Yabuki Joe is left downhearted and hopeless after a certain tragic event. In attempt to put the past behind him, Joe leaves the gym behind and begins wandering. On his travels he comes across the likes of Wolf Kanagushi and Goromaki Gondo, men who unintentionally fan the dying embers inside him, leading him to putting his wanderings to an end. His return home puts Joe back on the path to boxing, but unknown to himself and his trainer, he now suffers deep-set issues holding him back from fighting. In attempt to quell those issues, Carlos Rivera, a world renowned boxer is invited from Venezuela to help Joe recover.
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.
Ashita no Joe es un anime algo olvidado de los años 70´s, que en su tiempo sirvió de inspiración para la parte pobre del pueblo japonés, y a la vez haya es recordada por los más viejos con cariño. Pero aquí en occidente, pese a ser doblada, pasó desapercibida, cosa que es una lástima, ya que esta obra es asombrosa, créanme que no exagero de hasta considerarla una obra maestra. Y como hace poco la termine, aquí les traigo una simple reseña, que resume por qué considero a este anime como uno de los mejores que he visto. __Joe Yabuki__ Joe es simplemente uno de los mejores personajes que habré visto en ficción, al principio es un personaje algo despreciable, arrogante, cretino, aprovechado y una bestia salvaje, pero con cierto carisma que hace que no puedas odiarlo, además de que este tiene su perspectiva sobre la pobreza, ya que a fin de cuentas él también lo es, pero lo más interesante de él es su increíble y constante desarrollo, en donde tendrá que afrontar varios demonios internos sobre acontecimientos sucedidos, como por ejemplo la muerte de Rikishi o su estancia en el reformatorio, con las cual este reflexionará y aprenderá lecciones que lo marcarían y lo separarían de su yo inicial, pero no es como que sea un cambio completo, ya que el personaje aún tiene su carisma y arrogancia del principio, solo que se ha vuelto más maduro y aprecia mucho más las cosas que tiene como las personas de su alrededor o el antiguo gimnasio danpei, todo esto por las relaciones y acontecimientos de la serie, para que este cruce un viaje de maduración en la que incluso formaría una perspectiva de la vida, la cual explicare mucho más adelante. __Toru Rikiishi y su influencia en Joe__ Rikiishi es un boxeador que por su comportamiento termino en un reformatorio, siendo un tipo muy dedicado a su profesión, con este se podría observar una representación de lo que sería el mal del deporte por el cómo perjudica a la salud de los boxeadores, al punto que Rikiishi padecía de desnutrición a la hora de la pelea, cosa que más el puñetazo de Joe, le causarían la muerte, pero Rikiishi no es solo eso como personaje, ya que a mi punto de vista la muerte de Rikiishi es una de las mejores que habré visto en ficción, no solo por el drama, sino por el cómo repercute en los personajes, más específicamente en Joe, ya que pese que su relación haya sido algo conflictiva, para Joe, Rikiishi era un modelo a seguir por su honor, fuerza y voluntad, así que su muerte afecto mucho a Joe, al punto que este quedaría incapacitado de golpear a la cara, ya que fue un golpe así el que catapulto a Rikiishi a la muerte, haciendo que este reflexione sobre sí mismo, pero este aceptaría su muerte para volver al ring, pero esta vez no solo cargando su voluntad, sino también la de Rikiishi, para que al menos su muerte no haya sido en vano, sirviendo varias veces como una motivación para Joe, para honrar a su gran amigo, Toru Rikiishi. __Tange Danpei__ Tange sería una representación de lo que sería un boxeador y entrenador que quedaría como un fracasado por tomar varias malas decisiones en ambas carreras, pero que al conocer a Joe, este recupera su esperanza. Tange diría que es de los personajes que tiene una de las personalidades más completas, ya que se le ve en cientos de estados de ánimos por sucesos importantes en la obra, siendo un personaje con el que es muy fácil empatizar. También este y su relación con Joe van en constante evolución, ya que al principio Tange lo veía como su vía de escape para dejar su triste vida de mendigo alcohólico, pero poco a poco con las vivencias que tiene con Joe se ve el cómo poco a poco pasa de una figura paterna a una materna para Joe, ya que este poco a poco se va encariñando de el, al punto que le propuso dejar el boxeo por su bien, llorando por él y preocupándose de él. Un aspecto que me encanta de Tange, es que este pese que es un ex-profesional, es un entrenador con complicaciones y no es el típico que tiene las soluciones a todo o que sabe todas las técnicas. __Secundarios y relaciones __ El cast de secundarios es uno de los más completos que habré visto, todos teniendo una personalidad y visión del conflicto principal de la serie, ya sea unos siendo