Anime 2921 Ashita No Joe 2 Reviews

The story of the heroic story of a wonderful atmosphere of a very mixed boxing and drama, at one time , Joe is also a personal hero will not be repeated in the world of Animes ever !

What distinguishes the personal is the His sarcasm - refuses to help others - and more ^_^

And the end of the anime is very impressive
I advise you to watch the series
Do not miss This series has a profound drama, I do not think you will see in any other work!

Has been translated from one of the companies by English
And there is also The Italian Sub ... and Arabc Dub I Think ~_~

Bye ^_^

Warning there are spoilers in the series, so I recommend that you finish the second season before reading this review.

Plot 10/10
This season starts off with Joe coming back from his journey after his fight with Rikishi and him making a comeback after it been six months of not fighting. The main focus is Joe overcoming Rikishi death, weight loss, Joe getting his wild side back, and punch drunk syndrome. The way it handles all the trails is really well done. It also handles a lot of stuff better than the first season since we get to see more grown with certain characters such as ... Joe, Yohko, and Carlos. An interesting thing they do is instead starting off where the anime left off the manga. They decide to over write the last 25 episodes of the first series to start at the best part The Rise and The Fall of Joe Yabuki arc. This honestly the best part to start off for this season since it the beginning of the second part 2 of the series and this give the chance to make a better version of that the arc the original series end at. The reason has to the fact one of the main problems of the main series is that the anime was getting really close to the manga and some the stuff was anime original and they were running out of material to cover. It was surprise at the time that after about 10 years the season one end they decide to celebrate Ashita no Joe 10 year by giving us 2 movies and an anime series that cover the rest of the manga that never got adapted. So when the season 2 began they decide to fix that problem they had with the original by giving us a better version of that arc. The reason why is that we got see more of Joe struggled handle in a better way, better structure in certain moments, and the rivalry/friendship between Joe and Carlos. Joe struggle begin got to see how deeply Rikishi death affected him physical and mentally compare to the version of the first season where it only affected his physical. It because of this that the arc had more of an impact to it and make us feel bad for Je as he losing more fights and it seems their no hope off him overcoming Rikishi death. As for the rivalry/friendship between Joe and Carlos it way better handled then first season since we got to see interact more with each other and develop a bond. Their more conflict in this to since they both want to fight each other, but Carlos wanted to becoming a champion so has to decide between taking a risk of fight Joe or never get to settle the score with Joe. The next arc the season has it the Joe Weight Problem in this arc we get to Joe try to make weight for his first title match. In this arc we get to see the struggle Rikishi had to go through to become a bantamweight and we see Joe going through the same thing expect this time to stay as a bantam. Joe had go through the fact he sill grown and his puberty isn’t fully done yet. So Joe end ups forcing himself form growing because of the bantamweight class means to him. The third arc which Joe Wild Side arc deals with Joe needs to his wild side back before he faces the World champion. The last arc with is the Punch Drunk Syndrome arc deals with Joe going through Punch drunk and him making the decision to still fight Joe or to retire. All of the arcs deal with the most important trails for boxers and them trying to overcome them. This season proves that this is the most realistic Sport anime series ever made. All these arc were handle amazing and it shown that people who made season two here actually fans of the series which is rare thing to happen. Overall I give the plot a 10/10.

Characters 10/10

Joe Yabuki: In this season we get to see how much Joe has changed after his journey. He not as rude, more caring, and has become a man. He still is having same traits has he still the asshole we all love, but he more mature now. He also starts to show a nicer side when around his friends and Yohko. In this season Joe goes through a lot of struggles in boxing career. It is because of the struggle we start to start love Joe more now since he finally starts to change and feeling bad for him. The series shows use flashbacks on how Joe used to be alike and showing how much he has grown. Another thing I love more about Joe this season is how feeling change about boxing. At first he only doing to settle the score with Rikishi, but now he doing because he loves boxing. We get to see this by his still waiting to boxing even during his losing streak and the fact he could no longer punch in the temple. This gives the determination of waiting to overcome it no matter what. Another instance was when he was having trouble losing weight. During the episode Danpai wants to Joe to stop trying to lose weight Joe says the reason why I am want to stay a bantam is because of Wolf, Carlos, Jose Mendoza, and even Riksihi who died as a bantam weight. This shows how much he respects his rivals by staying in the class even though it might cost his own life. The third moment is when he tells Noriko the reason why he boxes which he loves doing it and he will do it until he becomes White Ashes. The last moment is he goes through punch drunk syndrome and him still decide to box even though he might end up becoming like Carlos or worse. These moments show that Joe truly loves boxing, respect his rivals, and he will box until the day he dies. We also get to see he is very thankfully for Danpei because of him he meets Rikishi. The last thing about him that as change is how much he cares about his friends. Such as the moment Nishi had to retire, Wolf, and the moment he found what happened to Carlos after he fought Jose. In the two moments we get to see how much this affects him and joe starts to blame himself as the reason why Carlos had punch drunk Syndrome, Overall Joe is easily the best anime character ever made and is truly shows because how much he has changed.

Carlos Rivera: Carlos who ranked number 6 in the world. We first see when Yohko goes to brings him to Japan in order to face the Japan best fighters. Carlos fights ends fighting the last opponents Joe lost to in reserve order. He is described as an actor because he doesn’t take his fight seriously. His main goal is to fight someone that make him go all out and to become a world champion. He starts to become a second Rikishi for Joe when they had their sparring match. In his sparring match we see Carlos finally found someone he can go all out in order to defeat him. It is after this moment Carlos wants an official match with him in order to settle the score. However, this problem because he was only schedule to only have three fights and has a match with Jose coming up, but he still to decide to fight Joe no matter and refuse to leave Japan until they settle the score. During the fight he was happy to finally to face someone he can toe to toe with. The best to describe him that he similar to Joe by the way the grow up and has the same wild side Joe has. Carlos shows us how dangerous punch drunk syndrome can be when we get to see after his fight with Jose he becomes a broken man and no longer the same. This very sad to see since he longer the same person anymore. Overall Carlos is one of the best characters in the series.

Tengei Danpai: In this season we get to how much he truly cares about Joe and how much his relationship with Joe has change. This is shown by him worrying about when Joe was overcoming his struggles. Danpai in the end wants what best for Joe even though Joe will agree with in the end. This shown when he told to Joe retire after he saw the suffering Joe had go through with overcoming Rikishi death and Joe losing weight. We side of Danpai where he doesn’t Joe to end up having the same fate that Riksihi had. However, Joe end up showing him his determination which the reason why Danpei still has faith in him no matter what. We see get to see more of the father role Danpai has since he his Joe father figure. Even after the moment Joe lost to Jose, he recognizes that Joe is a champion in these of Joe Japan champion and he the campion of everyone who lived in the slums. Overall it goes without a doubt that Danpai is easily one of the best master ever.

