Ashita no Joe

Ashita no Joe (Japanese: あしたのジョー, Tomorrow's Joe) is a Japanese boxing manga series written by Asao Takamori and illustrated by Tetsuya Chiba. The story follows a young boxer named Joe Yabuki, who lives in the Tokyo slums.

Ashita no Joe
Cover of the first volume of Ashita no Joe, as published in Japan by Kodansha
あしたのジョー
GenreSports[1]
Manga
Written byAsao Takamori
Illustrated byTetsuya Chiba
Published byKodansha
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runJanuary 1, 1968 – May 13, 1973
Volumes20
Anime television series
Directed byOsamu Dezaki
Produced by
  • Koji Tomioka
  • Tatsuo Ikeuchi
  • Tadami Watanabe
  • Takaharu Bessho
Music byMasao Yagi
StudioMushi Production
Original networkFuji TV
Original run April 1, 1970 – September 29, 1971
Episodes79
Anime film
Directed by
  • Yōichirō Fukuda
  • Osamu Dezaki
Written byYōichirō Fukuda
Music byKunihiko Suzuki
StudioMushi Production
Licensed by
ReleasedMarch 8, 1980
Runtime150 minutes
Anime television series
Ashita no Joe 2
Directed byOsamu Dezaki
Produced by
  • Seiji Takahashi
  • Shunzo Kato
Music byIchiro Araki
StudioTMS Entertainment
Original networkNippon TV
Original run October 13, 1980 – August 31, 1981
Episodes47
Anime film
Ashita no Joe 2
Directed byOsamu Dezaki
Music byIchiro Araki
StudioTMS Entertainment
ReleasedJuly 4, 1981
Runtime152 minutes
Live action films
  • Ashita no Joe (1970)
  • Ashita no Joe (2011)
See also

Ashita no Joe was first serialized by Kodansha in Weekly Shonen Magazine from January 1, 1968 to May 13, 1973 and was later collected into 20 tankōbon volumes. During its serialization, it was popular with working-class people and college students in Japan. It has been adapted into various media, including the Megalo Box anime, a futuristic reimagining of the original that was made as a part of the 50th anniversary of Ashita no Joe.

The manga has been considered to be one of the most influential manga, with many anime and manga referencing it.

Plot
See also: List of Ashita no Joe characters

Joe Yabuki is a young drifter who meets Danpei Tange, a former boxing trainer while wandering through San'ya. Joe is arrested for fraud and is thrown into a temporary jail where he fights Nishi Kanichi, the leader of a group of hooligans. He and Nishi then go to the Tōkō High-Security Juvenile Prison (東光特等少年院, Tōkō Tokutō Shōnen'in), a juvenile detention center miles away from Tokyo. There Joe meets Tōru Rikiishi, a former boxing prodigy, and a rivalry develops between them after Rikiishi stopped Joe and Nishi from escaping the prison. They attempt to resolve the rivalry by facing each other in a boxing match in which Rikiishi dominates Joe until the latter hits him with a cross-counter, resulting in both being knocked out. Feeling that the outcome of the match did not resolve anything, Joe and Rikiishi vow to fight again. As Rikiishi learns he is meant to leave the prison, he challenges Joe to a fight in the future, and the two promise to meet again, this time as professional boxers.

Upon his release from prison, Joe initially has trouble gaining a boxing license due to his lack of formal education but succeeds in his second attempt with the help of Danpei and Nishi. Joe manages to go up to Bantamweight, after provoking a champion boxer named Wolf Kanagushi. Joe quickly rises in the ranks and gains popularity for his brawling style, and trademark cross-counter KO wins. Joe manages to perform a triple-cross counter on Wolf. Joe then earns the right to fight Rikiishi in the professional ring.

Although Rikiishi is assured a promising career, he is intent in settling his score with Joe, whom he feels stands in his path. Because Rikiishi is three weight classes above Joe, he has to cut down a massive amount of weight and undergoes an incredibly taxing weight loss program which includes severe dehydration. Rikiishi knocks Joe out in the 8th round and wins, but dies after from the combined effects of the extreme weight loss on his body and brain hemorrhage that he sustained from Joe during the fight.

Joe is still shaken up from that match, both mentally and physically. Soon after, during matches, his trainer Danpei realizes that Joe is unable to give headshots to his opponents, Rikiishi's accidental death having traumatized him. It takes Joe quite some time to get over it and costs him three straight losses and finally conquers his fears when he faces the globally #6 ranked Carlos Rivera. The fight ends with a draw, yet it gives Joe tremendous fame and respect around the world, especially since Carlos was going to face the World Champion José Mendoza in his next match.

Joe starts to climb up the boxing ladder, but struggles with maintaining bantamweight due to a late growth spurt, forcing him to undergo strenuous training similar to what Rikiishi had to. He defeats the OPBF Champion, Kim Yong-bi, a South Korean boxer and survivor of the Korean War, dedicating the win to Rikiishi. After winning the title match, Joe defends his title. He wins all defenses, ultimately defending it against the Malaysian fighter Harimau. He is now given the chance to face the World Champion José Mendoza, who defeated Carlos Rivera with a KO punch in the first round, ending his boxing career. It is later revealed that Carlos had developed permanent brain damage from his fight.