alegres y motivando a Joe para alcanzar su meta como los niños del barrios, siendo algo introvertido pero intimidante, manteniéndose preocupado, pero también optimista como Nishi, otra alegre y amable, pero teniendo una visión violenta y negativa hacia el boxeo como Noriko, o alguien determinado y con carácter, manteniéndose distante, pero siendo parte principal a la vez como Yoko. Los secundarios de la obra siempre sirven para algo, ya sea un obstáculo y oponente como Carlos el cual es un hombre carismático y muy empático, o Jose siendo un hombre serio y frío en el ring, pero que en realidad es una buena persona por el cómo carga con todo y el cómo se comporta con su familia. Estos personajes tienen unas interacciones muy bien logradas por el contraste de personalidades que tienen, dando relaciones muy carismáticas y memorables, pero lo mejor de estas es el cómo estos se ven afectados por los demás y el cómo progresivamente van cambiando, como por ejemplo Nishi, que inicia siendo alguien violento e intimidante para pasar a alguien algo tímido, respetuoso y amable, o Yoko la cual su interacción con Joe inicia como una muy conflictiva, pero ambos por los cambios que experimentan en la obra se van volviendo más cercanos y empáticos el uno con el otro. __Ritmo y acontecimientos __ El ritmo lo puedo resumir en perfecto, la serie pese que cuente con 90 y pico capítulos (quitando los de relleno) no hay ningún capítulo que esté de más, nunca sentí como si la serie fuera muy rápido o lento, ya que esta da su debida profundización a todo y haciendo todo de manera gradual sin extenderse o apresurandose, además de que en todos los capítulos ocurre algo de relevancia, ya sea un combate importante, un obstáculo o problema, una nueva oportunidad, etc. __Drama y tono__ Ashita no joe es un drama muy bien logrado, ya que el drama es la consecuencia de algo que hizo el personaje en cuestión, ya sea la muerte de Rikiishi provocada principalmente por su entrenamiento para bajar de peso. Y también estos acontecimientos tristes no solo es la consecuencia de una acción, sino que es una marca en sus seres queridos, como también la muerte de Rikiishi, la cual deja una marca permanente en Joe, o el estado metal de Carlos Rivera (el cual por cierto fue uno de los momentos que más lastima me dio en la serie) el cual marcaria Joe para que este ahora se sienta en obligación en luchar contra José, además que estos personajes ya los conoces, sabes sus razones por las cuales hacen lo que hacen, siendo aún más chocante cuando ocurre un acontecimiento dramático, algo que apoya mucho al drama es el tono, ya que la serie no es desgracia tras desgracia al punto de que te mantienes indiferente, el drama funciona porque la serie sabe balancear el tono entre feliz y triste para que en un momento estés satisfecho con la resolución de un conflicto y después estar llorando como marica durante todo el episodio. __El mundo del boxeo y sus complicaciones__ Ashita no Joe se caracteriza por mostrar una realidad algo oscura sobre el deporte, ya que al ser el boxeo uno de los deportes más peligrosos, los personajes sufren por este tanto física y psicológicamente ya sea que por algún golpe quedes con una lesión grave o que por un golpe mates o le arruines la carrera a alguien quedes marcado por la culpa, esto funciona para explorar aún más en la mentalidad de los personajes, más específicamente en Joe, además de que si pierden no solo repercute en lo físico y lo mental, sino que en lo económico, ya que recordemos que de esto viven los personajes. También hace bien en representar a las entidades del boxeo, gente corrupta que quiere ver tu carrera terminada para su beneficio, un público hiperactivo que le da igual las reglas solo para ver a gente destruyéndose el cuerpo, solo para su entretenimiento, y reporteros que no les importa la vida de los boxeadores que incluso entraran a la casa de estos sin su permiso para conseguir una noticia que llame la atención. Las peleas las podría resumir en una montaña rusa de emociones, a que varias veces los personajes se verán bajo presión por su oponente, además de que varias veces cuentan con tácticas, como el uso específico de algunos golpes o el aprovechar el escenario para hacer más daño o el defenderse, más que hay varios factores que tomar en cuenta, como la fuerza, velocidad, precisión, resistencia y técnica de los luchadores, haciendo que si bien un luchador sea mucho más fuerte físicamente que uno, el otro le puede ganar por su capacidad de esquivar y tener una técnica mucho más pulida que la del otro. __Temas y mensaje __ Ashita no joe a través del deporte explora varias cosas sobre la vida en general, como el cómo una mala decisión puede llegar a acabar con tu carrera o con tu vida, sobre la injusticia y las dificultades de la vida, la aceptación de la muerte, el camino a la madurez, la importancia de la