Nishi: In this season we get to the how close his friendship with Joe is and the struggle he has to go through. We get that he ends up retiring because of his injured hand. After this we see him starts to focus more on job and to get with him the girl of his dreams which is Noriko. Through we see that a side of him that we never saw before and we see of him making an important decision in his life which is him decide to give up boxing even though he loves it. We also get to see how close Joe and Nishi have become over the years to end up having a Manly friendship. Even though he stops boxing he still spars with Joe because want to help him out. In the end Nishi is one of the responsible men in the series and achieves his goal which is to end up marrying Noriko.

Wolf: In this season we see that Joe as start to forgive Joe for what he did to him. It is shown when he and Joe start to respect each more as boxers and as a person. We also see this when kept his promise to Jo when return the money he owns Joe and starts to change his life around in order to become a better person. Overall Wolf is now a more likable character in this season.

Yohko: In this season is a mysterious person. The reason why is she doing things and we don’t find out the reason until later on. An example of she brought Carlos Rivera with her from trip back to Venezuela. For him to fight Japanese fighters, but her true intentions are for Carlos to become Joe new rival. This shows that she is wants to help out overcome his struggles, but we don’t find the reason until the end. Over the course of the season she become the president of Shikari Gym in order to follow Joe career to the end. It also because Yohko connection with other people around the world Danpei ends up asking her to set up matches for when he no one left to face in Japan. Through the season you see why she does things she does is not only because she wants to help out Joe but she realizes that she in love with him. It is because of this she tries to stop Joe form fighting Jose but he doesn’t listen. She watches the fights and end up leaving because she could take seeing Joe hurt. Until she comebacks to her senses and that she needs to be there to support him. After the match Joe ends up giving gloves to her as a symbol which signifies something to remember him by and sorry I can’t be with you. Overall Yohko has become a better character and she without a doubt the best female character in the series.

Noriko: Noriko is what I describe as a girl who tries to decide who she rather be with Joe or Nishi. It is obvious that in the first series she loves Joe, but in the second season she realizes that can’t be with him after Joe tells her the reason why he boxes. It is at this moment she realizes that she can’t be with Joe since him getting hurt will touch for her to handle. It is because of this Noriko slowly develop feeling for Nishi and end ups deciding to marry him. Overall Noriko is probably the closet we ever get for a love struggle to happen and, but doesn’t go anywhere since this series isn’t a romance, but she the second best female character in the series.

Kim Yongpi: Kim is joe next major opponent Joe had to deal with after his fight with Carlos. Since Kim is the OBPF champion. Kim is very interesting since their isn’t much information about in the boxing world beside that he killed to opponents and his backstory. Kim is a fighting machine this describe the way he fights and the way he acts. Kim however has fear of blood and every time he see blood on his hands he tries to wash it even though no else can see it. He shows no sign of fear until he saw Joe keep getting back up every time he hits him which the reason why Joe win in the end. Overall Kim is character I wish we got to see more form him since has the most interesting backstory out of all the characters since he a little kid in the World War 2 and ended up killing his own father.

Jose Mendoza: Jose symbolize as a perfect in the sense he takes out his opponent with ease, treats his opponents with respect, has a family, and has a nice life style, but we realize that he actually has flaws. He servers as Joe ultimate opponent because of his strength and statue as a boxer. It shown his respect for his opponents when he refuses to Carlos on the poster for his next match. The other time was when he found he killed the WBC champion during their fight and tells Joe he fells sad. When he first sees him the series he has the most interest indroucting to a character. We see that he tells the reporter Joe Yabuki Where he came from and Where he going to go. This very interesting since this line means he want wants to Joe background and how far he going to get to in Boxing. We see that every time he shows up has this certain intimidation in him with the touch Joe shoulder and said Good Luck to the moment he called Joe a Yellow sheep. Even though he seems perfect boxers he does weakness such as can’t take too many punches and he can be drive to go crazy. When he has saw Joe was still alive in the 10th round and he wonders why Joe is still alive. This ends up driving Jose to the breaking point of insanity and starts to break the rules. Which surprise everyone in the crowed. In the end of the fight you see a broken man who knows he doesn’t deserve to win the fight. Especially when look on how he can even barely stand while Joe could still stand in the end of the fight. Overall Jose is definitely the one of the powerfully foe Joe has every face and the close thing we got to a good antagonist in the series.

Overall the series characters are simple one of the best things about this series because of interesting, entraining they can be and have great character development they have. I can’t talk about every character since that would take too long and I only want to talk about the ones that got the most focus in this season.

Animation 10/10
The animation has improved by a lot since the first season. This because of not only the 9 years’ difference between season 1 and season 2 ad that this had movie budget level. This the interesting since this probably the only series that has receive this level of quality and has no moments of bad animation. Ever scene in the series is beautifully, especially those screenshots that make good wallpapers. The only explanation I think of the reason why they give this season very good budget is because of the popularity and the impact it had in the anime industry. At the time the only series that can rival its popularity where Lupin the 3rd, Space Battleship Yamato, Cutie Honey, Shin Maginzer Z, and Astro Boy. So the animators know they have to give a season that everyone who was fan of Japanese animation something to remember. Out all the anime I have seen nothing rivals Ashita no Joe season 2 animation and it’s still holds out very well. Even though e getting new anime series every year none of animation they have is nothing compare to Ashita no Joe animation.

Music/Voice Acting 10/10
The soundtrack of the season has lots of jazz to it and its very emotional soundtrack especially since this the darkest portion of the series. The soundtrack fits very well by adding sad music when a sad moment and when they songs when the fight sense get very intense. All of the songs are very good and hard to choose which are mine favorites but if I had to choose it would have to be between Twilight, Forever Joe, and the ending theme of season 2. A lot of the roles have change for certain character because of the gap between the season 1 and 2. The voice that have change are Yohko, Danpai, Nishi, Noriko, Goromaki. However, is it hard to notice since they aren’t really a difference to their voices. Overall the music and the voice acting are very good.

Adaption 10/10
The second season adapts all of part two of the manga version. However, there is two chapter they do skip since season one already cover that. One of the chapters where the one Joe decide to go take underground boxing since he go through a losing streak and could get any more opponents until he meet Carlos. The other one was the exhibition match Joe had Carlos which good that as removed since that was not needed. Like the first season they decide to has filler canon moments. These include filler fights and giving us more screen time for certain characters. It is because of these canon filler moments it gives us a realistic feel. Let me explain in the manga it felt strange on how Joe was ready to face the world champion even though he only won 18 fights versus the anime he only won 24 fights. This makes manga fell kind of rush so we get to see only joe important match while the anime we get to see all of the of them. This season also handles it characters better then manga version because we more time to see the them more and the get a chance to develop. This adaption fixes the problems that the manga and gives a better version of part 2. Overall season 2 is better than the manga because of it is more realistic, relationships between characters and the grown the character go through over the years.

Enjoyment 10/10
When it comes to how much I enjoy season 2 it gives me the most enjoyment I have ever had. Like I said with the first season this is a series I can never get tired of watching. The characters, the story, and the atmosphere of it is something I always love about this series. The fights in the season have more intense moments than ever before which makes the fights more enjoyable. Out of all the fight that season 2 had my favorite would have to be Joe vs Carlos. The reason why is because they were equal, we got to see Carlos go all out, and both of them were enjoying the fight. Even though there are moments were it had to watch the series such as when we Carlos is no longer the same person anymore and the fact this season has the darkest moments in it these end help out with my enjoyment with the series. This series give me a feeling that no other series can give me. The way to describe this feeling is that it’s show that I never wanted to end and It’s a series I can never get tired of. Even when I already seen this series 3 times and still enjoy just as much I enjoy the first time I watch it.

