Megalobox

Art, in its purest form, is a catharsis of imperceptible cognitive entities onto a “canvas” for the purposes of provoking reactions from others. Sometimes that reaction involves laughter, other times it is sorrow, and on rare occasions, profound enlightenment, in either case, it is the responsibility of the artist(s) to determine the desired reaction, and how best to achieve it through their intended medium. As one would expect, it permits a copious amount of creativity to take place, yielding unexpected outcomes that one would rarely see in the real world. Antithetical to this branch of human intrigue, is the world of binaryresults and conventional outcomes, otherwise known as: sports. That is not to say that all sporting events are replicas of past events, but in the grand scheme, one team will lose, and one team will win — end of story. As is the case with a boxing match, one boxer will lose, and the other, by default, will win (I understand there can be split decisions, but for the sake of argument, bare with me). In case I am mistaken, one cannot win at art, as it has no predetermined result. Ergo, making the mixture of the two (art and sport) quite the peculiar one. One demands openness and originality, while the other requires an outcome. Not to say that it cannot be done, as the predecessor of this series, “Ashita no Joe” proved otherwise. Yet, fans of the original series will be quick to point out, that while it was a “boxing anime,” it was so much more. In a numerous amount of ways, the original “Joe” is akin to Ping Pong The Animation — a character driven narrative — as opposed to your typical sports anime. Breaking free from the restrictions of defined outcomes and crafting something truly imaginative. That all being said, how does this new iteration of “Joe" stack up on the hierarchy of sports anime? Story: 4/10 I’m going to discuss the story first, mainly because I feel there is one glaring detail that demands acknowledgement before pressing forward. I am referring to the “Gear” (i.e. mechanical limbs) the boxers use to inflict blood-stained carnage on their respective opponents. The concept, in theory, sounds interesting, but when one considers the ramifications, especially with the proliferation of CTE in athletes, it’s a horrifying notion. Imagine if “Iron” Mike Tyson were equipped with this "Gear" in his prime, he would straight up murder people with one punch (cue the One Punch Man theme music). In all seriousness, weaponizing the instrument of pain with highly sophisticated machinery, without providing protective barriers for the combatants is just ludicrous and a colossal oversight on the writer’s part. I understand the rationale behind the decision, as it pertains to my original statement regarding originality, or lack thereof, in sports. But, this innovative nuance is just a cosmetic flourish that adds little to nothing towards the overall plot. Which is a shame. Because there are numerous routes the anime staff could have taken this idea, that would have elevated this anime into something worth remembering. Perhaps, for example, they could have used the technology to profit from unnecessary conflicts and war, propagating political tensions and the fears of an overreaching quasi-government (this was sort of hinted at, but never really explored with any specific detail). Boxing would have still been the main focus, but underneath, you would have an interesting perspective about the dangers of proliferating technology. Instead, what we are left with, is a brother and sister competing for control over their father’s legacy. Then, much to the chagrin of the viewer, Yuuri decides to expel his integrated “gear” for the final match, making the entire concept an irrelevant element in a story that — desperately — needed vitality to successfully engage the viewer. As the saying goes: haste makes waste. The “gear” was the waste; therefore, invariably, the production must have been made in haste. The remainder of the story is your ordinary sports anime framework, by which I mean: a tournament. Somewhat unavoidable, given the format of the show, but do we really need to see Joe get knocked down for a ten count, only to rise to his feet at the count of nine, in every single fight? Watch boxing clips on YouTube and you will see for yourself that this sort of thing rarely happens. Characters: 5/10 Joe, as they refer to him in the series, is reminiscent of a stray dog: he’s tough, gritty, aggressive, and has nothing to lose. Another characteristic of stray dogs is fear, an emotion that is briefly touched upon in Joe’s first fight (his first fight in the tournament, that is), but is never revisited later in the series. I would have liked to see this affliction be a recurring issue for Joe, a malignant hindrance that would have required significant mental effort to overcome his anxieties, potentially derailing his short-term goal of reaching Megalonia. Unfortunately, the series allows Joe to conquer this obstacle relatively early, diminishing much of the intrigue in his plight towards the top. In this sense, the story quickly dissolves from being an in depth character drama, and into a simple revenge story. The reflection of emulating the original “Joe” proved too arduous for “Megalo-Joe” to achieve, disappointing fans of the original series who were looking for a show that retained its predecessor’s desirable traits. Gansaku Nanbu, Joe’s manager, is your prototypical boxing coach: tough exterior, but has a sense of honor and virtue. His actions are fairly predictable, and while they attempt to portray him as an indifferent character, we all know he will stand in Joe’s corner, no matter the circumstances; thus, nullifying the astonishment of his evident, false heel turn(s). Nanbu’s previous protege, Tatsumi Aragaki, is the “genuine article” of the entire series. A man who was robbed of his legs and half of his face during a war, Aragaki struggles to find a reason to press forward in his “meaningless” existence. Much like the duality of his disfigured face, Aragaki leads a conflicted life, wanting to exact revenge on his coach through Joe, but also desiring a peaceful resolution that will alleviate some of his psychological woes. The depiction of this character was spot on, creating a connection with the viewer in a palpable way. The emotions that flew from Aragaki highlighted the fragile nature of all humans, reminding the viewer that one’s own mind, can be the greatest opponent of all. I won’t engage in talking about the other character’s of the show, as the vast majority were dearth of any real personality; however, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge Glen Burroughs coming out in a monster truck. I mean, what was that? We already know he’s a boisterous American, but they really tried to hammer that point home. Perhaps they watched some old clips of Stone Cold Steve Austin driving on his ATV to the ring, but just missed the point that the WWE was a contrived entertainment event, and not a real sporting competition. Enjoyment: 4/10 The boxing matches were, for the most part, uninspiring, and as the tournament progressed to its later stages, it became onerous for the viewer to tune in to the next episode. Real life boxing is tedious enough (just look at the declining viewership numbers), but watching it in an anime format is all the more dreary when you consider the absurdity of the “gear” itself. There were a few plot twists thrown in here and there, but nothing that made the viewer second-guess the outcome of the series as a whole. Perhaps watching Ping Pong the Animation and Ashita no Joe has spoiled my standards for what to expect from future sports anime, yet, in the end, being judged by your peers is the only unbiased way of determining your place on the hierarchy of the sports anime genre. And while this may seem blasphemous to some of you, I believe the first two seasons of Haikyuu!! capture character emotions with more veracity than Megalo Box. One of the few times a Shounen anime did something better than a Seinen anime. Not the legacy Megalo Box was attempting to solidify with its sights set on attaining the previous glory of its predecessor. Overall: 4.67/10

There’s an infamous quote in the wrestling community that was said by the legendary Ric Flair. “To be the man, you gotta beat the man!” While Megalo Box is not wrestling, there’s definitely an iconic meaning that can be applied here. As I was watching Megalo Box, it reminded me the excitement of fighting. A few years ago when Hajime no Ippo returned on television, it became a glorious showstopper that lived up to all expectations. For Megalo Box, this was like a feeling of deja vu. The premise of the series involves Junk Dog, an underground Megalo Boxer. He participates in a popular sport intheir world known as Megalo Boxing. What is Megalo Boxing? It’s basically a sport that involves boxers fighting with metal gears. Think of it as boxing but with more lethal and brutal consequences. Junk Dog takes on the moniker name “Joe” so he can participate in the Megalonia tournament. Throughout the series, we see his life journey as both a Megalo Boxer and person. On my first viewing, Megalo Box made an intimidating and fascinating impression on me. I haven’t seen the original Ashita no Joe series before so coming into this anime fresh felt intimidating at first. On the other hand, I’m also fascinated by the larger than life ideas of the show. The first two episodes immediately had me glued to my seat as we witness Junk Dog showing his fighting skills as a Megalo Boxer. It didn’t take long to realize that the show portrays him as an underdog. The experience that Joe gains is invaluable and also allows him to realize his potential. I’m also a sucker for the “David vs Goliath” trope as the idea can be applied in any sport. For Megalo Box, the stakes are raised higher because of how dangerous it is. Every fight feels as if Joe is putting his life on the life against opponents. And believe me, the characters he comes across with are no pushovers. Take Yuuri as an example. He is a Megalo Boxing champion and is considered one of the top fighters in the world. In a classic ‘David vs Goalith’ style fight, he humiliates Junk Dog in his match. The fight inspires Junk Joe to climb up the ranks and make a name for himself. It planted the seeds for Junk Dog to not only improve but also show why he deserves to be a Megalo Boxer. Junk Dog later takes on the ring name “Gearless Joe” because of his own choice to