relaciones, de un ser querido, temas que se reflejan en las cosas que les ocurre a los personajes y el cómo estos lo afrontan, pero mis temas y mensaje favorito vienen de la perspectiva de lo que es la vida para Joe, sobre la perseverancia y determinación para cumplir nuestros objetivos, sobre la dificultad de esto, y que mientras estés vivo, darlo todo de ti para seguir hacia el mañana recordando el ayer para no cometer los mismo errores hoy, para superarte cada día, y el quemar tu vida hasta que solo queden cenizas, demostrando que lo diste todo de ti hasta el final, reflejado en su protagonista, Joe Yabuki, que vivió hasta dar todo de él mismo en su duelo final contra José Mendoza. __Apartado Técnico __ El apartado sonoro es de los más memorables que habré escuchado, con un manejo espectacular de los instrumentos para crear temas que complementa muy bien a la escena en cuestión. Si bien la animación es algo lenta, varias veces la fluidez llega a nivel increíbles, más un muy buen uso en de las sombras, y algo que me gusta de la serie es que el diseño va progresivamente evolucionando, haciendo que los personajes sean muy diferentes físicamente a los del inicio. __Conclusión __ Ashita no Joe es una de las serie más completas que habré visto, un constante desarrollo en sus personajes, muy buenas relaciones, un ritmo perfecto, una buena representación del boxeo, un manejo increíble del tono, y lo más importantes, uno de los mejores protagonistas que habré visto en el anime con uno de los mensajes de superación de la vida más fuertes que he visto incluso en ficción. Fácilmente mi tercer anime favorito, y una completa obra maestra no solo del anime, ni siquiera de la animación, sino que de la ficción en general １０／１０
Ashita no Joe... ¿Por dónde empezar? Voy a intentar hacer este comentario lo más ameno posible, pero después de ver algo como esto va a ser complicado plasmar mi experiencia en un simple texto. Producción: Hay que tener en cuenta que es un anime de los 70s/80s, tiene una animación "estática" y animada con GIFs en algunas partes. Aún así es muy disfrutable y no se siente rara en ningún momento. Esto cambia en la segunda temporada, la producción de esta es excelente, y ni hablar de la dirección, parece una serie completamente diferente. Apartado auditivo: El sonido es muy bueno en este anime, ya sea al dar un golpe, caer en la lona, la lluvia cayendo en los personajes, caminando. Siempre acompaña durante todo el anime, la música es un poco corta, se valen de 5 o 6 temas de ahí a nada más, pero le sacan jugo al máximo utilizando diferentes tipos de la misma canción, ya sea humorística, épica o triste. Una tonada de blues, un simple silbido o tocándola en trompeta, como puede cambiar y a emocionar al espectador. Ritmo: La serie no tiene problemas de ritmo, de los 126 capítulos ninguno se hace pesado y es innecesario, todos aportan algo. Mas allá de los últimos 15 capítulos que baja un poco la calidad respecto a lo demás (sigue siendo buenísimo) no hay ningún problema. Y lo de la segunda temporada es un abuso, creo que nunca vi algo tan bueno y tan constante como lo es la segunda temporada de AnJ. Historia: Si bien AnJ es un spokon este no es el tema principal de la serie, es un spokon "diferente", así que si venís buscando un anime de deportes convencional esto no es lo buscas. Ashita no Joe es la historia de Joe Yabuki, un huerfano empieza a hacer contacto con la gente, como logra empezar a confiar en los demás, las relaciones entre los personajes, etc. Es una hermosa historia de esperanza, Joe encontrando la luz. Personajes: Sin dudas, el punto mas fuerte de toda la serie, todos y cada uno de ellos marcan algo en esta. Personajes que van creciendo a medida que va avanzando la obra, no solo como personas si no que también como deportistas. Todos están desarrollandose constantemente de una forma excelente. Drama: El drama en este anime es excepcional debido a que viene de los personajes, no nos fuerzan a nada es algo natural. No utiliza los métodos de lágrimas fáciles como animes contemporaneos o el drama forzado para llorar por un personaje que no conocemos, sino, que a diferencia de los anteriores, tenemos el suficientemente tiempo para preocuparnos y entender que es lo que quieren los personajes y compartir las experiencias de ellos. Eso sí, se ve mucho y me refiero a mucho drama, pareciera que la historia nos quiere una y otra vez cargar de drama sobre los personajes, no es algo molesto pero a la vez creo que pareciera que solo nos quieren ver a un buen personaje sufrir, supongo es parte de la historia y el mundo que nos quieran contar. Repito, no tengo palabras para poder expresar todo lo que sentí al ver la serie, es sin dudas de mis animes favoritos y dudo volver a ver algo así. Sé que este intento de reseña no le hace justicia ni a un 10% de lo que es la serie. Háganse un favor y véanla.