The Ending
Before I give my final thoughts on this season I need to address my thoughts about the ending of this series. The ending is leave to your own inception on how do you think what to Joe after his fight with Jose. However for me, I believe in the end Joe died which hard for me to say. The reason why I believe this is because the white ash line. During Joe conversation with Noriko he states this I won’t stop boxing until I turn in white ash and their no long a flame that burns. What this means that white ashes symbolism death. We see that in the scene of episode 47 Joe is white. This means he has turn into white ashes and he is now died. I feel that this the best for ending since this fits it the most. During the manga still going and Chiba left in charge on how series he thought of them making Joe spend his rest of his life with Yohko. This change when editor remind him of the conversation Joe had with Noriko. It at the moment he decides to make Joe turn into white ash. This fit more than original ending he had planned since fits the character Joe. It’s hard to imagine Joe retiring seeing how much he loves boxing. So let the dying symbolizes going on journey that he will come back form. Also ending was foreshadow very since how Joe was dealing with punch drunk syndrome, the white ash conversation, Noriko asking Joe he will come back after his fight with Jose, and the fact Joe fighting best person in the world. It is sad to see my favorite character of all time died in the end, but I could not ask for a better ending. Out of all the ending I have seen this without a doubt the best ending ever made.

Final Thoughts
Overall my thoughts on this season 2 is this what made the best series I have ever seen. It is because of this part is why this series is my favorite anime of all time and my favorite show. When I finish the season it gives me a void that took a year to get over. This series change my opinion on the sports genre because I watch this I though sports anime were boring, but that change when I saw how much I was enjoying this series. It also left me the biggest the impact I ever had while watching a show by letting feel so much emotions, the void, how attach I was to the characters and the story of it. Overall this season is the reason why Ashita no Joe will always be my favorite anime and favorite show of all time. I give season 2 a score of 10/10.

Joe Yabuki is a young man from the slums who recently came out of juvy where he met his rival Toru Rikkishi. Sadly, this season spoils the conclusion of said rivalry as the events are featured in its 1970's 1st season which should be watch first. This sequel continues where the original anime left off giving a slight recap of events as it moves forward with the themes of the story. The many challenges Joe faces are the consequences for boxing & the permanent damage he delivers to his opponents along with Joe's own torment. Joe's life is full of grief, hope, & commitment to ... the sport he loves. This is where Joe grows into a man who takes responsibility for his past misdeeds for the sake of his rivals, friends & family.

I definitely recommend watching its 1st season for its very crucial to the story the same way as the 1st season of Hajime no Ippo is to its sequels. This season was animated in 1980 with supreme animation that is movie quality budget also with great storytelling. Don't miss this anime!!!

Overview:

Oh hell yes! Today is FINALLY the day I talk about Ashita no Joe! It took me about 6 months to finish part 1 and part 2, but my god was it worth it! I finished part 2 at the beginning of this year and it's simply outstanding! Today's review will be covering parts 1 and 2 because I'm frankly too lazy to write 2 separate reviews. Due to Joe's length and my desire to avoid spoilers, I'll be dividing Parts 1 and 2 into pros and cons. Without further ado, here are my thoughts on anime's most iconic sports entry.

Joe Part 1 Pros:

The best ... part of Joe part 1 is Joe's character development. I don't feel that's a controversial statement. That's pretty much a self evident truth to everyone who has seen this series. Joe is rather unique among shonen protagonists. Also yes, Joe is technically shonen and not a seinen. What makes him so special? How about the fact that he spends the first 20 episodes being a loathsome, nigh irredeemable asshole? We've seen plenty rough shonen heroes who're "jerks with a heart of gold" like Yusuke in Yu Yu Hakusho or Jotaro in JoJo. That's not the case here! The show goes out of its way to make the viewer angry at Joe. When he first fights his rival Rikiishi, we're all cheering for Joe to get his ass kicked and learn some damn humility. Throughout its long runtime, Joe goes from being someone you hate to someone you cheer wildly for. By the end of part 2, EVERYONE is cheering for Joe and shouting at the screen! I would argue it's one of the best if not THE best face turns in anime.

Another great part of Joe 1 is simply how outstanding it looks for a 1970 anime. It was airing alongside the original Speed Racer and looks like an anime from 1985. Osamu Dezaki is a genius! Due to the extremely strained budget, there are some animation errors and scenes that don't look perfect, but relative to its time Joe is incredible!

The last great thing I'll talk about in Joe part 1 is the music. Joe and Rikiishi are each given iconic themes that will be forever remembered in Japan and around the anime loving world! The OP and ED are both amazing. While the soundtrack is limited, it REALLY does its job!

Cons of Joe part 1:

The last 25 episodes or so are filler. Yeah...I just skipped those like everyone else. Especially since some of those episodes cover events that are covered better in Joe part 2. For example, Joe's rivalry and friendship with Carlos Rivera.

The comedy scenes. This was 1970 and apparently Japan was still being influenced by American comedy of the 1940s and 50s. Joe is followed constantly by this "Little Rascals" gang of street urchins and they are NEVER funny. Not once! They just kill 5 minutes of every episode and piss me off. The animation isn't what makes Joe part 1 feel dated. It's the jokes that literally end with the "Wah Wah Waaaah" sound cue. It just makes me grind my teeth whenever it happens.

Rikiishi's diet feels so melodramatic and out of place in this series. In order to drop 3 weight divisions and fight Joe, Rikiishi eats only 1 tomato a day while burning 25,000 to 30,000 calories each day. He keeps this up for several months when in reality he would die of a heart attack in 2 days. Rikiishi is promoted by a respectable gym and has top tier physical trainers that allow him to do this! The series up to this point has been somewhat grounded in realism. From a medical perspective, this is no different from introducing aliens or having Joe learn psychic powers. It's SO far removed from logic and reality that it's very hard to suspend your disbelief.


Joe Part 2 Pros:

The second half of Joe introduces several new rivals including Kim, Carlos, and Jose'. All the characters in part 2 from Joe's sidekick Nishii to Yoko all get excellent character arcs. It would be SO easy to just write Jose' as an evil bastard for Joe to slay, but instead he's a rather likeable guy! All the characters in Joe part 2 are excellent....except for one. We'll get to him later.

The animation in part 2 has improved yet again. This came out in 1980 and looks like an anime from the 90s. The fights in Joe part 2 are astonishing! Just flat out awesome!

That ending. Joe has one of the most bold and refreshing ending episodes in the history of shonen. I've never seen anything like it! I was on my feet cheering for the entirety of the Joe vs. Jose' fight and my lord the feels!

