Joe 2

Don't be discouraged by the production date. This review is penned in 2024 and to be honest there are some pretty interesting things happening in modern anime. And, it follows that a lot of the older series simply cannot compete, pound for pound, with new product? Joe is not merely an exception to the rule, it is THE exception. First of all, the animation style. It was unique in 1971 and it remains unique today. If you do the research, you will find the closest analog was the baseline cartoon style from the 1940s and 1950s, in the popular comic books, a style that was considered lost to the world. Until JOE appeared two decades later. The writing and story lines are excellent. Many episodes touch the heart. Highly recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from Ashita no Joe. I thought it was just one of those old-school anime that purists overhype out of nostalgia. But I was completely blown away. It's so much more than a boxing anime - it's a deeply human story. Joe might be the most authentic character I've ever seen in anime. He's raw, flawed, and painfully real. His growth feels natural, every decision he makes, every reaction, just fits perfectly. You're not just watching him fight in the ring, you're watching him struggle through life, through pain, anger, loneliness.

What really hit me was how the series tackles themes like grief, exclusion, jealousy, and the search for meaning - all with subtlety and honesty. There's this lingering sadness throughout the story, but somehow, there's also warmth and hope in the darkest moments. It never feels forced. It's just real. Ashita no Joe isn't just a cult classic - it's a timeless masterpiece that grabs you by the gut and stays with you.

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 isn't a show about boxing, it's a show about a man who boxes. And yet it's the best sport anime I've ever seen.

But Ashita no Joe is less about boxing as a sport, and more about how it can become the very lifeblood for a man, and how that affects him and those around him.

The story of Ashita no Joe, seen through Joe Yabuki (amazing protagonist) as a character, was very influential to the young crowds at the time. Joe's journey through life, his strive to find meaning in a beforehand meaningless existence, his brash attitude, combined with the state of the Doya slums, created a very relateable figure for the younger crowd back in 1968.

It even went so far that they constructed an (real life) funeral for a deceased, fictional character. The creators themselves had difficulty believing how much of an impact Ashita no Joe had as a story.

While Hajime no Ippo (another boxing anime) had a huge impact in terms of Manga field because of its longevity, characters and other things, Ashita no Joe was a social piece of art which became the symbol of a young population protesting on the streets, it went beyond the borders of its media to become a cultural and social symbol.

Ashita no Joe is one of the few shows I consider peak fiction and Joe was the best main character I've encountered.

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.