Megalo Box

The beauty of anime is unrivaled power to the author. Any premise, any character; any plot, any idea; any moment, and any image. It has limitless potential as a medium. In blatant disregard to such majesty stands Megalo Box. It's existence towers in disrespect to both art and storytelling. Every moment exists as a spit in the face to the audience for attempting to glean even the smallest sliver of value from the material. There is no justification for this facade of entertainment; it's a story where the characters don't matter. Completely driven by plot, any attempt of buildup is eradicated by time skips and fabricated intended outcomes. Cause and effect don't exist in this world, nothing you will find here makes rational sense. If the above wasn't clear enough already, here's the specific: A previously untrained, uneducated, street urchin becomes the champion of the deadly sport of cybernetically enhanced boxing, without the use of cybernetics. How does he do this? We don't know. The story for some reason skips most of those parts. What we do and don't learn are many things. 1.) Post the pilot episode where the premise is explained, the sport magically discontinues to be bloody and deadly mess. 2.) Apparently none of the hundreds of other fighters who have actually trained for years are "The Real Deal", whatever that means. 3.) Who is the kid in the hat, and why are you here? Remember how your friends literally needed you for survival and you immediately ditched them to live with strangers? 4.) How can you have fully functional bionic legs and feet for amputees, but not hands? 5.) Apparently your fully functional bionic legs and feet suck ass, despite being the 17th best fighter? But only now are causing you problems because you're fighting the MC...? 6.) How was the AI gear magically changed to not need other gear to detect for its sensors? 7.) How does removing an eyeball atone for losing millions and millions of dollars, in the face of people who have killed others for far far less? 8.) What kind of bad guy reveals his evil intentions to the good guy with a double-cross in the exact moment where the good guy holds all the power in the situation? 9.) How can a man who lost his sight yesterday have both tremor sense and perfect hearing sense? 10.) Is it a wolf or a dog? 11.) Why does it randomly bark at things? 12.) What was the actual dream of Yukiko? Joining the Military Industrial Complex? 13.) Why did Yuuri abandon Yukiko? 14.) Why did Yuuri join Yukiko to fight for her dream in the first place? 15.) As the champion fighter, isn't majorly handicapping yourself for the final "Real Deal" fight the most disrespectful thing you can do? 16.) Oh I guess the scientist/entrepreneur/top-fighter is an expert in very dangerous, never performed before surgey, and can do it all in his basement, by himself. 17.) How does the MC win every fight with a single punch to the face? His frame is smaller than every other character, and uses no cybernetics. 18.) And finally, why would you build a new massive megadome project and not put a roof on it? Does this list of atrocities cover everything? Absolutely not. But for the sake of brevity, let's move on with our lives. Art and Music were below standard.