fight without gears in the ring. Now I have to be honest here and wonder what makes a good boxing story. Is it about the development of character in and out of the ring? Does it also involve a fighter going beyond than just a fictional character? Or maybe it’s a story that always keeps up coming back for more. Perhaps it’s how much the story draws lines between fiction and reality. Personally, I think Megalo Box has a bit of every one of those aspects. Junk Dog goes against his manager Nanbu to throw a fight and takes control of his own destiny. This is a contrast to Yuuri who often follows the command of Yukiko, the head of the Shirato Group who oversees the Megalonia tournament. There’s a good contrasting comparison between these two characters as it feels like they are living in two different worlds. It also impressed me on how much Junk Dog is willing to go to prove himself. This is shown later in the series when he fights Aragaki, with both physical and emotional stakes. It escalated to the point where both fighters eventually took on an all-brawl approach to see who the last man standing. In perhaps one of the most important fights of Junk Joe’s life, he proves himself as a warrior. For a sports show, there’s no doubt psychology is also involved in the ring. The gimmicks, trash talk, and press conferences hypes up match-ups between opponents. A big selling factor also involves the emotional quality of the show. I can’t help but root for Junk Dog early on in the series. He’s the underdog and for him to beat certain opponents is relatable. It sends across the message that anyone can do anything they set their mind into. While this seems like a cheesy gimmick for the show, it’s very real and the buildup for some of Joe’s matches is executed flawlessly. On the other hand, Megalo Box does suffer a bit on the drama side if we look beyond the ring. Some of the subplot involving Yukiko clashing with the board of directors makes a less memorable impact to connect the series together. The family feud between Yukiko and Mikio also feels like it doesn’t belong in a show like this. Don’t get me wrong. I like a good drama from time to time but the way their plot is carried out just doesn't sell well. On the other hand, the rivalries between the fighters is what got me really invested into the story. Junk Dog/Yuuri, Junk Dog/Mikio, and Mikio/Yuuri are all rivalries that stays committed to selling this show. What I’m also more invested in is how far Joe goes out to prove himself. He is very committed to his goal even if it means putting his own life on the line and taking jaw dropping risks. The guy knows what he wants to accomplish in life and to me, that’s an attitude you need to succeed. Produced by TMS Entertainment, it’s may take a while for viewers to get used to the animation style. The characters looks like they are hand drawn and creates a sensation of the 1990s. The characters are rough looking especially for our main protagonist, Junk Dog. There’s no doubt the anime was aiming make the characters look as badass as possible. The addition of the gears these fighters wear adds more aesthetics to raise the stakes. However, the biggest selling point of the anime’s technical quality is the actual fighting. It really isn’t hard to spot how intense the action is once the fight gets into a momentum. Every punch feels impactful and camera angles captures the realism of the pain. It’s never camera shy to show blood on screen and how fighters react to their win or losses. Every fight can get viewers’ heart throbbing. The emotional impact can also be felt with the protrayal of human expressions. In terms of boxing, it also delivers its quality action such as uppercuts, corkscrew punches, jabbing, overhands, etc. Additionally, it’s worth noting how well the show’s dystopia setting is portrayed without overemphasizing element of science fiction. Sure, the series place in a futuristic environment but also shows the reality of cruelness such as poverty. If the creators were aiming for making this anime feel real, they sure got their job done. I’m not too familiar with Katsuhiko Manabe but the music talent he brings into this anime is undeniably stylish. The fighting music amplifies the hip-pop style of the OST to bring in a lot of attitude into the series. The soundtrack is mesmerizing that always keeps its momentum from the minute the first beat hits. In the meantime, I’m also impressed by the voices of the character cast especially our protagonist Junk Dog. His personality matches with his voice that almost sounds like a fierce dog when fighting in the ring. The masculinity of all the fighters is believable because of the talented voice cast. Both the OP and ED theme songs also reflects a bit of the 1990s mood that may feel nostalgic. Megalo Box definitely turned out to be a dark horse that I’m glad I gave a chance this year. What started out as a fight turned into an emotional story that follows the heart of an underdog. I’m in awe of how much I became invested into Joe’s character before even realizing his potential. While this anime may not be suitable for everyone, it’s still an anime that can keep just about anyone at their seat. Here is a series that made a name for itself in just 13 phenomenal episodes.

