1970 spring | Episodes: 79 | Score: 8.3 (26716)
Updated every Wednesdays at 19:00 | Status: Finished Airing
Type: TV
Producers:Fuji TV
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Synopsis
Joe Yabuki is a troubled youth, whose only solution to problems is throwing punches at them. What he lacks in manners and discipline, he makes up for with his self-taught fighting skills. One day, while wandering the slums of Doya, Joe gets into a fight with the local gang. Although greatly outnumbered, he effortlessly defeats them, drawing the attention of Danpei Tange—a former boxing coach turned alcoholic. Seeing his potential, he offers to train Joe into Japan's greatest boxer. At first, Joe dismisses Danpei as a hopeless drunk; but after the trainer saves his life, he agrees to live with him and learn the art of boxing. Unfortunately, Joe's personality makes him an unruly student, and he often falls back to his old ways. To survive the harsh world of his new career, Joe needs to trust his mentor and master the techniques taught to him. However, the road to becoming a professional boxer is rife with struggles that will test his mettle to the end. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Voice Actors
Nakamura, Shuusei
Fujioka, Juukei
Aoi, Teruhiko
Ushizaki, Keiko
Reviews
Zin713
The producers made a MIRACLE in this anime. Even though it is a very old anime and has visible period problems, it managed to be a very good audiovisual experience considering the time of production and a great adaptation of the manga's story. The visual direction is very creative and knows how to use limitations to its advantage, it has a good soundtrack, very good animation at the necessary moments, the story is simply sensational, with an engaging plot, a very well developed narrative, great characters and a phenomenal protagonist. The biggest success of the adaptation is the greater development of the characters and more humanization of them,due to the fact that the manga is very realistic, these additions were much more than welcome as they deepened the story significantly, with parts that are much better in the anime than in the original material. . The anime has some fillers that can deepen the characters, being disposable episodes, but that can help to deepen some characters. The first half of the anime manages to be quite faithful and adapt the events of the manga masterfully, however, the second half is original to the adaptation with some elements used from the manga, but it is an interesting vision, having its own ending and its own non-canonical events, However, it's not a big deal. It is recommended that after finishing the first part, you can watch the second season (Ashita no Joe 2) which adapts in a SPECTACULAR way the 2nd part that the previous anime was unable to adapt and created its own ending. Conclusion: it is an excellent adaptation and a great anime to this day, with very good production, very creative direction, good soundtracks, good animation and excellent character work. In portuguese Os produtores fizeram MILAGRE nesse anime. Mesmo sendo um anime muito antigo e tendo problemas visíveis de época, conseguiu ser uma experiência audiovisual muito boa se considerarmos a época de produção e uma ótima adaptação da história do mangá. A direção visual é muito criativa e sabe utilizar as limitações ao seu favor, tem uma boa trilha sonora, uma animação muito boa nos momentos necessários, a história é simplesmente sensacional, com uma trama envolvente, uma narrativa muito bem desenvolvida, ótimos personagens e um protagonista fenomenal. O maior acerto da adaptação é o maior desenvolvimento dos personagens e mais humanização deles, pelo fato do mangá ser bem realista, essas adições foram muito mais que bem vindas por aprofundarem a história significativamente, tendo partes que são muito superiores no anime doque no material original. O anime tem alguns fillers que conseguem aprofundar mais os personagens, sendo episódios descartáveis, mas que conseguem ajudar no aprofundamento de alguns personagens. A primeira metade do anime consegue ser bastante fiel e adaptar os eventos do mangá com maestria, porém, a segunda metade é original da adaptação com alguns elementos utilizados do mangá, mas é uma visão interessante, tendo um final próprio e acontecimentos próprios não canônicos, porém, não é nada demais. É recomendado que após terminar a primeira parte, você pode assistir a segunda temporada (Ashita no Joe 2) que adapta de forma ESPETÁCULAR a 2º parte que o anime de antigo não conseguiu adaptar e criou um final próprio. Conclusão: é uma excelente adaptação e um ótimo anime até os dias de hoje, com uma produção muito boa, uma direção muito criativa, boas trilhas sonoras, uma boa animação e um excelente trabalho de personagens.
Madao-Gin
A boxing 🥊 Masterpiece: Ashita no Joe. Ashita no Joe is an unforgettable series that shows the real world of boxing.With it's compelling characters,intense matches,and provoking themes.This series captures the genre of sport like no other. Story: The story is about Yabuki Joe a troubled young man who roams around from place to place.His life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Tange Danpei,a former boxer turned trainer.With guidance of Danpei and some up and downs we get to experience how joe enters the world of professional boxer.In my view, the story is a 10/10.Its realistic and gritty. Art style: The art style might notsuit everyone.Considering the anime is 50 years old.The art style of ashita no joe is iconic and distinctive.It reflects the era which it was originally released the 1970s.But the art-style has its own unique charm.9/10 for the art style. Animation:The animation in ashita no joe while reflective of it's time, remains visually engaging and effective for conveying intense action and emotional dept of the series.Although it may not possess the fluidity and details seen in modern anime it compensates with strong visual storytelling.Considering it's release date 1970s I think ashita no joe had one of the best animations in that time. 9/10 for the animations.It's worth nothing visual quality may differ because lack of technological developments but it's impactful and effective capturing the story and immersing viewers in it's world. Characters:The masterful development of Characters.Joe's transformation from a random reckless street brawler to a disciplined boxer portrayal is just masterpiece.His journey is filled with victories and losses and through this it shows the growth of Joe not just as a boxer also as a person. The supporting cast in ashita no joe is equally remarkable.Each character has their own motivations, dreams and goals.The relationship in this anime are complex adding emotional layers to the story.100/10 for the characters. Music: The music of ashita no joe plays a crucial rule in the emotional impact and the atmosphere of the series.Through out the series the soundtrack enhances the dramatic moments,intense boxing matches and emotional scenes.This diversity in the story adds on to the overall story and amplifies the emotions. PS: "Rikishi's theme just slaps" 10/10 for the music. In conclusion, Ashita no joe is a masterpiece from 19's era.It continues to resonate with audiences even decades after it's initial release.The boxing matches are simply breathtaking.The animation considering it's era captures the movements and motion really well that keeps the viewers in the edge of their seats.Overall for me it's a 10/10 Masterpiece.Whether you're a fan of boxing or looking for a emotional story this series is a absolute must watch.