~~~SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW~~~ ~~~Ashita No Joe is a boxing anime adapted from it's manga counterpart which was written in 1968 by Asaki Takamori. Ashita No Joe 2 adapts volumes 11-20 while changing some stuff, although the main story is all the same. It follows up the first season, while improving its quality by a lot. While having a relatively small population, it is definitely one of the greatest, if not the greatest, animes I've ever watched and is, and will be, a classic for ages.~~~ ___ ~~~Now to the review (based on my opinion) Story: 9/10 The story revolves around Joe Yabuki, a runaway orphan who has learned boxing throughout his time in Juvie, mentally recovering from his fight with Rikishi Toru, boxing champion who he met in Juvie, but had killed him in a long awaited boxing match by hitting him in the temple, leaving Joe unable to punch in the temple for a while. He gradually overcomes this with his fight with Carlos Rivera, and afterwards he continues on his boxing journey, dealing with the consequences of boxing along the way, until he fights the number one champion: Jose Mendoza. While the story isn't the most phenomenal or thought provoking story/plot ever, the storytelling throughout the second season is incredible. There's not really any downsides besides some parts being a bit more uninteresting then others, like the Kim arc being a bit underwhelming in my opinion.~~~ ~~~Characters: 10/10 If I could give the characters an 11/10, I for sure would. Joe Yabuki, the main character, goes through some crazy ambition and character development throughout the second season and its so nice to watch and it makes me extremely happy to see the character growth that he goes to. At the time of writing this review, I think he is arguably the greatest anime character of all time. Other characters includes Danpei Tange, Rikishi Toru, Nishi, Carlos Rivera, Youko, etc. Danpei is Joe's coach and the main initiative for Joe to start boxing. Although he doesn't get Joe as much as he might think, he surely is like a father figure for Joe. Rikisihi Toru, although dead, is a major influence to Joe and serves as the inspiration for Joe to box. Theres not much to say about Nishi. A great character and long time friend of Joe. Carlos Rivera is the character that got Joe back into boxing fully after the Toru fight. An excellent and entertaining character, although its very sad to see what happens after the fight again Mendoza, as he suffers from punch-drunk syndrome :( (the anime actually represents punch-drunk syndrome VERY well) Youko is a bit weird but shes important Overall, this anime is amazing when it comes to characters.~~~ ~~~Animation and OST: 9/10 I mean considering how old it is, it still looks good for an old anime. Will give credit when credit is due. THE OST however, truly magnificent. Joe's whitsle is just, DAMNN!!!!!~~~ ~~~Enjoyment: 10/10 This would also be easily an 11/10. The experience I had watching this season is unrivaled, I had so much fun watching this anime. At some points I was crying tears of joy and at others I was bawling my eyes out. The emotions I got watching this, I can't even really explain it in words. I finished this a week ago and I already wanna rewatch it.~~~ ~~~The ending: 10/10 Oh my fucking god, the ending. I can't stress in words how much the ending made me cry. Even seeing the final panel of the manga or the final scene of the anime just breaks me, this shit is so sad. But it's a phenomenal ending. It can be perceived in multiple different ways. However, I just think he's dead at the end. He truly died doing what he loved and he had no regrets whatsoever. Joe didn't die, he literally beat life. "It is burnt white, I've burnt it all..." youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UOeWKG8xy8&t=163s&ab_channel=PapaValentine) (and the manga panel I was referring to, its the same in the anime basically) img400(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DwuHHS9X4AAPm4X.jpg)~~~ ___ ~~~Yeah this anime season, or really Ashita No Joe in general, was perfect. One of the greatest things I've ever watched. Hell, it might even be the greatest. This is for sure something that everyone should watch. The old release date and the somewhat high amount of episodes might be a turn-off for some but I can guarantee that this anime is 100% worth it.~~~ ~~~ ~! Also this is my first review ever so its not that good :( !~ ~~~
