The Way to Fight

A teen from Osaka who earns a fearsome reputation as the toughest street fighter at Naniwa West High School. He endures a troubled home life with his senile grandmother and expresses his inner turmoil through fighting. His single-minded pursuit of combat masks vulnerability and drives a lifelong need to prove himself.

An exceptional fighter from a rival school with a rough upbringing, including an abusive father. He channels aggression into formal competition, becoming a bantamweight boxing champion and later a shoot-style wrestler. His evolution shows how discipline and mentorship can reshape a volatile spirit.

A schoolmate who loves Kazuyoshi, though her mother urges her to study and leave Osaka. She represents the pull of ordinary life and the emotional costs of pursuing a life rooted in violence. Her story intersects with the boys' journey, highlighting love and ambition.

Kazuyoshi's shy, insecure friend who fears inheriting his father's illness. He harbors secret love for Ritsuko and, in a moment of repressed fury, stabs a patron who assaults him and later seeks confession to Ritsuko.

A karate master who humiliates Takeshi in a street fight and then takes him under his wing, teaching him to control his aggression and channel it into training.

A patron in the decrepit Osaka restaurant who assaults Toshio, sparking his act of violence. His presence represents the dangerous underbelly of the street world.