Smilinggoat
Ashita no Joe is according to me the greatest animanga of all time. And after finishing both the anime and the manga I feel lika nothing I will read/watch from now on will ever feel this great. In this review I will explain why I think so highly of this anime. First of all, the story is amazing 10/10. Ashita no Joe has a way of raising the atmosphere for everything before it happens, turning every important moment into perfection. The story is told in a very realistic manner, with everything carefully planned beforehand. You don't just get thrown into a sloppy story like withmost anime now days. It's neither rushed nor too slow. Something that adds to the anime is the way it is directed. I therefore recommend watching this anime, and reading everything that comes afterwards if you want the best experience. The music is well placed in the anime and it fits Ashita no Joes atmosphere perfectly, I'd even say it raises the atmosphere and makes it even better. The opening also fits perfectly, I couldn't imagine a more fitting one. The anime is also very good at expressing feelings, like sadness, loneliness etc. You get dragged in easily, it even made me cry at times even though I don't often cry to shows or movies. The characters are few but amazing. You can relate to their feelings and understand them as if they were real people. They've had a large impact on me, especially Joe. Therefore, when something bad happens to the characters I felt way more sad than with any other anime since they feel so real to me. And when something happens they don't just get over it in a short time which makes it more realistic. I really like the art. I think it fits and if you're prepared for it to look a bit old then I hope you can feel the same way. Just know that it's not gonna look the way anime look now days, so please don't expect that. So in conclusion. I think that Ashita no Joe is a masterpiece that everyone should watch (and read). Out of everything I have ever watched and read, this is the best piece of fiction I have come across. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
skyllark
I decided to take a look at this show after seeing the characters and artwork. I've never seen a sports anime before this. So from my limited perspective, I enjoyed the show. VISUALS- Since I came for the art, I'll start with that. What's my say on it? I actually love it. There are animation errors galore (mouths flying off of faces), and plenty of wonky movements, but it makes up for them. You may dislike the art, though, if the cheapness or outdated look distracts you. To begin, there's a ton of beautiful texture throughout all of the drawings in the show. Especially in the moreemotionally intense or fast-paced action sequences, you get a lot of wild pencil strokes, rough brush lines, and deep, comic-like shadows that are really refreshing to see when compared to the clean, overly sanitized look of the 21st century. The characters are often contoured in a much thicker line than the backgrounds they're placed on, creating a bold, stylish effect. The backgrounds, especially during fight scenes, are beautiful. The artists transport the characters out of the ring and into colorful, psychedelic backgrounds that I always pause to appreciate. A highlight of the artwork is the facial expressions. When characters are punched, knocked out, or physically tortured in any way, their faces contort into these brutal, lifeless expressions that really communicate what they're feeling. They always make me go "Oof!" and cringe when I see them take a hit. Their eyes become empty husks. It's very effective. The art also makes great use of "line of action" or "arcs". These aren't weak punches being thrown. The artists will place the most extreme line they can on the page and draw a punch over it, I swear. There are some really great frames in here to study if you want to learn about drawing great arcs and great punches. Other than that, you get a strong 70s aesthetic with the art style itself, as well as the outfits and settings depicted. My only qualm with the art, besides the errors and reused animations, is that it suffers from (I hate using this phrase, but) "same face syndrome"-- every notable lady in this show looks identical (Noriko, Yoko, Yuri, and even Sachi), and most men that Joe goes up against in the ring resemble Rikiishi in some way. THE ANIMATION ITSELF- The show has a great look to it at times, but the animation itself isn't very special. You occasionally get clips that are well animated, like some punches, which tend to have more frames than a typical shot, but for the most part, the movements themselves are average, sometimes a bit wonky, or just very cheap. Simple lip flap animations, no interesting camera movements, and sometimes wonky/shaky scenes. Very standard of the time it was made, so I can't really complain much about that. CHARACTERS- SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!! SKIP THIS SECTION TO AVOID SPOILERS. I love a good antihero. Joe, at first, is a frustrating character to watch. You will find yourself yelling at him through the screen for the majority of the first half, but that somehow made me all the more invested in him. I couldn't help but to keep watching as I waited for him to finally do the right thing. And then, of course, there's Rikiishi: Joe's rival. He's got ruggedly good looks, a deep voice, a wicked backstory where he ended up in jail after nearly killing a heckler at one of his boxing matches, effortless skill and charisma, and when he gets out of juvie, he's always dressed to the nines and has an inventory of multiple vintage sports cars. He's hard not to admire. At least to a chick like me..! So you have these two characters that you get invested in, and then you just.. Watch them waste away. You watch them, for seemingly no good reason at all, go down a road of destroying themselves for the sake of their own foolish pride. "This is a man's world," Rikiishi says, as he develops an eating disorder and suffers a brain hemorrhage all in a span of roughly 10 episodes. It's hard to watch. But the show handles the loss beautifully. I watch a lot of soap operas-- those characters drop like flies, and the cast forgets about them within three or four episodes. Not Ashita no Joe. Joe dedicates a lot of time to mourning Rikiishi. You watch Joe battle in agony with so many feelings that finally make his character a lot more sympathetic. He drops the tough-guy act and you hear him admit that all of this time, it was love and admiration that kept him so enthralled with Rikiishi, it was never the hatred he claimed it to be. Echoes of his death are felt for the rest of the series, as Joe can never return to the fighter he once was. Every match brings him flashbacks of his tragic fight with Rikiishi, forcing him to go into shock and throw up in the middle of the ring. As the audience, you go from rooting for Joe to join boxing, thinking it'll help get him off of the streets and give him a solid job and purpose, to feeling very conflicted and almost guilty that you ever wished that for him at all. NOTES ON THE SHOW- NO SPOILERS In regards to the show as a whole: There were a lot of moments where the slow pacing felt like filler and dragged the show out, but other moments where the slow pacing was perfect and gave the audience the exact emotional time frame it needed to feel the impact of important moments. Past around episode 60, I was surprised that I still felt engaged at all with the character of Joe and the show as a whole, but even with that being said, it wasn't the same after that point. As other reviews have pointed out, Nishi has a confusingly fast turnaround and Joe has very, very strong plot armor. Nevertheless, I was impressed that this show got me to cry multiple times. I fell for every emotional beat! The troupe of children are the weakest characters in the show. They're annoying. The only time I enjoy their presence is when Joe bonds with them, it can be touching and softens Joe's frustrating-at-times exterior. In my opinion, it's okay to skip their scenes and episodes at your discretion. ENDING REMARKS- If you have an appreciation for older films and older anime, and if you like dramas, I recommend this. Especially if you like grungy, bloody, scratchy art and plenty of pretty boney looking men, hahah! As a horror fan, I sure do! It's a very masculine show. I need to read the manga! From these reviews, it seems like I'm missing out! If the show's pretty good, I'm sure the manga is a masterpiece.