Joe Part 2 cons:

Joe's weight loss odyssey. This was a DUMB sub-plot that was brought up midway through the 2nd season and then abruptly dropped like a hot potato. It's revealed that Joe is still growing at the age of 24 and desperately has to lose weight in order to fight Norio Wakamoto, oops I mean Kim Yong-Bi. This obviously happens in the manga in order to make Joe go through what Rikiishi went through in part 1, but it feels SO forced. Also, after the Kim fight it's never once mentioned again that Joe is naturally too tall for bantamweight. The mangaka literally just forgot about it!

Ladies and gentlemen....Harimau. If you've seen Joe, you KNEW it was coming! This might be the worst mini arc I've ever seen in an otherwise great anime. It's actually SO bad that for me it torpedoed the overall show from a solid 9 to an 8. The mangaka has gotten a lot of shit for this character, so I've read interviews and I clearly know what he was going for. Joe has become too civilized like Rocky in Rocky 3, so Yoko fears that he won't stand a chance against Jose's vicious style. In order to awaken Joe's "inner beast" she finds the most savage opponent possible. Harimau is meant to be a twisted mirror of Joe from the beginning of the anime. Joe is supposed to be confronting his worst self. However, that's just the symbolism and doesn't erase what actually happens in the plot.

Yoko travels to the jungles of Malaysia and finds a Stone Age tribesman who has been conditioned by some British safari guy to fight for food. Harimau is SUCH a racist caricature that it's not entirely clear that he's intended to be human. I think he's supposed to be part Denisovan maybe? It's flat out stated that this thing has the intellectual capacity of a chimpanzee! Yoko commissions Joe to fight this thing and Joe beats it to a pulp. Let's say Harimau is actually human. Yoko forced a man with profound mental retardation (IQ under 30) to fight a boxing match and Joe beat him up! Let's say he's a Denisovan. In that case, this was extreme animal abuse, not a boxing match! Yoko and Joe randomly turn into absolute monsters for 3 episodes and commit an unforgivable atrocity. At this point, every villain protagonist in anime is shaking their head in disgust at Joe and Yoko! Alucard and Askeladd are utterly disgusted. Poor Lucy from Elfen Lied is dry heaving. Please do yourself a favor and skip episodes 37-39 of Joe part 2. I promise you the entire anime is better with those 3 episodes ripped out!

The last negative thing about part 2 is actually the music. Remember those iconic themes from part 1? Well, apparently due to some copyright bullshit they couldn't use them. Not once in all of part 2. Instead you get some very cheesy and dated synth music. Every dramatic scene used the laughably cheesy "Midnight Blues". Don't believe the weaboos who say it's actually Midnight Bruise, it's supposed to be Midnight Blues! Halfway through part 2 I had a horrible thought. "Oh my GOD! What if they end up playing Midnight Blues during one of the most iconic moments in manga! No! Surely not! There's NO WAY Dezaki would allow that to happen!" Then sure enough it fucking happened. I flailed my arms and screamed like a child. I don't recall if I actually cried. I very well may have.


So there you go! Ashita no Joe is overall deserving of its masterpiece status, warts and all. Make no mistake about that! I absolutely recommend watching this anime if you haven't seen it already! If you wanted to know why I didn't put it in my top 10 all time though...well now you know.

I know that people think i'm Exaggerating by giving this old work 10 as an overall,but to be honest,i've seen so many anime in my life and non of those ever reach to the depth of my heart like Ashita no Joe did!

The art is amazing,and for me as and old school fan it's my Favorite style of drawing.
When you listen to the soundtracks i'm sure you will feel like if it was a solace for joe in his sadness times,or an encouragement in his heartiness times!

The characters are few,but they are special,specially Joe and Rikishi and i'm not going to say ... anything about what happened between them,but their relationship is the beginning of Joe's story!

It's not story of boxing tournament,no it's something more than that,it's a story of a whole life of real men!.And they're not fighting each other,no they're fighting the life of Misery,sadness,and pain! yeah ashita no Joe is a real drama anime!

Joe is complex character that you can't fully understand!but for sure he's a character you will love and Interacts with!

If you haven't watched this forgotten legend till this day,then how lucky are you to have an opportunity to see an anime you've never seen like before and you will never ever!

The original Ashita no Joe is often regarded as the anime medium's first true masterpiece - in spite of some key flaws that prevent it from truly being one. As such, it is exceptional more for its time than anything else. The same cannot be said, however, of Ashita no Joe 2, which is an improvement in almost every regard.

The most obvious reason for this is that when the original series was airing, the manga was not yet complete, resulting in a slow pace and an abundance of filler to avoid catching up with the source material. This sequel, however, aired long after the manga's ... conclusion, resulting in it being far more concise and focused.

Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the first arc of the series, which covers the same story arc as last 25 episodes of the first series, following the events of the manga faithfully so as to preserve continuity (as the events of the two are significantly different in execution). If so inclined, one could skip directly from episode 54 of season 1 to episode 1 of season 2. The plot here is a marked improvement on the previous attempt, not only clocking in at half the length but also providing a significantly stronger character arc for Joe during his recovery from the events of season 1.

It also does a considerably better job of establishing Joe's bond with his new rival Carlos Rivera, an instantly lovable rogue with a similarly playful attitude and tragic backstory to Joe's, both of which immediately cement them as each other's counterparts. The only omissions are elements of Carlos' backstory specified only in the first series that fleshed Carlos out slightly more, but this isn't as important when compared to how well this series builds his chemistry with Joe.

The sequel has also made a tremendous improvement in all technical aspects. The first season was legendary director Osamu Dezaki at the start of his career, and while it was artistically rough around the edges, even then they showed an incredible artistic flair and introduced techniques never before seen in anime, pushing the envelope and crafting an aesthetic that made the show visually striking in spite of its technical limitations. This series shows Dezaki ten years later, at this point a seasoned professional who has over the last decade mastered his craft. Ashita no Joe 2 is one of the most visually spectacular anime of its era, with polished and fluid animation that nonetheless retains the rough, sketchy charm of its first season. The fight scenes have fantastic choreography, even going so far as to for each boxer to have a distinctive style of fighting. Even outside of the boxing matches, there's a clear emphasis placed on body language and character movement. The only major technical fault is in the voice acting - more specifically the Engrish. Most of the Engrish in this is to a surprisingly high standard with most extras and minor characters sounding plausibly American. The exception is José Mendoza, by far the most significant English-speaking character in the series, and the only one whose actor clearly does not speak a word of English despite it being José's only spoken language.

While corners are cut in the name of cheaper animation, as with all Dezaki anime this is achieved through the use of clever techniques that improve the dramatic presentation of the anime rather than marring it. Most common amongst them are repeating the same shot three times to great dramatic effect, use of obscuring shadows, and the "postcard memories" technique, wherein a detailed watercolour painting is used to portray dramatic moments in favour of animation. All of these contribute to the exceptional cinematography present throughout Ashita no Joe 2. The music in this series is similarly excellent, albeit dated, and with certain tracks being overused. However, Dezaki often does more with the absence of music, creating an eerie and tense atmosphere, often combined with his signature long takes and wide shots exemplifying his masterful cinematography.