If there was one anime that I would love to get a remake it would be Ashita no Joe. I really series especially the manga for its great boxing matches, amazing rivalry, and wonderful and realistic character development. The series also had great darker portrayal of boxing as sport where not all matches will not end pretty as boxers can potentially get injured to a point where they get they lives destroyed. Thanks to these elements that the show offers as well being a great realistic coming of age + underdog story Ashita no Joe is currently my favourite sports anime/manga series period evenbeating the likes of Haikyuu and Chihayafuru even thought I adored them but personally they don’t compete the absolute greatness that is Ashita no Joe in my opinion. So when I heard the Ashita no Joe 50th project I was beyond hype because I thought my wish had came true where anime fans from this generation can finally experience the dark beauty that is Ashita no Joe in a modernize fashion. However instead of getting a Ashita no Joe remake we got Megalo Box a anime that was mean to celebrate Ashita no Joe 50th anniversary. As a fan of Ashita no Joe franchise I was really excited for it as it thought it will be great tribute to Ashita no Joe as well being its own thing and I first I liked it a lot. However as a I watch more episodes the show slowly started to fall apart to a point where all of my excitement of the show was replaced by boredom and disappointment. So what the hell went wrong with this show? You’re going to find out now. Hello everyone this is Shawn aka KurataLordStage and welcome to my review of Megalo Box and with that further ado let’s started. Story. The story follows Junk Dog who is great at boxing who fights in underground illegal rings in fights that have a fixed result where his coach Gansaku Nanbu directs him on when to lose a fight. One evening he almost crashes his motorcycle into Yukiko Shirato, who is the head of the wealthy Shirato Group which oversees the Megalonia tournament; Junk Dog picks a fight with her bodyguard Yūri who is also the top ranked Megalo Boxer. Yukiko stops the fight but Yūri seeks out Junk Dog and meets him in the underground ring where he easily beats the less-experienced fighter and tells him to fight him again in Megalonia, which Junk Dog would need a place at the top of the official Megalo Box rankings to qualify for, as well as a proper citizenship ID to enter the rankings in the first place. After Nanbu persuades the mob boss Fujimaki to forge Junk Dog an ID under the name Joe, the two are given 3 months to achieve their goal of working their way to the top of the Megalonia tournament rankings in order for Joe to have his re-match against Yuri. Am just going to say right now the story is only good if you never seen a underdog story in your life because this is by far the most typical underdog character driven story I have ever seen. The first big mistake that this show it’s that is one of those climbing to the top to fight against the person who kicked your ass type of plot where the only reason why set character is even fighting is just to have re-match against the person who beat. This wouldn’t have been so much of a problem if Joe actually grow as a character but doesn’t because by episode 11 he’s still that same bland fighter from episode 11. Yes I will admit he does change slightly in the final two episodes but it was far too late because he’s character change just felt like a afterthought thanks to the show wasting it’s time on dragged out subplots which while they were interesting it overstayed it’s welcome. Another issue that I have with Megalo Box were the subplots. Don’t me wrong they were pretty good but the problem is almost every single subplot in the show seem to overshadow Joe’s progression meaning that side characters in this show were more fleshed out than Joe himself where he barely gets a spotlight outside of fighting. This doesn’t induce the other things such as pacing, and writing which were lacklustre at best It also doesn’t help that the show is predictable as hell where every single fight minus the plot convenience ones like the first Yuri fight start and end in the same way. This is how a typical Megalo Box fight is structure. 1. Joe set up for fight 2. Joe practices 3. Joe goes to fight 4. Joe gets his ass handed to him for 99% of the fight 5. Joe wins with 1 punch. See the problem here. I usually don’t mind shows that have a predictable nature but I feel like Megalo Box took it a next level where once you see the first two boxing matches not counting the Yuri fight you can very easily notice a nasty pattern for each fight and because of that the fights sadly have become boring and tedious to watch. I know this is a character driven show where the sport itself is not main focus but could you make the fight more tension? By the end of the third fight I got sick and tired of watching Joe’s matches because he will only win by asspulling with that lucky punch of he’s The biggest issue with this show is that it feels like a soul less cash grab to a beloved series. What I mean by this is that it has all the elements of Ashita no Joe but it’s too afraid to become its own thing. Yes the setting is different and some of the plot elements but other than that you only just tone down version to arguably the best sports manga/anime ever made. Overall the story is pretty bad and uninspiring. 