Ashita no Joe

Joe Yabuki, a young drifter, has a chance encounter with alcoholic former boxing trainer Danpei Tange while wandering through the San'ya slums. Recognizing his talent, Danpei trains Joe as a boxer, but Joe is arrested for fraud. He fights Nishi Kanichi, the leader of a group of hooligans, in temporary jail, and the two are transferred to a juvenile detention center. There, Joe meets Tōru Rikiishi, a former boxing prodigy, and they develop a rivalry after Rikiishi prevents him from escaping. The prison sets up a boxing tournament led by Danpei and funded by millionaire Mikinosuke Shiraki and his granddaughter Yoko. Rikiishi dominates Joe in the final until the latter hits a cross-counter, resulting in a double knockout. Feeling that the match did not resolve anything, Joe and Rikiishi vow to fight again as professional boxers. Upon his release from the juvenile detention center, Joe joins Danpei's new tiny boxing gym together with Nishi. Joe gains popularity as an amateur boxer for his brawling style and trademark cross-counter KO wins, but he is denied a professional license until provoking champion boxer Wolf Kanagushi. Joe performs a triple cross counter on Wolf to win their match, and earns the right to fight Rikiishi in the professional ring. Rikiishi is assured a promising career funded by Mikinosuke Shiraki, but is intent on settling his score with Joe. Because he is a featherweight, while Joe is a bantamweight, Rikiishi undergoes a taxing weight loss program. Their match is close. Rikiishi knocks Joe out in the 8th round to win, but later dies from the combined effects of weight loss and a brain hemorrhage sustained during the fight. Joe is traumatized by Rikiishi's death. Danpei realizes that Joe is unable to deliver headshots to his opponents. Joe loses three straight fights and eventually disappears to join an illegal countryside boxing ring. He returns to fight global sixth ranked fighter Carlos Rivera. Carlos is managed by Yoko, who, having become interested in Joe, has taken over her father's gym. The fight devolves into a brawl, but Joe earns tremendous fame and respect, and he and Carlos become friends. Carlos is later knocked out in the first round by world champion José Mendoza and suffers severe brain damage. After his fight with Carlos, Joe becomes recognized as a world ranked boxer. He struggles with maintaining bantam weight due to a late growth spurt, forcing him to undergo strenuous weight loss similar to what Rikiishi underwent. He defeats OPBF Champion Kim Yong-bi, a South Korean boxer and survivor of the Korean War, and proceeds to win several title defenses. Meanwhile, Yoko has secured the rights for Mendoza's next title defense. Fearing that Joe has lost his fighting instincts, she forces him to face Malaysian fighter Harimau before he can challenge Mendoza. Joe narrowly wins the fight. The fight against Mendoza is to be held in a packed Tokyo stadium. Before the fight, Yoko discovers that Joe is suffering from punch-drunk syndrome. She attempts to cancel the match, confessing her love for him, but he refuses. Mendoza dominates the early rounds, and Joe loses his vision in one eye. Initially composed, Mendoza begins losing his mind as Joe continues to hold on no matter how much damage he takes. Joe manages to knock down Mendoza several times. The match eventually goes all fifteen rounds. Joe hands Yoko his gloves, and tells Danpei that everything has "burnt to ashes." Mendoza is declared the winner by points, but his hair has turned white from the trauma of the fight. Danpei turns to console Joe only to find him sitting unresponsive in his chair, with a smile on his face. It has long been debated whether Joe died in the ending. Artist Chiba stated that he drew the ending at the last minute, and that Takamori's original ending was different. Takamori stated in a 1979 biography that Joe died, while Chiba has refused to directly comment, hinting that Joe may have survived. In a 2001 interview, forensic pathologist Masahiko Ueno concluded that Joe had to be alive in the final panel to remain upright. ==Media==