Of all the anime I have watched, there is one I don't think is possible to ever get beaten by anything else. Ashita no Joe is on a whole different level from the media it is a part of in the medium. As much as I consider Legend of the Galactic Heroes a masterpiece, this is the only piece of media I can confidently say surpasses it. It is a journey that drained all the tears out of my eyes. A masterly done story retold through the scope of legendary staff. An anime that could never be replicated because it is special from being made out of the context of it's time. A manga so timeless and classic, and adapted on an amazingly meaningful level. Dezaki has my eternal praise for giving me the privilege of watching this masterpiece come to life in the most satisfying way. Yabuki Joe is a character so conflicted to the core but made of such a pure and caring heart. his struggle is a result of the loveless and lonely life he led as a child. A boy who created a unique worldview so different and passionate there is almost no one who could relate to him. To compromise is a non-option for him. Only those whom he met in the square jungle that share his similar view point could relate to him through the communicative punches delivered mutually; blow for blow. An iconic series with characters such as him, the laid back, cool Rikishi, the caring father/mother figure Tangei Danpei, the majestic but tragic Carlos Rivera, the glorious Jose Mendoza, and the melancholy of Yoko Shiraki. Yoko, as blinded by her money, is my favorite woman in anime for the incredible growth and development she showed. Joe teaches her the meaning of seeing without the profit gaze, and I shed many tears for what she brought to the table with her struggles. Standing in the rain, fearful for the future, she tries her best to be the guiding light for the wild animal, Joe Yabuki. This story goes beyond sports; beyond boxing. It's the story of a boy who fought furiously like a bright flame, passionate and determined for as long as he isn't extinguished. It's a piece of fiction I hold dear to my heart that I will forever cherish and often think about. Ashita no Joe pulls you into the abyss of misery. You think things can't get worse, but they do. Then they plummet and fall even further than you could ever imagine. But that is because Joe believes in the fruits of his own labor. he doesn't want help; he has an unbeatable drive to accomplish his goals by himself. No matter how bad the situation gets, he strives to find a way to pull himself up from his bootstraps. A boy who turns into a man; willing to put on the line that which is most precious to satisfy his hunger. The reality of boxing is a horror show, and he gets thrown into the savage middle of it. As a wanderer myself, I can relate to his city street life. Travelling with insecurity, and spending day by day staring at the stars; putting a strong facade but hurting deep inside, Joe is a character I love and who feels familiar to me as I walk in the dark at night myself wondering about it all. Like him, I have a hard time relating to people. Rich in soul, beautiful animation, chest tightening plot twists and reveals, beautiful scenes that bring tears to my eyes, a precious soundtrack, and one of the most iconic endings of all time. As shameless as I sound, I can die happy knowing I got to experience this incredible journey of one man's honorable story of struggling to the top. Not to be champion, or to reach a high status of fame and fortune, but to satisfy his philosophy of truly being alive.