------------------------------------ Review English/Español-------------------------------- A desolate world, an inhospitable world, full of thieves, of inequality separated from all civility for its citizens, away from all help, from the constant fear of not being able to do anything to improve and that there is no other way to live, where they have nothing more and deep down than hope, hope that one day everything will change. In this place lost from the sight of God our protagonists are, naturally, swindlers, where (and it is not surprising in this world) the Megalobox is the most watched and loved sport, a small part of the place that eye of the hurricane in this a bleak world where progress and development dress up, this contrast between these two worlds makes it well seen by a large majority, you could say if I am allowed to doubt, the way they distract that Pan and Circus that each person needs,naturally the underworld to have no option is full of bets, scams, mafias but more important a place where poor people without "nothing" can fight ironically to get to get something they know they can never, life is hard and they They know, but that does not make them give up, they just follow the game that was set, that show fixed. We have our dog, where already mentioned, is "Nobody", "Nothing", together with our coach, where from the first glance you could say that he had a better past, you can see that this is very different from our "Dog"; , fell to the misfortune of that world by bad decisions if I may say so, but from here things start to get complicated, in the Eye of the Hurricane of our beloved World announces a tournament, only requirement? To be Someone, something that, of course, is not our Protagonist, to aspire to that is to go against his very being, his "Soul", but fate had kept things for him, a meeting, if I may call him; forced,between our "Dog" and the main antagonist where our protagonist is already very well defined, he is, quite the contrary, the proclaimed King of Kings, the best of his time, where and to sum it up he had everything was "Someone", this great differentiation is the initial spark where everything begins, the preamble of what happened, having its unlike but not yet its "Rival", this is given shortly after but not by the work of our "Dog", if not the same antagonist, ¿ How does that character who has everything, get into where there is nothing? , crucial question with a simple answer; He was missing something. There are people who need very little motivation to achieve to be great things, that is the case of our protagonist, who promising to face his rival again (although the other does not consider it yet) decides to leave that place, that is, decides to be "Someone", there are naturally people against him, his trainer victim of a glorious past and believing in a bad future discourages him,but this already tired and seeing little by little to shine the only thing he had: La Esperanza, look like a wolf looks at the moon, and see a future, where with reasons of destiny, our coach, product of those bad decisions previously spoken, He reaches an agreement that will turn him into that being that breaks every obstacle, not without something from the product of his despair accumulated over the years. A name needed: Joe, it seemed that it was no longer "Dog" or "Nobody", if not someone with a future, that hope becomes stronger and stronger. Doing a bit returned to the World, there are some devices called: Gear, some enhancers, emphasizing not only the inequality of the place, but even the wrestlers themselves, it could be argued that these do not make the winner, but if they give a considerable advantage. With that already said, it is not surprising that our protagonist does not have one, it is only for people who are "Someone", after an attempt of joe, where he meets our other protagonist: a small one quite common in these Anime styles of the 70s-80s, made of course as inspiration for the protagonist, you could say being with more Hope of the three, returning to the subject, Joe realizes that after that failed attempt to achieve these enhancers is not for him, can not and should not,It comes from nowhere and has to come up from nowhere, they decide (at first by advertising mode) that it will not be like the others, the Gear is something that it does not need, like it has nothing to lose (its life for him is nothing ), it is only a dog wanting to cling with everything it can to its prey. From here we see as a little ladder a step that will take you to your heart you want, a fast pace, typical of an anime of few episodes, but not extremely to appreciate both the development of him and the other protagonists, a story, if allows me to say it, predictable but honest gets same, it does not aspire to more than what it can and although it is improvable it is several things, that honesty and heart is very important, especially in an industry that for a while is said to be in decline. As we progress, we learn a little about the past of the two protagonists outside the main one, since naturally, not being anyone, has nothing to show, just a constant struggle for the future. Returning a moment to the world, it is normal that every time that Joe is higher, his popularity increases as if it were an explosion, not using the Gear gives an impression, as a hope to the people that it seems (although it is not like that ), who lost it a long time ago. At last and after overcoming obstacles, seeing old friends, faced problems of both the organizer of the tournament and the aforementioned mafia, all derived from that past where it was "Nobody", manages to reach its goal: The King de Reyes, confronts him again, but there is a notable difference both external (he no longer uses his Gear), as internal, no longer struggles with "Nobody" is with an AUTHENTIC being, full of hope for the future. After that contrast between them, if I can tell predictable but honest in what you want to be, we reveal the reason, the question of our antagonist, where despite having everything, did not carry something that our protagonist had all the time Deep down, Hope, different from it, but still no less important; the opportunity to have a Rival an Adversary, worthy of a noble being like him. Despite having visibly not so high budget and having a lot of recycled scenes, aesthetic images, cuts of scene ... was compensating for the good use of the camera, plans and others that denotes a great love of work, with a design that makes remember an anime of the 70-80 without losing that modern touch, making it easily entertained both for old and new school. With a musical section of Hiphop combined in my opinion with Metal features very common at that time, although I do not deny it, I can be wrong. In short, an anime quite honest in what it does, characters not deep but if with their own personality and more than anything in the case of people commonly called with the genre "Under dogs" that is, people from the bottom of the estate get (not effortlessly) reach the summits, this story is an inspirational something very common in these animes, I recommend it to all those who seek to get away from the typical of modern anime and finally congratulate Megalo Box for being an excellent tribute to Ashita not Joe. See you, Vaquero ---------------------------------------- Español ------------------------------------------ Un Mundo desolado, un Mundo inhóspito, lleno de ladrones, de desigualdad apartado de toda civilidad para sus ciudadanos, alejadas de toda mano de ayuda, del temor constante de no poder que hacer nada para mejorar y que no hay otra manera que vivir, donde no tienen nada más y muy en el fondo que la esperanza, esperanza de que un día todo cambiara. En este lugar perdido de la vista de Dios nuestros protagonistas , son, naturalmente unos estafadores , donde (y no es de extrañar en este mundo) el Megalobox sea el deporte mas visto y amado , una peq…

“Show me what real Megalo boxing looks like!” - Yuri Megalo Box is easily one of the most hyped and best anime of 2018. The storytelling, fights, the unique art style, the intensity, everything was breathtaking! Have you watched Ashita no Joe & Ippo and are still craving more boxing anime? Or maybe you’ve never seen them and want a shorter, alternative with the same level of hype and storytelling? If so, i’ll present to you Megalo Box! Megalo Box is a homage to the great boxing series- Ashita no Joe, set in a futuristic, cyber punk type setting following a boxer called J.D. “Junk Dog”. It’s got a 80s themed, hip hop, gritty, atmosphere to it and gives of Samurai Champloo/Cowboy Bepop feels. Plot: 7/10 Pretty typical, boxing underdog story. It’s a story about a boy named Junk Dog fighting his way through the Megalo tournament to fight the champion. Sounds pretty simple right? The main difference here is the inclusion of gears that fighters wore, as it enhanced their physiycal capabilities. However not our protagonist. He enters without using gears and dons the name “Gearless Joe”. What I didn’t like was the gangster sub plot (where Joe and Nanbu entered the tournament to pay him back) because it’s too cliche and has been done so many times. Characters: 6/10 I would say this was the weakest point to me. There’s a diverse cast of characters, however there’s only a few characters with decent characterisation whilst the rest are rather flat. I think the best written characters were Aragaki and Nanbu. I feel we could have explored more on Joe, Yuri, Yukiko and her brother’s past (SPOILERS) For example, Joe: we don’t know Joe’s childhood, why he became a boxer, whether he has any relatives (was he an orphan in the system?), why he came to the city Nanbu saw him in (or did he grew up there?) Yuri: All we know is that he had a trainer in his boxing club when he first met Yukiko. Again, we know virtually nothing little about his upbringing/life. Why does Yuri view Yukiko so highly, as to call orders from her and call her his owner? There has to be a deeper meaning than Yuri working for her. Fights: 8.5/10 There were some decently choreographed fights. You could tell were most of the punches landed and it had some really standout moments. However, for the most part the fights were lacklustre. That’s probably because I’ve seen better fights in Ippo. A lot of Joe’s fights were him getting pounded and then he making a comeback and wining in the end. It became a bit predictable. The training was rather basic. It didn’t really teach me any boxing moves, compared to other boxing series. Animation: 9/10 I love the dull (is that the right word? ), low quality animation. It made the world feel more gritty and realistic. Music: 9/10 I love the hip hip hop soundtracks, it really encompasses the 80s-themed setting they were going for. I loved the OP and ending song. The raps were amazing. Enjoyment: 10/10 I loved Megalo box. It was my most hyped and anticipated anime this season. I was pumped every week waiting for the next episode to be released. Megalo Box would have been better if it was 24 episodes as it would have covered some of the flaws I had with it e.g. Joe’s characterisation. Overall, I’ll give Megalo Box a 8/10

