Japanese former professional boxer Hiroki Inoue recently revealed in an interview that one of the major motivations behind his return to the ring in 2022 was actually a girls' band anime film—BanG Dream! Poppin'Dream!.
Hiroki Inoue made his professional boxing debut in 2015, remaining undefeated with an impressive streak before claiming the WBO Asia Pacific Super Lightweight title in December 2019. As an openly self-proclaimed "otaku," he often uses anime theme songs as his entrance music, a habit that has earned him considerable fan affection.
In 2020, after his winning streak came to an end, Inoue chose to step away from boxing to pursue his passion for drawing. He serialized an autobiographical manga titled Fight! Kouki-kun on his social media accounts, which was later compiled and published as a physical book. Notably, the concept for the manga's title came from Kō Nakamura, the original creator of the BanG Dream! series, whom Inoue admires.
Inoue admitted that while encouragement from friends and family—including his cousin Naoya Inoue, a four-time world champion—was important, what truly solidified his decision to return to boxing was the release of BanG Dream! Poppin'Dream! in early 2022.
At the time, Inoue watched the film with his editor at a cinema in Shinjuku. Recalling the experience in an interview, he said, "The movie's tagline was 'Save Your Dreams,' telling a story about holding onto your dreams. After the screening, as we were discussing our thoughts, I suddenly felt a surge of emotion, as if something had pierced my heart, bringing tears to my eyes. In that moment, I realized anew how important it is to chase your dreams, and my whole body trembled. It was then that I made up my mind—to box once more."
Deeply moved, Inoue excitedly called his cousin Naoya Inoue to tell him he was returning to the ring. According to Hiroki, his cousin was somewhat exasperated upon learning that the "culprit" was an anime film, jokingly lamenting that his own lengthy persuasions had been less effective than a single movie—but ultimately, he was genuinely happy for him.
Although Inoue lost again in 2024 to Daishi Nagata, the same opponent who had forced his previous retirement, he has chosen to continue his boxing career and has moved up to the welterweight division. He attributes his perseverance to the support of those around him: "Whether in the world of boxing or anime, it is that 'support' that allows me to keep giving my all."