3/10 Characters. When it comes to the characters in Megalo Box I thought they were all underwhelming at best with two expectations. Gearless Joe is such a terrible protagonist. We the audience barely know anything about Joe from his past to how he became the person that he is in Episode 1. His motivation is paper fin as he only wants to the enter the Megalo Box tournament for a rematch against Yuri again in a boxing match. Not for pride or carrier reasons mind you just for a silly re-match a guy who beat you in the ring. The worst thing about him is he’s bland personality and lack of actual character development because as from episode 11 he is still the bland boring character that we seen from episode 1 where he still only wants’ to have a rematch against Yuri. Maybe I was spoiled because I seen Ashita no Joe and Hajime no Ippo first but in all seriousness Joe is a terrible protagonist who barely has any depth at all. On the other hand Nanbu is a pretty good character in his own right. Compare to the blandless Joe Nanbu is actually a charming and relatable character that is a great voice of reason for Joe. Also he has a well told back-story that actually explains in detail why he became the person that he is from episode 1 as a grumpy person. Easily the best character in the show in terms of character development Sachio is by far my favourite character because not only he is a another great voice of reason for Joe he’s a very fun and likable character who get’s well developed as the series goes on. Not to mention he’s more interesting subplot then Joe’s paper fin rise to the top to beat set guy The rest of the characters inducing the shitty rival Rishiki clone Yuri are all one note and forgetful. Overall apart from Sachio and Nanbu the characters in Megalo Box were very disappointing at best. 4/10 Visuals. Visually Megalo Box is good and has that gritty feel that I liked. The art style reminds me off Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop with its more westernise and gritty look from the background scenery, some of the characters to even the use of gritty colour pallets. As for the animation itself this is where the show falls apart again. Am not talking the animation where they not fighting in ring because that’s pretty good overall. Am talking about the boxing matches themselves which were all subpar and boring. It was already bad enough that Joe easily wins his fights thanks to his asspulling lucky punch but almost every single fight in the show is lifeless and lacks any real tension. Am not asking that Megalo Box show relay on style over substance but if the show can’t story and character elements right you just end up being one hell of a boring and lifeless show. 6/10 Sound. Thankfully the soundtrack is easily the best part about the series. The soundtrack is great and well directed. It’s really fits with the gritty of the series and it really makes the show’s atmosphere more appealing to the eyes. The opening theme is decent itself but it’s not that memorable. The ending theme on the other hand is amazing that has a great 80s vibe to it The Seiyuus did a pretty good job with the roles that they were given in this anime Overall the soundtrack is great and memorable but honestly having a great soundtrack along will not suddenly make an anime good because saying Megalo Box is great because of the soundtrack a is like saying that Gundam Seed + Destiny is great because of the soundtrack. While the soundtrack for those shows are great it doesn’t have enough substance to back up its soundtrack 8/10 Final Thoughts. Disappointment is honestly the best way to describe Megalo Box as a whole. It was a anime that I wanted to love but constantly keep on disappointing me the more I watch it with its subpar plot, lacklustre fight choreography thanks to asspulls and mediocre overall characters. The only good things about this show are the music and the art-style. At best this show is below average and at worse it’s a train-wreck that I dislike a lot. Unless you’re very new to sports anime I recommend you to avoid this show and checking out Hajime no Ippo or better Ashita no Joe instead of this disappointing mess of a show. The show may be just a celebration of Joe legacy but it doesn’t excuse the subpar quality of this series. Final Score 4/10

