History Manga / AshitaNoJoe

* TheSixties[=/=]TheSeventies: The manga starts in the middle of the 1960s and ends in the early 1970s.

''Ashita no Joe'' is a boxing manga created by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba that serialized in ''Magazine/ShonenMagazine'' from January 1, 1968 to May 15, 1973. After the end of the serialization, it was collected into 20 volumes by Kodansha Comics.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ashitanojoeissue1.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''For Joe, which way is tomorrow?'']]

''Ashita no Joe'' is a boxing manga created by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba that serialized in ''Magazine/ShonenMagazine'' from January 1st, 1968 to May 15, 1973. After the end of the serialization, it was collected into 20 volumes by Kodansha Comics.

''Ashita no Joe'' has been adapted into various media, including ''Anime/MegaloBox'', which was made to celebrate it's 50th anniversary in 2018.

** The first anime adaptation ends with [[spoiler:Joe giving up boxing after fighting Carlos Rivera.]]
** The second anime adaptation [[spoiler:implies Joe dies, unlike the original.]]

* {{Gekiga}}: Is this, as the story is gritty and dark and has detailed art with lots of intense shading, which is common in gekiga.

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:Rikiishi dies with one his face in the clinc.]]

* {{Gekiga}}: Although not referred as one, ''Ashita no Joe'' is one of the most famous gekiga.

* {{Gekiga}}: ''Ashita no Joe'' can be considered this, as it has the serious storyline and detailed art that is common in gekiga.

Outside of Japan it is also known by the names ''Rocky Joe'', ''Tomorrow's Joe'', ''Champion Joe'', or simply ''Joe''.

[[caption-width-right:350:For Joe, which way is tomorrow?]]

''Ashita no Joe'' is a boxing manga created by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba that serialized in ''Magazine/ShonenMagazine'' from January 1st, 1968 to May 15, 1973.

''Ashita no Joe'' has been adapted into various media, with ''Anime/MegaloBox'' being its most recent adaptation.

->''Tokyo, one of the largest cities in Asia. At the outskirts of Tokyo, there exists a small place where the wind blows vastly, piles of dust cover the walkways, garbage and logs pile up alongside the river and stop its flow. Have you ever seen a place like this? This story starts from such a place...''

-->--''Opening narration''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/main_5.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''For Joe, which way is tomorrow?'']]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1d8654b0e58624c0feada7f03cac53b6.jpg]]

* Bishonen: Joe and Carlos.

** The second anime adaptation [[spoiler:implies Joe dies.]]

* TheOjou: Yoko Shiraki is a girl from a rich and well-known family. Lampshaded by Danpei, who refers to her "young lady" rather than by name.

''Ashita no Joe'' (English title: "Tomorrow's Joe") a critically acclaimed boxing manga created by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba in 1968 that was later adapted into an anime series and two movies; all of these were directed by prominent anime director Creator/OsamuDezaki, and the anime series marked his debut as a series director. While absurdly popular in its home country, it's almost completely unknown outside of it. Outside Japan, it is also referred to as ''Rocky Joe'' or ''Joe''. Creator/MasamiKurumada, author of ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', has also stated that he actually created his first famous manga (''Manga/RingNiKakero'') as a tribute to this one.

Joe Yabuki is a troubled orphan who runs away from the orphanage, wandering the slums of Tokyo until he meets up with former boxing trainer Danpei Tange, who teaches Joe how to box while the latter is in prison. While in prison, Joe develops rivalries and friendships with the other inmates (and these two groups often overlap) while developing his skills at boxing and trying to become the best in the world.

''Ashita no Joe'' has been made into several video games, including a ''VideoGame/PunchOut''-like arcade game by Creator/{{Taito}}, the infamous UsefulNotes/NeoGeo game ''VideoGame/LegendOfSuccessJoe'', ''Ashita no Joe: Masseki ni Moe Agare!'' for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance, ''Ashita no Joe: Masshiro ni Moe Tsukiro!'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2. The GBA and [=PS2=] games are both by {{Creator/Konami}}) and VideoGame/SundayVSMagazineShuuketsuChoujouDaikessen for [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]].

In 2018, ''Anime/MegaloBox'', a futuristic AlternateUniverse retelling of ''Ashita no Joe'', was released as part of the manga's [[MilestoneCelebration 50th anniversary]].

