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Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow
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Aug 28, 2011 6:04 PM
#1

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May 2008
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THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
----------------------------------------
Before anyone asks, I watched Spanish Subs.

Rikiishi vs Joe was one of the best fights I've seen so far, with the most dramatic conclusion. A classic.
Feb 1, 2012 3:48 PM
#2

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Apr 2011
101
I don't even know where to begin when trying to describe my love for this series.

Maybe the psychological depth of the characters and the script is what most sets it apart from other animes I've seen. It excelled in the relations between Joe and Rikiishi, Joe and Tange, and - finally - Joe and Carlos. I smiled when they continued boxing after the bell had rung.

The rough drawing style. Not at all the "cute" style that many people associate with manga and anime today.

The daring direction. Especially the fighting scenes felt almost avant garde, with some moments dragged out in infinity. Fantastic! Overall lots of fingerspitzengefühl in the direction.

Will miss Joe. And the rest of them.

I'm surprised Ashita no Joe has so few fans on Myanimelist, but it might be that subs are hard to find.
Jul 10, 2014 10:40 PM
#3

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Mar 2012
5785
So the match ends up being a draw and Joe leaves them yet again ಠ_ಠ

Overall this anime was a good watch but not as amazing as some people make it out to be imo. It's a very old anime so the fights weren't fantastic though still entertaining, the drama was a bit too much at times, and Joe was pretty much a douchebag the majority of the time. He was pretty cunning though which is one things I liked about him.

I'm surprised they haven't made a remake yet, well besides that movie that came out in 1980. Would be pretty interesting to see this series with today's animation. The fights would definitely be more enjoyable to watch.
Jul 11, 2014 8:35 AM
#4

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Dec 2009
288
Actually, I disagree with you Avenger. Just a little though.

I think that the fights were really good. Obviously, the quality of the animation wasn't good, as it is from the 70s, but there were no supernatural overpowered moves, and they still managed to show us who were the strongest. Also, the cute look from animes today is not adapted from AnJ, and that is something I like. It's rough from the start to the end.

Unfortunatley it seems that the second season does not follow the same story as the first, at least not from the get go, but it's still entertaining. Without having read the manga, I'm suspecting that everything after the fight with Rikishi is fillers. Or, that they just remade it in the second season

Anyways, a fantastic series 9/10.
Jul 13, 2014 9:29 AM
#5

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May 2008
34
it's finally here..

To start with, I am a big fan of the series ever since 2005 or so. I watched season 2 back then and I still consider it as the best sport/boxing drama to date. It is really shame that the anime does not have the same impact as it does in Japan :(

The fighting is so epic. The most parts I enjoyed are: The juvenile detention center, Rikishi vs Joe, and of course the fight with Carols.

I can't say that I loved the ending. It was fine, but season-2 makes up for it. :D

Fantastic series...

Season 1: 9.5/10
Season 2: 10/10
Oct 5, 2014 2:41 PM
#6

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Nov 2013
3841
9/10 for me. I stopped commenting in the discussion episodes approaching the 30th because... each discussion only had one comment in. I genuinely thought a classic like this would have had way more attention. Pretty disappointing. Series like this make 90% what comes out each season look like they were written by toddlers.

Going to start Ashita no Joe 2 soon, I generally feel that continuations and second seasons never really live up to the original for me, so I hope it's just as good, or dare I say it... better.

I looked up the voices behind Joe and Danpei and they've barely done anything else, if it all. Really sad, their voices are incredible, Danpei's especially.

The animation was dated but, it worked. It was a fantastic experience for me, the fights felt like they had true direction, it was like a drama was playing out before me. Where something like Hajme no Ippo got me hyped, Ashita no Joe left me in awe. The strikes of lighting and random trumpet blowing was so brilliant. There's very little this series did wrong for me. The slow-start left me a little bit disappointed so I can't give a 10/10. Put Joe onto my favourite characters list. Hoping he's still on there by the end of the 2nd installment.
the official MAL hall of fame/cursed comments is now open for business - you are welcome to PM me any potential quotes to include
Nov 10, 2014 4:10 AM
#7

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Jan 2013
14301
It is a 10/10 series for me.

When I first watched the first episode, and the starting scene where you could see Joe walking on Namida Bridge, alone, whistling those loveable sounds. That is where I fell in love with the series. Since then, Joe's set up a long journey to become a boxer who has skills, and the most important of all, friends.

