Rocky Joe, il campione

I did not watch the first season of Ashita no Jo, as I was not able to find it through my usual means of accessing Anime. After having watched Ashita no Jo 2, I can confidently say that you do not need to watch the first season to enjoy the second. It does reference the first season a number of times, but in such a way that it fills the blanks while doing so.

Ashita no Jo 2 is a special anime. The show does not try to convince you to have a certain perspective about the protaganist and his flaws, it simply takes you on a journey where some of the most powerful and inspiring aspects of human nature can also represent the most heart-breaking and disappointing results.

AJ2 seemed like it was going to be one thing as I ventured into the first half of the show, but it became something that held more depth, pain and within those qualities, beauty - than I imagined it would.

I believe that we as viewers are most drawn to characters in movies/books/tv that convincingly represent human traits and flaws in their more extreme places on the spectrum. Jo Yabuki is the epitome of finding fulfilment in the simplicity of one's passion, at cost to all other things, if necessary. The people around him represent balanced desire, normalcy, without this being portrayed as negative. He is what many wish to be, but fear being. Passion, in it's purest, most undiluted form. How beautiful, how tragic.

Amazing anime. It's a grown up anime. It's harsh. But it's also touching without being kitsch. This is an anti-kitsch, loving and touching rash story. Beautifully made.

It suffers from lack of technology, of course. Even the plot won't follow modern graphics of tension and release. This is old fashioned. It's like reading a book. One of my favorite shows.

My fellow reviewer is the main reason I'm writing this review. He couldn't understand "the cartoonish design of the seven kids" and why wouldn't they grow, so I want to give him my thoughts on that. Read his review, for a detailed commentary on other aspects of the show - it's a very good review.

Here we go:

Cartoonish kids are supposed to be cute. These are the ugliest kids I've ever seem in animation. It IS unsettling. I think that's part of the plan. They are poor. It's a sick world. They are ugly kids.

And they DO change, as time passes. Specially the kid with the big teeth and the older kid, Taro, they change a lot during the 79 episodes. But they won't grow. They don't have food. Poor kids don't grow properly. They're underdeveloped. They are not normal kids. They are poor kids. I think that's the underlayment to those kids and I think it's heartbreaking.

That's some sophisticated way to deal with children in cartoon. This show is the opposite of kitsch and it's harsh, but it's not pessimistic. That's what's special about it. It's uplifting and full of hope and wisdom and lessons about overcoming problems.

It's a wonderful work of art.

Also, great music.

The best sports anime and maybe the best anime, the best developed protagonist who I saw, the best goal in my opinion, secondary characters also had interesting backstory and them goals also deserves your attention , the end at the same time sad and happiness,absolutely cinema,even it's 1980 the animated have good, and the worst is that not popular because it's old anime, but when you watch his you sneeze at quality of animation or voice, plot the very interesting where you worry or happy for protagonist feel emotion like Joe, like he is your close friends, I can't say bad about this anime it's perfect for me,

Ashita no joe is nothing like average shounen, in fact it's not even like average sports anime like hajime no ippo or blue lock, ashita no joe is very realistic anime that doesn't require gruesome scenes or extreme dark themes, it doesn't try to be dark or mind blowing, it's hard to explain in words but there is almost an emotional mature aspect to it, which you can just feel it by watching and reading the art itself.

The journey of joe from being arrogant to being mature is just peak fiction.

It's been more than 50 years and no fiction of media has topped ashita no joe for me. Greatest piece of fiction no doubt about it. Everything about it is beautiful, I love the midnight blues as well.

Ashita no Joe anime is an incredibly old work, and at first I was quite skeptical about it. But after watching it the whole way through, I can only say that I am amazed. This is without any doubt one of the greatest anime in history, which influenced an entire generation of Japanese and confidently passed the test of time, because its main drawback is the art, but most people get used to it quite fast.

Ashita no Joe set the highest bar for anime storytelling quality. Such cast of characters, their in-depth exploration, development is almost impossible to find. All the characters, even the ordinary drunks, are memorable here. The main character has one of the best character developments that I've ever seen across all serialized stories.

The fact is that the vast majority of sports works are built according to one hackneyed scheme. The main character is a genius with a hidden talent in his sport. He meets a stern trainer who helps and trains the hero. Then there is a meeting with the main enemy in which the hero loses. After this, through overcoming, quarrels with the coach, loss of motivation (optional), overcoming some kind of physical injury (if any), they come to the final rival, at first loses in the fight, but miraculously turns the situation around and wins. In this regard, Joe is capable of surprising (watch the first season and you'll understand what I'm talking about). It is the plot that is the strongest side of "Ashita no Joe", and also the excellent musical accompaniment (the second theme by Rikiishi Toru and undoubtedly Midnight blues will forever be in my heart). But also the background music, music for combat and in tense moments is of the highest level (especially in the second season, the music of the first will appeal to those who love the classics of the seventies). Also excellent openings (my personal favorites are the first and fourth).

I highly recommend this anime to everyone who enjoy following well-written stories and are not prejudiced against old artstyle.