* AdaptationExpansion: The first anime series by Creator/MushiProductions shows us some examples:
** Youko's first introduction in the manga (c.11) is as an audience member at Joe's trial. She was the person who donated all the money to Joe's scheme with the children, and didn't have a speaking role with him in that chapter. In the anime series, we are shown Joe tricking her himself, inside her home with all the kids, and insulting Joe after the trial is over. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools This actually makes their antagonism more personal.]]
** Joe managed to escape the prison in the anime, something he never did in the manga. He returned because he couldn't face the fact he didn't had a fight with Rikishii.
** The second series isn't short of this either. The backstories of some characters are expanded upon, including Wolf Kanagushi(who now has a fiancée) and Jose Mendoza(who is stated as an ace since he was ''sixteen'').
*** Jose Mendoza in general gets more screen time, and unlike the manga, his view on Joe evolves to a similar type of FriendlyRivalry that his past opponents shared.
*** On top of that, there's added ShipTease between [[spoiler:Joe and Yoko]]

* AntiVillain: Youko. She antagonizes Joe mostly during the first half of the series, then organizes most of Joe's fights, and, as he puts it, toys with his fate like a demon. She is however a good person, [[spoiler: and grows to fall in love with Joe, who likes her back in his own way]].
** All Joe's rivals, [[spoiler:except for Harimao,]] are honorable fighters that he respects in some way, despite being his opponents.
* AmbiguousEnding : [[spoiler:The manga ended with joe in an iconic pose slumped himself in a corner leaving his fate unknown]]

* CannotSpitItOut: Joe can't tell Youko that he likes her due to being NotGoodWithPeople, to the degree that [[spoiler: the day when he finally confesses... is the day when ''he dies''.]]
* CasualtyInTheRing: Two characters die this way. One of them is happy about it.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Ashita no Joe 2 is this for the manga. Boxers die or retire a lot more.
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Mendoza wins the final fight of the manga, and Joe dies on the ring. Somewhat of a BitterSweetEnding since Joe achieved glory despite his loss, managed to tell Youko his feelings, and ultimately dies with a smile because he had the fight he dreamt of, and chose his fate.]] Though it is considered as an AmbiguousEnding when Tetsuya Chiba drew the ending at the last minute according to his interview.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: Weirdly, the ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' clone arcade game has one.]]

* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler: Joe Yabuki]]'s are: "Take [[spoiler: these gloves]] and keep them for me... I hope you'll keep them for me...", and they go to [[spoiler: Youko Shiraki.]] Some dubs (like the Italian one) take it further [[spoiler: to a DyingDeclarationOfLove. ("I hope you'll keep them as a proof of my love for you...").]]

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:Joe [[http://blog.exolimpo.com/2010/03/ashita-no-joe-pelicula-y-dorama.html has a gentle smile on his lips]] as he passes away after his last fight.]]
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: Joe, after accidentally causing Rikishi's death in their fight.]]
* HeroicRROD: [[spoiler: Joe's death at the end is from the exhaustion of his last match.]]
** Similarly, [[spoiler: Rikishi's death is from the brain damage that Joe accidentally dealt to him with a too-well-placed cross counter in the sixth round, which kicks in ''[[DeusAngstMachina right after the fight is over]]''.]]
* HotBlooded: Joe Yabuki

* JapaneseDelinquents: Joe, Nishi and Rikishi. In fact, all of them met in a juvenile prison.
* {{Jerkass}}: Joe, through and through. His JerkAss tendencies rise to the point where you have to wonder why Nishi continues to put up with him. After the Juvenile prison arc, he is more of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.

* LockedIntoStrangeness: [[spoiler:Jose's hair turns gray once he beats Joe in the finale.]]
* MoralGuardians: They claimed that the manga was "teaching young children to be rebellious and anti-social towards Japanese family values" back when it first came out. They soon changed their mind, however.
** Not only in Japan, actually. When the anime was aired in Spain in TheEighties, people complained about exactly the same thing.

