Over 50 years old, Ashita no Joe by Asaki Takamori and Chiba Tetsuya is one of the very first few sports manga and almost certainly the first to ever revolve around boxing with both the manga and anime being noted for being pioneers of the genre as a whole, and both considered classics. Even though it was an immense success in the land of the rising sun it definitely wasn’t overseas, which is truly a shame considering how masterfully crafted this manga actually is.
The story follows the life of Joe Yabuki, a short-tempered, nonchalant 16 year old drifter who by chance meets a former boxing coach turned drunkard: Danpei Tange, who spots his potential as a boxer and agrees to train him. But it manages to go far beyond being just another inspirational story about one stubborn teenager's rise to the top. it is a superb story about the entire course of the life of its protagonist, pitifully detailing all of the hardships, pain and suffering he has to go through. It goes beyond being just your average Shonen. it is a piece of work that differs from the lot and manages to pull of this staggering feat with splendid writing and character development. One of the very few pieces of media to focus both on the action and psychological aspect of the characters, highlighting the struggles that each one of them has to go through in order to survive in a constantly ever changing Japan.
Boxing is more or less just a petty "excuse" to describe the life of this one unconventional protagonist. Being someone who has never achieved anything, his fists are the only thing that he has and that has allowed him to fight for an existence tailored for him, a path that he consciously knew that he was destined to. The matches are not imposed by the memories of hard training, but by lessons that life has taught and consolidated in the depths of his soul. Joe's arrogance and impulsive nature reflect perfectly his grumpy personality, and his coach, Danpei, knows it too well. Although they do not understand each other very well, the two look alike for the willingness to redeem themselves in a society that does not accept them. They show that if you fight with all your heart, in spite of the difficulties and sacrifices, if you still have the strength to go on and push harder, a better tomorrow will await you.
There's something about the characters that deeply fascinate me, and that's how realistic they are: I have never seen characters as deep and as complex as the characters in Ashita no Joe, ever. The sheer amount of detail that has been put into the characterisation of each, individual character is jaw dropping. Each one of them are all unforgettable, there're so alive, so selfish and so grandiose that they seem incredibly realistic, too real at times.
Joe is our hero, less wise, not at all mature, a little melancholic at times, but strong, determined, courageous, with a violent, unpredictable instinct. A protagonist and an anti-protagonist at the same time, continuing on a path not of redemption but of self-awareness. Joe will always be violent, reckless, wild, and a wrangler at times...but the inner fire, the "complete combustion", will be the true leitmotif of his majestic journey. Danpei, Joe's coach, will be the guardian and promoter of this fire, a guardian angel willing to do anything to manifest the pure talent that holds Joe.
And then we have Rikisshi, one simply cannot not love Rikishi. His opposite way of approaching life, his constant desire to challenge himself to become a better man, the positivity with which he faces his past and the honesty with which he approaches life. The meeting between the two characters is particularly exciting not only because of the strong rivalry; the two will learn (albeit in their own way) to look at boxing no longer solely as a mean of punching, but as a noble art with which to assert and ennoble oneself as individuals. Rikishi will eventually lose dozens of pounds to face his rival in the ring, despite the countless health risks. Joe on the other hand will be serious about something for the first time and will began it’s his journey to affirm his position in a society that has yet to accept him.
And at last, we have Yoko, rich and spoiled, even Yoko under the appearance of an innocent girl hides her petty nature, which pushes her to always want look better in front of the others and to indiscriminately judge anyone. It is thanks to this subtle dualism that Yoko becomes the heroine of the story, in many ways, as a counterpart and at the same time similar to Joe, up to that unforgettable ending.
There's so much I'd like to talk about of each and every character but I feel like I'd end up spoiling for the ones who have yet to experience this masterpiece.
Now, the art style. It sure is outdated and may not please everyone but the level of facial expressions and background detail puts to shame many modern series and we're talking about a manga made in the 60s, over 50 years old. I presume many people who are thinking about reading this are probably being put off by the old and outdated art style which may not be up to the standard of more modern series but that's just something that you need to get used to and give a try reading.
Simply put, Ashita no Joe is hands down one of the best manga to ever be created and probably one of the best that will ever be created; a hidden gem that has yet to be discovered by the mass.
But it can also be appreciated at a more superficial reading level, as a simple training manga with a strong sport component full of challenges, sacrifices and drama that, very simply, can be read beautifully all in one breath throughout all of its 20 volumes. And even so, it remains one of the most exciting, enthralling and touching works of fiction that have ever been made.
I believe it shouldn't be avoided just because it is old, in fact, that's exactly the reason as to why it should be read. Anyone with even a speck of genuine admiration to the medium we all call manga should at least consider reading this work of beauty at one point or another. Absolutely and unquestionably a must read and that, like all masterpieces, can be read and appreciated even in a hundred years and when it's narrative and drawing style further has aged like wine, we'll get an even more full-bodied aftertaste to this great metaphor of life which is Ashita no Joe.
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