Joe 2

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.

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.

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.

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.

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))