Warning! Minor Spoilers Ahead! Animation has been noticeably changing over the years. As technology grows and improves, so does animation styles as most anime these days are slick and clean whereas you look back in the 90s where many anime were cell shaded with heavy outlines and rough textures. It is kind of amazing how animation has evolved and how easier it is to animate now compared to animating anime years ago. But today I am reviewing an anime that pays homage to the 90s style of animation using modern technology to animate to bring this art style to the modern era. So sit back and relax as I present to you the anime review for Megalobox. "Lets get ready to Rumbllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Story 8.5/10 The story takes place in a dystopian city where the world is mesmerised by the sport of Boxing where boxing is amplified by the use of augmented gear to make the sport more physical and dangerous. The story follows Junk Dog or Joe (depending on how you want to call him), a nameless, underground boxer that throws boxing matches for money. However, after meeting with the boxing champion Yuuri and being challenged to a match where they duke it out in a boxing ring, JD vows to challenge him again in his ring at the major boxing event Megalonia where whoever wins that becomes world champion. The story is very much a proper underdog story where JD has to start from the very bottom and work his way all the way to the top. But there is more than just boxing his way to the top as he and his teammates, Sachio and Nanbu, have to also deal with gangs and corporations as they have ways to derail JD from becoming the number one boxer. What's interesting here is that the story is not just another rookie learning skills as he goes along (although it is still there), this is about a boxer who has already got skill but is held back by outside interference. It is a different kind of underdog story that makes it refreshing to see. It perfectly matches this gritty anime where the world is cruel and unforgiving and you have to fight not only to win, but to survive. The anime also gives us the question of whether augmentation actually makes things better or worse. In this case of boxing, does it improve the boxer or make him worse? JD answers this question as he goes through most of the anime without using a gear to augment his boxing skills. Questioning whether the gears make the boxer or the boxer makes the gears look like they improved the boxer itself. It kind of makes you question whether the gears actually add anything to the anime and if there removal would affect the anime in anyway? Well it does in some instances in the story as it plays a key role but in other situations, it doesn't. The emphasis is on the boxing itself rather than the augmentations that amplify it. This makes the gears nothing more than a novelty at times, emphasising that JD is the real deal when he walks into the ring without a gear on. Characters 9.5/10 So lets talk about Junk Dog/Joe. Junk Dog is a no nonsense, gritty boxer who has no name. This is why he addresses himself as Junk Dog, he is no one. This is why he doesn't have a backstory, he is no-one important. Very much makes sense since this being an underdog story, he starts from the very bottom without knowing anything about him. That means that anything we learn of him in the present gives us and idea of his character throughout all of his life. It leaves us open to guessing who he is. All he wants to do is to get into the ring and have a good boxing match but that mindset also what gets him into trouble at times with his team, the people around him and also himself. This is because he is short tempered and stubborn because once he makes up his mind, good luck trying to stop him which, in turn, gets him into trouble. His teammates, Sachio and Nanbu don't share this no-one personality as they have there own reasons for wanting to join JD and help get him to Megalonia. Now matching the setting, they aren't exactly happy backstories and have some dark reasonings behind them which led them to where they are now. Nanbu is in debt to a gang which influences his actions quite a bit. He is a guy you would think is sleazy and selfish (and you would be right) but the fact is that he actually cares for those who are close to them and want what is best for them. Sachio uses JD as a crutch to get back at someone for the fate of his family and as such, is more defined than the rest of the characters. Loud, rude but knows what is best. He is kind of like the glue that holds the team together and with JD and Nanbu disagreeing with each other half the time, they really do need Sachio. Each character has their own role in the story and have their own reasons as to why they do the things they do. This lead to to a conclusion that there isn't really any clear cut villains as each character has their own justifiable reasons for their actions. The closest to a villain we get is Fujimaki, the gang leader that Nanbu is in debt to. But also helps him get what he wants for the right price and agreements. But still, he is shady so he is the main body block for our main characters. Even Yuri, the main rival, isn't really a villain as he has respect for JD as he is the "genuine article" and respects his style of boxing. He fully believes JD will give him the best challenge and fighting and beating will make him believe that he is a "genuine champion." Animation 10/10 What I think is the main selling point of this show is its animation. As I hinted back at the start, the animation harpers back to the 90s animation style with heavy black outlines as the anime goes for a more cell shaded, hand drawn art style. And you know what, it works. Instead of a clean, polished art style, we get a more gritty art style that matches the tone of the show. But with modern technology, it actually animates better than it would in the 90s which was to be expected. So it is more than an homage to older anime art styles like Trigun and Cowboy Bebop. It brings that art style to the modern day and gives it a modern face lift while still keeping that animation style. What I also like is the lack of 3D animation in this show. Now there are a couple of scenes where 3D animation is used but it isn't in any fight scenes. Instead, the anime uses great use of cinematography and slow motion effects to capture the fights scenes brilliantly. And I'm telling you, these fight scenes are brilliant. Despite it being obvious who is going to win, the execution of these fight scenes are done brilliantly and is where the animation really shines. Sound 9/10 If you like Samurai Champloo's OST, then you are going to love this. The soundtrack just has so much character to it and works well with this show being a gritty, dystopian anime. Rap tracks just work well with these kinds of shows because they give this kind of atmosphere where it isn't all sunshine and rainbows and it is more like "Put up or shut up!" But if you don't like Samurai Champloo's OST then you ain't getting much enjoyment here since it is almost entirely rap. As someone who likes Samurai Champloo's OST, I got a kick out of this soundtrack as it was so fun to listen to. The opening is another good tone setter as it features a stray dog (referring to JD) going around and doing what it wants and picking fights with other dogs. It gives us an idea of what JD is like in this show and his attitude. The song, "Bite" by Leo Imai complements this opening well with a sense of anger and rage in its vocals to add to the fact that this is one vicious stray dog. The ending is nothing to write home about as it is nothing more than a glorified credit sequence with neon lights as a frame to scroll down with the credits. Conclusion Megalobox is a highly enjoyable boxing anime that has so much style and character to it. With its well told underdog story, brilliant use of animation and enjoyable OST see…

