Season
overview:
For a complete, illustrated cast list, click here.
Episode 1: 好きだ！シスター！
Sukida! Shishuta! (I Love You, Sister!)
Kosaku is losing a fight because he gets distracted by a man eating takoyaki in the audience, and was set up with another fighter from that same gym after the match. Of course he is overweight and had ten days to get down to fighting weight. About six days into Kosaku's fasting he passes out while jogging through a park and Sister Angela revives him with a sip of tea. The day before the weigh in Kosaku runs into her again by saving a kid she's out with, and Angela takes him back to her church and as a thank you they invite him to their school lunch. So all the kids are shoving their food in his face and she tells him to eat as much as he likes. Kosaku gives in and ends up being one pound overweight the next day which leads to his fight getting canceled. Mukoda goes out and gets drunk because of it, passing out in the street. Sister Angela finds her and takes her to a restaurant all the boxers from the gym frequent and Mitaka comes to get her. Mukoda passes out again at the table and Mitaka tells Angela about Mukoda's dream for a champion and how she thought Kosaku would be it, but he continually disappoints her. As they're leaving Angela sees a cut out on a bulletin board in the restaurant for Kosaku's debut match and realizes who he is in connection with Mukoda. The next day while she's praying she realizes it's her fault that Kosaku was disqualified because she forced food on him. Angela goes to the gym and convinces Kosaku to keep fighting and become a champion. While they're all talking, a man comes in and wants to challenge Kosaku. It's Kappei Onimaru. So Kosaku starts training and passes the weigh in. Onimaru invites he and Angela to his house for dinner with his family. Onimaru's wife wants him to quit, but he does not want to let his young son down. On their way home Angela tells Kosaku she won't be going to the fight and while he doesn't like her answer he doesn't fight her on it. The next day during the fight Kosaku is not doing the best he can because he doesn't want to shame Onimaru in front of his son. At the church, Angela changes her mind and sneaks out of her room to go to the fight after all. She enters just as Kosaku goes down and upon seeing Angela he decides he can't just lose in front of her and gets his second wind. Unfortunately he has underestimated Onimaru and goes down again. The only thing that gets him up is Mukoda promising to take him out to eat if he wins, which he does. On her way home Angela decides she likes boxing.
Episode Staff:
Director: Touya Sato (佐藤東弥)
Script: Yuichi Fukuda (福田雄一)
Originally Aired:
January 12, 2008
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Nippon Television Network
Episode 2: VS弱虫男！勝ってデートだ大食いだ！
VS yowamushi otoko! Katte deeto da ooguida! (VS Coward! Win a Date! Pig Out!)
Kosaku is out jogging and decides to fake a fainting spell hoping it would summon Angela. After that he goes to the church to see her. The power has gone out in the church though, and the nuns panic when they see Kosaku's shadow at the window and run outside to chase him just as the electrician, Masayoshi Kurusu, arrives and trips him by accident. Kosaku tells Angela that he likes her which causes the other nuns get irritated. Kosaku and Kurusu learn that one another are boxers and that they are actually scheduled to fight soon. After having met Kosaku, Kurusu has become afraid of him. While Kosaku is jogging the next day he sneaks away from Mukoda to win some cruise tickets in an all you can eat contest. Afterwards he runs off to the church to ask Angela on a date. Kurusu has gone to the church to pray and as he is leaving and saying goodbye to the nuns Kosaku shows up with his tickets. As Mukoda comes flying around the corner in pursuit of Hatanaka, Kosaku grabs Angela and pulls her into Kurusu's car and forces him to drive off with them. They go to his house where Kurusu's female friend yells at him, while Angela gets mad at Kosaku for trying to force her on a date with him. Later Mukoda and Mitaka find Kosaku in the gym hiding in the dark and sobbing into some yakisoba over Angela's refusal to date him. Angela goes to see Kurusu's friend and has a talk with her. Afterwards, she sees Kosaku jog by and hits him with a baseball when he starts to go into a restaurant. That night Kosaku wakes up in the middle of the night and Mukoda catches him trying to get some water. She gives him some words of encouragement and the next day he goes to see Angela to invite her and the rest of the nuns to the match. He says that Angela should leave the church so they can be together, which causes her to slap him in front of all the children she's with. After returning to the gym and crying some more another boxer tries to make Kosaku feel better. Later Kurusu gets scared and everyone finds him at the church when he should be getting ready for the match. Kurusu's friend admits her feelings for him and that gives him the courage to fight. The nuns all go with a banner they made to root for Kurusu, but Angela cheers Kosaku on near the end of the fight. Kosaku ends up losing after a few well placed punches from Kurusu. In the locker room Kosaku cries about the loss. The next day he goes to Angela's church and she encourages him, which re-invigorates Kosaku's pursuit of her.