The new filler-free approach that Ashita no Joe 2 takes leads to substantially better pacing than the original, keeping an exciting and fast pace compared to the slow burn of the original - and the presence of Joe's fanclub of children has been significantly reduced as a (welcome) result. There is a slight lull in the middle episodes, however - some of this is well-utilized for character development, but there is a brief stretch of its run in which Joe faces a series of opponents who contribute little to nothing to the plot and are noticeably flat characters compared to the usual high standard this series keeps - most notably Harimao, who was awful in every way, sticking out especially due to how over-the-top he is both in personality and boxing style - he feels like he comes from another show entirely.

He is the exception, however, as Joe's supporting cast is otherwise excellent. Along with Carlos, we are also introduced to several other new rival boxers, most notably Kim Yong-bu (the debut role of now-legendary seiyuu Norio Wakamoto) and José Mendoza (who is built up from early on to be, in essence, the final boss of Ashita no Joe).

But the standout is, of course, still Yabuki Joe himself. Joe's character arc is the pinnacle of Ashita no Joe's primary thematic focus - character growth. It's remarkable to see Joe go from where he was at the start of season 1 to where he is at the end - the changes in how he views himself, his friends, and boxing. Even moreso because of how subtle his development is, being slow enough as to never seem forced whilst still being a clear and pronounced change.

Ashita no Joe 2 is by no means perfect - along with a few aforementioned flaws, there is a major plothole regarding Joe's weight class, his struggle with which is a major plot point during the Kim Yong-bu arc but which is immediately dropped without explanation the moment this plot thread is over. However, in spite of its imperfections, Ashita no Joe is absolutely worthy of its legacy. It's a compelling story with exceptional directing and characterization, one that pushed the bar for what anime was capable of and left a tremendous cultural impact - the final shot of the series going on to be perhaps the single most parodied and referenced scene in anime history.

Story/Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Animation/Art: 10/10
Sound: 7/10

Overall: 8/10

For Fans Of: Slam Dunk, Megalo Box

Ashita no Joe 2 started out a little bit lacking, but quickly became so addictive that I made time to watch all 47 episodes within 1 week. I found it to be slightly less appealing than the original Ashita no Joe series, though it's still amazing.

- - - S T O R Y - - -
The beginning of this one overlaps with the later part of the original series. Having watched the first Ashita no Joe series, I immediately spotted some differences. To me, it looked like a lot of details were removed and that they aimed to make it more sportsman-like. The ... Ashita no Joe I'd come to know wasn't really about sports, it was more of a drama about a wild, young boxer learning about values and how to overcome his troubled past. A fair bit of the drama from the manga was cut out, but this still managed to be very entertaining. The thing I liked least was the ending, which felt a bit abrupt and unsatisfying, especially since there was no aftermath.

- - - A R T - - -
Here's a clear improvement compared to the original series. The animation is pretty fluid and, while it does recycle some sequences, it does a good job of feeling fresh and exciting to watch. Yabuki Joe is a guy who can't sit still, randomly doing things like walking on his hands, and the animation puts in the effort to let his character shine. The art style is also very charming and unique, which makes it all that much better.

- - - S O U N D - - -
I was pretty disappointed with the first opening theme when I started watching this. Both the song and animation made me question whether or not I was watching Ashita no Joe. It was too cheerful and sporty, which is basically the complete opposite of the original series' opening. Worst of all, the opening animation doesn't even include Joe at all. However, despite all my criticism, the song is pretty catchy and quickly grows on you, especially since they play it a lot throughout the series. The second opening theme fits the mood far better. Not much else to say about it, they nailed it.
It's too bad they couldn't include some of the songs from the original series, but this one had plenty of good songs, too. Coupled with Joe's habit of whistling tunes, the whistled song and other catchy tracks made it so I couldn't help but whistle some of these songs throughout my day like Joe would.

The voices for the main characters are all good. Joe sounds manly as hell, something modern anime is lacking big time. There's a surprising amount of characters who speak in Engrish, which is laughable. I find it ironic that Jose Mendoza speaks in terrible Engrish while disposable supporting characters speak with perfect English. In one of the last couple episodes, they described a character as having - get this - "goose flesh". They meant to say "goosebumps". It's pretty funny when you need subtitles to be able to understand what the characters are saying when they're speaking in your own language.

I just don't get how they could have voice actors speak perfect English, definitely voiced by Americans... then they have these other characters voiced by Japanese people who have clearly never used English in their lives. They should've had an American revise the English part of the script. I mean, they have a boy named Chelsea. I can't believe I wrote this much about the sound.

- - - C H A R A C T E R S - - -
Well, there's our hero, Yabuki Joe, who's probably the most unique anime character I've ever seen. He has so many habits and distinct personality traits that I can't think of another character like him. His character is very lovable. It's great when everyone around him is wearing a suit at a formal event while he's just wearing his dirty old coat and cap. He's a manly ass yarou who doesn't let anyone push him around.

The rest of the cast is great, too. You won't find one-dimensional characters in this anime. They behave like real people, not like character archetypes. In particular, I feel like mentioning one of the kids from Joe's gang, Tonkichi. He's ugly and stupid, you'd think you'd like him the least... but everytime he's on the screen, I just know something good is gonna happen. His clumsy, ill mannered behaviour is just hilarious.

- - - O V E R A L L - - -
Well, I enjoyed this greatly. I know I said this is kinda more about sports rather than drama, but that's not entirely accurate. Ashita no Joe 2 has almost no focus on the technical aspects of boxing whereas Hajime no Ippo has a ton of focus on it. This series is still dramatic and stuff, just not quite as much as the prequel. I just kinda wish they stayed a little truer to the manga... and I wish they got some American help with the English parts.

I wish more anime was as good as this one.

Talking about old anime is always a pain in the ass. Especially if nostalgia is involved or a certain show is highly regarded on a certain website. Not many people will actually watch something like ashita no joe and the ones that do are usually fans of 80's anime or weebs who are really passionate about sports anime. So of course the opinions are going to be biased, elevating the show to a legendary status and creating high expectations that will not be met for everyone.

To be honest i dont really care if this is supposed to be the first masterpiece anime medium has produced. ... But most reviews here only point out the good parts of ashita no joe 2 without mentioning the very obvious list of flaws it suffers from.

Sure this show has some Great parts. So Great i cant belive Its made in 1980. The animation is amazing for the time. Joe's character development is pretty good. The first and last fight of this season are easily among the best anime fights of all time. However the arcs in between these fights are the problematic ones.

These arcs just feel like filler to delay the final confrontation with Jose. Each match's result is predictable and the fights themselves arent that good. The reason why rikiishi vs joe is considered as one of the anime fights of all time is because despite being long it never feels boring. The fight starts before their actual match with rikiishi trying to lose weight and joe training to counter rikiishi's uppercut . As a result i was already at the edge of my seat when the match began and wasnt let down by the way it progressed from there on. Because rikiishi's techniques are hidden to the viewer you dont know what will happen next or who will win the fight. Which is why the whole thing is such a joy to watch. Even after the match ends it can shock you yet again and that's how you write a legendary fight.