MegaloBox is a thing of beauty. I went into this completely unaware that it's a modern re-telling of Ashita No Joe The show is set in a futuristic almost post apocalyptic Japan where combatants box using cybernetic limbs and our MC is a boxer named Joe who has thrown every fight he's been in trying to survive in the underground fighting circuit. However a man comes along who changes that and brings Joe to the big leagues where everything is different. What makes Megalobox so great? It's the sheer beauty of it. The animation is incredibly fluid and gorgeous. Breathtaking at times. The fight scenes are energetic and tense. You can't look away from just how eye watering and visceral the animation is. Joe as a character is really interesting, he starts off as a violent bum but ends up becoming a true hero to all by the end. He's a lone wolf and somebody you'll learn to love. The plot is very serious with little to no moments of respite. Joe is battle worn and he endures a lot though the course of it..This is a very graphic show and contains a lot of blood, including scenes of Joe pissing blood (commonly happens to boxers) and situations that reflect real world problems such as substance abuse. The other members of the cast are based off their Ashita No Joe counterparts. You have the rag tag group of kids and Nanbu who is based off Danpei. Nanbu is a great character and you really learn to like him by the end of the show. He is sleazy but he is sleazy for a reason as you'll learn. Unlike ashita no Joe, you don't watch the kids grow up. The show takes place over several months rather then years. There's the antagonist Yuri who is the champ whom Joe is trying to climb the ladder to beat. And several others whom Joe has to fight thoughout. Joe is not a young kid aspiring to be the best. He is a battle worn man in his prime who just wants to punch Yuri. He overcomes many obstacles that seem impossible during his rise to the top. This isn't like Ashita No Joe where Joe has a heart of gold and becomes BFFs with Danpei This version of Joe is cold, tough and distant and he doesn't like Nanbu. He and Nanbu both know they're doing this because their lives depend on it. They don't have a choice. This isn't a cute heartwarming anime. Megalobox is a serious dark and heavy drama with very serious situations implicating life or death. If you liked Ashita No Joe, love boxing or just want to see some violence and a really good story. Please watch Megalobox. You won't regret it Megalobox is a work of art.