Raewulf
This is not a show about boxing. It's about domesticating a delinquent. Joe does not learn from his mistakes nor does his coach seem able to instruct him the most basic techniques. Every bout had this pattern: Joe brawls, Joe is beaten badly, then Joe comes out swinging and lucks out. As a character, Joe is unappealing. The way he conducts himself I'd say he sustained brain damage as a kid. He is confusing, aggressive, and snobbish. The people who cheer him on possibly relate to his psychological problems. At one point, he was treated with kindness, and attacked her for it. Danpei, his trainer,is the reason I stuck around. He was a miserable drunk and a doting father to Joe. He nearly gave up on him, but he was set on his mission to make Joe a boxing legend. There were only two episodes I can positively say were redeeming. Joe and Danpei argued on the merits of his coaching and Danpei was so upset by Joe's tone he suggested he should look for a better trainer, possibly from the gym his present rival inhabits. You could feel the tension in the room. There was one other episode, which I had expected at some point, where Danpei had pushed Joe to try real boxing techniques, as opposed to his amateur slugging. In sum, this is not a boxing show; it is a splendid demonstration on what not to do in the ring. I chose not to make an additional post for the second season. It had the same issues, but with a different style and speed, without any exceptional episodes to redeem it. Maybe, except one or two, that spotlights a certain challenger. Imagine if Mike Tyson, at his prime, was paid to fight a silverback Gorilla. Ridiculous, but a funny moment.
geovannyboss
Ashita no Joe is a anime that aired in the 1970's and is arguably one of the founders of sports anime as a whole. But calling this series just a sports anime would not be doing it justice. While yes the story does mainly focus around Joe's boxing career, intermixed with this is fantastic drama, superb character development, and absolutely gripping suspense. The biggest selling point for this series has to be its characters and plot. A lot of shows have tried to make the arrogant asshole lead work but to no avail, but Joe is one of those rare exceptions. Joe's massive over confidence, seemingindifference, and his arrogant attitude just seem to work. I constantly went between cheering him on as he fought to wanting to reach into the screen and smack some sense into him. Watching Joe grow is a wild ride, but well worth it. And the supporting characters are all well fleshed out too. Every character feels like they fit into the world with real problems, relationships, and goals. Ashita no Joe is not a story where the main character experiences nothing but victory. Joe suffers humiliating defeats and struggles with real issues. Because of this there are some parts of the story that are frustrating for the viewer as Joe enters a slump. But at no point is a episode wasted. These bitter defeats Joe suffer make victory all the more sweet and we see Joe develop as a person and a boxer through these slumps. The issues this anime suffers from are direct results of its age. While the animation and sound is certainly great for its time period, it just cant compare with modern standards. But while it may not be as smooth as modern anime, once you get used to it you will find the rough gritty art style fits the nature of the anime perfectly. One problem I had with the series was the cartoonish design of the seven kids who act as Joe's entourage, including one little girl, Sachi. When Joe comes back from prison, after at least two years, the kids look exactly the same, not having aged or grown an inch at all. I'm sorry, but young children tend to look noticeably different after two years. I assume this was a conscious choice on the part of the animators, but the rationale for it eludes me. Ashita no Joe is a absolute classic with a story as or even more epic than Rocky. If you have even a passing interest in sports anime I urge you to give this show a shot. If you can get past the dated art style you may just find a real gem. It really is a shame how tiny attention people give it these days, although I suppose that's inevitable. Not to sound up myself, but most people tend to only watch series that started in the 00s and after. I hope that more people broaden their horizons and search for some old but gold series.
Billdyzinho
How can I describe in words the very high qualities of this work of art, a classic of Japanese culture that until today, is a symbol of references and inspirations of its archetypes. The anime, Ashita no Joe, has a great quality in its characters, especially the main one, which starts out as a damn annoying youngster to a young man that you will definitely love for the rest of the play, not only in Joe (main) but in his other main ones too, having their development and charisma only lifted over time. Ashita no Joe also shows her technical side with regard toher sport, boxing, only in a shallow but consistent and fun way all the time, presenting us with lively and masculine fights with different climates and tensions, a different way of showing how destructive and exhausting this area of boxing is, together with its characters and their due convictions, who are reduced to dust to maintain their glory and love for what they do and love to do until the end, but with tragic consequences in the end. And also, we have the characteristics of the production, even being from 1970, are of decent quality and consistent with the atmosphere of history. It is also worth highlighting their soundtracks that mark much the work, be the opening, or the OST of a character that just to hear it, you already know who it is. In short, this anime is a masterpiece of the sport / drama genre, and that everyone admired of the genre or casual onlookers looking for new experiences should see or read in life. Final note 10/10.
_GX_
3VIEW /// spoilers ahead. (3VIEW is a triple review that consists of stating important negatives that take away 1 point each of the total rating, a brief note of the highlights on the series, and finally, the MAL's 5 category rating.) /// -1 for character design. Some of main characters look like twins. Others look like people of the crowd. -1 for Tange Danpei, Yabuki Joe's trainer. Having one of the most important roles in the series and an interesting concept on passing knowledge gets wasted. Later on in the series becomes irrelavant. -1 for the final fight. A fight that gets hyped for almost 20 episodes... comes out ashalf-cooked meal. Thankfully doesn't ruin the ending completely. Rating: 7 /// Series filled with blood, sweat and stubbornness. Main character defines the phase 'smile though tears' as his ways of dealing with the surrounding world might shock some. The development of most of the main characters is very strong and apparent, that's keeps the series interesting when there's no punching involved. The show is as realistic as possible, without any flashy "power-ups" which are more apparent in modern series, and closely resembles "Rocky" movies - how brutal can life be, even without boxing. P.S. - the theme song is really... 70s, but with its variations in the show - it fits perfectly. /// Story - 9, Art - 4, Sound - 4, Character - 9, Enjoyment - 9. Overall = 7. Worth watching.
