This Week in Anime
Megalo-Joe
by Jean-Karlo Lemus & Monique Thomas,
With the second season of Megalobox underway, Nicky and Jean-Karlo go back forty years to the originator, Ashita no Joe! The genre-defining series and film made its mark in the anime pop-culture consciousness and is still referenced in modern shows. Helmed by none other than Osamu Dezaki, find out why everyone's still looking forward to Tomorrow's Joe.
This movie is streaming on Retrocrush
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.
Spoiler Warning
for discussion of the film ahead. This column spoils the ending for a 40-year-old movie. If you haven't seen it, stop reading, go watch it, and come back!
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Jean-Karlo
Ladies and gentlemen! In this corner, weighing in at 117 lbs, a classic animated film directed by Osamu Dezaki, the champion of tomorrow—Ashita no Joe~!
And in this corner, weighing in at an undisclosed amount, a pair of kids who weren't even born when this thing came out—Nickyyyy aaaaand Jean-Karlooooo~!
Ladies and gentlemen! In this corner, weighing in at 117 lbs, a classic animated film directed by Osamu Dezaki, the champion of tomorrow—Ashita no Joe~!
And in this corner, weighing in at an undisclosed amount, a pair of kids who weren't even born when this thing came out—Nickyyyy aaaaand Jean-Karlooooo~!
Nicky
Today, we're covering this classic boxing series of yesteryear, Tomorrow's Joe!!
Today, we're covering this classic boxing series of yesteryear, Tomorrow's Joe!!
It's hard to overstate how influential Tomorrow's Joe is to modern anime. Famed anime director Osamu Dezaki got his start with the original 1970s Joe anime, which was later condensed into the film we'll be discussing today. Joe's DNA can be found in tons of modern-day "manly" heroes, and at the risk of spoiling things, the tragic ending to Tomorrow's Joe inspired a lot of similarly tragic freeze-frame endings for many beloved characters (see: Kamina in episode 8 of Gurren Lagann). Joe's death inspired a real-life funeral in Japan, and several hundred people even attended! And then Megalobox came out and re-imagined Joe and his world of boxing. So to sum it up, this is a very important part of anime history we're covering!
That's to say, it's been over forty years since Joe first graced Japanese television, and it's still very well-regarded today and in the world over. The original TV series for Tomorrow's Joe remains unlicensed as of now, but thanks to our pals at Discotek and Retrocrush, anyone can check out this 1980 compilation film!
Our story begins with Yabuki Joe, a young man who doesn't seem to have much going for him. He's pretty scrappy and loves to fight, but outside of roughing thugs up and protecting hungry kids, there isn't much of a future for him.
He meets up with the disgraced Danpei Tange (who I swear must have been the inspiration for Danpé the Gravekeeper in The Legend of Zelda), who sees Joe's potential. But Joe isn't really interested in being coached by a homeless drunk, so he... gets arrested for punching cops out. As you do.
He meets up with the disgraced Danpei Tange (who I swear must have been the inspiration for Danpé the Gravekeeper in The Legend of Zelda), who sees Joe's potential. But Joe isn't really interested in being coached by a homeless drunk, so he... gets arrested for punching cops out. As you do.
Danpei is a pretty interesting character. It's kinda hard to imagine him as a good teacher and mentor for Joe. In fact, all he really seems to do is to bring Joe trouble. He occasionally shows kindness and wisdom, but is also pretty blatant in his plans to exploit Joe for his own rise back to the top. As thugs attempt to thrash Joe, the old geezer puts himself in the way to protect him. He says it's for Joe's sake, but even then he ignores Joe's protest because Joe is his tomorrow.
Far from being just gruff like Mickey Goldmill in Rocky, Danpei is definitely looking out for #1 (being himself). Later in the film, we can see that his current situation is because he was loud, drunk, and aggressive towards the higher-ups at the boxing association. Multiple times, even!
He also basically sells out Joe to the cops after beating him up, lol. Even early on, you really wonder if this kind of discipline is really meant to straighten out a reckless guy like Joe or if it's simply a different form of oppression on someone who clearly doesn't have anything going for him other than the clothes on his back and his two fists.