(TLDR Review below, as usual, thanks for reading in advance) ***Implicit spoilers ahead*** Megalo Box is kinda meta. To understand why let's go over this point: You'd think that a world in which an anime is set in, would follow the logic of itself for it to be believable and the like. It doesn't have to coordinate with reality, hell, even school anime don't have to, but so long as it makes sense in its own world, it becomes a very believable story, something to take seriously. Now, Megalo Box seems to not understand that and does. I will explain why. Megalo Box is a series that takes boxing to the next level, in a time of which boxing has evolved to gear boxing, which is basically just Real Steel but humans and robots do a fusion dance before fighting. It is also a story that follows the "trash" of society trying to make their way to the top, from nothing to something, most of which is performed via cons. The idea is good, and "mature" (keyword here) even, but I found that Megalo Box kinda cheated its way throughout the entire journey. When I say gear boxing is taken very seriously here, it both is in context and isn't in the narrative, it is just some gimmick to make the story stay alive. An act, a con even. I will put forward what I mean. We have people literally spending (presumably) hundreds of thousands on new technology that literally amounts to nothing, zilch. People from quite literally nowhere can somehow match with big shots that have been in the game for quite some time now. Why? I don't know, ask the directors and scriptwriters. If it integrated the con artist aspect of the anime into this plot device, it probably would have been a hell of a series, but it didn't. Instead, it took itself too seriously and resulted in a half-hearted story being pushed across. I mean, the fact that these guys know that they are shitting their way through legal businesses yet somehow feel as if boxing matches hold everything is on the line is a bit strange to me, I mean, have you seen the first episode. Pretty much every fight would go the way that was decided from the start. It isn't like there was no prior experience too as the story progresses (in the Megalonia), as said, they match big shots, like people who unironically spend a ton on this stuff and have trained for god knows how long. They match it in some ridiculously short amount of time to add as well. The first major fight was probably the most realistic of them all, from the second Joe enters Megalonia is where everything follows on discrepancy over discrepancy. It is truly asinine. It turns into a meta work, it understands it is a hack but doesn't understand which hack it is. It's partially there but that doesn't fit the bill. But let's ignore the fact that we care about nobodies being able to wipe the floor with top technology like nothing. Even if we didn't care and let's say people just wanted to see some cool boxing matches, I wouldn't go out of my way to say that Megalo Box has the best boxing action anime has to offer. The fights are formulated in the same way disregarding the first and last ones. There isn't really anything new to feed on in terms of what boxing anime can be capable of, it is just the same as others I suppose. When you get to know the series better throughout viewing you begin to see that there wasn't a lot, to begin with anyway, but the writers had to do something, it can't just do nothing. What really annoys me a little in this aspect is a bit arbitrary but I will go point it out anyway. That is its presentation, which draws a little bit into demographics. Firstly, demographics shouldn't mean a lot to the avid watcher, the fact that Non Non Biyori and Elfen Lied are literally in the same demographic needs no further explanation to explain my point, though, if we were to ignore this for a second, and pretend that Megalo Box was to be labelled into demographic typically, then it doesn't exactly do a good job at "fitting in". It takes itself seriously, it is a little mature but uses underhanded and unbelievable tricks to push itself forward. So take it less seriously then? Sure. Until it fires back with more serious tones. You get into this weird loop so much so that Megalo Box cannot be taken seriously as it is, hell, it doesn't really fit anywhere in terms of how "mature" or "serious" it is. It is just, itself, which of course, is paralleled to a hack. I don't really want to go too much on about the characters, they aren't in the same category as the story and how that was too silly to take seriously, but they were indeed nothing special, to begin with. I suppose with a lack of a serious story, that as well as failing to understand its own atmosphere was subject to also dismantle any hopes for great characters. Joe, the boxer, is said to be the low-life of society, but you know, he always finds a way out. What about more about himself? Who cares, nothing here. Nanbu, the con artist, knows a lot about everything I guess. I suppose he's interesting for what was in store, had a little backstory and other connections you'd like to know more about. Sachio, basically like Nanbu but give him the tech support role plus more tragic connections. Yuri and those other guys, I think they were the bad guys. All in all, for a series like Megalo Box, the only good conclusion I can come to was the prior mentioned scam/con tactic it uses, making itself seem worse than the superficial visual will have you say. For a series that takes itself seriously, kinda knows what is up with itself, it ended up being short-sighted to not look at the entire picture it was in the first place. I guess when the characters said that they were dishonest in getting what they wanted, they really weren't joking. Audiovisuals. For its time, it looks pretty well made, that's for sure. It looks really well made but later episodes refused to maintain that quality consistently throughout, so what you are dealing with is a little distorted perception of colours being mistaken for good animation. It just looks nice and that is all. Whilst the animation has its time to shine, again, it just degenerates to the mainstream standard of animation for its time, something you quite wouldn't expect from how Megalo Box sets itself to be. It's the same with the OST of the anime, nothing really there to hit home with. I mean, this one was pretty creative in fairness, some raps here and there to enrich the world and statuses of our characters, but that was it. I will give it to them that at least they were somewhat memorable. Otherwise, nothing more to comment on, if you want, seiyuus did their job as expected. At the end of the day, it comes down to whether you care as much as I did or not, the suspension of disbelief is very effective. As an individual myself, however, I cannot just enjoy things that don't make sense to their own logic, it is silly to superimpose on reality and fiction but it is also no excuse to just do whatever. You wouldn't expect characters to have their eyes burst out of their sockets like some 30s Disney movie in something that doesn't take itself as a parody, such as LoGH or Monster. Whilst Megalo Box isn't that extreme, and probably is excusable in what it does at times, the very fact that it literally will say something and contradict it, which not only makes it unbelievable but ruins any kind of improvement in the different plot elements that exist, means that I can't really sit down and truthfully say I enjoy what I see. Then again, I still found something to like in the series, it's no masterpiece, but the fights, albeit handled badly, were still something I could praise as something that at least met decent quality. It does well for its own ground. It doesn't outshine anything, but hey, who doesn't like a decent fight. Not everything has to reach maxima (although that would be ideal). So yeah, it is something that can be enjoyed by many people, but I wouldn't suggest taking the series very…

I actually don't think that the first season of Megalobox is all that good. I think they have a lot of things going for them conceptually. I love the setting of a dirty underground boxing competition. I think the architypes of characters were pretty entertaining, but they don't really grow much emotionally by the season finale. Motivation was pretty basic, and basic stories can be good! But there isn't much there to keep someone entertained who's looking for more critical substance past the surface of the show. Soundtrack wise, I found the show to be pretty cliche in spots, but surprisingly strong in others. A maddeningly inconsistent experience that results more in yawns than you'd want.

Megalo Box is an anime that starts out strong out of the gate with a fun spin on boxing, the sport having been evolved to include body-enhancing technology in the form of "Gear". The fights start off impactful and satisfying, with the first few episodes being the best by far. The characters, with exception to the lead who always is boring, start out strong as well, if a bit on the tropey side. You've seen these characters before but they are done well... at the start. The art is good overall. It's not amazing, but certainly no complaints and it stays consistently of good quality. However, despite starting out strong and enjoyable, the longer this anime goes, the worse it gets. It simply drags on and refuses to give anything even remotely unique to itself. I don't usually care about "originality" much in entertainment, but this show really takes the cake on retelling stories you've seen a million times. There is nothing here that you cannot predict will happen. No surprises. No character development that doesn't follow the exact expected path without a hint of deviation. It gets incredibly boring, and too focused on its own characters instead of the fights, while not providing anything worthwhile about said characters. The further in you go, up until the end, the more apparent these problems are. By the time I was approaching the end of the season, I was legitimately only watching to complete what I'd started. While this certainly isn't the worst anime out there, it is *painfully* average. To the point where I'd probably want to watch something worse so I could laugh at the incompetence. This is just simply mediocre while thinking it's something brilliant. My recommendation is what I was thinking throughout the entire last half of this anime season. "Just watch Hajime no Ippo instead." It's better in every single way.