Gundroog
I really wish I could recommend Ashita no Joe anime cause the manga’s story deserves to get a good adaptation and have more people experience it. Unfortunately, both as an adaptation and on it’s own show, AnJ is just bad. I initially wanted to approach this from a perspective of someone who hasn’t read the manga and judge the anime on its own strength but I couldn’t make it through beyond about 30 something episodes before dropping it and having a blast reading through the manga. There’s two very big reasons behind why I strongly dislike this anime. For one, AnJ has terrible pacing. In 79episodes it adapts merely about 11 and a half volumes of the manga. That’s roughly 7 episodes per volume. Anyone watching the anime will likely notice the many ways in which Dezaki padded things out. Awkward pauses in dialogue, long scenes consisting of a few still shots, reused animations shown over and over, animation loops that are held for way longer than they should be. That stuff is all relatively innocent compared to the second big problem, the way it constantly pads out content with anime original material AND at the same time they manage to cut out some scenes and dialogue from the original. More often then not the stuff they cut is not some unimportant rubble but rather scenes that add nuance to the work as a whole, it removes teeth from a story that bites. I know anime was being produced roughly at the mid point of manga’s publication but they also only adapt about half of it so I don’t believe there’s any excuse to alter so much. Some might say just skip the filler and here’s what makes this even worse. AnJ doesn’t just have filler episodes, some of them are relatively self contained and can be ignored but those are tiny minority. For the most part original material mixes in with canon, at times completely ignoring the way plot unfolds for the sake of filler coming in more smoothly. However hard they try though, there’s always a clear contrast, because whoever wrote the filler didn’t have an ounce of writing talent compared to Asao Takamori. Filler is meandering, pointless, it moves nothing forward and at best reiterates previous material instead of moving forward. It downgrades character to acting like generic archetypes, it dumbs them down by trying to make their cold conclusions seem like the most shocking revelations. I strongly believe that there’s no alteration that had a positive impact and there a fuckload of alterations that build up until a shittastic climax that is Carlos vs Joe arc. When you do get to see the canon though, AnJ shows what it could’ve been. A story that still has few analogues in anime, a realistic and sincere story about a dregs of society fighting for a better tomorrow despite their tragic yesterdays. It’s not a drama that makes you feel good, because there’s no escapism to it. It doesn’t round off the edges of the real world, instead slamming you right against those edges and showing you how heartbreaking and hopeless things can be. However it does this not to make you feel depressed but to motivate you to push on forward, to improve yourself, to strive for better things instead of wallowing in the problems or trying to ignore them. Joe and many other characters constantly have to deal with problems, one worse than another and none of them are exactly equipped to handle them. Joe himself is a delinquent like no another. An orphan who constantly moved around and had to defend the only thing he had left, his pride, with his fists. The result of his upbringing is that he’s terrible at normal social interactions. Compromise is not in his dictionary and he lives his life scamming others and spending his nights wherever he can. When Danpei, an ex pro boxer and now pro alcoholic notices him in the slums it’s a starts of a very interesting co-dependent relationship. Joe sees Danpei as an opportunity to get stronger and beat the first opponent he can’t overcome while Danpei sees in Joe an opportunity to get into the world of boxing and climb back up the ladder. While Joe is most definitely the highlight, other characters still get developed into complex human beings with their own personalities, lives, goals and ideas.Unfortunately filler considerably undermines the journey characters go through cause while in the manga every volume is a difficult journey that shapes the characters, in the anime there are too many sideway shifts that significantly downplay the arcs people go through. Another occasionally strong point of the show is its presentation. One of the biggest advantages anime has over manga, is that you get to hear the characters and you get to see their acting and movement in more detail which in right hands can add a lot of intricacies. Voice actors in particular have to be the highlight of the entire anime in terms of presentation. It’s incredible how much passion comes through in their dialogue, how they manage to capture emotion with such sincerity that I can’t help but feel for them. One thing that always stood out to me is just one scene where the rarest thing happens and Joe actually cries, it feels like he’s genuinely sobbing while trying to hold himself. You get to HEAR that this is a man who’s used to putting up a tough front crying himself after possibly the first moment of genuine happiness in his miserable life. Tange similarly is just fantastic, it’s a travesty that both his and Joe’s VA never participated in voicing any anime other than AnJ. Yet, while I will praise voice acting for managing to depict emotional outbursts with rare sincerity, I can’t help but feel that Dezaki’s overly dramatic presentation often hurts the story. When it hits, it’s great, Dezaki has a sense for dramatic flair and it helps the moments that are meant to be exaggerated or shocking but sometimes you need the opposite of that. When seemingly dreadful things happen with little flash, it makes a point. Bad shit can happen anytime, anywhere and to anybody. You’re not special and there’s nothing to say that tomorrow you won’t become just another number in a small box on a piece of paper showing how many people died this year. It’s this kind of quiet dread that and insignificance of the individual in the big picture that can make tragedies all the more depressing and AnJ manga excels at that. When anime exaggerated everything tenfold it makes a common problem seem like a unbelievably cruel twist of fate. Overall it’s part of why anime ends up feeling so cartoonish and immature in the end. It’s hard to say how much the flaws I mentioned will impact one’s experience of watching the anime but it’s my honest opinion that as an adaptation it’s a travesty that tramples over excellent while simultaneously only surviving thanks to the strengths of said source material. As its own show I had to drop it due to how damn slow and stilted it is so take that as you will, I only managed to make it through out of morbid curiosity of how bad they’ll screw up the things I love. I know many people managed to genuinely fall in love with this show and maybe if I didn’t read the manga I’d be able to like it more but really hope that anyone who wants to experience this fantastic story choses the manga instead of a lackluster anime.
PandorazChaos
**This review is spoiler free** Down in the forgotten slums of Tokyo, under the "bridge of tears" by a polluted river, only crossed by those that have fallen to rock bottom - the lost, the broken and hopeless - a small spark leading towards tomorrow is ignited, burning steadily through rain and darkness, a spark filled with endless dreams for the future. Here is the modest Tange boxing gym, filled with second-hand equipment, run by Tange Danpei, an ex-boxer and hopeless alcoholic, along with our protagonist - Joe Yabuki - an aspiring boxer with boundless fighting spirit. But the story doesn't begin with Joe - theaspiring young boxer. It starts with Joe - the rebellious and troubled delinquent who has never had a home or known love or family, a boy constantly on the run without any destination in mind, a boy grappling to simply reach a place where he can truly be free. Joe doesn't start off likeable. He is a swindler, a sarcastic jerk who only knows how to think with his fists, and prioritizes himself above everything else. He fires his mouth off to every authority figure he crosses and constantly tries to upset any sense of order or societal rules. And for a long time he seems like a completely hopeless case. Danpei encounters Joe in the slums of Tokyo and almost immediately recognizes his boxing potential. He tries to convince Joe with every ouch of conceivable willpower to try boxing, but to no avail. And this is first thing which sets Ashita no Joe apart from a typical shonen or sports series. Joe refuses to box. Over and over again. No matter how hard Danpei tries. No matter what motivational words or random acts of kindness he is shown. He refuses. Joe has his own motivations and rules of freedom which he abides by. He doesn't simply accept the request of a drunken ex-boxer that he happens to run into because the plot requires it. No - Joe is more than just a character. He truly feels like a living, breathing person. Its almost like Joe doesn't just rebel against the rules of society. He rebels against his own story and even the author which crafted his existence. His character refuses to bend and yield to the viewers expectations to progress the story, or even what would be the easiest story route for the author. Instead, Joe constantly lives life through his own rhythm and stubbornly lives the way he wants. Of course, that stubbornness and egoism eventually catches up to him. The world isn't so forgiving as to allow a rebellious teen to do whoever they please forever. And now we reach the second point which sets Ashita no Joe apart - things don't go smoothly just because Joe is the main character. Sure, he can choose to act like a rebellious asshole, but then he pays the consequences for it. His actions are not forgiven simply because this is his story. So Joe screws up and eventually lands his sorry self in juvie - the place where he meets the man who single-handedly changes the entire course of Joe's life - Toru Rikishi - a pro boxer. Joe's rivalry with Rikishi (later turned friendship) is what eventually draws Joe towards boxing. The desire to defeat Rikishi lights a fire in his heart that pushes Joe towards beginning a new journey in his life - a journey that ends up completely changing who he is. And that's the thing - Ashita no Joe - translated as "Tomorrow's Joe" is not a typical sports series about some kid who suddenly decides to be the best boxer in the world. Its simply the story of Joe and the journey he takes - its the story of the best