Episode Staff:
Director: Touya Sato (佐藤東弥)
Script: Yuichi Fukuda (福田雄一)
Originally Aired:
January 19, 2008
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Nippon Television Network
Episode 3: 母の仕事って？ウルトラマンになる方法
Haha no Shigototte? Ultraman ni Naru Houhou (Mom's Job? How to become an Ultraman)
Kosaku heads back to the gym after having a few days off. Because he overate he has to lose weight once more before his next match in a week. Mukoda gets angery and Kosaku heads out to go jogging and escape his coach's wrath. While jogging Kosaku finds the church holding a charity bazaar. Angela is selling hand made mufflers. Kosaku enthusiastically tries to buy Angela’s work but they are already sold out. One of Kosaku's colleagues in the gym purchased the last one. Kosaku says that he wants the muffler but his friend refuses. A small squabble occurs in the church yard. The nuns get angry and kick Kosaku and his friends out of the church. Meanwhile, there is a boy named Yoshihiko talking with Mukoda in her room. She does not want him to enter the gym because he thinks of boxing only as a means to win fights. Yoshihiko goes to the training room and asks who is the strongest in the gym. Someone says Kosaku is. Upon hearing this, he attempts to attack Kosaku but fails. Yoshihiko's parents tell him that if he can land a punch on a professional boxer, they will allow him to become a boxer. Mukoda is forced to admit him to the gym because Yoshihiko's parents send a lot of new expensive equipment to the gym. While jogging Yoshihiko tries to punch Kosaku again and Mukoda notices. She tells him to try that on her. But Mukoda gets a strained back and is hospitalized. She asks Angela to keep an eye on Kosaku’s training as she is worried that he will overeat and blow his match. All through Kosaku's training, Angela is beside him. But when Mukoda comes back to the gym, Angela leaves, but not before making Kosaku promise not to eat. Meanwhile Yoshihiko is still trying to punch Kosaku. Attempting to trick Kosaku, Yoshihko plants a lot of food in Kosaku’s room and tries to punch him while he is busy eating. Even though he is unable to land his punch, Kosaku gorges on the food. Because he has gained so much weight, Kosaku is forced to train even harder to make weight in time for his match. Eventually Kosaku succeeds in his training and passes the weigh-in. It is revealed that Yoshihiko is actually being bullied in school and that is why he wants to learn how to box. After Kosaku passes the weigh-in, Yoshihiko visits Angela to ask her to come to see Kosaku's match. But on his way there he meets some vagabonds who begin attacking him. Sister Angela comes to stop the fight but she is also in danger. Mukoda's son sees this and goes to Kosaku to get his help. Because he is a professional boxer, Kosaku cannot fight back using his full strength for fear of injuring the attackers and is wounded as a result. But he succeed in protecting Angela and Yoshihiko. After the street fight, Kosaku wins the match. Yoshihiko admires him and decides it would be best to leave the gym and give up on his trying to punch a professional boxer.