Unfortunately the middle arcs of ashita no joe 2 have none of that. Joe's weight loss is dumb on so many levels and isnt brought up ever again. Kim yong bi's back story was interesting at first but then it finishes with him not ever getting haungry ever again which is just anime bullshit and it really feels forced as a result. The fight itself isnt very good either with him only having one secret move and joe surviving on spirits alone. The same is true for the rest of the matches in the middle part. Harimao, the afro guy that was so imporant i forgot his name and the other boxers i dont remember enough to even describe all have one gimmick at best that beat the fuck out of joe in the first rounds but then he finds a way around them and wins the match. There are no pre match trainings before these fights and no new techniques are developed unlike the first season which means joe will go in the ring and randomly throws fists until he wins. This works in the final fight because Its such an imporant moment in the story but the fight with that afro guy? You cant tell me it has the same build up.

The other major flaw with ashita no joe 2 is how it treats its characters. Joe and yoko are the only ones that get any proper development while danpei and nishi dont change at all through this season. It doesnt help that most of joe's oponnents are completely one note and for the ones that arent i only liked carlos mainly due to his personality. Jose and the korean dude were interesting at first but fell flat to me by the end.

There are also some problems regarding the script dragging on the story with unnecessary flashbacks and monologues and yeah i havent read the manga but after watching so much anime you can feel this kind of shit trust me. Also soundtrack sucks. Absolute garbage.

With that said im still not sure if i can just recommend the manga and be done with it. Truth of the matter is with all its flaws ashita no joe is a beautiful story and you should definitely watch it anyway if youre a fan of sports anime but if youre not, well i hope this rant of mine helps you make your decision.

The real Rocky if you ask me, in fact the manga is older than the Rocky films. By far the best sports anime of all time that tells the story of Joe, a troubled teen that has been dealt a bad hand by fate for most of his life but as a result of being homeless with no family or friends to go to he's learned to survive and fight as well. For most of his life he has drifted as a juvenile trouble making vagabond, but one day an old washed out boxer that has nothing in life but booze comes across Joe fighting ... a bunch of criminals and their encounter would forever change both of their lives. Joe begins a journey of hardship, success, happiness, and the dark tragedies many boxers face. This anime is a real motivator to, and it's been a while since I shed a tear last one before this was Clannad After Story.

Story: The story is long, but not to complex. Best thing about the story is that it's not stagnant things can turn over pretty quickly and the foreshadowing is often vague but sometimes that element is more apparent than in other episodes. There is a lot of lessons to be had about the realities of boxing, and what many boxers have to go through in this brutal sport and how it can effect their lives outside of boxing as well. The story is very dark but there is a lot of motivation and strife to be found in it that can inspire others.

Art: For the era it's pretty decent, there is often detail within fights, and has it's share of gore at times but not Elfen Lied levels of gore. I enjoy the character styles and to be quite honest I was never a big fan of brightly colored anime hair in more modern anime. It looks and feels Japanese and more often than not has traditional Japanese references within the art. There isn't many hiccups in scenes they seemed to put a lot of attention to detail with the animation it even rivals some anime that were made around the 70s and 80s and even into the 90s.

Sound: I enjoy a lot of the OST and it feels very Rocky, especially Rikiishi's theme. Traditional acoustic and for the era that's to be expected you won't have many grand budget studios for amines in the 70s and 80s. I feel a lot of it could have been better but it served it purpose and the OST is used the right way when it comes to the emotions the anime expresses.

Characters: We don't got many cookie cutter characters here, a lot of the boxers have their own back stories and personalities they feel like actual people that would be in the sport of boxing. It doesn't suffer from the modern era of anime with to many generic characters. A lot of people don't like Joe, in fact he is probably one of the biggest A holes you'll ever meet but he changes through out the show but still keeps that certain flavor about him. Characters go through stages and the story progresses some begin to rise and fall, they effect Joe's life many times permanently in both good and bad ways from interactions with the other characters. Joe is far from the standard sports hero and there aren't many heroes to be had in this anime most characters are far from Saints.

Even if you hate sports anime I still recommend watching Ashita No Joe from start to finish. Read the manga to. Only truly bad thing I can say about watching Ashita No Joe was not watching it sooner.

Ashita no joe review

A great story about a man who fought until his last round a man worthy of respect a man named Joe Yabuki.

Story 10/10
The story revolves around a stray dog who becomes a boxer and follows him along his long road to achieve his goal. A story about a man with dignity , a man worthy of respect, a man named Joe Yabuki.

The worbuilding is done at a steady and natural pace. We are introduced to the atmosphere of the 70's in Japan and the way of living for the people from the Tokyo slams. We get to know the stage where our ... main character is training before each match. That stage are the slams from Tokyo, to be more precise a area named Namida Bashi (The bridge of tears).We get to know each person from that area and the way they are living their daily lives. We get to know their pain, their poverty but also their happiness for each small thing that brings them joy.

This is the stage where our main character Joe is spending his own sweat and blood , the place where small dreams become big, a perfect stage to tell a great story for the future generations, the Tange Gym boxing club.

The pace of the story is not rushed at all for the characters and plot every detail is masterfully used to contribute for the development of the characters and story. Each small step counts and Ashita no Joe focuses on those small steps to portray the struggles, fear, joy,sacrificies and development of our characters.

The main themes that this anime abords are coming of an age and identity portrayed with the help of our main character Joe through his boxing matches. The boxing matches are so realistic executed by the anime , that it's like watching a boxing match from the first row for the viewers.
Each boxing match is a new experience for our main character and each opponent changes his point of view and perspective about the world he lives in. It shows him how small his own world is and helps him gain experience.
The story is linear and divided in different arcs , each arc symbolize a new challange and experience for our main character Joe that needs to face it to achieve his goal.

The show also portrays human drama through the struggles of our characters into the professional world of boxing. We are shown their resolve and fight to maintain their category weight, the cruelty and lonliness they face in order to do that, their fear and sacrifice.
Because it's done at a steady and natural pace and it's not rushed or forced , it leaves a strong impact on the viewer and manages to deliver the message.

The message that this anime delivers for is viewers is motivating and a lesson about promise, keeping your word, dignity, struggle, sacrifice. Its about beliving in your own strenght, never give up and fight for your dreams and desire all portrayed with the help of our characters and throughout their boxing matches. Each boxing match symbolizes a new experience and each round symbolizes a lesson. A lesson about finding your identity, a lesson about life , a lesson about how to be a man worthy of respect and word.

Characters 10/10
The characters in Ashita no Joe are practicaly the story. We have well written characters, characters worthy of respect, characters with dignity and pride, great characters.Each character influence each other and contribute to the development of the story and main character Joe.

Joe through each meeting of new opponents he learns more about himself and life. Each boxing match is a life lesson for him and the boxing ring is all that he has, where he finds his own trueself. It's the place where he shreds his sweat and blood and exchanges punches with his opponents. Those punches symbolize his pride and burning life and with each punch he sends a message to his opponents. A place were gentleman meet and have a disscusion.