I think Danpei is the perfect coach for Joe. Far from being a loveable starry-eyed street tough with a heart of gold, Joe toes the line into being an outright little shit on more than one occasion. He's good at fighting, so he's not all talk, but he definitely is one to write checks his butt can't cash. He's at least willing to own up to when he gets clobbered fair and square, but without Danpei herding him in the right direction it's easy to see how Joe wouldn't live to see a tomorrow at all. He just constantly picks fights against any and all sources of authority.
Yeah, because of this it takes more than half the movie before Joe can even enter a REAL ring. After that run-in with thugs, he spends the first half of the movie training in prison, getting into fights with other prisoners and using Tange's lessons via postcards to sharpen his technique. Joe's more than just a diamond in the rough, he's a lump of coal that only responds to pressure.
He beats up dudes pretty effortlessly though, even roughing them up in the cover of night and stealing their beds after he shoved them in a bathroom closet like he was playing a level of Hitman. His cocky attitude wins him no favors and he keeps getting transferred to worse prisons.
It's only until he encounters his first true rival, Tōru Rikiishi, that Joe starts to get a real fire under his butt.
He beats up dudes pretty effortlessly though, even roughing them up in the cover of night and stealing their beds after he shoved them in a bathroom closet like he was playing a level of Hitman. His cocky attitude wins him no favors and he keeps getting transferred to worse prisons.
It's only until he encounters his first true rival, Tōru Rikiishi, that Joe starts to get a real fire under his butt.
Rikiishi is one of the first "Shonen rivals" out there, but through him we can see how this became such an institution. He's more like Akira Toya from Hikaru no Go than Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto, though—far from just being antagonistic towards Joe, Rikiishi humors Joe's rebellious nature while trying to guide him into realizing his full potential. It's a twisted kind of friendship built upon Joe's desire for one-upmanship and Rikiishi's patience, but it's probably the healthiest relationship Joe's ever had.
It's definitely a unique bromance, to say the least. Joe is enamored with Rikiishi almost immediately; no one had ever stood up to him that way. After getting his ass whooped by him, Rikiishi basically becomes Joe's primary motivation for fighting. Joe improves himself in hopes of being able to stand in the ring as Rikiishi's equal. It basically feels like a big cry for attention!!
It helps that Rikiishi is a genuinely good person at heart who is simply paying his dues to society; he's locked up because he brutally attacked a heckler at a match. He loves boxing and respects Joe's nascent ability.
Formerly considered a prodigy, it's the first time Joe ever encounters someone way above his skill-class (and also weight-class).
And make no mistake, magic happens when they enter the ring. Joe famously gets clobbered when he enters the ring with Rikiishi, but Rikiishi fails to knock him out within one round like he promised. The fight inspires a sense of discipline in everyone present!
And you feel it too! While Mushi Pro's work might feel lacking in quality for today's audience. Certain scenes definitely don't pull any punches. It has a knack for recreating the most impactful pages of the manga with flying colors (literally).
It also lines up with the idea that boxing isn't just about mindless violence. As Madame Yuko states, the ring is simply a place where these men can express themselves in a way that cements a boundary between them and their place in the world. It fosters a sense of security but also intimacy.
It also lines up with the idea that boxing isn't just about mindless violence. As Madame Yuko states, the ring is simply a place where these men can express themselves in a way that cements a boundary between them and their place in the world. It fosters a sense of security but also intimacy.
Once Joe finishes serving his time, Danpei is ready to proceed with training him, but Danpei's bad reputation and Joe's lack of one mean it's impossible to get Joe enlisted in the boxing association.
So Joe does what he does best: picking clandestine fights with boxers until the Association has no choice but to recognize him as a boxer!
So Joe does what he does best: picking clandestine fights with boxers until the Association has no choice but to recognize him as a boxer!
Yeah, one of them being the upcoming boxing hopeful, Wolf Kanagushi. Joe knocks his lights out in front of the press in order to create some hype for himself and put the current bigwig on the spot. Talk about two birds with one stone!