Episode Staff:
Director: Minaya Tanaka (田中峰弥)
Script: Yuichi Fukuda (福田雄一)
Originally Aired:
January 26, 2008
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Nippon Television Network
Episode 4: 恋敵は天才シェフ！世界一のラブレター
Koigataki wa Tensai Shefu! Sekaiichi no Labu-leta (Genius Chef: Rival Love! The World's Best Love Letter)
Another boxer from Mukoda's Gym is losing a fight. The gym challenges the opponent to a rematch with Kosaku to win back their gym's honor. At the nunnery an older man named Morishita gives Sister Angela a ride to Wakaoji's to meet him and on their way Kosaku sees her in his car. Upon meeting Wakaoji Angela is pressured into considering an arranged marriage with him, which is something she can't do because she's a nun. Angela leaves in a hurry. The next day Kosaku goes to church to ask her about it and Wakaoji brings a box of sandwiches for her and the other nuns as an apology for offending her the day before. Later while the nuns are eating they all make strange faces. At his restaurant Morishita asks Wakaoji if he put some green stuff in the sandwiches and he says he did and is kind of upset when he finds out that it was his green protein drink. The next day Kosaku goes to give Angela a letter he's written and sees Wakaoji talking to her again with another box of sandwiches and is furious that he would bring her another present, resulting in Kosaku stuffing his face with the sandwiches. He only stops when he finds out they're to replace the bad ones from before. Angela says something serious to Kosaku and goes back in the church without his letter or the sandwiches. Later Wakaoji goes to the gym to see Kosaku about Angela and they start to get into it. Kosaku decides he wants to learn to cook and enrolls at a cooking school. While Kosaku is at the restaurant the boxers frequent, Mukoda finds him and takes him back to the gym where Kosaku tells them he'd rather cook for Sister Angela than be a boxer anymore. Sister Angela continues to receive gifts from Wakaoji while Kosaku impresses all the girls at his cooking school. Meanwhile the gym crew wishes he'd come back to boxing, and Katsumi is still being bullied at school. After a few days Kosaku sees Sister Angela on her bike and chases her down to tell her he's started cooking and she tells him he's an idiot because he should be boxing. At the boxer's favorite restaurant Kosaku cries about not understanding why Angela doesn't want him to be a cook for her and Katsumi tells him it's because she likes him being a boxer. Kosaku gets very excited about that and returns to the gym to ask for forgiveness, which he receives. Angela goes to Wakaoji's restaurant to return the gifts and finds out that he's alone,all his staff has quit. Of course she feels sorry for him and helps him prepare for a big upcoming banquet. Kosaku tries to take Angela his letter again and is told she's at the restaurant so he goes there to find her working with Wakaoji and thinks she's chosen the chef over him and runs out, but as he does so he drops his letter and Wakaoji finds and takes it without showing Angela. Kosaku's buddies find him crying in the ring when they come to the gym for the night and try their best to cheer him up. The next day he goes back to putting everything into his training again, and seems to be feeling a little better. As Kosaku trains, Wakaoji begins to feel guilty about Kosaku's letter. Later, Wakaoji goes to see Angela and gives her Kosaku's letter and apologizes for having kept it. It's a very short letter, and has a ticket to his next match in it. Kosaku wins his match but afterward, in the locker room he and the rest of his gym are going to celebrate and he says he wishes Angela had come to watch. When they open the door to leave, she's waiting on the other side of it. Wakaoji is closing his retaurant and leaving town as Morishita begs him to stay and tries to rip his suitcase out of his hands, accidentally opening it and spilling Wakaoji's clothes all over the street. A cute girl helps them with it and Wakaoji seems to instantly fall in love and runs after her to the shock of the older man. Later, Kosaku cooks for everyone at the gym and his food tastes awful causing him to decide that he will definitely stick with boxing.
