I think it's fair to say Yuri is a parallel to Rikishi (Though IIRC Rikiishi gets along with Joe way better than Megalobox Joe and Yuri), but I don't know how that thread would be handled if they went with what happens in the manga. Yuri's the final boss, and they're building up to him vs Joe in the finals, while there were more fights after Rikiishi's death.
As an aside- I really appreciate Megalobox capturing the spirit of Ashita No Joe, as opposed to a full-on remake. The ideas and directions Ashita No Joe went in were bold and dark, and i respect the hell out of it. It, uh, hasn't aged well though, from what I've seen.
Samejima also got rocked in one punch. it's just that joe is very strong.
edited 4th Jun '18 1:05:14 AM by mrsunshinesprinkles
"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018I think this is where dudley in street fighter got his cross counter attack from, granted from the original ahsita no joe which this episode directly calls back to. He even puts both arms down before performing it!
also wow shirato had one hell of a glass jaw LOL.
edited 3rd Jun '18 11:42:02 PM by Vertigo_High
Mikio was never afraid of Joe. That was the big twist in the pre-fight episodes. He just saw him as an annoying formality before he could get into the big leagues. He didn’t force him to cancel that match out of fear, but indifference and impatience. That’s why the actual fight panned out as it did - Joe needed to break his supreme confidence in himself and Ace.
What's precedent ever done for us?There was. Episode 10.
Nanbio and Joe seem headed for a collision course as the Mobster fellow did indeed plan on having Joe throw the fight against Glen Burroughs in the greatest rigged match in history of Megalo Boxing. The backstory of the little kid was also fleshed out him having been orphaned as a result of Murata's machinations and now seeks to support Joe as a form of revenge. Yukio realizes that Murata indeed fucked up and thus decides to shelter the little kid.
It seems to me like Nanbio has a endgame of sorts, and it won't be pretty for him given the way he talks. My prediction is that Nanbio is planning on double-crossing the Mobster Don to give Joe a fighting chance but will sacrifice his own life to do so.
"All you Fascists bound to lose."Hum... I was a little worried but I like the way it was all handled in the end. Each party's motives are clear and relatable − except that I'm still not sure why Yukiko wants to promote her precious gear so badly. Maybe she intends to make it into a civil device for handicapped people or something… but there's no reason to use a boxing tournament for that.
The strongest moment of the episode though, was probably the dialogue between Yuki and Joe near the end. It's nice to have them interact without hostility − they have no reason to be hostile outside of the ring after all.
That is likely. Especially with all the scorpion metaphor… The scorpion might just sting its "owner" next time.
By the way, kudos to the studio for finding an actual Spanish speaker (I think?) for Pepe Iglesias.
Although he has like, two lines…
edited 10th Jun '18 9:00:16 AM by Lyendith
Finally got around to seeing this episode.
Well... for what it's worth, this has been well handled. I still don't like that we're going with the "team splits up after the traitor reveal", but it's being nicely done, at least. Sachio's story was simple and straightforward, and gave Shirato a nice moment as well. Nanbu seems to be preparing himself for death, by the way he's behaving. Joe is the only one I'm not certain about, but then, when are we ever certain what's going on with him.
I like that Joe and Yuri are friendly with each other. There's no grudge or huge overblown rivalry, they just want to fight each other for the sake of a good fight. I get the feeling Joe's backstory is going to be explored when he fights Yuri, if his reaction to Yuri's reason for fighting is of any indication.
I also liked Pepe Iglesias. Really cool that they called in an actual spanish speaker for that, and the guy did just look cool. He was never going to be anything, though, so he dropped fast. Sadly, Glen Burroughs seems to be another asshole opponent, making Arakawa the only decent person Joe's fighting until Yuri.
Hopefully, the conclusion to this plotline happens next episode. I can't remember if the show has 12 or 13 episodes (probably 13 given there are two fights left, and Burroughs has thus far been very unimportant), but either way, we're getting to the end. Next episode should be the fight and the conclusion of this plot. Here's hoping they can pull it off well.
EDIT: On the scorpion thing, the mob boss seems to be unaware that if Nanbu's the scorpion, then he's the frog on the metaphor. The story seems to be setting up Nanbu sacrificing himself so Joe can go on and get through Megalonia. Unless I'm wrong, that's a complete divergence from Ashita, isn't it?
edited 12th Jun '18 8:45:16 PM by TheLovecraftian
Episode 11… Not quite what I expected. Joe almost did take part in the scam before Nanbu turned on his boss at the last second. That was a pretty awesome moment, but also pretty sad considering what Nanbu had to sacrifice. And I don't even think they're safe quite yet…
I'm only realizing now that the rapping girl in the soundtrack is actually Sachio's VA. >.>
Still… It's a pity that the fight animation has been one of the weaker parts of the show, save for the first few episodes. I hope they go all out with the final fight in that department.
I found the fight animation quite alright this episode, actually. Better than the last fight, at least.
I sure hope Yakuza dude gets some sort of comeuppance by the end of this. I doubt it, though, since the last episode is going to be dense enough as it is. At least, I think the next episode is going to be last?