and worst parts of his life, his ups and downs, his regrets and ambitions, and his struggle to find where his "tomorrow" lies. Its not particularly happy, because life was never designed to be happy and easy, but you see Joe find something worth fighting for and them striving towards it with everything he has. Throughout this journey, Joe doesn't remain "a character." Somewhere along the way, it switches from "the story of a guy named Joe" to almost feeling like you're witnessing the memories of a long lost friend. You become attached to him, because he feels so real. There were so many times while watching that I would completely loss myself in the moment, and banged my fists on my desk screaming for Joe to just stand up during a fight, "just one more time!" or when I would feel his pain while watching him go through hardship and wish I could sit next to him to give him a pat on the back. There are moments when you want to punch him for being so damn stubborn, and moments when your left wide-eyed and shocked at his endless fighting spirit and tenacity. There are moments when your left feeling a dull, quiet ache in your chest, and moments when you can't stop yourself from crying. And this doesn't just apply to Joe (although he is the strongest example). All the characters feel realistic, and their interactions are complex. Even characters I originally was sure that I would dislike (the group of kids that always follow Joe around) eventually grew on me. Its hard to put all my feeling about this series into words, but for me, this was more than just an anime. It transcended way beyond that. I can only describe it as the breathless journey of watching Joe, living his life to fullest, in every moment, with all he has, against all odds and circumstances. His flame rises up and comes to life, igniting everything around him until "all that is left is white ash." In case your still wondering, this is a masterpiece, so just go watch it already. Its worth every second. Some small notes: -The second season was produced about 10 years after the first, so there is dramatically improved art, animation, and even sound. The fights are completely fluid and beautifully animated. The first season also is actually quite well animated with plenty of worth while fights, but it definitely improves later. -The last 24 episodes of season 1 and the first 12 of season 2 are essentially the same in terms of plot. However, I'm hesitant to say "yeah, just skip the last 24 episodes and move on!" because I feel the last 24 episodes did a better job of fleshing out the relationship between 2 important characters (Carlos and Robert) and explaining their motives, as well as rivalry between Carlos and Joe. However, due to running out of manga chapters, some segments might feel a bit drawn out. Season 2 reanimates everything beautifully and completely new, including increasing the epicness of the Carlos Vs. Joe fight, but at times it felt like it was missing the details I enjoyed during season 1 (such as the Carlos flashback). I think there is value in actually watching everything (both the last 24 episodes of season 1, as well as the reanimated first 12 episodes of season 2) despite there being plot redundancy. RATING FOR SEASON 1: Story:: 10/10 Art and animation: 9/10 (due to some occasional art errors) Sound: 8/10 (the weakest aspect of season 1) Characters: 10/10 Enjoyment: 10/10 Overall: 10/10 RATING FOR SEASON 2: Story: 10/10 (with a flawless ending episode) Art and animation: 10/10 (dramatically improved from season 1) Sound: 10/10 (dramatically improved) Characters: 10/10 (the strongest aspect of both season 1 & 2) Enjoyment: 10/10 Overall: 10/10 - an unforgettable experience
Chinaz
Ashita no Joe - The First Shonen Anime and the Best! Ashita no Joe is an anime that I added to my "Plan to Watch" list for some time, maybe two or three years. The story follows the young Joe Yabuki, a troublemaker from the Japanese suburbs. Joe has a natural talent for fighting, but he always gets in confusion, steals, and mind. Things change when Joe meets Danpei Tange, a former boxer who had to end his career after losing sight in one eye. From there, Danpei tries to straighten out Joe's life through boxing training. Ashita no Joe was released in the early seventies aftermuch other shounen anime in the 50's and 60's. But I would say that Ashita no Joe was the first anime that revolutionized the style, introducing all the features of a modern shounen. The graphics are certainly not the most precise although I like it very much even though this is due to the time the anime was released. In addition, this scarcity of bright colors and good animation technology give the anime an ambiance very conducive to what it represents: post-war Japan. Like any modern shounen style anime, Ashita no Joe surprises us with the humble roots of the protagonist, a rebel wall with a strong personality that will act-surpasses within the world of the professional boxing. The feeling of competition is incomparable. The comedy and the drama play innocently in this anime that is already mentioned as a classic but unfortunately unknown by many. Anyone who sees this anime will immediately recognize the origins of a style that gave rise to DragonBall, Saint Seiya, Bleach, Naruto but mostly Hajime no Ippo and Rurouni Kenshin, among others. But there is a warning: the protagonist Joe has a charisma that leaves all the others in the mud. Story: 9 | Art: 9 | Sound: 8 | Character: 9 | Enjoyment: 8 Score: 9/10
simplereviewer
Script - Joe is that type of show that proves quality as timeless. How could it be for a story from the late 60s about a boxer become so important, poignant and meaningful to me in the long term? I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure Ikki Kajiwara knows that well enough to come up with one of the best sports tales ever known and that in my humble opinion wasn't surpassed ever since, at least not by any anime or manga. But what's Joe all about? It's about Joe, your not average underdog who's searching for meaning and is trained by an oldman that's also not your average sage coach but rather a flawed drunk one. He's searching for someone that can fulfill his now late dreams of becoming the world champion and well, that's pretty much the premise. Now let's begin training and increasing stakes each episode until the very end? Ehhh, absolutely not. This is not, by far, your average sports shounen full of unrealistic bullshit. Joe's characters will face a lot of heavy struggles through a lot of time and will learn from them, not forcedly, but slowly accepting certain facts, changing others and always, always and always developing. No action is taken on a whim, no silent moment is random, nothing is out of place, not overall at least. Some changes can seem too of a sudden, but the result is so meaningful that forgives completely the minor flaws. Joe is all about subtlety in each frame of it since simple phrases and glances can convey so much immediately and in the future. Sometimes Joe is the villain, the hero, the victim, the bastard, and at the end, none of them. No matter what you think of Joe, Yoko or Rikiishi, it's not their full picture or character. They're three-dimensional and practically real people with real struggles and fears, so harmoniously interlacing with each other, sometimes without a word spoken. A lot of episodes are spent solely in character building and only after we are presented to the actual fighting. There's also a very special rivalry subtly hiding both Joe and Rikiishi's desire to face someone they respect. Yoko, a character who represents a sort of intermediator, but that appeared as an antagonist that wasn't actually an antagonist and whose influence gets more and more present through time. She's indecisive, kind and polite but also afraid and full of will, it's awesome to see her gaining such in-depth development since I thought she was going to be forgotten easily. Indeed, most of Joe's characters have a face of who is going to be forgotten, but they are not. They are people and you will most likely treat them as such. It has one of the most impactful moments I've seen in anime and you'll surely know which one. Also, my favorite episode of anime ever is contained here and the best rivalry, the best protagonist and best couple. See for yourself such a beautiful spectacle of development. Cinematography - This show is fucking old school. It may not be so pleasing of looking at, but considering how little it had in terms of production I can't see it as bad produced. On the contrary, I believe it is beautiful in a way no other anime at the time was. First, the ingenious director Dezaki developed a technique to save costs, the Pastel-Chalked Freeze Frame as TvTropes dictates, and it had some power upon the audience. The best moments ever from Joe are depicted in a high definition stopped image full of impact and surely helped a lot the production team. Limitations sometimes lead to wonderful results in terms of creativity, so I'm happy in seeing Joe being such an amazing show in that matter as well. The character design is original and while the animation is not fluid at all and the repetition is rather common, I can't deny the impact some monochromatic panels had upon me given the mood in which it was applied. Sound - You will remember the whistle, wanting you or not. The opening is beautiful and the soundtrack is decent enough. The major problem, in my opinion, are the voices. While the voice acting isn't exactly the problem considering when it was recorded, the misplacement is recurrent and more than often irritating. The sound effects are fine. 1234 - The cops of Joe are more useless than the most average of stormtrooper in existence. You can punch them, kick them, whatever you want, they'll not react. Kids are annoying af. I know, they become cute and beloved over time, but damn, sometimes it's just not cool. Since when do kids enter in a fucking prison on a fucking island? Repetitions all over the place, sometimes unnecessary. I would prefer extended moments of silence then filling some episodes with weird misplaced or just repeated actions of side characters. The voices are so misplaced it makes me cringe sometimes, even though I'm surprised they aren't forced. I mean, Joe's one is sort of forced but sounds ok and the rest is just fine. If they just had edited well enough it would've been way more pleasing to listen to. This show is old but gold. Joe is the most lovable asshole out there and you can't deny it. Talk about nuanced interactions son. If you endure some poor visuals and voice editing, the reward is big enough. Don't waste your time watching trash, go for it today. It's a masterpiece for sure. The End.