Episode Staff:
Director: Norika Sakuma (佐久間紀佳)
Script: Yuichi Fukuda (福田雄一)
Originally Aired:
February 2, 2008
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Nippon Television Network
Episode 5: 苦しいときは、過去ではなく未来を思え
Kurushii Toki wa, Kako denaku Mirai wo Omo (When It's Painful to Think That the Past is Not the Future)
Kosaku is hiding in a pile of leaves trying to see if he can run into Angela, but he gives up and pops out into the street at the exact moment she happens to ride by on her bike. As he's stalking her he sees signs for Valentine's Day and hounds her that he wants some chocolate from her, really wants some, and even sings a song about how much he wants her to give him chocolate. She tells him no and goes to the church. The nuns are separating small packets of chocolate and Angela 'steals' one for Kosaku. When she goes to the gym to give it to him, the girl from the restaurant is already there with a huge chocolate heart that Angela sees Kosaku get really excited about. She leaves in a huff before she sees Mukoda tell him he can't have it and the girl takes it back. Katsumi sees Angela on a bridge scream that Kosaku is an idiot and throws the little parcel as hard as she can. She runs to get it and acts like nothing happened when she sees that Katsumi was watching her. He takes her chocolate to the gym for Kosaku and he freaks out when he realizes it's from Angela. The other boxers are all harasing Kosaku about being an idiot when it comes to Angela and make a big deal out of one of the other boxers getting some chocolate. He asks the girl at the restaurant about what other times he could get a girl a present, and she thinks he means for her. So she suggests Christmas, or her birthday. A little while after that Angela sees her helping him with a large delivery order and spies on them when they get a snack and go out to lunch together. Kosaku sees her spying and chases after her. He catches up to her just as she reaches the church and he asks her when her birthday is. She doesn't understand why he's asking her that and says something about the other girl, which really confuses Kosaku. He tries to figure it out with the other boxers, insisting he doesn't like the girl from the restaurant. They say maybe Angela's jealous because she likes Kosaku but thinks he likes the other girl. While Angela is praying in her room about what to do about her feelings for Kosaku, one of the nuns comes in and tells her she has to make a choice. Kosaku is hiding in the leaves for her again, and jumps out when she rides by. The two talk and Kosaku walks away happy. Back at the gym, they're discussing what she said when one of the boxers who was recently dumped gets pretty upset and soon they're all in the ring screaming at each other when Mukoda comes down and kicks all their butts. The other nuns are having snack time and ask Angela if something's wrong because she's absentmindedly eaten about 10 mikan. She talks to the old nun in the hallway privately about her conflicted feelings. She tells Angela that she is not a nun yet and has time to ponder these decisions. One of the other boxers is out and sees Katsumi getting bullied and chases off the other kids. Kosaku is at the gym with the other boxes around dinner time and is visited the stern nun. He explains to her a little about boxing, since she is interested in all the equipment. She tells Kosaku that Angela does not know when her birthday is because she is an orphan. Kosaku begins to cry. The boxer that saved Katsumi from the bullies walks him to school the next day. While the boxer is making a speech though, Katsumi leaves him there talking to himself. Mukoda goes to the church to see Angela to take her to do karaoke. Mukoda seems to feel sorry for Angela after learning of her being an orphan. Later at the gym, Kosaku is still feeling down and the boxer that got dumped wants to spar with him, without using headgear. The other boxer lands a good punch to his face, and says some things that get Kosaku riled up enough to hit him back in the face. They scream at each other and keep landing face blows in front of the other two boxers and Mitaka until Kosaku goes down. The next day while the stern old nun is watching Angela pray, Angela hears a mans voice calling to her. Kosaku is hiding around the corner. The voice tells her that today is her birthday. Kosaku goes to leave and Angela stops him. Elsewhere, three of the other boxers are out and one gets rejected by a woman he approaches. At the gym, the boxer that helped Katsumi approaches him about learning how to box. Mukoda and Mitaka are in her office and Mitaka seems to have something he wants to say to her, but leaves before he gets it out. Back at the church, Angela tells Kosaku that she likes him and Kosaku tells her he really likes her.
Episode Staff:
Director: Touya Sato (佐藤東弥)
Script: Yuichi Fukuda (福田雄一)
Originally Aired:
February 9, 2008
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Nippon Television Network
Episode 6: 強くなれ！イジメられっこと女ボクサー
Tsuyokunare! Ijime Rarekkoto Onna Bokusaa (Become Stronger! The Bullied and the Female Boxer)
