Ashita no Joe has it's reputation as being the grandfather of sports anime as well as being one of the all time classics to the medium. It lives up to it's prestige, being a sobering account of Joe's rise to prominence in the boxing scene - for all the victories and consequences which it entails. For such a story, it's appropriately gritty and tragic. The art is noticeably rough. It is hard for this anime to hide it's age, but for those of taste - this will not be an issue, as it's visuals elevate the brutality that is fighting and very much emulates the styleof the classic manga. The punches and impacts would not feel so 'weighty' had it been animated in a more clean and contemporary way. It genuinely feels like each frame was pulled fresh off the storyboard in the studio, but has a clear passion behind it. Though each line is rough, they flow smoothly and dance when the story ramps up to it's climax, keeping you engaged fully.

The sound is slow and melancholic. The kind that still lingers with you long after you have stopped watching. It captures not just the mood, but the soul of Joe's character when the music drops to it's more somber moments.

Joe as a character is a bastard. You aren't supposed to like him. Not in the beginning, nor even through much of the middle. He has defined flaws and in contrast to his rival Rikiishi, makes you wonder at times why the story is about Joe and not him instead. In a more conventional story, Joe would be the antagonist. What keeps you from turning off the anime due to his behavior is the brief moments where he does do the right thing and can let himself be open with other people. Until this happens more, and more. Joe isn't the bad guy, he is just a person with flaws like everyone else, and he does eventually grow from his mistakes. It is not a change that happens instantly, though, and that is what I appreciate about how this story handled Joe as a character.

Ashita no Joe resonates with me in a way that most other anime cannot perform the same. It has less in common with other anime than it does with classic film as a whole. I am drawn to Joe and his tale in the same way that I am with Rocky and his movie. When I sit down to watch an anime, there is often concessions I will have to make in order to enjoy it: "This anime has great writing, but the anime leaves on a cliff hanger that I'll have to read the manga for" "this one has amazing art, but the fanservice is distracting and unnecessary" etc. I do not have to go through this process, because Ashita no Joe stands perfectly on it's own as an art piece deserving respect and isn't held to the excuses that a lot of anime fans put fourth to justify why their show is good.

Whether it is the show or the movie, do take the pilgrimage of classic anime and enjoy some of what Ashita no Joe has to offer you. It will be an enriching experience, one way or another.