AnimeTopScholar
Joe is a classic boxing anime that started in spring 1970. It was made by Mushi Productions and directed by Osamu Dezaki. The show follows Yabuki Joe's road from a juvenile delinquent kid, all the way to becoming a pro boxer. Joe is a rude and quick tempered guy who is quick to get into fights. Joe packs a serious punch though, and this catches the eye of ex-boxer Tange Denpei who wants Joe to become a boxer. But because of Joe's troublesome nature he gets sent to juvie. There he meets boxer Rikiishi Tooru, who becomes Joe's rival. I had high hopes going intothis show. I had heard a lot of good things about it, so I was hoping for an enjoyable ride, and boy did I get that. Ashita no Joe is one of the very best sports anime I've ever watched. It might not look the best, but it still managed to hook me. I got seriously invested and hyped about the fights that happened, even though they barely even moved. And watching Joe change from that immature little delinquent who would start fights with anyone, into a more mature guy and a professional boxer was quite the ride. I can not sing this shows praises high enough without also going into spoilers. The only thing I can say is, this show is fantastic and you should definitely check it out. It might be old, but it's still gold.
DOWA
Ashita no Joe is simple the best ''sports" series but i think for a microsecond and this IS NOT ABOUT SPORTS is a story of his characters STORY- as i said the story of ashita no joe is about there characters growing don't confuse that is a slice of life because also has boxing story is a decoration (a good one) the boxing only supports the story CHARACTERS the main character Joe is simple amazing is no special or have great ability he is a jerk but finish in a recognized boxer the experience of the development with Joe is great.Know talking about develop the pacing ofthe series is perfect the time that takes is be needed. also Joe has relation with some others that are very good most important the rival (is so manly ) the begin of Joe is so identify we are growing with them in a form to in some way self improvement ART&SOUND - Very good for age and respectable I CAN SAY THIS ALL THE TIME THE TIME WITH THE DEVELOP OF JOE IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AkumaDono
My Ashita no Joe Review on YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1JtotcBAwy8 First of all I would like to say that I am very glad to make my first Review about my favorite Anime of all time and it could be my last Review too xD. I hope you can find it helpful. Before watching Ashita no Joe, I was aware of the fact that it is very old and it must have really Old Classic Art so if you care about the Art more than the Story you probably could find it disturbing. However if you are like me and you mainly care about Story then I guarantee that youwould not regret wasting your time in it. Ashita no Joe Mainly focus on Yabuki Joe an Orphan who refuse to spend his life in Orphanages so decided to escape in search for his reason to live. One day he found his way to Doya Town which was a poor Town and the Mafia is taking control of it. While Joe was walking the Mafia were abusing some of the poor children in the town but Joe was not intimidated at all and he does not care about making Justice until the Mafia decided to mess with him so he showed them exactly what he is capable of beating them all down showing them the Wild Animal that lives inside of him. Meanwhile Danpei a drunk former Boxer who failed to make it to the top level saw what happened and was impressed of Joe's Abilities. Therefore, he wanted to see his dream accomplished and he believed Joe is the way to lead him to see a" Bright Tomorrow ". He asked if he wants to be a Boxer and from there the story takes place, what would happen? Will Joe accept Danpei's offer to lead him to be a Pro Boxer? Story - 10 I honestly never saw anything like this story in my entire life, the Drama in this Anime reached a level of Maturity and Perfection that I at least did not think it is possible and I did not expect it will touch my heart so deeply. the beauty of it is that there is an important message and the end of Ashita no Joe 2 that touches you and make you realize something you might already know it but they show it to you in their own way. Art - 4 As I said comparing to the Art nowadays, The Art here is bad However it is decent to me I can understand and see what is going on without focusing hard which mainly what I need. Also to be fair I think it was good enough when you compare it to old anime. Sound - 6 I think the sound is decent you can clearly hear it despite the fact that the anime is old. The openings are really good also you will really love Joe's Whistle I try to practice doing it sometimes but its hard for me to do it *chuckles*. Character - 9 I think the characters are great, you will really like them and you feel that every character made his touch on the series. I can not really think of any annoying Character I liked them all. Enjoyment - 10 I can not describe the feeling to you exactly but each episode has touched me and made me feel like the series is going to the right way and made me think that I really can not expect anything out of it which was the fun part of the series. Overall - 10 Overall, when you finish it you probably would feel like what I feel right now and you would maybe understand my words and why it is the best anime to me of all time. When you put everything together it just become a perfect Masterpiece.
