Ashita no Joe is an anime that I added to my "Plan to Watch" list for some time, maybe two or three years. The story follows the young Joe Yabuki, a troublemaker from the Japanese suburbs. Joe has a natural talent for fighting, but he always gets in confusion, steals, and mind. Things change when Joe meets Danpei Tange, a former boxer who had to end his career after losing sight in one eye. From there, Danpei tries to straighten out Joe's life through boxing training.
Ashita no Joe was released in the early seventies after much other shounen anime in the 50's and 60's. But I would say that Ashita no Joe was the first anime that revolutionized the style, introducing all the features of a modern shounen.
The graphics are certainly not the most precise although I like it very much even though this is due to the time the anime was released. In addition, this scarcity of bright colors and good animation technology give the anime an ambiance very conducive to what it represents: post-war Japan.
Like any modern shounen style anime, Ashita no Joe surprises us with the humble roots of the protagonist, a rebel wall with a strong personality that will act-surpasses within the world of the professional boxing. The feeling of competition is incomparable. The comedy and the drama play innocently in this anime that is already mentioned as a classic but unfortunately unknown by many.
Anyone who sees this anime will immediately recognize the origins of a style that gave rise to DragonBall, Saint Seiya, Bleach, Naruto but mostly Hajime no Ippo and Rurouni Kenshin, among others. But there is a warning: the protagonist Joe has a charisma that leaves all the others in the mud.
Story: 9 | Art: 9 | Sound: 8 | Character: 9 | Enjoyment: 8
Score: 9/10
