The Meaning of Rain in Hajime no Ippo

(Side note: I've suffered a lot of concussions in my life so if I'm forgetting examples, please add them below!)

Rain is one of the most commonly used techniques in all of writing, as a downpour can be used to indicate to a reader something important, and usually something dramatic. Today, I wanted to talk a little bit about the use of rain in Hajime no Ippo. Morikawa is actually pretty reserved with making it rain - it doesn't happen a ton in the story, but the few times that it's mentioned as a theme or used as a symbol, there seems to be a consistent and clear idea behind it. Of course, this analysis is coming on the back of Chapter 1483, where a torrential downpour started as Ippo considered Mashiba's fate.

The first time that rain is mentioned symbolically in the story comes in Chapter 14. This is the first chapter where Ippo trained with Takamura alone, trying to keep up with him. At the end of their daily session, Takamura is telling Ippo about his desire for boxing and says:

Takamura: I accidentally encountered the old man and was invited. There was nothing else to do, so when I tried, I won my debut match. The applause came down like rain and I felt so great, it was the first time I was ever praised by others.

This is an early example, but I believe Morikawa is already starting to set up the parallel between applause for boxing and the sound of rain. We, as readers, are meant to conflate the two. Takamura, as the epitome of boxing, is essentially looking forward to the rain.

I believe that as the story goes on, Morikawa tightens up this metaphor and his symbol usage, deciding from here to tie together the rain and dedication to boxing / crossing the line or risking your life for boxing.

This viewpoint is strengthened when the rain comes back next, this time during Miyata's fight with Jimmy Sisphar. In the lead up to the fight, Miyata is at the lowest point of his career, with a loss to Mashiba and a draw to some no-name Thai fighter being his prior two fights. However, one thing Morikawa is very consistent about is that Miyata has (almost) no mentality problems - he's dedicated and decisive in a way that most other boxers aren't. So we see him training to go against Jimmy, a fighter everyone thinks will demolish Miyata, and he finds himself caught in a torrential downpour in Chapter 127. Here, we get a really poignant conversation, one that defines Miyata's character for a long time afterward:

Chana (the kid that looks up to Miyata): Ichiro never... Ichiro never smiles. All Japanese tourist that come to Thailand look very happy, but I've never seen Ichiro smile ... Ichiro doesn't look happy at all, I dont know why you want to box at all!

Miyata: I don't smile, you're right. But I may be the only one who thinks this way, I think it exists, a small moment of laughter that only boxers can experience

Here, we see a fighter standing amidst a squall, reaffirming his desire to box according to his own ambitions. Miyata, never once, has doubted his own path and never complained about it. I think it is meaningful that this declaration occurs in the middle of all of this rain.

The metaphor in this arc doesn't stop at all, and later in the arc Miyata decides that he's willing to risk his own life to beat Jimmy. In Chapter 130, during the fight, Miyata gets his eardrum burst so he can no longer properly hear out of it. Miyata tells his father "it's raining, rain is falling" because he can't hear anything, another example of the rain being brought back in at a key moment where a boxer decides to risk their life moving forward.

Miyata: The rain... It's coming down hard... it's a squall. My arms and legs are weary, it's hard to move. Why, a reason?!

Right as Miyata is about to lose, he recalls the rain, and lands the Jolt counter, changing the entire fortune of his career.

The last instance of rain usage I want to bring up is the most recent by far, During the early part of the retirement arc, you will all probably remember that Ippo took Tahei under his wing, and Tahei was a huge dickhead at the start. Just when it seems like Ippo is making progress with him, he loses Tahei one night while it pours dramatically outside, and he finds Tahei under the bridge. This scene is phenomenal, as the way Morikawa draws the rain and the bridge make it look like Ippo is stepping into a boxing ring (there's even a member of the audience lol). In the most surprising action Ippo's ever taken, he slaps the life out of Tahei, again changing the course of history for both himself and his victim - that slap saved both of their lives, in a sense.

This brings me entirely to the current chapter, where I think the rain is being used similarly. It has dual meaning here - on one hand, it's a mood setter, making us all depressed and dark as Mashiba struggles to wake up. At the same time, though, Ippo is being confronted with his biggest problem when it comes to returning to the ring: it is possible, maybe even likely, that you he will be broken by doing so. But I don't see Ippo stepping back here. Instead of choosing to disavow boxing and sit with Kumi, he returns to the coach, and amidst the downpour they discuss how beautiful it is to see a boxer transcend limits.

All in all, I think Morikawa is pretty consistent with this. To him, the rain is a visual metaphor for taking that next step in the boxing world. It's addicting, despite being dark and destructive. When it rains in Hajime no Ippo, be on the lookout for a character making a risky, life-altering decision, it will coincide more often than not.

PS: One other time it rained badly - when Ippo's dad died in his flashback. He made a decision, at that time, to save another fisherman and die himself, again altering everyone's life path.