Let's list off the bad first, because there isn't much! I didn't like the opening song - but I liked just about every other song! :D The raps were kinda random, but really cool and good! The fights aren't particularly well choreographed or spectacular. But they're all built up very well, and they're still hype even if the same stuff happens. Even though we know the outcome, it's still exciting to see the main character getting there. There's some yakuza stuff that's not fleshed out as well as it could have been. It was really interesting, too, I wish they had done more of it! A few more episodes maybe? The gear seems superfluous. They do use it in the plot which is great, but it's just a silly concept. Boxing is already dangerous, why give people super arms and super punches? That'll just mean the fights will be over quicker, and there's more risk the fighters aren't gonna be at it again any time soon. And that's it! If you can get over that, I really enjoyed this as an underdog boxing anime with some shounen, retro, mystery, drama weaved in. I really liked most characters! They're all flawed, they have motivations and goals, and it's pretty realistic I think! Loved most sounds and the build-up is great! Every fight is so much hype! It's really not about the fight - it's about getting there! I liked the character growth and drama, even if it was predictable. Especially loved the mafia stuff. All in all, it was a fairly grounded, short, sweet, beautifully drawn anime that I'd recommend to just about anyone. ^^ Even if the ending was slightly under-performing, it was a solid journey to get there - and that's what it's all about!

Pretty darn good anime and is definitely worth a watch. I love boxing movies so when I heard about Megalo Box I was pretty hyped to begin with, and this anime lived up to my hype. The story was great, an underdog tale that tugs at my heartstrings and makes me want to restart my life and become a boxer. It is straight and to the point without any fillers. The art is pretty great though their is some pretty noticeable lazy animation in the boxing scenes that could have been a lot cooler and the backgrounds which seemed too still at points. The score was good, it was simple but got the job done. Most of the characters were awesome but a couple were my biggest grievance with the show and the only thing keeping MB below a 9. I really liked most of the characters Yuri, Mikio, Yukiko, Aragaki, etc... They all showed growth and had defining characteristics that made them original and interesting. The only ones that dragged the show down were Joe and Nanbu. I enjoyed Joe's tenacity and his backstory but he is one of those characters who always seems to be losing but then has an epiphany moment and then wins, a trait that is way too common in anime and is very lazy. My biggest qualm about Nanbu is that he seems to flip his perspective a couple times per episode between being self-centered or selfless. It felt lazy and plot serving to me and was very distracting.

Megalobox's 13 episodes go by like a storm but they end up being a whirlwind of pure fun with a small cast and the simple goal of being the best. 8s all around on each element of the show, nothing really POPS to make it go to that upper-echelon anime for me. Its a "very good" anime, the characters are pretty static, most motivations are vanilla but interesting enough to keep you watching. My enjoyment and intrigue kept me through the end but the end was disappointing to me because it had this huge build to one moment, you've been waiting for it since the first episode and, like i said earlier, it just doesn't pop. It doesn't have that "we made it" moment in my opinion. Which is probably what's adding to my sour mood. But overall, for a 13 episode this show lives up to expectations and makes for a great watch with very few - if any - detractors

Will contain spoilers. As is often the case nowadays, even a lot of sub par anime still get a good art direction. So along with that, let's cover this positive side first, shall we? The anime is drawn in an unusual, gritty, yet appealing style. The music and atmosphere are pretty good. Buut.. That is all. Megalo box. What is it? If box is for boxing, what is the 'megalo' part? Well, in this post war universe, that looks like a third world country all over, with the elite living in luxury (as is often the case), megalo is PLOT. Basically, it is a boxing tournament that is used both for gaining money via gambling, a world wide flashy show, brand, and a stage to try new technology in. Technology? In boxing? Yes, you heard it right, the participants use what is essentially an enhancing exoskeleton called 'gear' to take boxing from the brutal slug fest it is to.. ... Nowhere? That's right, i almost forgot, so i'll remind you, both this tournament and the 'gears' are seemingly purely cosmetic items in this universe, to be used as little more than plot devices. Our protagonist, 'Joe', or more fittingly, Johnny macrubberface is described as a wild dog, unable to find any meaning to his life other than the thrill of standing against all odds and impossible opponents. After being done with his life as a sellout boxer in the underworld, he and his coach Mr. gamblyeye (who's at first opposed to fair fighting because his life is on the line, not that our 'hero' cares) quit and gun for the megalo tournament with a fake name as someone from the streets (and with a sellout reputation) can't enter. Being flat out broke, they can't afford a gear, and so, our protagonist enters bare-handed, earning him the nickname 'gearless Joe' which becomes his brand.. Thank god those gears are just cosmetic items, otherwise someone could actually get really hurt, no, rather die, after all even in NORMAL boxing people die~ In the end, this is by far my biggest beef with the show - the anime's whole selling point is the unusual setting, but in the end, it turns out as purely cosmetic, there's no extra threat from someone nearly twice your mass throwing a punch at you in a EXOSKELETON SUIT that adds even more weight and speed into the punches, (almost) no one dies, breaks bones or gets disfigured (not that i'd want that, but then what's the point of the gears to begin with, other than to give plot (as it later does, due to shady stuff going behind the scenes with the top gear developers)?)... It all falls flat and breaks apart. In the very end they even drop the 'gears' for a 'fair fight' (one of the participants is injured, and it ain't the hero) between the rivals, and nothing changes in the animation from when gears where being used (no decrease in speed or punch impact)... So yes, the story is pretty much the classic underdog seen everywhere. The gears add no extra weight or meaning to the fights in most cases. The story is pretty shallow, illogical and inconsistent. In the end its not a bad show, and probably worth a watch... But nothing new, special nor amazing, not even memorable, unless its one of your first anime.

