May 8, 2022
I've never been into boxing but series like Ashita no Joe makes boxing imo the best sub genre of sports. I highly recommend to not avoid this series because of its old age or the fact that it's about boxing.
I'll try to spoil as less as possible.
Ashita no Joe is a phenomenal coming of age story and in my opinion the best out there. Season 2 which adapts part 2 of the manga is generally considered the better part of the series and is the main reason why the fans love it.
Of course I'd also have to mention that it's one of the most
...
if not the most influential series in animanga.
Story:
Masterful. There's a lot of subtle foreshadowing for the conclusion which I noticed since I'd already read the manga even in season 1 there was a lot of foreshadowing. The story goes on like any other sports series, pre-match + match + post match, but it imo utilizes this formula the best out of any sports series.
The buildup is genuinely intriguing and gets me hyped and it's not just introduction of the opponents like other sports series. There's a lot of stuff happening and all of these play a huge role in the development for Joe's character.
The story also portrays the themes of friendship, rivalry and manliness so well that I'd argue no other anime does a better job in portraying these themes.
I would also have to mention how well it symbolizes some of the stuff. One example would be, Joe's dream in the last fight. It perfectly capitulates Joe's character and what Joe though ot his rivals.
In addition, it has imo one of the best and most refreshing conclusions in any anime.
One arc, however, sticks out a lot and that is Harimau's fight. The overall arc was not bad and I liked how it played out in the story and the impact it had on the story but the fight itself is ridiculously dumb and that is my main problem with the series and because of this it might be my least favorite arc in the entire series.
Another downside are the kids in the series who are only there for some lighthearted comedy once in a while but they're never funny and in contrast, come off as annoying.
Characters:
I might be biased due to how much I just love Joe as a character but I also think that the other characters (or at least some of them) are great. For example, Yoko. She initially acts as a plot device and just provides any sort of financial support when it's needed in the plot but she also develops a lot throughout the series and becomes a major and tragic character.
The main part of why I love this series is Joe's development and growth.
In season 1, and I don't think I'm alone, I really hated Joe and thought of him as an asshole but in the end he became one of my favorite characters in fiction. Some people may say that Joe never changed but I'd argue against it. Initially he was a douchebag who never respected anyone and always resorted to violence but later he matures and learns to respect others. He doesn't box anymore just for himself but also for others sake. The man who thought it was okay to use stones to fight against another man now never wants to fight against others in an unfair ground. It's not just that Joe changed a lot but also that the story really portrays his character so well.
However, I do think Carlos is a bit underdeveloped considering the fact that season 2 cuts out a lot of part from his arc. He is of course not a bad character by any means in the anime but he also feels a lot less underdeveloped than all of Joe's other main rivals.
As I've previously mentioned that Harimau's arc is my least favorite arc in the series and another reason for that is that he doesn't feel like a character at all. They just basically added a monkey character named Harimau. He has absolutely no personality and his entire character is so underwhelming compared to that of the others.
Music and Animation:
The music is very good although my problem is that they changed a lot of the iconic themes because of copyright reasons but that honestly isn't that of a big deal. Although I do say that I do think that the music played on the conclusion of the series was very unfitting and they honestly just could've played Joe's whistle or any other theme from the series and it'd have been so much better.
Nothing much to say for animation, it just looks phenomenal. Legit looks better than a lot of early 90s animes and this series came out in 1980.
Enjoyment:
I've thoroughly enjoyed season 2 a lot. Fights are always very enjoyable and relatively compared to other sports series can be very unpredictable.
I also like some of the slice of life episodes and in a lot of cases help build Joe's character and his rivalry with others.
It's overall a very enjoyable show.
Overall:
It's a 10/10 series.
It's my second favorite anime and imo the appeal of the show outweighs the flaws so much that I want to give it a score of 10. Of course nothing is perfect so me giving it a 10 doesn't necessarily imply that it's a perfect series but I do highly recommend everyone to give this anime a shot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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