The rivalry between Joe and Rikiishi was the most entertaining aspect of the series. They both meet in Juvie Prison, both ended up there for their stubborness and violence. As days passed the bond between them became stronger and finally, Rikiishi's time to leave the prison striked Joe's feelings. Just wanna point out that they are complete with each other. But their fight and tragedy had to happen,leading one of the most sad deaths in my anime experience. Rikiishi Toru was a legend.

Well, time to jump into Ashita no Joe Two!
Jul 27, 2015 11:35 PM
#8
💉 🩸 🩹 💖 🏥

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Feb 2012
3607
Joe vs Rikiishi was the shit. I absolutely loved that rivalry. Huge development between 'em and other characters like Danpei, Nishi and Yoko. I liked how the anime explored Joe's fear and trauma after what happened after their match, but I really wasn't a fan of the whole boxing troupe thing. Carlos Rivera is a pretty great rival for Joe to have. I'm a bit dissatisfied with the ending, however, it's very like Joe to just up and leave suddenly without warning. 8.75/10
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Aug 11, 2015 7:02 AM
#9
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Nov 2014
26586
I loved it, awesome first season and Joe is easily the most well developed anime character ever. (?) He started from a nobody, a wanderer, becomes a boxer and at the end of the first season he has become a wanderer again. Much more than Boxing, deserves more fans and GAR was born here.

9/10.
Oct 1, 2015 4:22 AM

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May 2014
1151
I probably would've loved this show a lot more had I not read the manga first, which is miles above the show, mainly because of two things.
1. The art of the manga is nearly timeless. The animation of the show is not. It may have been made in the 1970s but I still couldn't get past that part.
2. After episode 50, the show takes some unnecessary detours from the original story.

Aside from that though, it really is a good show, Rikishii and Joe's rivalry is probably one of the, if not the absolute best in anime, and it leads to Joe's development, which is also a huge positive.

Also, Joe's whistle is the most addicting piece of music I've ever heard.
"You either die an Ashita no Joe, or you live long enough to see yourself become a Naruto."
Mar 4, 2016 11:20 AM

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Jul 2010
8334
This first season was pretty great, especially the first half but after Rikiishi's death I felt like it lost it's moment a bit but still not by too much so will still give this a 9/10. And now it's time for the second season which I heard is even better.
Mar 26, 2016 7:33 PM

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Jun 2008
3162
I really, really loved the first 2/3rds of this series and it was on track to be in my top 10 of all time but the last 3rd ruined that. Not that it was bad, it just didn't have the same level of excitement.

8/10

I hope the 2nd season will be really good all the way through.
Mar 27, 2016 11:19 PM

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Dec 2008
177
9/10 One of the most well written anime I've ever seen! I even liked most of the fillers in the last third.
I'll immediately start with the second and final season. I get goosebumps just thinking about how epic the second season will be!
Oct 10, 2016 3:53 AM

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Feb 2013
24142
Nobody lost in that fight, Joe and Carlos are both winners.
He left again,lol.
A 6/10 for me, it was ok, I hated Joe for more than half of the anime, he straightened up in the end.
Jul 13, 2017 3:08 PM

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Nov 2016
32007
The fight turned into a slugfest and ended in a draw.

Overall this show was quite the journey. And I think it's a nice touch that this season basically ends where it started, with Joe beeing in transit, this time almost as a completely new person, tho.

In general this show had fantastic and believeable development for many characters and not just for him. Danpei, Nishi, Yoko, the children everyone went through changes with and because of Joe.

I can just say I had a lot of fun with this timeless masterpiece, there were many highlights, especially episode 51 and 52, unfortunately Joes time as tourboxer couldn't match up with the quality of the other arcs, which prevents me from giving out a 10. Nevertheless it was an amazing ride and this show is one of my favorites for sure, totally hyped for season 2 and I'm pretty sure it will get even better.

One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron


Jul 27, 2017 4:03 PM
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Oct 2016
149
Wow what a brilliant finale, every scene in this episode felt like a contender for the best scene in the show, it lifts up your spirit and breaks your heart in equal measure, it provides closure to a lot of the story elements but still leaves you wanting to see what happens next to Joe and Osamu Dezaki's amazing direction continues all the way to the last second.