Megalo Box has very little to do with the art of fighting itself. There is no emphasis on technique. There is no weight training. There is no satisfying payout following the arduous process of a fighter desperately trying (and often, failing) to improve their skill. There is the bizzare inclusion of gear technology that grants fighters additional strength at cost of speed - a useless consequence with speed being paramount in combat. So how can an anime that revolves around fighting, but offers none of the impertinent detail of fighting, and is decidedly worse than its predecessors Hajime no Ippo and Ashita no Joe intheir depictions of fighting, be celebrated as one of the best releases of the year? Megalo Box succeeds in three areas that usually manage to garner an overwhelmingly favorable response from the audience regardless of the surrounding flaws - 1) Appealing visual aesthetic. This is an attractive looking anime with well defined, distinct looking character designs and a realistic impoverished setting juxtaposed against the futuristic wealth of Megalonia 2) Epic soundtrack. A contender for best of the year, striking an impressive balance of relaxing and blood throttling beats 3) No nonsense lead character who has to fight his way to the top, seemingly against all the odds A combination of the first two makes the anime feel atmospheric, immersing the viewer into the setting and creating a base level of entertainment from visuals and music alone. The impressive presentation makes it all the more disappointing that the fight animation is rigid and monotonous, more so resembling a match of rock em' sock em' robots than an actual high octane competition. This may even be an insult to rock em' sock em' where at the very least arms move rapidly. Slow motion is overused during fights as opposed to displaying the rapid fire jab strings and punch combinations that makes boxing so exhilarating to watch. The aforementioned lack of technique means scarce evasion tactics are used, eliminating arguably the most exciting aspect of fighting where an ill-timed whiff is met with a devastating punish. The fights in Megalo Box are rather forgettable, and at times even a chore to watch. You’d think this would be a death knell for an anime that is centered around hand to hand combat, but this is apparently less important than a pretty aesthetic, a downloadable soundtrack and a lead character that doesn't have bitchmade tendencies. Despite the selling point of an underdog fighting his way the top against the odds, in truth Joe is not disadvantaged as a "gearless" fighter when gears are generally proven to be useless anyway. If anything, he's being given a significant advantage in speed, an apparently natural proficiency in boxing, and somehow being able to match the power of geared opponents despite not having a gear himself and not being particularly muscular. This Joe is a far cry from the other, infinitely more engaging Yabuki Joe who had to overcome a gauntlet of mental and physical maladies to reach the height of the boxing world, and had a famously well orchestrated character arc where we observed an aimless troubled boy develop into an honest, goal-driven man with a burning passion for professional boxing. Even if Makunouchi Ippo is even to this day a pansy (at least outside of the ring), he leads an inspirational story of a bullied nerd who through sheer dedication and perseverance works his way to the top of Japan’s boxing ladder. Both of these characters received at least one hundred episodes of development, whereas Joe receives only thirteen. We don’t learn anything about his past. We don’t learn makes him tick as a person. We don’t learn his greatest fears. His character is as deep as a puddle in the Sahara desert, and it is especially in comparison to his predecessors that he pales in comparison. But I’m not even sure how many viewers are aware of Yabuki Joe's story. I’d wager less than 20% of the (Western) audience for Megalo Box have seen Ashita no Joe, let alone have finished it, which would explain all of the acclaim this anime is receiving even despite it's glaring flaws and stale as cardboard lead character who could only dream of being a successor to Yabuki Joe. I find it hard to imagine a viewer of Ashita no Joe watching this and walking away impressed, but there is at least one niche interest available to such fans in the many cross references and homages. From Sachio wearing Yabuki Joe's signature flat cap, to familiar character designs and reimagined scenes being taken directly from the original series, where Megalo Box fails to be a tribute in terms of writing and dramatic tension, it at least succeeds in paying open respect to the original series. None of the above criticisms are meant to suggest that a viewer is wrong for liking Megalo Box when it does have an abundance of surface level appeal. Maybe you value tone more so than writing in media, in which case no one should be able to convince you to think otherwise. However, exceeding in one area doesn't excuse utter failure in others that are critical to the very essence of a story itself. Megalo Box is a DIRECT tribute to what I would consider to be the greatest hand to hand combat narrative in anime history. For it to have subpar fight animation and forgettable characters is a major disappointment no matter how you slice it. The only way it tries to distinguish itself from the original series is by introducing a plot device that proves itself to be totally useless, because power doesn't mean jack shit unless you can hit a moving target. Megalo Box is a decent anime for what it is - a nostalgic, short celebration of Ashita no Joe's 50th anniversary, and is not a worthy successor to the combat sport anime that came before it as is being hailed by critics universally.