Kosaku confesses to the other boxers about Angela admitting she that likes him. At the church though, Angela may regret expressing her feelings. Back at the gym Mukoda tells Angela he's fighting a foreigner, Tiger, from Thailand, but they have no data on him so Kosaku sneaks off to the rival gym to watch him practice and is a little intimidated at first until the guy apologizes to his opponent. Then he becomes intimidated again when he follows him out of the gym and watches him crush an apple with his bare hands, a little irked that he didn't eat it. Out on a walk alone, Angela sees Kosaku everywhere before finally running into him. They go to a restaurant to talk and spy on Tiger, who works there. He cooks like he's boxing and the whole restaurant is impressed. Kosaku tells Angela to feed him so it looks like they're a real couple, and she almost does, but stops herself and at that moment Tiger recognizes Kosaku. Back at the church Angela has a weak moment when Kosaku tells her he's going to become a champion for her and goes to the elder nun to tell her saying she needs to lock herself in a room to avoid seeing Kosaku. Later at the gym Ueda asks Katsumi if he's ready to start boxing yet but Mukoda does not want him to. Back at the church, Angela and Sister Milly are having a private talk and Angela freaks out because she can't stop hearing Kosaku saying he likes her in his head. Milly tries to help her, but then Angela sees lots of images of Kosaku in her head. Nothing seems to help. At the gym Mukoda is mad because Kosaku is overweight again. Angela shows up and wants to box to help keep her mind off Kosaku. At the church the nuns are angry that Angela has left the church without permission. Back at the gym all the boxers and Mukoda are really impressed with Angela's boxing abilities. Kosaku is in a really good mood as he works at the restaurant because he's getting to spend so much time with Angela. Angela and Mukoda have a discussion about why Angela needs to box and she admits it's to help get her mind off Kosaku. The bullies glue together all the pages of Katsumi's textbook at school, and when he gets to the gym he tries to talk to Mukoda but she brushes him off and the boxer who's been helping him notices he's down and tries to talk to him, but Mitaka forces him back to training. He's surprised to see Angela there too, but she seems to be determined. At the church Milly and Mother Abbess talk about Angela's boxing and they gossip a little about her 'love life' and how maybe Milly is jealous of her. Angela is staying in Kosaku and his roomate's room looking at the magazines with him in them, while Kosaku and Ueda are sleeping in the gym. The next day, Angela makes all the boxers a huge breakfast, but all Kosaku gets is rice, much to his dismay. Everyone else does a good job of rubbing it in his face too. Everyone can feel the attraction between Angela and Kosaku as she helps out in the gym. As Kosaku and Angela are on a walk, he shows her a playground where he used to sneak food while he was training. They see Tiger running by and call him over. He shows them a picture of his huge family and says he's fighting for them. As they continue their walk Kosaku says something to Angela that seems to scare her off and she rides away on her bike, alone. Katsumi takes his schoolbag to Mukoda's office and she notices dirt on his hankerchief and sees that it has a deliberate footprint on it. She looks in his bag and finds his glued-shut book and when he comes back she asks him about it. She tells him he's being an idiot for not fighting back. Their argument leads down into the gym in front of everyone. The boxer who's been helping Katsumi tries to defend him, and Katsumi loses it and says something that forces the boxers to hold Mukoda back. Katsumi runs out. Ueda tries to run after him, but Mukoda stops him, and Angela goes instead. Kosaku follows her and they look for him. Back in Mukoda's office she talks to Mitaka about Katsumi. Ueda has told the other boxers what's been happening to Katsumi and they talk about the situation. Kosaku and Angela finally find Katsumi at the playground and talk to him about going back to the gym. He says he wishes he could box as well as they do and that he wasn't so afraid. Angela tells him she only began boxing because she was afraid of her feelings for Hatanaka. Kosaku makes Katsumi laugh by complaining about the cold, and they take him back to the gym where the other boxers have made him dinner. Mukoda apologizes in her own way and Angela says she's going back to the church. She thanks everyone and Kosaku is sad to see her go. Back at the church, she apologizes to all the nuns for leaving and Kosaku shows up and seems to say just the right thing to get her out of trouble. He tells her again as she's leaving that he's going to become a champion. During his fight with Tiger he takes his fair share of hits but manages to knock his foreign opponent out. At school, Katsumi is asked to read from his textbook in class and sees some ecouraging words his mother has written on the cover and forces the book open, much to the horror of his bullies. The page is unreadable though and he makes the whole class laugh by saying he can't read it. Suddenly, Ueda's father shows up at the gym and punches Ueda in front of the other boxers. Elsewhere, Kosaku runs into Angela out jogging and I think she says that boxing was fun, which Kosaku is very happy to hear.