Each character helps and supports Joe through his development and to overcome his struggles. Tange who found Joe when he was a stray dog and guided him towards the world of boxing , a mentor and a parent for Joe.

Rikishii who changed Joe's atitude and woke his inner fighthing beast spirit. Throughout their boxing matches they exchanged words yeah heavy words that changed both of them and also their surroundings. With each punch that connects they learn about each others , weakness , strong points and personality. A man of dignity and respect a man who puts a strong price on the word promise a man called Rikishi.

Yoko a great female character that supports Joe from the shadows. Also she is the one that does everything with a purpose and meaning and influence directly or indirectly other characters and the story through her actions.

In each arc there is a new character that helps Joe and changes the world around him. Also a strong point for this show is how it handles it minor characters and develops them along the main characters. The anime uses every character at its fullest and doesn't cast them away at all. Even the children who are used as a comic relief to bring a tone of comedy for the anime have a influence on the story until the end.

Animation 10/10
A old animation style that fits perfectly for the characters and manages to emphasize their emotions and fighthing will throughout their boxing matches.Also the stuning visuals from the old anime backgrounds always captivate my mind and draw me inside the story.

Sound 10/10
Great music, stuning ost, and the opening songs are lit.

Enjoyment 10/10
When you have great minor characters, well written characters and Joe a man worthy of his word the show becomes enjoyable and the boxing matches captivating.

Overall 10/10
A classic masterpiece , a story about life told from a mature perspective by our characters, a coming of an age theme executed with no flaws. A boxing match that represents everything for our characters , a place where our characters shred sweat and blood, a place where small dreams become big, a place where men stand as equals ignoring their social status and nationality, a place to tell a story for the future generations, a place full of hopes and pain. This is Ashita no Joe a place where the impossible becomes possible.

Ashita no Joe.
This series is great. Joe is an orphan, who is wandering everywhere from place to place and ended up at the slums where he call it his home after he met Danpei. Joe is always quick to fight others and wild, because of his rough upbringing he is a delinquent who likes his solitude, but later on in the series his character development is amazing, after he met Rikiishi his rival and also a friend. Joe became a rather better person than he was before.

All the characters are amazing, Nishi and Danpei is one to mention they are such a good ... friend or rather a family to Joe and always staying by his side, because he never had a family to begin with. And all the fighters that fought Joe, all of them had a really interesting and depressing backgrounds specially Kim Yong-bi and Carlos, and can't really hate one of them (except hor Harimau that is)

The art is also a worthy of respect, specially for a 1970s-1980s anime and the music backgrounds were also really good in my opinion, pure classic.

"My fire is nothing like those unfulfilled and incomplete combustions you see everywhere. It may be for a moment, but my fire roars up so bright and hot, it's almost blinding. And then, all that remains is pure white ash. There are no embers left, just pure white ash." ~ JOE YABUKI

This line is everything to Joe, this is what he holds, without the flames in his heart he is nothing, he fights and never gives up until his dying breath.
Such an amazing line.
Despite being alone and has no parents to take care of him, he still manages to survive, just for the sake of oneself.

Well that's all I can say, I'm really bad with doing reviews but I feel like I had to do this one since I really love this anime, and holds a special place in me.
Is it worth watching? Yes it definitely is, would definitely recommend this to others, even tho its old, it doesn't define how good this anime is. Anyways that's all, Enjoy!

Ashita no Joe S2 fixes all the production issues that plagued the first season and completes the greatest character arc in anime history. A journey that is equally tragic and uplifting of a troubled orphan who through competitive sport transforms himself from a literal zero to a beloved hero.

I greatly appreciated the development of Yoko's character in this season. We see her in a major position of power, pulling the strings behind Joe's bouts and doing what she can to feed his insatiable desire to fight. She's also further established as a person, as we begin to understand why she's so passionate towards boxing ... and her true motivations for being so involved with Yabuki. More fighters are introduced to the story, many of which are unforgettable for reasons I will not disclose here, but do know that AnJ produces some of the greatest rivalries in anime.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle preventing people from watching AnJ is the date of airing. True, 1980 is a long time ago. True, the animation isn't up to snuff with the cult popular anime of today. But by no means is the animation bad in this season. In fact, if you're even able to make it here from season one then it'll be a major sight for sore eyes. There is also something to be said for watching the anime that helped provide a platform for so many popular shows of today. If you want to see where Hajime no Ippo pulls so much inspiration from, to see where the "orphaned neglected impoverished badass boy develops into a strong revered man" character archetype was popularized, to see what is the most iconic and parodied ending in the history of the industry...you need to have watched this anime at some point in your life. I'd consider this a must watch series for any invested fan out there.

The second, and even more regrettable obstacle is the sports tag that for whatever reason seems to automatically repel viewers who believe they need to like sports to enjoy an anime tagged a such. You do not need to like boxing in order to appreciate this anime. Like Hajime no Ippo but even better at it, AnJ uses boxing as a vehicle for it's characters to grow as people and form meaningful connections in life. Without it, they'd be dead or incarcerated. In Haikyuu very few viewers give a damn about volleyball going in. They're made to like it through the characters themselves and their enthusiasm for the sport. In Baby Steps, very few viewers understand the technique of a backspin; hell neither does the lead character! You grow to appreciate the sport through the characters, who often times are just as much a novice of the sport as you are. You will grow to appreciate boxing through Joe and his contemporaries.

It's really, really saddening that this anime sits at only 5000 logged completions at this time. I do not know an anime that is scored so high with such low viewership. Maybe Megalo Box will make more of today's generation aware of this show. Maybe you will randomly find this review buried under the dozens of others and start to watch it, if not already. Whatever the case, this needs to resurface as a well known anime, because it's too good to be left unfinished by the masses.

Sackcloth & Ashes:

Aoi Teruhiko, no matter what lesser anime's he's been in since and how marginal a few of his voice performances may have been, he will never be less of a voice actor than he is as Joe Yabuki in Tomorrows Joe. He is authentically disturbing, entirely becoming a man, transcending to the most vulnerable. He lives and breathes this performance, and you realize that his portrayal runs so deep that it's no longer a performance in the traditional sense. There is the bone chilling scene near the end of the anime that makes me cringe reflexively, but all we see is an ashy ... silhouette.

The dim, hazy slow-motion shadowboxing of Joe’s shrouded figure, the tops of the judge's heads barely visible through the shadows of the background, out of which the sporadic flash of a bulb will momentarily disperse---is not even a moment in time so much as a corner sketch of a moment in time, playing on endlessly and savoring itself. And it's a moment of heightened reality in the routine of a boxer: Those moments pumping up ringside before the fight begins. Director Osamu Dezaki manages to present his anime with moments so abstract and yet so pared down that many impressions such as mine can come of it. It's pure feeling.

The character, Joe Yabuki, that proceeds to pervade every scene subsequent is not just a crass, angry man with hang-ups. The sudden, random violence that explodes incidentally and in the background of Joe’s past & current life is more than just part of a tableau of mean abandoned streets of the Japan Joe knows. The shocking fights, the brawls and arguments, the top-of-the-lungs fight with Yoko, these are the tableau of Joe’s limited, insulated inner world. These are the things that he acts on so regularly that his world can't make sense without it.

