For anime, the sports world has given a wide range of stories. From baseball, figure skating, and even men’s swimming, the sports anime genre is filled with complex stories. When I heard that Ashita no Joe (Champion Joe), a boxing anime was getting a new show, I was interested. The story of Joe had been an interesting and I was excited to see what a new adaption could produce. This new show, MEGALO BOX , is very different, from setting to characters, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Buy or Die
In the original, Joe Yabuki is a young man who finds himself on the wrong side of the law more times than he can counting. Finding boxing as an outlet, Joe begins rising through the ranks, with a match against The Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation champion. The manga and the first anime show were very realistic in both the terms of damage and risk a boxer might suffer in their career.
The setting of MEGALO BOX could not be more different. In a strange wasteland of a future, JD, or Junk Dog, makes a living in underground boxing matches. This type of boxing uses mechanical arms to help the fighters and also make the matches much more brutal and dangerous. JD and his friend fix the matches, but JD is starting to wonder if he can take on the champion, Yuri, in a fair fight. His journey is the basis of the anime.
The Man Only Dies Once
Taking such a radical departure from the source material can be a big gamble. What makes this work is that that the characters and the animation is so damn good. You can almost feel the emotions as dark and dirty as they are. The fighting sequences are original as well. I have seen plenty of boxing both real and fictitious, and I can promise you you have never seen boxing like this.
The story has always been Ashita no Joe biggest strength. That being said, I hope the writers are able to stick to it. This might not be the feel good anime you would expect. Without spoilers, Joe came to learn that his path to the championship will come at a heavy cost. JD might learn this as well, or the show might take a different approach. Seeing what they have changed so far, I’m confident they have a definite goal in mind.
MEGALO BOX has just started, so start your journey with JD early on Crunchyroll. My one piece of advice is not to go searching for spoilers. The twists and turns make it one of the most beloved stories in Japan. It might be the future, but JD’s story still packs as much of a punch as it did 50 years ago.