This is also where he gets Joe's famous cross-counter!!
This is also where he gets Joe's famous cross-counter!!
Yeah, Joe's cross-counter is about the only trick he has. Joe's a Bantamweight (about 117 pounds), and he otherwise isn't particularly powerful. But he's as cocky in the ring as he is outside: he likes baiting his opponent with his "no guard" stance and cross-countering them. It's a weird way of fighting, just shy of "my face to your fist"-style, but it carries Joe to the point where Rikiishi can actually consider facing him.
Again: you'd think Joe would be a plucky scrapper who wins out through sheer determination and a can-do attitude. Instead, he's just a little shit who likes to sucker-punch people bigger than he is. What is heartwarming is that through it all, Rikiishi genuinely believes in Joe's ability. The guy doesn't have a spiteful bone in his body towards Joe, and his enthusiastic desire to test the little guy would be touching if it didn't chart the tragic course for this film.
Again: you'd think Joe would be a plucky scrapper who wins out through sheer determination and a can-do attitude. Instead, he's just a little shit who likes to sucker-punch people bigger than he is. What is heartwarming is that through it all, Rikiishi genuinely believes in Joe's ability. The guy doesn't have a spiteful bone in his body towards Joe, and his enthusiastic desire to test the little guy would be touching if it didn't chart the tragic course for this film.
As cocky as Joe is, immediately declaring that he'd defeat both Wolf and Rikiishi before he's ever stepped into a real ring? That attitude comes at a price. He barely survives his encounter with Wolf, but wins with Rikiishi's support.
What happens next isn't exactly unprecedented either. Joe has little self-preservation and a tendency to bet his life on a gamble, and it's only a matter of time before this comes back to bite him.
After all, Danpei says it early in the film. The ring is a fucking harsh place.
What happens next isn't exactly unprecedented either. Joe has little self-preservation and a tendency to bet his life on a gamble, and it's only a matter of time before this comes back to bite him.
After all, Danpei says it early in the film. The ring is a fucking harsh place.
I wanna preface this with a content warning for weight loss.
So, here's the thing. Remember when I said Joe was a bantamweight? Well, Rikiishi was a Welterweight (at least 147 lbs to Joe's 117 lbs). Part of why Joe lost to Rikiishi was pure weight disadvantage—Rikiishi had at least 30 lbs on Joe. That's two whole weight classes between them, mind—Lightweight and Featherweight. So in order for Rikiishi to be able to face Joe in the ring officially, he has to lose a minimum of 30 pounds. The result is a plain hellish training regimen that Rikiishi puts himself through.
I dunno if this was as well-known when Tomorrow's Joe was first written, but uh... 30 pounds isn't the kind of weight you just lose within a month. Not without serious drawbacks, at least. So Rikiishi is just starving and dehydrating himself. It's brutal to watch.
Also note, I'm lowballing the weight loss as per the minimums for the weight classes—Rikiishi probably lost even more weight than just 30 pounds. Because what's shonen sports manga without some drastically-disastrous health advice?
By the time he is ready to fight Joe, Rikiishi looks like a goddamn skeleton of himself.
The worst part is, some quack of a doctor is watching all of this and signing off on it!
Dude has to be watched constantly just because he's pushing himself way beyond what's capable of most humans.
Meanwhile, Joe's training consists of... learning how to box properly without relying on tricks or gimmicks! Joe has good fundamentals, but his over-reliance on his No-Guard style basically means he can't block to save his life.
Joe is pushing himself in his own way too, having both Danpei and Nishi fight him at the Same Time in order to improve and finally become good enough to reach a real breakthrough.
Also, the old "monkeys jumping on the bed" routine, which ironically is how Joe and Nishi met in the first place. It all comes full circle!
Joe takes a pretty good beating in basically all parts of the film. There are times where it's painful just watching him. I had to clench my stomach while watching some of these training scenes as these two athletes absolutely punish themselves.