A very straight forward story, traditional to its core, down to the kid sidekick and the troubled master. It achieves resonance in the world it builds in the background: a country implied to be consumed in an ongoing war, that has left in it's wake a culture of violence, as well as broken people -- literally, in several instances, full of missing limbs -- and a broken culture -- a messy history, a marginalized society, a generation of people without a past. Joe is not only in the center, he encapsulates this world, as someone who has only one thing going for him: the fight. He doesn't fight for glory nor riches, neither to prove his worth: he fight because this is all that is left. He doesn't seem particularly oppressed by this world (although being a victim of it, but so are all the other characters), there isn't even a great villain. Even though there is drama surrounding the fights, the climax is very simple: even as we reach to a better future, there is only the present. And Joe grabs at it like a desperate dog, thrashing and barking to prove that he's alive. 'Megalo Box' feels like a primal howl of life's affirmation, which gets to be unexpectedly emotional for a story that builds up to a perfect final punch.

Megalo Box is my first sport anime and i absolutely loved it! Will it get me into the genre completely? probably not, but it has really opened my eyes to what this genre can be and i highly recommend this to anyone on the fence about sports anime Art 10/10 One of the first things you need to look at when talking about Megalo Box is its art style, it just screams the 90's seemingly taking influence from shows like Cowboy Bebop and for that I need to give it a 10 on this. Characters 8/10 Some of the characters in this can be seen as pretty box standard, hell i mean Joe himself isn't the most colourful of characters, sure you can really feel the passion for what he does but i personally feel like the only two characters making this an 8 on characters are Nanbu and Yuri. The development you see from these to characters are so powerful: Nanbu coming from a man seen as a scorpion that uses people because its in his nature and Yuri just some douche no one likes but turning into characters that have developed into something much more than that to the point where i sometimes rooted for Yuri as well as Joe for the final fight making the ending so much more satisfying. Sound 6/10 The Hip-hop feel really did fit this anime super well but the music itself even though fitting wasn't really anything special by itself personally so ill give it a 6. Story 5/10 The story is very generic, your underdog character Joe (Junk dog) starting from nowhere and rising up through the rankings to fight the champion. Can't really fault the story but again like the sound, nothing too special here. Enjoyment 10/10 Contrary to how i said the story itself is quite generic it truly is a great anime that i think you should all at least give it a try. It has honestly gave me goosebumps with every fight (like i get at a real boxing match) a feeling that i don't recall ever getting when watching anime. The Joe himself isn't a character i feel has developed as well from the story as others his stubbornness really forces you to root for him and the risks and sacrifices made to get him where he is it really makes you hope that it all just works out ok in the end and you cant fault that at all. Overall this anime is a 9/10 for me personally: The characters, the feelings i got during the fight scenes. I don't think ill ever forget this anime and i urge you all to give it a try because you wont regret it and im really happy this was my introduction to the sports anime genre.

Story: 10 A classic underdog story, but a great one. It's not very original, but it's still great. Joe, the protagonist is someone with real talent for Megaloboxing, but is stuck fighting in the underground boxing arenas because he was born outside of the city, thus he can't battle in teal Megaloboxing matches. The story is about how he overcomes that fact. Art: 10 I would rate it higher if I could, it's old school, and that is what makes it so great. I am an artist, thus I see how it makes the show feel different and better. The art style makes it all the more prominent of what kind of world it is and makes it kind of more realistic, in a good way. Sound: 10 I am also musical and educated in music, so I feel I am classified to talk I about this. The music and overall sound of not just the matches, but encounters as well. The intense parts are really intense and the joyful parts are joyful. It's just perfect. Characters: 9 The characters are great, but they could be better, the ones I really liked are: Joe, Nanbu, and Aragaki. Everyone other than them really could be better. Sachio is also one of the better ones. Overall the characters aren't bad at all, they could just be a bit better. Enjoyment: 9 I really feel characters are important in a show, and Megalo box lacked in that area. Nothing much to say here, you could probably get what I mean with the previous parts of the review. Overall: 9 I really enjoyed Megalo box, and it is a great show. It's definitely one to watch and not skip out on!

Just a warning, if you watch this show expecting Ippo, please turn back right now. Even though these two shows are both mainly about boxing, their focus of plot is totally different in how they handle their characters and story. When I first watched this I was also expecting Ippo type of fights as I heard a lot of hype about this show, even though the show had ok-ish fights it was never anything out of the ordinary that got my blood pumping nor did it give a rush of adrenaline. Fights are more slow paced and they use it to tell a story rather than giving you a dosage of action. Each fight gives a new perspective and characteristics to a character and it worked well in making you root for both sides almost every fight. Also, the ending was done really well and gave closure. I think the best part about this anime is the music, its chil, hip-hop soundtrack is worth a listen and also fit the themes of the show really well. The animation was also nice, as it seemed to have been inspired from many of the 90's anime with a bit of modern touch. All in all, this show is about storytelling through fights and it is worth a watch as it has its unique charm to it.