Episode Staff:
Director: Shunsuke Kariyama (狩山俊輔)
Script: Yuichi Fukuda (福田雄一)
Originally Aired:
February 16, 2008
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Nippon Television Network
Episode 7: 悪徳ホストに大借金愛と金をかけた戦い
Okutoku Hosuto ni Daishakkin Ai to Kane wo Kaketa Tatakai (The Corrupt Host's Great Love Debt and Battle to Collect His Wager)
Ueda's father is in town telling Ueda that he should quit boxing since he could not become the champion. However, Ueda and the rest of the gym lie to his father by telling him that Ueda has a title match coming up in hoping that he'd leave, but instead he decides to stay and watch the match himself. Meanwhile, the nuns are cleaning the streets of Tokyo and they feel bad that no matter how much they help, people are not properly taking care of the environment. Sister Angela is asked by a host from a local host club to come help out his club. It turns out, they just wanted her as a customer. And the man Angela gets as her host is the no. 1 host, Ryusei Kurenai. Ryusei tells Angela that his family is in debt and that's why he became a host. Out of sympathy, Angela decides to buy some champagne. It turns out Ryusei tricked her and is now 400,000 yen in debt to him. Outside, after eating at a nearby restaurant, Kosaku notices Angela exiting the host club. Kosaku is upset and goes to the church the next day to question Angela. She tells Kosaku the truth and says she was scammed. Ryusei shows up in his Lamborghini showing her that the real bill was 500,000 yen with the added cost due to the fact that he's the top host. Kosaku decides to help pay off the debt, so he goes to eating contests where if he eats a bowl of something within 30 minutes, he gets 10,000 yen. He goes to the club to give his winnings to Ryusei. Ryusei asks why Kosaku is doing this and he tells him that it's because he loves Angela. Ryusei offers him a job as a host to help pay off the debt which he accepts and goes under the host name, Shinji. Sister Angela tries to ask the head nun to borrow 500,000 yen and surprisingly she is willing to lend it to her. Thinking it was a joke, she gives Angela a 500 yen coin. Angela is desperate to get the money herself and even applies for a job at Mos Burger. Ueda's father is making signs to cheer for Ueda and finds a boxing magazine that reveals Ryusei Kurenai is the flyweight champion of Japan. Angela tells Mukoda about her situation and she comes to the conclusion that Kosaku is now working at the club. Mukoda recognizes the host as the champion. Ryusei is of course insulted that Kosaku is a boxer who doesn't know who he is. Ryusei then tells Mukoda that he's never heard of her gym. Ryusei also says that he thinks Kosaku is better off as a host and Kosaku takes it as a compliment. Kosaku explains to Sister Angela that he's working at the club for her, but Angela says to stay out of it and that he should concentrate on becoming a champion. The following day, Kurenai comes to the gym to give Kosaku a slip and notices the signs that Ueda's father made in relation to their "title match." The jig is up and it's revealed that Ueda has been lying to his father. Ryusei insults the gym some more. Ryusei leaves and Ueda confesses he's not a championship level boxer and has only managed a record of 6-13. His father then strikes him and apologizes to the gym for being a nuisance. The assistant coach admits he wasn't a great boxer but couldn't let go of the sport. He took it up because he was picked on and the head coach inspired him to do so. He admit he wasn't much of an athlete but felt something special with boxing and felt he couldn't leave until something important happened but he says it's a secret. Kosaku says his important day in boxing was when he met Sister Angela. Another guy admits that he was always rejected by girls. So, Kosaku challenges Ryusei to a title match but Ryusei just insults him. Kosaku says that he'll bug him until he accepts. Kosaku runs outside the church to scream that he'll help Sister Angela. Then Ryusei shows up at the gym and starts irritating everyone again causing Kosaku to challenge him to a sparring match. But instead Ueda wants to do it just to make his lie the truth. Ryusei toys with him but Ueda manages to get a clean right at Ryusei causing him to retaliate with a one-two which knocks Ueda out. Ueda is proud of himself and has found his special moment in boxing and Ryusei accepts Kosaku's challenge.