xenoweltall25
Note 1: I am not english speaker Note 2: This Review will refer to both seasons (Ashita no joe and Ashita no joe 2) One thing that i dont like of Sports Anime is that there´s nothing to lose in those series, there's no tragedy in losing a game, you can always try again and all the characters mistakes dont have great consequences, that´s why i dont like things like hajime no ippo or capitain tsubasa, yes, both series are entertaining, but both feel dry and because of the plot armor i dont care of the characters, because they arent in real danger. Even those sports animethat are over the average (For example. Ping Pong: The animation), have that plot armor issues. With This in mind, let me start the review of ashita no joe... Ashita no joe is a very old anime, and because of that the animation is static and the movement is limited and it has elements that have aged badly, but in it´s time it was a very good animation (Considering that this is a 70´s anime), and also the second season (animated by TMS) the animation had an improvement in their quallity. The music is good and kept the tone of the series, but it was quite repetitive and the dirty audio at that time does not help. But, Neither the OST and the animated part isn't what makes ashita no joe an amazing anime, what makes Ashita no joe an amazing anime is something that i said in my introduction, "i dont like sports anime because there´s nothing to lose in those series and the characters are never in danger", well, ashita no joe is the exception to that rule... Ashita no joe is a boxing anime like hajime no ippo is, but there is a diference, Hajime no ippo treat boxing like Capitain tsubasa treats Soccer Games, in other words, Hajime no ippo treats boxing like Boxing fighting shounen, But Ashita no joe Treats boxing like boxing, with the good parts and the bad parts, and it includes not only Championships and the glory of winning but also deaths and serious injury withdrawls, because of the well balanced tone between the Good parts and bad parts of boxing not only works like a very well done drama, but also as a very valid critique of the 70´s boxing system. Also Boxing is used as catalyst to make joe (the main character) evolve from a jerk to a nice person and uses combats to show how much joe has changed after every combat combat. Also i liked rikishi in his role of friendly nemesis and how both evolve before their final Showdown. In conclusion ashita no joe is probably the best Sports Anime ever made, even ashita no joe is not perfect and the animatied part have aged badly, but the dramatic elements, character development using boxing as a cathalyst and the absence of plot armor in it´s characters make it ana amazing title and one of the best series i have watched in all my life. Overall: 9/10 "The Japanese Rocky"
Lindle
While there are some earlier anime that are well-regarded, Ashita no Joe is often considered to be the anime medium's first true work of greatness. In many ways, it does hold up as the benchmark that it is regarded as being - but in many other ways, it requires a "good for its time" disclaimer, as do many of its contemporaries. From a production standpoint, Ashita no Joe has actually held up exceptionally well compared to many other 70s anime. While it does have animation errors all over the place, the rough, sketchy way in which it is drawn makes it look highly stylized for itstime, and due to the rough nature of its art style, the animation errors are far less glaring than they would have been in something cleaner-looking. This style also translates to some very well-animated fight scenes, with surprisingly minimal use of stock animation. My only complaint regarding the production is some of the voice acting, which often sounds monotonous and amateurish. There are a few standouts, though, such as Shuusei Nakamura's take on Rikiishi Tooru, as well as Robert and Carlos being a rare examples of foreign characters in an anime having an audible accent (although why Venezuelans are speaking Engrish is never explained). The dialogue has aged much more badly, though, as around 90% of sentences spoken in this anime contain the word "Joe", most likely uttered thousands of times over the course of the series, which gets about as grating as you'd expect. This is a symptom of one of AnJ's most obvious flaws - everybody is obsessed with Joe to an unrealistic extent. This would be understandable if he were particularly charismatic or likeable, but Joe is an antisocial drifter whose earliest actions in the series mostly consist of theft and beating people up. As part of his character arc, Joe starts off as much of an anti-hero as possible, so the fact that he's regarded as though he were some kind of messiah by most people who know him makes very little sense. My single biggest complaint with the series is Joe's loyal followers, a band of delinquent children who clamour over Joe for reasons that are never adequately explained. They provide most of the show's comic relief, which is never actually funny. They serve no purpose in the plot other than to distract us from it. Their parents also seem to be disturbingly okay with their (sometimes near-suicidal) devotion to a homeless, dangerous, ex-con drifter who has involved them in criminal activity. This show's biggest strength, on the other hand, lies with the rest of its characters. More than boxing, this show is about becoming a better person. Many characters development revolves around this - Joe starts off as a juvenile delinquent, and progresses to someone trying to make a name for himself. Nishi also begins as a juvenile delinquent, but moves towards becoming a well-adjusted member of society. Danpei quits drinking and dedicates himself to restoring his career as a boxing coach. The highlights of the cast are Joe's two main rivals - Rikiishi Tooru, and Carlos Rivera. Anime has a strong history of great rivalries, and Rikiishi is perhaps the first great rival in the whole medium. He represents the opposite of Joe - where Joe is rash, easily-angered, and impulsive, Rikiishi is suave, calm, and collected. The direction he takes when he finally finds a boxer worthy of his rivalry in Joe makes for the most compelling arc in the show. Carlos, on the other hand, is supposed to be a clear parallel to Joe, coming from a similar background and rising from his upbringing in the slums. For all its ups and downs, Joe's story is an engrossing one, and the great characterisation makes it easy to become invested in Joe's developing career. The beginning is quite poor, but once the prison arc starts and Joe begins taking boxing seriously, it's easy to get hooked. The Rikiishi arc in particular is a masterpiece in its own right, and is unfortunately impossible to discuss in detail without tremendous spoilers. Joe is worth watching even just on the merits of that arc. Final Words: It takes a bit of patience to get into, but overall, I would recommend Joe as one of the better series I've seen from the 1970s. Story/Plot: 8/10 Characters: 7/10 Animation/Art: 6/10 Music: 7/10 Acting: 2/10 Overall: 6/10 For Fans Of: Slam Dunk, Rainbow
BowlingJD
After completely binge watching 79 episodes of this boxing anime, I can say that it is a heart wrenching sports story. Never have I watched an anime where I started out hating the main character (Joe Yabuki) as much as I did and then find myself rooting for him. The development of Joe from when he first shows up in the Tokyo slums up until the very last moment of the show is a rare progression of a character if I have ever seen one. With that being said, the show has an extremely slow pace to it. The story is quite morbid in alot of ways, but really gets you into how the main character thinks and why he acts the way he does. I did find myself spacing out a bit during the show to it's repetitive dialog, but when it came to finally fighting (a few characters in particular) in the square jungle, I was enthralled and on the edge of my seat. If you are a true fan of sports and sports anime, give this a try and don't let this old art style or repetitive audio bug you too much.