This was such a good place to leave the story that it could easily be mistaken for the actual ending however there is a second season with the same director just in a different studio and it was made in the 80s so the animation quality will be improved too, however this is an incredibly hard act to follow.
Aug 18, 2017 11:41 AM

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Jul 2016
10
You recognize the best animes to the satisfaction they give when finished.
It was amazing.
Aug 25, 2017 5:44 AM
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Oct 2015
39
I do not understand the love for this show. It was not bad by any means, I enjoyed it; but I found the majority of characters to be unlikable. 7/10
Sep 25, 2017 6:07 AM

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May 2016
6251
What a great way to finish it I was satisfied with the draw and what a fantastic fight.
And Joe goes on his own way again and Yoko fall for him.
Sep 29, 2017 8:42 AM

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Jan 2010
7191
It's been a long time since there was a fight without any extra strings attached. No cheating, no bad blood, no interference; the only thing here are two guys that really want to fight.

Ashita no Joe is a super fascinating anime. Joe, who had nothing to his name at first, was given a love for boxing by Tange. Now, with nothing left in his life but boxing, Tange accidentally set Joe for a path of self-destruction in a sense, as Joe can't think of anything but boxing, choosing to become a drifter again to find the next ring to fight in. Though, in a sense, this is more of a combination of his previous and current lifestyles. Since the beginning of the series, Joe has definitely been humbled a lot, enough so that he can now give thanks to Yoko wholeheartedly. His character evolution has been amazing, changing every time he meets a new person, whether if it's on the road or in thing.

I'll also say the other two characters that impressed me were Tange and Nishi. Tange really came across as a complicated and troubled soul, struggling to fulfill his dream of raising a world champion while confronting his guilt of potentially stealing away Joe's future. Though, Joe's future probably would have been a criminal lifestyle, so you could say that Joe's life was saved in that regard, but with the amount of times Joe seemed like he would die in the ring, that sentiment is debatable. With Nishi, he was introduced as a thug, but was quickly reduced to an inconsequential supporting character. However, seeing him come to terms with his path in life, choosing to give up boxing and instead live an ordinary life, really rounded out the series. It shows that there truly is a community in this anime, where it extends beyond the scope of just boxing. It shows different walks of life, and it shows that even as a story that features boxing, not every major character needs to live that life.

I also have to give a mention to Yoko, who still leaves me wondering about her intentions. At one point, she wanted to see Joe defeated, but she specifically wanted to see the Wild Joe on the floor, not the broken Joe that was without direction or ambition. By the end though, I couldn't tell if she wanted to see Joe defeated, or if she just wanted some sort of closure to hers and Rikiishi's story, since the match did leave off on a sour note. Joe still gives Yoko a lot of crap, of which I think he's forgotten the original reason. He dislikes her facade of being angelic while throwing around her money and influence, which caused Yoko to dislike Joe for being egotistical and immature, causing great harm to others in his path without any consideration for the well being of others. Their relationship by the end of the series, however, was left to be quite ambiguous, which I'm very thankful for. It makes their relationship truly complex, one that can't be solved by a single fight.

Lastly, I must say, the art and animation were superb. It's dirty, gritty, and full of life. Also, the story went from the very beginnings before boxing even set in, to Joe's growth and peak, to his downfall and soul-searching, to his return up to where he set out to see the world again. It's a full story that covers a whole career and even bits beyond, so I have to say, Ashita no Joe truly is amazing. Painful as hell to watch at times, sure, but amazing nonetheless.

Now...to somehow build the stamina to move into the second season, because goodness this was exhausting.
Sep 10, 2019 5:33 PM

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Oct 2015
6916
Pfft! What a piece of shit of an ending, a draw? You've got to be kidding me!

Yeah it was a good fight, but not a good boxing bout. The two idiots decided to duke it out beyond the bell, just to show who was the strongest, very unimpressive and barbaric for the sport. After all that hype they build towards Joe and Carlos, and it ended like a fart. Carlos wasn't that much of an important character to drew out with Joe, I get it he's sixth in the world rankings but the least they've could've done was make him win by a close call or something. And also Joe's sudden drifting towards another adventure was sudden mediocrity and senseless. I was disappointed that he aimed that low and didn't appreciate boxing that much, the bastard was just looking for opponents to challenge his ass like any street punk. If he loved boxing he Would've seek the world and wanted stronger boxing opponents, so fuck him!