idk how to format shit on anilist like i used to on amino so thisll be ugly to read sadly. there will be spoilers, ur an idiot for not peepin dis mastapiece anyways I read joe like a few months ago and originally? It didn't really, click or be a favorite to a good extent. I expected, hell anticipated to call it overrated in a few months and remove it from favs. It's my current #1 of all time. Quite a turn of events huh. It's due to a lot of things, one me understanding fiction and stories a lot more. But there's a much bigger thought in my opinion: Joe hasn't left my head since the second I saw the final page. It's been stuck in my mind. Now this might be due to me reading the manga and watching the anime, I usually just do one or the other never both. But I don't see it leaving my animanga mind for a WHILE. Because it spoke to me. It almost feels like in hindsight it told me a lot I needed to hear. A lot of personal stuff I wont mention, but a lot of general topics I grew to understand through living and by living, the more I understand my world and how I live the more Joe clicks. I wanna explain how it clicked, and why It'll forever stick. Stick to others, and stick to me. REASON 1:JOE IS NOT PERFECT. A lot of animanga have MCs like this. It's just common good writing you'd think, and even to people I think misunderstand Joe its his fault and downfall. If you think his flaws make him a worse char I just draw the meathead conclusion. I don't justify Joe being an asshole because he grew up treated like shit. I don't justify it by saying "He's mentally ill cut em some slack". I don't justify it. And that's what I love. He is so flawed as a person, an insane traumatized teen whos only option in life is to box his heart out. I don't use that as justification or reason. Because what I love about him is that the story doesn't justify it. He almost kills Danpei in the Yong-bi Kim arc for trying to save his life. In this instance yes you can justify anger 100%, He's burned himself almost dry to get the rug swept under by someone he trusted. But it doesn't justify murder at all. That's what I love. He's so stuck in his head, he doesn't realize he almost killed his caretaker over avenging a man whos not even alive or had beef with Kim. He's so, driven by his literal insanity at this point his untreated illness that him or anyone doesn't justify it. We just watch him suffer with his now insanity, his depressions gone beyond just that. he will kill his caretaker to earn a belt for a Deadman, so unrealistic, yet It speaks to us. How would we react if a loved one tried to take your life goal from you? Your meaning, your NEED. I'd argue nothing is more important than his belt at this moment, nothing means more than this shot for Rikishi. in his head, it isn't life or death. It's win or death. This means more than living to him. And that's his imperfection. He's so caught up in his stupid insane dumbass mind, yet it speaks to us at the same time. Mickey Mouse ass MCs like idfk Takemitchi would give up, or go along or be talked into it. yet, he speaks to us because he doesn't even consider his health over his happiness. He wants to avenge his friend, and no matter your view on his true purpose (joe is such a creative story I could see a 100 justifiable conclusions for why he acted as he did) you understand he speaks to us through his insanity to deliver a foolish yet human motive. REASON 2:JOE IS A MOOD WE NEED MORE OF.(HEAR ME OUT DONT WRITE ME OFF AS AN AESTETHIC NERD) HEAR ME THE FUCK OUT DORK. What emotions do you get when watching a show? Depends on the show yeah, but media puts us in a mood. If they're frustrating shows like DBS, it can be a bad mood. disappointment, or overall anger at the writing. If they're a good show we can get hype over just the smallest of good scenes, like LOTGH or Kenshin. A show takes it beyond when its more than good bad moods. When it's a descriptive mood, a descriptive feel a CHARM, it hits. These moods are hard to describe sadly. like, REALLY hard. You end up going on a rant or a tangent, or you stay quiet because the listener just dips. I feel like I should try though, FOR TOMORROW!!! Joe is a show about a broke boxer that's only happy in bursts, his happiness is robbed every time its at his peak and he never recovers the second time its robbed from him (Carlos Rivera's skull shatter). It's hard to break down WHY this makes just a perfect mood but, it just does. Accompanied by jazz tunes ranging from sad and sorrowful to bursting with fire and passion, and visuals that put studio bones current MHA shit to shame with the beautiful use of color and expression, it's an anime aesthetic accounts goldmine really. The show feels alive, we don't even understand the language its in yet the FEEL and LOVE put into it is unmistakable, the familiarity with the kids and the small town vibes really sell it throwing us into Namidabashi. Its the feeling of life that makes joe have just, this MOOD to it. If I look at joe crying when he gets home from prison damn well I almost cry too, even writing about it it makes me tear up. If I look at joe on the ground, sobbing after causing a tragedy to himself and his world, I cry with him. I feel his pain because the mood it puts me in has gotten so real its almost scary. When Carlos laughs after using joe as a bull and his coat as his cloth, I laugh with him. I don't do it w most any other show yet for joe its instinct, its normal emotion AND ITS SCARY once I realize I am laughing with