rising have yet to be added, however. The nostalgia-focused streaming service also acquired all 65 episodes of the 1990s cartoon series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. This marks the first Sonic the Hedgehog property to be added to RetroCrush's service.
Since it began its serialization in 1989, Hajime no Ippo has enjoyed immense popularity, with its manga being one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It tells the tale of timid high school student Makunouchi Ippo, who is one day rescued from a group of bullies by the middleweight professional boxer Mamoru Takumura. After Takumura takes him to the Kamogawa Gym and allows him to unleash his frustrations on a sandbag, Ippo discovers discovers a natural talent and love for boxing, inspiring him to pursue the sport seriously as a career. Ippo's journey to become a champion boxer begins as he faces various opponents and overcomes personal demons over the course of the series. With 133 volumes and 1367 chapters to date, the Hajime no Ippo manga is still ongoing, although it has yet to receive an official English translation.
An anime television series produced by Madhouse (Death Note, Black Lagoon) aired from October 2000 to March 2002. It adapted the first 30 volumes of the Hajime no Ippo manga during a 76-episode run and it skyrocketed the popularity of the series, as the adaptation is regarded as one of the best sports anime of all time. Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road and Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura together adapt volumes 31 to 35 of the manga.
The adventure-comedy cartoon Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog originally ran between Sept. 1993 and Nov. 1996 and follows the eponymous Sonic (Jaleel White), a cocky yet kind teenage hedgehog with the ability to travel at supersonic speeds. The series largely features Sonic and his sidekick Tails (Christopher Welch) putting a stop to the evil plans of the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Long John Baldry) and his robot henchman Scratch, Grounder and Coconuts in a light-hearted and comical way. Despite Sonic the Hedgehog's enduring popularity, the cartoon series received mixed reception, many critics noting that its gags and jokes are contrived and polarizing.
Hajime no Ippo and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog are available to stream on RetroCrush now on browsers and through the service's app, which can be downloaded on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and smart TVs.
Source: Anime News Network