The fight is held in a packed stadium, and is attended by many of Joe's friends and former rivals, including Wolf and the now sickly and haggard Carlos. Joe faces Mendoza, even though he is at a disadvantage since it was revealed he was punch-drunk, and has lost vision in one eye. The match is a brutal back-and-forth with Joe able to knock down the Champion more than once. Though originally composed, José starts losing his mind as Joe keeps getting up no matter how much damage he takes, to the point that he wonders if he is trapped in a nightmare. The match goes all of its fifteen rounds, with Mendoza barely gaining a win by points, but much to the shock of the audience, José has seemingly aged decades in minutes from the toll the fight has taken on his body, with his hair turned snow white from the trauma he has experienced. Danpei turns to console Joe only to find him unresponsive, but with a smile on his face. It has been debated among fans whether Joe died or not and Chiba even said that he drew the ending scene at the last minute.[2]

Media

Manga

Ashita no Joe originally serialized in Japan in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from January 1, 1968 to May 13, 1973. It was collected into 20 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. Most of the chapters of the manga were reprinted in Shukan Gendai from March 2, 2009 to the year end.[3]

Anime

Mushi Productions produced an anime television series based on the first 14 volumes of Ashita no Joe. It was broadcast in Japan by Fuji TV from April 1, 1970 to September 29, 1971. A second anime television series which focused on the last 6 volumes, was made by TMS Entertainment and was broadcast by Nippon TV from October 13, 1980 to August 31, 1981. Both anime were directed by Osamu Dezaki. Edited versions of the two anime were distributed as anime films by Nihon Herald on March 8, 1980 and July 4, 1981, respectively. On March 2, 2005 the complete version of the first anime was released by Nippon Columbia on 2 DVD box sets, covering 33 hours and 55 minutes of footage across 79 episodes spanning 16 disks. It also includes an all-color explanation book in 3 volumes totaling 120 pages. Previous release formats include mini-box sets on September 21, 2001 and individual disks on September 21, 2002. Tai Seng released the first anime film in the United States on DVD in 2008, under the name Champion Joe. Discotek Media later released Champion Joe on Blu-Ray.[4] Crunchyroll began streaming the second anime from March 24, 2014, under the name Champion Joe 2.[5]

In 2018, Megalo Box, a futuristic reimagining of the original, was released as part of the manga's 50th anniversary. The series being the final concept of many initial ideas from director Moriyama, one concept being for the story to be based around Rikiishi Toru, Joe’s fated rival and lifelong friend.[6] the show was broadcast in Japan from April 6, 2018 to June 29, 2018 and was simulcast on Crunchyroll. The series was licensed by Viz Media for an English release and began airing on Toonami in the United States from December 8, 2018. A second season has been announced that will take place several years after the events of the first season.[7]

Live-action films

A live-action film based on the manga was released in 1970 in Japan, featuring Shōji Ishibashi as Joe Yabuki, Ryūtarō Tatsumi as Danpei Tange and Seiichirō Kameishi as Tōru Rikiishi.

A second live-action film adaptation premiered in Japan on February 11, 2011, starring popular actor/singer Tomohisa Yamashita as Joe Yabuki, Teruyuki Kagawa as Danpei and Yūsuke Iseya as Tōru Rikiishi. The live-action film also received positive response from Hollywood Reporter's Maggie Lee who praised the cast's boxing but criticized the characterization of Danpei and Yoko.[8] Russell Edwards from Variety enjoyed the director's work and, like Lee, enjoyed the work of the leading actors.[9]

Stage play

A stage play directed by Eiichi Yogi, ran from May 25 to May 29, 2016 at the Sumida Park Studio Kura theatre in Tokyo.[10]

Radio drama

A radio drama was broadcast by TBS Radio from October 3 to October 28, 1977 for 20 episodes, featuring Yoshito Yasuhara as Joe Yabuki.

Video games
Title Alternate Titles Publisher Developer Platform Release Date
Ashita no Joe Taito Wave Corp Arcade 1990
Ashita no Joe Densetsu Legend of Success Joe SNK Wave Corp Neo Geo 1991
Ashita no Joe K Amusement Leasing Wave Corp SNES November 27, 1992
Boxing Mania: Ashita no Joe Boxing Mania Konami Arcade 2001
Ashita no Joe Touchi: Typing Namida Hashi Ashita no Joe Keyboard Pack Sunsoft Sunsoft PlayStation 2 March 29, 2001
Ashita no Joe 2: The Anime Super Remix Capcom Capcom PlayStation 2 June 20, 2002
Ashita no Joe Masshiro ni Moe Tsukiro! Konami PlayStation 2 December 4, 2003
Ashita no Joe Makkani Moeagare! Konami Game Boy Advance December 4, 2003