a drawing of a character. It's almost scary how real it is, and as obvious as it sounds, being so real and selling itself to us so well just ties perfectly into it speaking to us. FINAL REASON:JOE DOESNT OVERCOME HIS SUFFERING What a BIG fucking jump yeah. From "this show make me :)" to this character succumbs to illness and DIES. I love it though, because ignoring whatever his name was that's kinda how the story goes. I love joe dying. I LOVE it so much. Not because its a great arc conclusion. Not because AHHH FORESHADOWING PURE WHITE ASH YEAAAAAAAAAAH. I love it because it isn't sugarcoated. Its painfully real. I had a thread explaining why I believe the ending is an allegory for suicide (I lost it because I told someone who was defending the bombing of Hiroshima he was a dickrider unrelated IK) but I cant use it anymore. So you'll have to trust me for a sec, to understand what I mean. I take the ending of Ashita no Joe as Joe's suicide. and what i love about it is the fact that, it works. He isn't "THIS IS OUR HERO ACADEMIA"d into living or getting out of it. He succeeds in his attempt, and perishes. This means. So much. It's almost pure insanity a manga this self aware on mental health was written in the late 60s, a manga so realistic on it too. I love him dying because I see myself in that, I felt for Joe so much that when he dies and succumbs to his mental illnesses, his insanity and his punch drunkness, it hurt because it felt like right there, it told me a lot. It told me shit doesn't always work out. It works as a conclusion for this review because. It leaves with a message. We see an untreated mentally ill man give into his urge, again it doesn't let him live because he's the mc and fictional. He's an average joe, and he too couldn't beat it his illness. Him succumbing hurts a lot because its so real. Not just because its not a good outcome but its an outcome most other mangaka would have prevented within the story for a happy ending. Joe leaving on a sad ending isn't good because its sad. Its good because its how we could all leave. Anyone can succumb to illness and even the middle class hero Japan looked up to, can fall victim without help. In this moment he speaks to us not because he's mentally ill, but because he isn't saved from it. I. LOVE. Ashita no Joe. If you read all this you do too. Thank you Chiba for making this masterpiece. I will never forget Joe and how its spoken to me on a level I've always needed to be spoke to. Thank you, Joe. SORRY FOR THE UGLY FORMATTING FUCK THIS WEBSITE
_Ashita no Joe_ is iconic. If you've been watching anime or reading manga for a while, it's all but guaranteed you've either heard of it in passing or experienced something it has directly or indirectly influenced without realizing it. If for no other reason, _Ashita no Joe_ should be experienced for its legacy. Whilst season one is technically impressive for its time—it still holds up, despite airing in the early 1970s—I feel that season two is when the series _really_ comes into its own and becomes something I am willing to call masterful. [Ikki Kajiwara](https://anilist.co/staff/99017/Ikki-Kajiwara) and [Tetsuya Chiba](https://anilist.co/staff/101217/Tetsuya-Chiba)'s invigorating storytelling, [Osamu Dezaki](https://anilist.co/staff/100393/Osamu-Dezaki)'s unique directing style, [Ichirou Araki](https://anilist.co/staff/214834/Ichirou-Araki)'s memorable soundtrack, [Teruhiko Aoi](https://anilist.co/staff/106710/Teruhiko-Aoi)'s outstanding performance as Joe Yabuki, and the efforts of many others form an unforgettable anime that has a refined, almost dream-like quality to it. _Ashita no Joe 2_ looks, sounds, and feels amazing. There is something deeply captivating about _Ashita no Joe_'s unyielding focus on Joe Yabuki. It's a bold approach that requires the viewer to truly commit themselves to experiencing his journey; otherwise, it would hold no meaning, it wouldn't work. Every character, every match, every living, breathing moment holds the singular purpose of enriching Joe's character, of exploring who he is as a person—and I wouldn't have it any other way. It makes for a powerful character study of a flawed, yet profoundly complex young man searching for purpose, chasing the feeling of truly being _alive_, and wanting it more than anything. Joe is driven to a fault; you'll be pulled into a pit of despair as cracks begin to show, as the conclusion begins to encroach upon you. As much as _Ashita no Joe_ is about self-discovery and self-improvement, it's also about self-destruction, about the physical and mental damage one is capable of doing to themselves and the people around them. It's harrowing and visceral in its depiction of Joe's obsession, yet remarkably beautiful at the same time. In the square jungle burns an insatiable, roaring fire—so bright and so hot that it's almost blinding, yet impossible to look away from. To talk about _Ashita no Joe_ without touching upon its ending is impossible. It has achieved a sort-of legendary status in the industry, and for good reason; _Ashita no Joe_ could not have ended any other way—nothing else would feel right. Nothing else could so perfectly capture the spirit of Joe Yabuki and everything this story is trying to be. _Ashita no Joe_ is not _Ashita no Joe_ without that final episode and its flawless execution. As the roaring of the crowd turns to deafening silence: pure white ash. _"And then... all that remains is pure white ash. There are no embers left... just pure white ash."_