Well, we're gonna need a real cool fight scene, but what else is there to wrap up? Sachio's story is one sentence away from being finished, Nanbu's already had his, and Yakuza dude seems to be just kinda over this. That's pretty much every sub-plot done with.
As I see it, all there's really left is the fight between Yuri and Joe. Cool dudes they may be, they don't have enough characterization to do anything other than punching each other with respect. In the meantime there's going to be a lot of secondary characters talking about pride, dreams, sacrifice and all that other "heart of a champion" stuff, Yukiko is going to learn the true meaning of friendship boxing, followed by some obligatory feel-good wrapping up. Possibly bittersweet, depending on how closely they wish to emulate the source material and whether they'd like to have a second season.
Plenty material for twenty minutes, but not enough for forty, by my estimate.
edited 14th Jun '18 4:55:26 PM by Kayeka
Wikipedia posits (without a source however) there will be 13 episodes, which would seem about right to me. Episode 12 to just work the build-up between Yuri and Joe (and maybe set-up some of their backstories) as well as solidifying the supporting casts's emotional position before 13 is the final resolution.
As for the episode, I found the dramatic side much more engaging than the fight itself which just happened (though the Theme Music Power-Up was extremely hype). It did feel odd that Joe had such an easy time facing Glenn "Bloody Lion" Burroughs given how far he is in the tournament. Also kinda sad that Burroughs isn't nearly as charismatic as Pepe "Spider" Iglesias. It makes me wish they switched opponents and Yuri fought Glenn while Joe fought the much more engaging Pepe. Still, great episode (Sachio's rap was quite amusing).
You know what I found weird? That this tournament only has two phases. Megalonia technically began with Pepe vs Yuri and Joe vs Glenn and we're already moving to the finals.
edited 15th Jun '18 5:26:54 AM by Gaon
"All you Fascists bound to lose."Huh. So Joe was going to go through with it. Weird, but interesting. And point for the anime, they actually pulled off an interesting version of the Liar Revealed cliche. Nanbu sacrificing his sight is a damn good way of doing his redemption for the lie. I won't even be mad if they just take him back now.
Sachhio's rap was pretty cool. A bit sudden, but cool. The fight wasn't really important, but I didn't expect it to be. Burroughs wasn't given enough characterization for that, and this was supposed to be Nanbu and Sachio's moment, which is fair enough. Also, neat little trick from the writer. With Joe using Gear for most of the battle, it means he came out mostly unharmed, so he can have his fight with Yuri on equal standing instead of worrying about injuries. Well planned.
Also, I kind of ship Joe and Yuri now.
Next episode should be setup for Joe vs Yuri, presumably exploring the backstory of each character and the subtle clues they dropped for them throughout the show. Normally I'd be worried if a show leaves that for such a late point, but Megalo Box has been consistently good with this kind of stuff, so I'm willing to trust they'll pull it off. I just hope they improve the fighting animation for the last fight. Not that it's been bad, it just could be better.
edited 15th Jun '18 4:37:18 PM by TheLovecraftian
Man that ending...I wasn't expecting that. it is a bit weird how the fight itself wasn't the draw this episode, but rather the development for the characters and drama behind the scenes. It's not a bad thing though. I thought the rap was kind of narmy lol but not overwhelmingly so.
Now in build-up to the epic conrontation to Joe & Yuri that we've all been waiting for, let me make some Rocky posts that fit Joe's struggles for fun & refrence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvQkl7qa6RQ
"I can't beat him. But it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, and that bell rings and I'm still standin' - I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood." - Rocky Balboa, 1975
edited 20th Jun '18 9:35:27 PM by slimcoder
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."And on this corner of the ring, the young challenger, the fearless man from the wilderness, "Gearless" Joe!
....On the other corner, the undefeated champion, the masterpiece of Megalo Boxing, "King of Kings" Yuri:
Now some promos for the most-awaited fight of Megalonia:
Man, Can't Be Touched could be part of the official soundtrack, no joke. ô.Ô
Meanwhile in episode 12, a lot of buildup, more rapping (and the best rap in the series so far) and Yuri removing his gear, which in his case means surgically ripping it off his flesh. They weren't joking with the "integrated" part, holy crap. Poor Yukiko can't get a break.
Nice to see that Nanbu still has functionning ears at least.
Huh Yuri taking off his gear could be the reference to actions Riksis took to fight Joe.
In the original series Riksis starved himself so he could be in Joe's weight class & have an even fight which ended up severely fucking himself. Yuri taking off his gear is how he's fighting Joe on even grounds while fucking himself up.
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."But Riksis did die in his match against Joe. The whole point of mentioning him fucking himself up is that he ended up killing himself which lead to his accidental death in his match against Joe.
Joe doesn't die till the battle which Mendoza which is after the Riksis fight.
edited 21st Jun '18 3:13:17 PM by slimcoder
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."

We only got like less than 5 episodes so unless we get a season 2 it's unlikely.
Question is who might die.
edited 3rd Jun '18 7:36:09 PM by slimcoder
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."