Reception and legacy

The manga was very popular, having sold over 20 million copies after its serialization.[11] Also, during its serialization, it was particularly popular with working-class people and college students who were involved in the New Left, who saw themselves likewise struggling against the system like Joe Yabuki did and revered him as an icon.[12] Members of the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction who took part in the Yodogo hijacking in 1970 compared themselves to Joe as they saw a revolutionary message in the manga.[13][14][15]

Ashita no Joe has received generally positive reviews, with many critics praising the story and characters. On October 13, 2006, it was voted "Japanese Favorite TV Anime" placing 4 out of 100 among celebrities votes.[16] Joe Yabuki was ranked seventh in Mania Entertainment's "10 Most Iconic Anime Heroes", written by Thomas Zoth, who commented that, "Tomorrow's Joe captured the zeitgeist of 1960s Japan. The story of Joe's rise from nothing touched a chord with Japanese audiences, who were seeing their country prosper after a long period of postwar devastation."[17] Anime News Network's reviewer Justin Sevakis analyzed the series, praising its story line but criticized some aspects about the first movie adaptation. He praised Joe's character development and his relationship with other boxers.[18] According to The Japan Times' Mark Schilling, the series "became the template for not only Fumihiko Sori's 2011 live-action film of the same title, but many Japanese sports movie and TV franchises."[19]

Ashita no Joe has been considered one of the most influential manga, with many anime and manga referencing it.[20] For the animated adaptation of the manga Naruto, animator Atsushi Wakabayashi from Pierrot said he was influenced by Ashita no Joe. This was mostly because the staff members were fans of the series and felt the character Naruto Uzumaki to be close to the type of archetype they rooted for when watching the series. As a result, Wakabayashi and the rest of the staff members made Naruto stand out in episode 133 where there was too much focus in his fight against Sasuke Uchiha, whom he shared an intense rivalry.[21] The opening sequence of Osamu Dezaki's film also influenced anime director Gorō Taniguchi during the production of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection.[22] Joe was also a major influence in Kyo Kusanagi, the main character of SNK's fighting game series, The King of Fighters.[23] Anime director Kenji Kamiyama, most known for the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series, cited the original anime among the 15 best anime of all time.[24]

References
  1. "Ashita no Joe Film to Screen in France, Southeast Asia". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  2. http://www.manga-audition.com/tetsuya-chiba-interview/
  3. Kyodo News (February 12, 2009). "Ashita no Joe makes a comeback". The Japan Times. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  4. "Discotek Licenses Cyborg 009 The Cyborg Soldier, Tomorrow's Joe, Project ARMS, NieA_7, Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon". Anime News Network. August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  5. "Crunchyroll Adds "Champion Joe 2" Anime and "GTO Taiwan" Drama". Crunchyroll. March 22, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  6. Parker-Dalton, Jacob (2018-04-30). "Origins of 'Megalo Box' Revealed in 'Ashita no Joe' Exhibition". OTAQUEST. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  7. "Ashita no Joe Manga Inspires New TV Anime With Original Story in Spring 2018". Anime News Network. October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  8. Lee, Maggie (April 28, 2011). "Tomorrow's Joe (Ashita No Joe): Film Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  9. Edwards, Russell (April 28, 2011). "Review: 'Tomorrow's Joe'". Variety. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  10. "Tetsuya Chiba's Ashita no Joe Manga Gets Stage Play Adaptation". Anime News Network. November 30, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  11. ちばてつやさん「あしたのジョー」　力石の死…描き進めていくうちに「これはもう生きていられない」と. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). MSN. 2013-11-25. Archived from the original on 2013-11-28. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
  12. Parker-Dalton, Jacob (July 25, 2018). "50 Years of Yabuki Joe, the Working Class Hero". Otaquest. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  13. "ジョー & 飛雄馬: 闘争の時代のヒーロー達" (PDF) (in Japanese). Osaka University. March 28, 2009. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  14. "「よど号」は、なぜ金浦空港に降りたのか". The Nikkei (in Japanese). January 1, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  15. "よど号ハイジャック事件　～４０年目の真相～ ザ・スクープ" (in Japanese). TV Asahi. November 28, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  16. Japanese Anime Vote. "TV Asashi Voting Archived 2009-05-05 at the Wayback Machine. " "Japanese Anime Vote." Retrieved on 2006-11-19.
  17. Zoth, Thomas (January 12, 2010). "10 Most Iconic Anime Heroes". Mania Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2010.
  18. Sevakis, Justin (November 13, 2008). "Buried Treasure Ashita no Joe". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  19. Schilling, Mark (September 16, 2015). "Japan through the lens of its film genres". The Japan Times. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  20. Toole,Mike (May 13, 2018). "The Mike Toole Show: Yo Joe!". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  21. "Newtype Shonen". Newtype. Kadokawa Shoten. August 2005.
  22. "Interview with Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection Director Goro Taniguchi". Manga Tokyo. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  23. All About The King of Fighters '94 (ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ'94). Micom BASIC Magazine. All About (in Japanese). 7. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. 25 December 1994. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2020-04-24 at the Wayback Machine).
  24. "Madman interviews Kenji Kamiyama". Madman Entertainment. September 17, 2013. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
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