Megalo Box is licensed by Viz Media. It was written by Katsuhiko Manabe and Kensaku Kojima, and was directed by Yo Moriyama.
Ok, first, let me regirgitate the synopsis I wrote in a previous article:
In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Ashita no Joe, a popular manga from the late 1960s, Megalo Box is, I’m sure you can guess, about boxing. Not just any boxing though. Cyber-punk, almost apocalyptic future, type boxing. While boxers do still use the standard gloves, they are equipped with
special mechanical limbs that attach to the arms and spine, known as Gear. The Gear is meant to increase the user’s speed and power. Our protagonist, known as Junk Dog, is an underground Megalo Boxer. Because he lives in the slums and isn’t a citizen, he is left with minimal options to make money – so he does what anyone would do, works for Gansaku Nanbu, who works for the mob, and throws fights he could easily win. Fed up with living in the slums and knowing that his talent and skill is worth more than throwing fights, he convinces Nanbu and the mafia boss to get him into Megalonia, a worldwide boxing tournament that will decide who the best Megalo Boxer is. With that boss’s permission, he is granted a fake citizenship ID where he takes the name “Joe” (again, tribute to the original manga), and enters the contest that will allow decide if he is good enough to enter Megalonia. With only three months left, Joe must make a name for himself and also face off against top-ranked opponents to earn his spot in the championship ring.
I just have to say…wow. Seriously. Just, wow. I have been blown away by this anime since the first episode and all the way through until the finale, it was one of the most enthralling anime I have ever watched. There were no lulls in this show, everything moves along at a consistent pace that allows for plot development and action. Any flashbacks are related to what is happening to the characters in the present and are able to give you new information and insight without it feeling like your regular lets-shove-everything-down-your-throat-in-less-than-30-minutes-flashback anime episode. You’ve seen anime, you know what I’m talking about.
The art design is impeccable. The characters, the environment, the equipment, they all fit the kind of style this show is going for. I’ve compared it to Cowboy Bebop but minus space and in the slums. That’s the best way I can describe it outside of post-apocalyptic-near-future-scifi. It’s not quite full-blown cyberpunk, but it’s got some vibes. Oh, and the stills at the beginning of every episode, even when it’s a fish head on a plate without an eye, something about them makes you so excited to see what happens in that scene.
And the characters. THE CHARACTERS. I just. I love them all. I mean, Joe a.k.a “Junk Dog” is that kind of protagonist that you love but it’s not because he’s a good guy or a hero, he’s just awesome. Like Spike Spiegel. And his rival, Yuri, he isn’t good or bad either. Virtually no one in this show (other than the mafia boss), would I describe as good or bad. They’re just all people in this world who are trying their best in this crappy world.
Finally, before I tell you my score, I want to give some praise to the music. I would buy that album. Especially if Sachio’s rap is on it.
OVERALL SCORE: 9.8 / 10
Megalo Box is now streaming on Crunchyroll
Chikara Sakuma launched a manga adaptation in Kodansha’s Shōnen Magazine Edge titled Megalo Box – Shukumei no Sōken in February.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE1TtpPuUlE