It's not a story of boxer Joe Yabuki’s life. It's a story of bitter congested aggression and how it affected his career in the ring. He would fight like he didn't deserve to live. He would punish his opponents like they were the root of his paranoia and anguish, and he would take beatings and punish himself for what he'd done wrong. This is inarguably one of the darkest most potent anime’s. It broods deeply, much quieter and much more claustrophobic than any anime I’ve encountered. Tomorrows Joe Explores the soul of a profoundly complex man who is searching for purpose.

Story: 10/10
Art: 6/10
Sound: 8/10
Character: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overal: 9/10

Ashita no Joe was an absolutely stunning anime . It is a masterclass in storytelling, with intense action, well-developed characters, and a powerful emotional arc that always kept me on the edge of my seat.

What makes Ashita no Joe amazing is its ability to balance the excitement of the boxing matches with the human drama of the characters' lives outside the ring. The series tackles themes of friendship, loss, ambition, and love, with sensitivity and nuance creating a truly emotionally engaging and immersive experience. The animation is top-notch, with dynamic and fluid fight scenes that showcase the athleticism and skill of the boxers. The ... soundtrack is also exceptional, with memorable music and themes that heighten the tension and drama of the story.

Overall, Ashita no Joe is a GREAT sports anime and is one of the best of its genre. It is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates unforgettable characters, expert storytelling, and thrilling action. love this show so so much.

9/10

WOW.... I can't believe this show is over from the very first season and episode I was trapped . first it starts off kinda of slow and boring but it's usually the ones that start out that way that equal an amazing anime Anyway excuse my grammar but this show is fudging exceptional you learn the story of a young man and his conquest to achieve his happiness and bring about change in his local area as well as in himself . This season (being the last) shows just how far he's came and evolved into a mature and grateful young man . I urge ... you to start from the first season fall in love and then come back to this season . This will always be near and dear In my heart .

*This review covers both seasons, and is spoiler-free.

Oh, Ashita no Joe, where do I even start... how about the beginning?

I only watched this after reading online that a lot of people enjoyed it, and that there were some extremely good anime that were created long ago (1970!). So, why not, I started up the first episode. Man, was the art bad. The sound caught me off guard too. Everything just struck me as bad. And yet, I kept watching, giving it some leeway while taking into account its age.

And so I watched another episode. And another. And another. And 2 months later, I finished it. ... Man, was it a wild ride. But I don't regret any of it.

The essence of the story follows Joe Yabuki, a juvenile delinquent of sorts, orphaned at birth, who travels across Japan and ends up becoming a professional boxer after overcoming a myriad of obstacles, including his own reluctance. All throughout, there are tinges of comedy, romance, and slice of life, but the overarching message is one that teaches determination, dedication, and passion: a wild internal flame. Joe as a character is possibly one of the most developed ones I have ever encountered. The transformation between his initial first episode appearance and his last is astounding, but completely plausible. The adult themes are strongly relatable, and they are contained within all characters, not just Joe himself. Danpei, his fatherly boxing instructor; Shiraki, the devoted woman who pulls the strings from the background; Nishi, his faithful friend and loyal second; something can be learned from each character. And these give only a preemptive taste of the whole picture.

A diamond in the rough. Though its initial appearance may be filthy and unappealing, a little time and patience gives way to something truly remarkable.

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.

Ashita no Joe 2 continues the story of Joe yabuki in the dark world of boxing, but this time he will have to overcome the trauma he suffered from having his best rival rikishi killed, this time the anime manages to surpass the manga by far, it is achieved See Yabuki's ambition to reach the world title, I don't want to make spoilers, but the new characters like Carlos or Mendoza just enrich the plot because everyone has a reason and a development, everyone has their moment, there are no empty characters, everyone has something , Joe seems to be a human character, he is ... the closest to reality in the BOX anime world, maybe he no longer has the rivalries like Joe and Rikishi but he manages to overcome the first season, this anime is art.

A whole decade later, Ashita no Joe would return. This time the studio responsible for it was Tokyo Movie Shinsha instead of Mushi Productions. However the studio was not the only thing that changed. They also changed the voice actors for most of the cast, but that is more of an understandable change since it had been 10 years since season 1. At least Joe's voice actor returned. Osamu Dezaki was also brought back as the director.

Ashita no Joe takes place about 6 months after the events of season 1. Joe is feeling down about certain events. He quit Tange's gym and is just wandering ... around without anywhere to go. One day Joe runs into Wolf Kanagushi and Goromaki Gondo. They light the dying embers inside of Joe and Joe decides to make a comeback in the boxing world. This time Joe has his sights set on the world champion.

Like I said earlier, 10 years passed before Ashita no Joe 2 saw the light of day. But even though some things were lost, other improvments were made on the series. One of the stand outs is it's animation. The animation in the second season is a huge improvment on the animation from season 1. It is still not great, and it still uses quite a few stills and reused animation, but it is nowhere near as bad as it was in season 1. All the music from season 1 was also changed for season 2. That also means that Joe's whistle for season 2 is changed. That made me a bit sad, but it is honestly just a minor detail. I really liked a lot of the new music they added though, so that pretty much made up for it.

I must say that I enjoyed this season of Ashita no Joe less than season 1. Now don't get me wrong, the second season is still really good, but I feel like it had some issues that I didn't see as much in season 1. One of those issues was when Joe was struggling with weightloss. I really liked that they did that, but I did not enjoy that after that one fight weightloss was never an issue for Joe again. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that when you grow and become bigger that you don't just struggle with weightloss once and then never again. Another issue I had was the foreshadowing. The foreshadowing was one of the best parts of season 1, but in season 2 I felt like the foreshadowing was way more on the nose. It felt like they were afraid that the viewer wouldn't catch the signs, so they kept bringing it up time and time again. Despite these flaws though, I still think that Ashita no Joe 2 is a great anime. The story is still as strong as it was in season 1, and the fights are as intense as ever. I don't know how many times I went into a fight feeling nervous about whether or not Joe would win.

Overall I would have to say Ashita no Joe is a must watch show. This show is way too good to skip. Joe has a very strong reputation, but honestly, the show delivers on everything you could want and more.

*SPOILER FREE REVIEW*
this is art.
I used to be a die-hard one-piece fan believing nothing will ever even be close to its level and that it would forever be my favorite anime. Well then met Ashita no joe.
the story is of a young man called joe yabuki who is a drifter traveling around without any plans in sight.
everything changed when the old man called tange dampei met joe in a brawl convincing him to start boxing.
whist reluctant at first he eventually excepts it.
this isn't your average sports anime where everything is happy adventures all around. this is a dark story showing the downside of boxing.
Another ... sports anime called HAJIME NO IPPO is also a really good boxing anime. However, there is a huge difference between the two. Hajime no Ippo is a purely sports anime, whist Ashita no joe is a drama based around boxing.
in the end, what I'm saying is if you want to get into this series you should hasten your self as this isn't some joyful sports shonen like haikyuu or knb.
This is and always will be the best sports anime of all time.