* TheOjou: Joe's love interest, Youko Shiraki, is a girl from a rich and well-known family. Lampshaded by Danpei, who refers to her as "ojousan" ("young lady") rather than by name.
* PeekABangs: Joe's hair always cover one eye.
* RealityEnsues: Serial user:
** Even with gloves and rolling with the punches, a boxer can get permanent damage from being repeatedly hit in the head. Examples include Danpei losing sight in his left eye, Wolf Kaniguchi's jaw being unable to take hits much weaker than anything it took on the ring after his final bout with Joe ''shattered'' his jaw, the various cases of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy punch drunk syndrome]], and [[spoiler:[[CasualtyInTheRing Rikiishi dying from a temple shot that made him hit the ring ropes, causing a fatal brain hemorrage]]]].
** Joe's early antics and scams got him arrested, and while his ''many'' extenuating circumstances and the presence of a responsible tutor willing to use any means to keep him on the straight path (Danpei. Who, upon learning of his scam and break-out after the initial arrest, personally beat him up so the police could bring him back in) should have helped him get away with a reprimand, his attitude while waiting for his trial landed him in juvenile prison for a thirteen month sentence, later extended for his attempt at escaping. The extension stays even after he straightened himself up.
*** His attitude in juvie turns everyone, inmates and guards, into enemies, and they only tolerate him out of respect for Rikiishi when he calls dibs. He doesn't start making friends until he straightens himself up.
** Joe established himself quickly as a formidable fighter even with no training. He learned that GoodOldFisticuffs just don't work against a trained boxer when Danpei, a former boxer who had retired years ago, inflicted on him a brutal CurbStompBattle while ''tired from overworking himself'' - and without an eye (lost on the ring, hence why he retired right before his title shot).
** After learning the jab, Joe felt invincible - then he got in a fight with Rikishi, a ''professional boxer'' around his age, and found out the hard way he wasn't.
** Boxing being a very competitive sport, one-trick ponies relying on some gimmick eventually get schooled: Joe's CrossCounter first found Rikiishi coming up with a tactic to prevent its use and then Wolf Kanagushi with the Double Counter, Wolf Kanagushi committed the error to show the Double Counter early and was "retired" by the ''Triple'' Counter Joe came up for him, and Harimao found all his gimmick punches countered and turned against him by more skilled fighters after the ''first'' use.
*** Also, boxers ''will'' take advantage of an opponent's weaknesses, the greatest example being Joe being defeated by Japanese champion Tiger Oozaki, even if he was the better boxer, because Oozaki had noticed that, after [[spoiler:killing Rikiishi with a blow to the head]], Joe couldn't bring himself to hit an opponent there, and thus could concentrate on protecting his body only.
** During the preparations for the juvie's boxing tournament, a large inmate challenged Aoyama, the smallest of all inmates, to beat him for a spot in the tournament, knowing that even if Aoyama was being trained by Danpei he was still a lot bigger. Turned out that boxing training involving footwork, the swat-away and other defensive manouvers made Aoyama more than a match for anyone who wasn't a trained boxer, as they just couldn't hit him and he'd be able to [[DeathByAThousandCuts take them down with his relatively weak punches]] once they were tired. He showed it once again on Joe in their match, as Joe was refusing to use boxing basics out of spite at Danpei training Aoyama in his place - and was repeatedly knocked down by his opponent.
*** In the same way, Aoyama ranked in the light flyweights ''at most''. The moment Joe, a bantamweight, started fighting as a boxer, even copying his defense, Aoyama was simply too weak to compete with the larger opponent. Something Aoyama knew perfectly, given [[OhCrap his reaction]] when Joe pulled the cross-armed guard.
** Rikiishi was a dutiful inmate, and got his time reduced for helping stopping Joe's escape attempt. Because of this, he had to miss the final match of the juvie's boxing tournament.
** Danpei's colorful attitude may be amusing to the reader... But it's also what cost him his first boxing club, pushing away his various boxers (his best one citing just how he was being treated by him as the reason he threw a fight and ditched him once he was given a good offer) and getting him disbarred by the Japanese Boxing Commission, that later refuses to reinstate him even after he cleans up due to his past. Even after Joe forces the Commission's hand into reinstating his license and he gets known as the trainer of the rising star Joe Yabuki, the only athletes Danpei gets are Joe and Nishi, two former juvenile delinquents that spent over a year each in prison and can take his attitude, and the Tange Boxing Club doesn't get new fighters until after he cleans his act up and Joe [[spoiler:draws with Carlos and starts taking out the strongest bantamweight boxers of Asia]].
*** At the same time, Joe forced the Commission's hand by knocking out rising star Wolf Kanagushi in front of journalists and making it look like the boxing club presidents in the commission were scared of him. This gets him on the presidents' black list, and they try more than once to force him to retire - especially after he [[spoiler:kills Rikiishi]], as the latter act is not looked on kindly in Japan, even if it was a genuine accident.
** [[BookDumb Joe never cared about the theory of boxing]] - and thus he fails miserably his first boxing license exam due to his abysmal written score.
** Rikiishi was a natural featherweight, so to have his professional fight with Joe he took on a diet to reduce himself to a bantamweight, ''two classes lower'' (featherweight limit being 126 lbs and bantamweight limit being 118). The diet almost drove him mad, got him in the ring much weaker than usual, and [[spoiler:[[CasualtyInTheRing made him die much faster after Joe's fists caused him a brain hemorrage]], preventing any attempt at saving him]].
*** In the same vein, Nishi being a natural heavyweight (at the time, anyone over 168 lbs), he had a lot of trouble surviving on the diet needed to stay a middleweight (upper limit 160 lbs), and may have played a role in [[spoiler:[[CareerEndingInjury the hand damage that forced him to retire]]]].
** After getting his jaw shattered in the fight with Joe, Wolf Kaniguchi was forced to retire, and took a job as a hard fighter for the yakuza. While his boxing punches easily took down most rival yakuzas, he himself went down easily against professional slugger Goromaki Gondo, as he could take a few of his punches and was smart enough to hit his glass jaw.
** When Carlos Rivera, sixth ranked bantamweight boxer in the world, came to Japan and won his first two matches by apparent luck, everybody started believing his fame was overblown, ignoring Joe's warnings ([[JustifiedTrope as his reputation had been ruined by his string of defeats after fighting Oozaki]]) and the various other hints he actually earned his reputation, including the US TV networks being willing to sign lucrative deals with anyone who could defeat him. [[LetsGetDangerous Then he fought seriously against Oozaki]], who was taken down by [[OneHitKO a single punch]], and Japan learned he often [[ObfuscatingStupidity played the fool]] as anywhere he went boxers go out of their way to not fight him as soon as they saw him fighting seriously.