Overall I enjoyed the parts before Rikiishi's death, after that things went haywire for the show. The dude started to lose his edge and became a real loser. After that he didn't win any major bout, he got defeated by Tiger(Danpei forfeited), Nango(lost) and Harajima(passed out). On this one he drew on disqualification, so I don't think he was hot stuff after this series, he deserves to drift like that. Stupid bastard! The other was the troupe episodes, which I didn't understand why he went there in the first place and they were boring. The other is the inconsistent animation and music, let me point out one of many and that is the bruises of opponents. When Joe for an example fights, we don't get how severe his injuries are, because they would animate them inconsistently. He would be super injured for a second and then be healed in the next second, like wtf. But I forgave it since it is one super retro anime. It had its moments though, like his rivalry with Rikiishi and funny moments!

Hajime no ippo is a better anime, Ippo is a better boxer than Joe. This was my waste of time.

6/10
lihle808Sep 10, 2019 5:41 PM
How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb --- Dr Strangelove

Sep 18, 2019 9:09 AM
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Apr 2016
13218
So both Joe and Carlos were satisfied with each other's strength, thus went berserk-mode on each other to see who's stronger. Beautiful fight. While the conclusion wasn't one I hoped for, since I expected either a winner or a loser, I nonetheless feel satisfied. Joe left for a journey very abruptly, but oh well.

I didn't expect this show to have any psychological depth, but somehow it had a lot of it, and I'm happy it did. Good show.

@lihle808 Everything you said is unfortunately the truth, your viewpoint just looks at it in a negative light. Everything that happened was pretty realistic and suit their personalities, and I think this is how it was supposed to play out. Considering Carlos straight up used elbow blows in his previous fights, is it that weird that both he and Joe sunk to a barbaric level, disregarding that they're in the ring, just to see who's stronger? Sure, Joe did somewhat become a "real loser" after Rikiishi died, but being honest, he could've ended up in a worse position if not for Yohko, he was next to sinking as low as to drink away his misfortunes, or just straight up murdering a bunch of people just to go to jail and root away. Joe just couldn't cope with losing his salvation; purpose of living. I honestly don't like Joe too much, too, but that doesn't make him a bad character, in fact, I believe he's a brilliant character with a lot of depth. And the animation well, it's old, we can't blame them, really, let's disregard it's inconsistency. And yeah, I 100% agree, Hajime no Ippo is better, still, Ashita no Joe is a very good show I believe.
blankSep 18, 2019 9:38 AM
Mar 17, 2020 7:04 PM

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Jun 2012
2593
Now thats an ending I can be satisfied with. I really wish I liked this show more but Joe was just so unlikable for so long. Even now he's still not the greatest. It took Rikishi dying and then reincarnating as Carlos to even slightly change him. Im wondering how Joe 2 will turn out. I heard
Oh yea fuck wolf. What a garbage human being.
May 28, 2020 9:00 AM

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Nov 2017
122
Although there were some moments where i didnt quite like it, it was still a satisfying ride overall. I can definitely see why the series have such a staying power in the anime community even after 50 years of its release.
Jul 18, 2020 2:39 PM
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Jul 2020
2
lihle808 said:
Pfft! What a piece of shit of an ending, a draw? You've got to be kidding me!




This wasn't the ending though, there's a second season. Episodes 55-79 are non canon.
Jul 18, 2020 2:50 PM
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Jul 2020
2
-Flareon- said:
Although there were some moments where i didnt quite like it, it was still a satisfying ride overall. I can definitely see why the series have such a staying power in the anime community even after 50 years of its release.


I hope you know that it's not over; there is a second season. Episodes 55-79 are technically non canon as well.
Jul 26, 2020 9:10 PM

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Mar 2020
309
What a beautiful ending, the emotions at the end really hit me hard. Even though that fight ended in a draw it was still amazing, probably even better than the Rikiishi fight for me. I also like how they ended the anime like how they started it with Joe being a Vagabond and all. This season was a 10/10 for me, I hope season 2 doesn't disappoint.
Joe, Joe Forever....
Feb 4, 2021 11:39 PM
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Jul 2010
462
The animation and fighting scenes for the last fight were amazing. Very action packed. Ending was a bit weird, doesn't really give you closure. Good thing it is filler and the second season has the real ending from the manga.