Episode 8: さよならシスター!! 根性ナシ涙のパンチ
Sayonara Shisutaa!! Konjou Nashi Namida no Panchi (Goodbye Sister!! Punch! Willpower Without Tears)
Mukoda is excited that one of her boxers is finally fighting in a title match and her gym could have another champion boxer. Later while he's out jogging, Kosaku runs into Sister Angela and he tells her about his match with Ryusei Kurenai. She's happy when he tells her that Kurenai has cancelled her debt, but runs off when Mukoda rides up. She stays back to talk to Angela and she doesn't correct her when Angela beams about Kurenai calling off her debt. Kosaku begins training very hard, and even at the host club Ryusei only pretends to drink with his patrons. At the gym Katsumi and Ueda discuss his sparring match with Kurenai and talk boxing. Later for dinner, all the boxers get Kosaku's usual tiny portion, much to their dismay, until Ueda explains that they're all in it together for Kosaku. At the convent, Incho tries to inspire the other nuns about the beauty of spring, when Kurenai shows up in his flashy car and confronts Angela about her bill in front of all the other nuns. He tells her the truth about his match with Kosaku and tells her she still has to pay her bill. Sister Milly and Incho talk to Angela about the situation privately and all she can say is that she's sorry and rushes out. She shows up at the gym to confront Kosaku about the debt and though he tries to be reassuring. Angela asks him not to fight for the debt, but Kosaku refuses and Angela runs out. Kosaku and the other boxers all run after her and soon Incho is following after them on a bike. Everyone shows up at the host club and Incho hands over an envelope with Angela's full debt paid in it. Angela tries to protest, but Incho won't let her. As they go to leave, Kurenai says it's not enough money, that now she owes more. The boxers raise a fit and Kosaku yells for everyone to stop and gives Incho back her money. He ups the stakes telling Kurenai their fight wager still stands regarding the debts. Angela becomes very upset about the situation and Kosaku ends up yelling at her saying he won't lose. Incho comes to talk to Angela while she's in her room praying. She's surprisingly upbeat about the whole situation. Then Kosaku and Ueda are in their beds talking about Kurenai and Ueda gives Kosaku some encouraging words that make him feel better. The next day Angela sees Kosaku sitting on the side of the road but doesn't approach him and he runs off when Mukoda rides over. Angela rushes over to her. Angela doesn't seem to be in a better mood after they talk. During a press conference between Kurenai and Kosaku regarding their match Kurenai seems to get all the attention and praise since he's the Japanese Champion. Mukoda encourages Kosaku to say something and he embarrasses her by going on about Sister Angela. Kurenai confronts him afterwards in the locker room and continues to taunt Kosaku. After a montage of Kosaku and Kurenai training respectively, and Angela praying, it's time for the match, which Kosaku is happy Angela has attended. She wishes him luck. The other boxers have some fun in the ring with Kosaku before anyone has shown up to the arena, but Kosaku seems a little less than enthusiastic about the event. At the convent, Angela comes to apologize to Incho in her office, that the older woman doesn't seem happy to hear it, encouraging Angela to stop apologizing so much. Later, while Kosaku is getting ready for the match at the arena, Ueda tries to sneak his things out of the gym, but the other two boxers catch him in the act and discover he's trying to leave for good. The nuns all gather, except Incho, to say goodbye to Angela. Incho prays in her office and Angela walks away from the convent. During the match, Kosaku takes a beating, but is persistant and lands a hit when it counts, knocking out Kurenai. Neither Ueda nor Angela were at the match.
Episode Staff:
Director: Shunsuke Kariyama (狩山俊輔)
Script: Yuichi Fukuda (福田雄一)
Originally Aired:
March 1, 2008
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Nippon Television Network
Episode 9: 結婚!? への道大作戦愛と焼き芋で旅立ち
Kekkon!? He no Michi Daisakusen ai to Yakiimo de Tabidachi (Marriage!? Setting Off Down the Path of the Epic Love Battle and Sweet Potatoes)
Everyone at the gym is having a big celebration lunch when Katsumi wonders where Ueda is, and they all have to tell him. Kosaku arrives at the convent to see Angela and tell her he won, and is told that she's gone. When Kosaku asks where she went, Milly tells him she went to follow her heart and find her family. Kosaku sits sulking about Angela and some boys run up and make a big deal about his prize belt so he tells them they can have it and they run off with it. Ueda sees Angela waiting at a bus stop, but she doesn't get on the bus that comes by. He approaches her to talk and they make small talk about how they're each going somewhere. Angela is surprised to hear Ueda's leaving the gym. They talk about how she didn't go watch the fight and hasn't seen Kosaku, which Ueda berates her a little for. They end up at a restaurant together to continue their