* SayMyName: The original one. "JOE!!!"
* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Asian-Pacific Champion Yong-bi Kim once killed a man over a misunderstanding. He then realized that said man was his father. The incident scarred him so much that he was left with a phobia of blood.]]
* StockShoutOut: The final shot of the series, [[spoiler:a slumped-over Joe, passing away with a smile on his face at the end of his final match]], is culturally ingrained enough to be called to in all forms of Japanese media.

** Even Danpei's training is a cakewalk compared to what Riikishi puts himself through to reach bantamweight so he can fight Joe, including dehydrating himself to the point of delirium and locking himself up at night to keep himself from drinking any water. [[spoiler: The dangerous training ends up damaging his body to the point where his fight against Joe kills him]]

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: [[spoiler: Yong-bi Kim, due to having accidentally killed his dad, is very scared of blood.]]

* {{Yakuza}}: What [[spoiler: Wolf Kaniguchi]] turns to, after his boxing career ends. It doesn't end well.

''Ashita no Joe'' (English title: "Tomorrow's Joe") a critically acclaimed boxing manga created by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba in 1968 that was later adapted into an anime series and movie. While absurdly popular in its home country, it's almost completely unknown outside of it. Outside Japan, it is also referred to as ''Rocky Joe'' or ''Joe''. Creator/MasamiKurumada, author of ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', has also stated that he actually created his first famous manga (''Manga/RingNiKakero'') as a tribute to this one.

** Youko's first introduction in the manga (c.11) is as an audience member at Joe's trial. She was the person who donated all the money to Joe's scheme with the children, and didn't have a speaking role with him in that chapter. In the anime series, we are shown Joe tricking her himself, inside her home with all the kids, and insulting Joe after the trial is over. [[TropesAreNotBad This actually makes their antagonism more personal.]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Mendoza wins the final fight of the manga, and Joe dies on the ring. Somewhat of a BitterSweetEnding since Joe achieved glory despite his loss, managed to tell Youko his feelings, and ultimately dies with a smile because he had the fight he dreamt of, and chose his fate.]] Though fans consider it as an AmbiguousEnding when Tetsuya Chiba drew the ending at the last minute according to his interview.

* AdaptationExpansion: The first anime series by Creator/MushiProductions show us some examples:

* AdaptationExpansion: The first anime series by MushiProduction show us some examples:

** Even with gloves and rolling with the punches, a boxer can get permanent damage from being repeatedly hit in the head. Examples include Danpei losing sight in his left eye, Wolf Taniguchi's jaw being unable to take hits much weaker than anything it took on the ring after his final bout with Joe ''shattered'' his jaw, the various cases of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy punch drunk syndrome]], and [[spoiler:[[CasualtyInTheRing Rikiishi dying from a temple shot that made him hit the ring ropes, causing a fatal brain hemorrage]]]].

** After getting his jaw shattered in the fight with Joe, Wolf Taniguchi was forced to retire, and took a job as a hard fighter for the yakuza. While his boxing punches easily took down most rival yakuzas, he himself went down easily against professional slugger Goromaki Gondo, as he could take a few of his punches and was smart enough to hit his glass jaw.

* {{Yakuza}}: What [[spoiler: Wolf Kanigushi]] turns to, after his boxing career ends. It doesn't end well.