This was a spectacular anime though and you can see how most shounen anime are directly influenced by it.
Mar 6, 2021 9:56 AM

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Jul 2020
1146
I’m glad invested my time on this anime because I was like why is the second season rated so high? I clearly understand why people love this show. Not only Yabuki is a well written character but the others are too even the forgotten side characters throughout the story. Can’t wait to get to the next season!

9/10
Dec 18, 2021 9:54 PM

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May 2010
1453
I just want to say that the non-cannon parts from episode 55 onwards are extremely good compared to almost any other non-cannon parts that I can think of. Sure, the original story is still better, but as far as "filler" goes, this is some of the best filler I've ever seen.

Lots of people don't understand why this show is so revered. I'd ask, how many shows from before 1970 have they seen? You can't look back at a groundbreaking show like this and ignore the historical context, that's like saying Newton was overrated because the next scientist after him had an even more accurate theory.
“Money can't buy dere”
Jan 26, 2022 8:12 AM

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Dec 2021
878
I loved everything about eps 55-79 ,, excelt maybe the Traveling circus episodes were a bit slow

but Joe depression arc , his body blow arc , The Tiger and contenders saga , and Joe's comeback to fight Carlos ..

the final 3rd of this anime still has the Classic Joe feel !
Apr 30, 2022 4:19 AM

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Jan 2021
2548
A fantastic series! Really loved it.
The only complaint I've from this season is that somehow nobody noticed Carlo's elbow hits. No way he just kept fighting whilst cheating with literal champions, where you have so many cameras and even professionals.
May 1, 2022 1:09 PM

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Dec 2021
878
KiR4T said:
A fantastic series! Really loved it.
The only complaint I've from this season is that somehow nobody noticed Carlo's elbow hits. No way he just kept fighting whilst cheating with literal champions, where you have so many cameras and even professionals.


tbf boxers in real life use elbow shots when they follow thru with flushes and striaghts .. and if they're fluid about it it'll slip past the average viewer


great example is Rolly Romero , he has a fight coming up soon
Feb 10, 2023 4:59 PM
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Mar 2022
1
FUCKING MASTERPIECE OF AN ENDING
Feb 11, 2023 11:24 AM
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May 2017
1929
Not just the fact the last match was hype but the ending was quite a twist. It was a great Anime only ending. I can't wait to watch the Manga ending.
Apr 22, 2023 10:36 AM

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Jan 2013
6931
Damn what a way to end this season.
The fight between Carlos and Joe was sooo damn good, it wasn't just about the match anymore, they just wanted to fight each other.
Beautiful send-off from Joe aswell.

I had my doubts at the start about this anime but I'm glad I stuck with it.
Joe grew so much as a character and it was nice experiencing that throughout 79 episodes.
Not just Joe either, Danpei, Yoko, Rikiishi, Nishi etc ... fantastic writing for all these characters.

Despite the mediocre voice acting and what it lacks in animation (combined with multiple animation errors) ... it makes up for in story telling and character development.
The drama was fantastic and the actions the characters take in the series were very believable.

For an anime that was created in 1970, this goes far beyond what I expected.
Excited to see what season 2 can do.
Aug 20, 2023 8:48 PM
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Aug 2023
1
The final beatdown between Joe and Carlos was emotional for me, i loved it a lot.
Jan 16, 9:49 PM

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May 2021
5089
Cant wait for tomorrow joe gonna be even better every time
Inhales oxygen
Jan 25, 9:00 PM

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Jan 2011
26710
A little steam lost after Rikiishi's death, but damn, this series really does live up to the rep. Looking forward to the sequel.
Jun 21, 7:20 PM
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Jun 2024
1
Goated Boxing Anime
Oct 8, 2:39 AM

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Jul 2021
1028
From start to finish this show was one hell of a journey and thought the first 20 episodes where slow in opinion and it took me quite sometime to finally get going with the show. It was honestly very good. Within in the past week or so ive binged from episode 26 onwards.

We have had plenty of amazing characters throughout this show from Joe Rikiishi and Carlos to Nishi and the old man. Coming into this last fight i was very excited with two very amazing boxers and it was amazing. Im glad it ended in a draw. Before the fight i wanted Joe to win but coming to the end of it im am happy with the conclusion both deserved the win and im happy with a draw.

Overall this show has been great and i cant wait to see where the next part goes.


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