Jujutsu Kaisen: The Creator of Hajime no Ippo Really Loves Yuji

Jujutsu Kaisen and Hajime no Ippo might both be animes that have their fair share of punches thrown, but the stories centered on Yuji Itadori and Ippo Makunouchi could not be more different. While Ippo's story focuses on a young up and coming boxer trying to hit the top of the profession, Yuji's story is one of survival as he tries to survive a world fit to bursting with curses. Despite their differences, Hajime no Ippo's creator has discovered a love of Jujutsu Kaisen's protagonist.

Ironically enough, both Jujutsu Kaisen and Hajime no Ippo share the same anime studios. Specifically, in 2013, Hajime no Ippo: The Rising was brought to life by MAPPA, many years prior to the arrival of Jujutsu Tech. Unfortunately for sports anime fans, this was the last time that they'd see Ippo trying to climb the boxing ladder on the small screen. Despite the anime franchise's popularity and its many anime series, Hajime no Ippo has yet to confirm if it has a new anime series in the works. Luckily, creator George Morikawa is continuing to work on the boxing manga, though he has hinted in the past that he knows how he will bring the series to an end.

Hajime no Kaisen

In a new social media post, Hajime no Ippo creator George Morikawa stated that "Itadori is so cool", clearly referencing the star of the supernatural shonen series. It's doubtful we'll see a crossover between these two properties, but it's clear that most manga artists are enthusiasts of other anime franchises. 

虎杖君かっこいい。

— 森川ジョージ (@WANPOWANWAN) April 7, 2024

While a future anime season isn't confirmed for Hajime no Ippo, Jujutsu Kaisen has been confirmed to receive a third season from MAPPA. Thanks to the events of the Shibuya Incident Arc, Yuji will have a lot more to worry about as the world has turned against him and the Culling Games will begin. On the manga front, Yuji's end is on the horizon as creator Gege Akutami has hinted that the grand finale of the manga might be approaching sooner than some might have thought.

Do you think we'll see Ippo return to the anime ring in the future? Which anime crossovers are you dying to see? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Jujutsu Tech.