conversation. Back at the gym, Katsumi misses Ueda, and the other boxers and Mitaka sit in the gym and eat peanuts when Ueda rushes in to tell them about Angela, Who is back at the restaurant reading a stack of Inuyasha tankobon. Kosaku is drowning his sorrows in noodles at the restaurant he sometimes works at, which is where the other boxers find him. They drag him off yelling about Angela. Ueda runs back to the restaurant and finds a note from her. Kosaku gets upset after reading it back at the gym. That night Kosaku lays in his bed, depressed, while Ueda sits beside him. They talk until Kosaku falls asleep. The next day Kosaku isn't any better, and the other boxers hover around him. Nothing they say seems to snap him out of his melancholy state. He tells them he gave away his belt, and they all get upset. The other four boxers go to the convent without Kosaku to find Angela and talk to Milly instead, who says she's not there. At the gym, Mukoda and Mitaka watch Kosaku lay in the middle of the ring. Mukoda shows him his Champion Certificate, but he just leaves. The boxers are wondering what to do when Sister Angela practically sits next to them in a park. She tries to get away from them, but they follow her, trying to convince her to go talk to Kosaku. Back at the convent Milly talks to Incho about the boxers coming to look for Angela when Sister Grace runs in to tell them that Angela is back. She has barricaded the doors in the chapel to escape from the other boxers. The boxers are trying to persuade Angela to come out, when Milly, Incho, and Grace show up. Incho decides to let them try to talk her out. Nothing seems to work though. Incho says something about how nice it is Angela has so many friends. Kosaku is pouting on a bench in a park when he sees the boys he gave his belt to. Two of them are ganging up on the one wearing it. Kosaku asks for it back and puts it on, showing them his "championship punch". Mukoda's words finally seem to sink in a little as he shows off for the kids, who cheer him on and give him his confidence back. One of the boxers shows up to take him to Angela. Milly tries to guilt Angela out of the chapel, but Incho stops her and says some encouraging words to her. Just then, Kosaku shows up and tells her through the door how he won the championship for her and it's enough for her to move the shelves away from the door so Kosaku can come in. They trade some polite chit chat; she congratulates him on winning, he thanks her. Then he asks her why she wished him luck, but then didn't come see his fight. She tells him she likes him and had to sort out her feelings. Kosaku is glad to hear she likes him too, but says he can't be with her because he's a champion boxer now and can't let everyone down. Mukoda and Mitaka sit on the edge of the ring back at the gym wondering what to do about Kosaku. Mitaka is about to say something to Mukoda, when Katsumi shows up, and suddenly the rest of the boxers do as well, with Kosaku in tow. After they tell her about how Kosaku talked to Angela, Mukoda shows them a photo of a scary looking boxer that she wants Kosaku to fight. He impresses them all by saying he'll do what a championship boxer should and defend his title. Katsumi tells Ueda that he would like to train under him. Everyone seems to have gotten much more chipper and perky. All the boxers begin training harder than ever, and Mukoda has a line out the door of new applicants wanting to join the gym. One day Kosaku is jogging and finds himself in front of the convent. He stops to look at it for a moment, but forces himself to run past it. That night Mukoda says some encouraging words to Kosaku. The next day is his big fight. In the locker room, he gets in some last minute practice and everyone leaves him to his thoughts. Suddenly the door opens and Kosaku looks up to see Angela dressed in street clothes. He addresses her as 'Sister' and she tells him she's not a nun anymore. They stare at each other for awhile, when suddenly they can hear the crowd outside. Angela wishes him good luck and he heads off to his match. Some time later at the church Mukoda and Incho share a moment. Mukoda is dressed in a really beautiful kimono. Kosaku and Angela are apparently getting married. They walk down the aisle together and live happily ever after. The gym's restaurant has created a dish in honor of Kosaku, and deliver it to the nuns for their lunch one day. Another boxer from the gym becomes a champion. Ueda continues to train Katsumi. Another one of the boxers trains new recruits like a drill sergeant. While another boxer trains under Mitaka for an upcoming match with a scary looking opponent. Kosaku leaves his apartment, and Angela runs after him to give him the boxing gloves he forgot, and she watches him leave. She suddenly has a thought and runs after him, finding him digging into a roasted sweet potato. She takes it away from him, wishes him luck, and sends him on his way.
Episode Staff:
Director: Touya Sato (佐藤東弥)
Script: Yuichi Fukuda (福田雄一)
Originally Aired:
March 8, 2008
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Nippon Television Network
