I mean yeah, its not perfect - the story is very minimal and some of it's parts are a bit distracting (the Fujimaki plot). Also I didn't very much cared for the children following Team Nowhere apart from Sachio. This considered, objectively speaking, this is not a 10, maybe not even an 8. But I have yet to find an anime which gave me moments of such hype and excitement.
But there is so much to love here. The revalry and respect between Joe and Yuri set out from the start. The first episode, setting a perfect tone for the entire show. The visual, reminiscent of the great anime series of old, supported by descent writing even with spikes of excellence at times sets it above many others. But most importantly this anime is launched into the stratosphere by a banger soundtrack kinds of which are rare in anime. I have been replaing the main theme, theme of Sachio and slum theme over and over since finishing the show and I am still not fed up. Honestly, the music ranks among the very best and I am truly in owe of what Mabanua was able to accomplish. Dealing with a gritty and brutal subject matter, a combination of box, vintage animation, banger music and cool one liners is a blend able to create the most badass moments during its fights tha is the stuff of legends. With it's many flaws in mind I cannot give it anything less than a perfect score.
I am hyped for the next season even though I'm not exactly sure this anime needed one. Some stories do not require a sequal. If you made it to the top from the bottom up, that is the story you wanted to tell. Adding anything knew can very often look like a fish out of water. Perfect example of this is The Promised Neverland. Almost perfect anime for the first season where it actually had a story to tell. Once they got out of the farm (spoiler - yeah they do get out, duh) it is very clear that it looses its ground and the excitement goes away. We're here for the main event, not to see the "lived happily ever after" (or rotted in hell for that matter) part of the story.
With that being said, judging from the trailer, they probably picked the right way to continue. Change things up, check back with the old characters and show us some brutal fights. The tone seems to shift a little to the drama side of thing, which is a positive in my eyes.
If you're still unsure if this anime is something you would enjoy, search for the short excert from the show called "Megalobox - Rumble" on youtube from Cruchyroll. If this doesn't get you hyped up then this is not the anime for you. I highly doubt that though.
PS: "They don't make tombstones for stray dogs" is too good of a one liner not to be mentioned.