Definitely one of the most harrowing scenes is the one where Rikiishi wakes up to realize he can't drink any cold water because it would supposedly poison him, only for the kind, lady-love Miss Yoko to offer him something to drink. And he refuses!!
When we get to the fight, it's the showstopper the film deserves.
The tide flows back and forth during the match, with neither boxer really having the edge. Rikiishi's raw skill and power are hampered by having lost an inhuman amount of weight, and Joe's abilities are just enough to match a weakened Rikiishi—barely.
The tide flows back and forth during the match, with neither boxer really having the edge. Rikiishi's raw skill and power are hampered by having lost an inhuman amount of weight, and Joe's abilities are just enough to match a weakened Rikiishi—barely.
Even when Rikiishi's waning, one punch from him is basically like being grazed a bullet. Both fighters are struggling to even hang in the ring. Joe almost takes a hit straight on but gets saved by the bell. Danpei tells him he has to use real boxing if he wants to win.
This works to a degree. It lessens the damage done by Rikiishi's hits, but it really seems like Joe is about to be down for the count!
This works to a degree. It lessens the damage done by Rikiishi's hits, but it really seems like Joe is about to be down for the count!
Joe does give as good as he gets, but as we'll see, this has disastrous results.
Rikiishi ends up with a minor concussion. He gets up, but both of them are so tired that it boils down to an old-fashioned stand-off in the final round. The audience is yelling at them to get the fight over with!
By god, if there's any part of this movie you watch, please watch this final match. It's hard to describe, but it ranges between tense, fluid, uplifting, and tragic within the span of each hit.
By god, if there's any part of this movie you watch, please watch this final match. It's hard to describe, but it ranges between tense, fluid, uplifting, and tragic within the span of each hit.
Much like with Rocky, which came out decades after Tomorrow's Joe, Joe loses his big fight against Rikiishi. Just barely, mind, but a loss all the same. And he's willing to take the loss, until...
The combination of Rikiishi's drastic crash-diet and a concussion from the fight kills Rikiishi. Nevermind that Joe can never have a rematch, he loses his best friend. So what else can you do but just... scream?
The opening song to the movie requests that if you have to cry, then at least let your tears be manly. And this movie sure is gonna wring that out of you as we end on Joe's grieving howls as he contemplates his belated friend.
The combination of Rikiishi's drastic crash-diet and a concussion from the fight kills Rikiishi. Nevermind that Joe can never have a rematch, he loses his best friend. So what else can you do but just... scream?
The opening song to the movie requests that if you have to cry, then at least let your tears be manly. And this movie sure is gonna wring that out of you as we end on Joe's grieving howls as he contemplates his belated friend.
In a way, this foreshadows Joe's ultimate fate. Joe would end up dying himself in his final match; the image of his exhausted body sitting on his stool smiling—after having what he knew to be the fight of his life—has become an iconic image that has been endlessly referenced in manga and anime alike in the decades since. This was the harsh world of sports.
It's absolutely harrowing. Turns out Joe's punch actually gave him some SERIOUS brain damage on top of his already worsened condition. It may seem atypical of your usual sport's narrative, but it's no way out of line with the solemn tone of the film. There are many little poignant moments, from Joe sulking on the beach after a loss to the final scene where Joe gazes upon the face of the man he was dedicating his whole goddamn existence to fight against. Those who already love Dezaki's work from other series such as Rose of Versailles or Dear Brother should definitely also check this one out.
Tomorrow's Joe is what a beloved friend of mine would have called a "museum piece". They don't make 'em like this anymore—for better or worse. The emotions hit hard, but the limitations the animators work under make this movie a little tough to watch outside of the abject tragedy. Lots of zoomed-in faces, lots of jerky animation—it's the result of a compilation of a show made in 1970. But Tomorrow's Joe became a beloved classic of sports anime for a reason. You have to really want to watch this to sit through the two-and-a-half hours for it, but I'm thinking anyone who knows the name Ashita no Joe is willing to do that.
Who knows. Maybe this film can inspire you to reach for the championship. The view is pretty swell from the top.
Ring us out, Joe!!
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