jmoriarty84
Welcome to what I call one of the most epic animes ever. Try to imagine a Japanese version of Rocky, and this is what you get. But I say Rocky is the American version of Ashita no Joe since Rocky came out in 1976, and the original manga of Ashita no Joe started in 1968 and ended in 1975. But anyway, they share the same charms and are both iconic to their respective nations in their owns rights. The story is reasonably paced and easy to follow, and tells a life story about a young man’s career and his struggles in and out of thering. Initially, Joe was just a bum who had nothing but the clothes on his back. He created controversy that makes Mike Tyson look like Disneyland but yet he was down to earth and had this aura to him in his neighborhood in the slums of Tokyo as if he were Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines. Despite how you can describe Joe in a personal level, it’s bizarre to see him as a hero at the same time. I just find it unique that in real life, people can react the same way when some athlete publicly acts crazy and doesn’t apologize for it, and we don’t really scorn them to some capacity sometimes. The other characters are also unique and some may not be of significant use, but they still have some kind of overall unforgettable impact in advancing the story. Yes, the art and animation are old and outdated which is something that many people today can’t really get past by which I can understand, but if you’re a type of person that can still appreciate the old Rocky movies or old movies in general, then this shouldn’t bother you. After all, Chiba Tetsuya, the artist of the manga still draws in that manner to this day and if he were to draw the manga all over again for today, he’d still do it the same way. But getting past the outdated style, it still does an excellent job of bringing out the expressions in the characters and their builds are well appropriate for their respective weight classes. It’s also interesting to note that with some characters, they will show age and change such as Joe, Nishi, and Noriko. They will look more refined, taller, and have different looking hair to symbolize that they are growing up which I found very unique. I also thought they did a great job of making Rikiishi look dehydrated to make it to Joe’s weight class at 118 pounds, bantamweight, when his best weight class is at 126 pounds, featherweight. Sorry to bring up another Rocky comparison, but the fights are on the same epic level and Joe’s fighting style can be compared to that of the Rocky Balboa character himself. They are both in no ways text book boxers like Floyd Mayweather, Winky Wright, or Pernel Whitaker, and they are go for broke brawlers like Ricardo Mayorga, Rocky Marciano, Antonio Margarito, and Daniel Ponce De Leon. Every punch they throw, is intended to knock you out. Every fight in Ashita no Joe is truly different from the last and brings a different kind of flavors of intensity and will keep you on the edge of your seat. As I described Joe’s fighting style, sometimes you think you’re watching a street fight instead of a boxing match and I mean a brutal street fight. And the ending fight when Joe finally get his shot is one of the best pieces of work I’ve ever seen. Nothing, and I MEAN NOTHING in American, Japanese, Korean, or Mexican or whatever country’s animation or cinema industry can ever come near that fight except real life bouts such as the trilogy between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, or the Thrilla in Manila, and the final fight sets up for the best ending you can ever get. The seiyuu cast is wonderfully top notch. Johnny’s singer Aoi Teruhiko does the voice of Joe Yabuki. He does an excellent job of making Joe sound like a smart ass. Ryuusei Nakao, the voice of Freeza in DBZ, in some versions has played Carlos Rivera and current J-Drama actor Kishibe Shiro does the voice of Nishi. Nishi always came across to me as a Japanese version of Lenny from Mice and Men at a physical level and his voice does come across in that manner also, but his way of speaking symbolizes his good intended heart as well. Unfortunately, some of the other cast members have now passed on but they created a legacy with this anime. Naturally, the music is just something that defines the old school feel to it. A strange way to describe it that, it’s just so masculine and touching at the same time. It’s about conquering adversity and how it will make you a man. But other than that the soundtrack is just one of the passionate singing I’ve ever heard. Well, I’m not sure if Hajime no Ippo fans will like this, but I say if you’re more of a fan of Rocky, than this is probably more for you, while Hajime no Ippo on the other hand, tends to have more of the charms and appeal of the Karate Kid. Many other animes and mangas since then have paid tribute to this wonderful classic by restating lines or re-enacting scenes from it such as episodes and chapters of GTO, Fushigi Yuugi, Berserk, FLCL, Ranma ½ and Urusei Yatsura. If you want to know impact this series has, when one of the characters died, the fans even held a funeral for him. That’s how big it was there, but unfortunately, Ashita no Joe never really made it to America until recently under the title Champion Joe. But to conclude this review, I will say one thing, REAL MEN WATCH ASHITA NO JOE.
Wickio
Stretching towards 40 years since its original broadcast on 1 April 1970, "Ashita no Joe" is one of the very first few sports anime and almost certainly the first to revolve around boxing. Based on the manga by Takamori Asao and Chiba Tetsuya, both the manga and anime are noted for being pioneers of the genre as a whole, and are considered classics. Story: Joe is a deadbeat. He is a troubled orphan who chooses to abandon his orphanage in an attempt to find his own way of life. Walking through the slums of Tokyo, he encounters a drunkard as he is hurled from a bar.Joe disregards the drunk, and ends up in a scuff with members of the local gang. After quickly disposing of the gang members, the drunk is impressed by Joe's instincts and fighting ability. It is revealed that the drunk is Dampei Tange, a former boxing instructor, as he vows to straighten up and fulfill his dream of creating a world champion in Joe. Sounds like a typical shounen sports series in most senses, but it must be remembered that this was the story that pioneered the genre and inspired many future similar titles, and for that it is held by me in highest regard. Art: The artwork will most likely be hard for the modern anime fan to accept, what with its charcoal-like feel and overall scratchy look, but if you have the right frame of mind to appreciate the fact that it is from an era of anime long past it is sufficient in its own right. The animation is fairly consistent and portrays the action in just the right way to get the viewer involved. Just don't go into it expecting "Hajime no Ippo" standard animation. Sound: On the sound front, viewers must again appreciate the age of the anime. The opening and closing themes are extremely old-fashioned and do not exactly get your heart pumping in the same way a modern soundtrack might. Having said that, the in-episode soundtrack does contain some pretty classic tracks and certainly serve their purpose. The voice acting is more or less perfect, with each actor giving a truly believable performance for their respective characters. Really top stuff. Character: "Ashita no Joe" thrives in its array of characters. In the beginning, Joe is our protagonist and is a rebellious youth always looking to cause trouble. It's hard to like a character such as him, and at times you may want to backhand him for being so damn arrogant, but it his arrogance that drives the series initially. As times passes, he becomes tamer and you'll find yourself cheering him on from the sideline as he steps into the rings rather than wishing for his demise. Tange also sees a dramatic change, going from being a lowlife drunk good-for-nothing, to becoming a respectable man, fulfilling his role as the coach in the same way that, say, Mick does in the "Rocky" films. Later down the line, Nishi serves his role as the friend despite their troubled beginnings, Yohko as a potential love interest for Joe, and Rikiishi as a heated rival. I could go on and on about the many wonderful and colourful characters, but I would never be able to provide a complete analysis. There is just so much depth. Enjoyment: At times, it can be downright depressing, but for all the right reasons. The series doesn't set out to be a happy series, and in that it excels. It manages to capture the emotion of the viewer perfectly, and so, in all respects, this is one of the most enjoyable series I have seen, and it really opened up the doors for similar series down the line. Frankly put, if there was no "Ashita no Joe", manga and anime may not be the same today. It is not often that the death of a fictional character can warrant a real-life funeral. That's just how important this series is. Overall: Anyone with even so much as a passing interest in sports anime should consider this a must-watch. In Japan it is considered the king of its genre and rightly so. Even nearly 40 years on, the series never fails to provide a refreshing and exhilarating experience. If you can get past the age of the series, consider this highly recommended.
Animanga