There is a place, a place where those who have few more things than their fists use them to make a living. That place is an Underground Boxing (or rather, Megalo Boxing) Arena. And it's in this place where we find our main character, enter Junk Dog, a.k.a Joe (he doesn't have a 'real' name, but I won't go further into that because, uh, spoilers), Joe is partnered with his coach of sorts, Gansaku Nanbu, to throw their matches and so get some money from local Yakuza. Joe is increasingly tired of this situation and one day the Megalo Boxing Champion, Yuri. This encounter will lead Joe to find his new purpose: to get into the Megalo Boxing championship, Megalovania, and fight Yuri. It won't be easy though... This anime was created as an homage to the overwhelmingly succesful manga (in Japan) Ashita no Joe (which started publishing 50 years before this show started airing) and as such, we can see characters in this show serving as tributes to characters in the original Ashita no Joe: MB Joe resembles (quite clearly) AnJ Joe, Yuri resembles Rikiishi, Nanbu resembles Danpei Tange, Yukiko Shirato resembles Yoko Shiraki and so on. As for the actual characters, they all come from different backgrounds and this is something you can see in their behavior: Nanbu is an alcoholic because he is pretty poor (and alcoholism is something that has typically haunted the lower classes), Yukiko speaks in a very refined way because she comes from a wealthy family, Sachio speaks quite brashly because he is a kid from with a difficult past, etc. That said, someone may find these characters bland in some way, and I don't blame them. But eventually I did find myself attached to them, so I guess they work for some people, but not for others. Now for the art. If you watch this show for like 5 minutes you will notice something weird on the art. That is, characters (and sometimes backgrounds) are hand-drawn, this is again, done as a tribute to the old Ashita no Joe anime series from the 70s-80s. This traditional artwork looks fine, but it is nothing compared to old cel-animated shows, but it gives the series some originality over others from its same season. Digital backgrounds look super nice, especially scoreboards and everything that has to do with technology, it really looks like it's the real deal. The music in this show is phenomenal, techno beats (I'm not a music conoisseur, so if forgive me if it isn't really techno) surround many of the best moments in the show and so the viewer feels hyped and impressed by the atmosphere. Truly amazing. Overall, this is a damn good show, a real surprise this season. Whether you like boxing (or sports in general) anime or not, or if you have watched the original Joe's misadventures or you haven't I would really recommend this show to you. Truly a strong contender for anime of the year.

It is an absolute DISGRACE to have this anime even near any mention of Ashita no Joe, which it claims to be a spiritual successor of. It didn't learn anything from the original show and besides all the "easter eggs" it has absolutely no personality on it's own. It is predictable and mediocre, which are two things Ashita no Joe was definitelly not. The anime doesn't surprise in any way, it feels like a cheap cashgrab. The underdog does some underdog stuff and climbs to the top with sheer determination alone. I would not be able to tell you one memorable scene from the show, infact I am already forgetting it even exists. A big reason in the failure of the show definitelly falls on the concept of megaloboxing alone as the use of some mechanical arms undermines the whole core idea of fighting sports. I believe the fun part of sports/sports anime is the desire to become better, pushing your own limits and compete with other people who feel the same fire as you. But robot wars glued to a human just doesn't hit the same. However watching the anime makes quickly apparent that the gear part was added because the creators knew nothing about boxing and had no desire to change that. Thorough the 13 episodes, the fights cover no techniques, no fighting styles, no nothing. Everything goes just boom boom and suddenly Joe wins. Felt more like an forgotten D tier shonen than a sports anime. Only redeeming quality is the ocasionally crispy animation and overall lack of new boxing anime. There is nothing more to writer about Megaloboxing. It's forgettable, it's boring, it's generic in all possible ways. Save your time.

From its subtle metaphors and punky soundtrack to its wonderful cast of deeply imperfect qualities, Megalobox proved to me that Sports anime can be something amazing. Using the sport as a medium purely for the purpose of telling your story about proving yourself, identity, family, obedience, the indominable human spirit, and so much more in a very organic and interesting way. Megalobox is jam packed with unexpected bumps in the road with a narrative that has an easy enough goal in mind but twists and turns so many times throughout each episode that it keeps you on your toes, not knowing really what comes next. The boxing matches themselves being the most adrenaline pumping parts of the series, but far from some of the best moments this series has to offer. It's character interactions and personal advances towards each and every one of their goals is where this series soars. Every character feels so real in the fact that where a series would usually make a character change for the better due to something small doesn't apply here. Everyone uses one another as a tool to get what they want, every action they take is reasonable, realistic, and most importantly builds the character or furthers the plot. Seeing the ugly side of any character is shown on full display, selfishness, suicide, lying, betrayal, and so on is shown with no hesitation to really make the characters feel alive. The series is incredible in its pacing of neither too fast nor too slow, every episode feels jam packed with progression enough to leave you satisfied after just one episode. An amazing demonstration of using your sport or main activity as a perfect medium, can't recommend enough.

This anime really hits home for me. It's an emotional rollercoaster that takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of the human experience. At its core, it's a story about the human spirit, about never giving up, and about fighting for what you believe in, no matter the odds. The characters are so well-written and relatable that you can't help but get invested in their struggles and root for their success. The themes of identity, ambition, and self-discovery are explored in such a poignant way, that you can't help but reflect on your own life and experiences. Watching MC go through his journey is nothing short of inspiring. His determination, grit, and resilience through the toughest of times, makes you feel like you can conquer anything. What a hidden gem.