MEGALO BOX

DESCRIPTION

CAST

SPECIAL ActionMegalo Box Specials
MANGA ActionMegalo Box: Shukumei no Souken
ANIME ActionNOMAD: Megalo Box 2
MANGA DramaAshita no Joe
ANIME ActionAshita no Joe

REVIEWS

• 

  Deadxet

  100/100
  An homage to a different time!

  This is one of those shows that I am certain people will be talking about for a long time to come, a true classic in more than one sense.

  I really don't want to get in to spoilers during this review as to not ruin the show for anyone planning to watch it so I will for the most part not touch on the story at all unless necessary.

  Now, I am not really that great at writing reviews in general and that is why I for the most part refrain from doing so, I however thought this show was worth doing my best for.

  The show grips you from the first minute in to the first episode by showing you exactly what you are about to experience throughout this 13 episode long journey. The journey being that of an underdog.

  If you even slightly like action oriented anime this is one you should not allow yourself to miss, the pure adrenaline of watching the boxers go at it in this show is not something that can not even be put into words, I have never experienced anything like it in any show I have previously watched.

  The show manages to keep you at the edge of your seat at all times, the matches for the most part feel like they could go either way, you never feel that the main character (Joe) somehow has some plot-armor that protects him, he is a strong fighter, he is as said in the show "The real deal", but this does not make him invincible. He is as human as all the other fighters, as shown throughout the series.

  The show also manages to be a huge homage to not only the original (Ashita no Joe) but also to older anime in general, it gives you true Cowboy Bebop esque vibes from how they animated the show to even just how it looks in general, it is beautiful. They even went as far as to downsample the resolution of the show to make it look older which has been debated a lot over if it actually makes the show better or not. My opinion on it is that I think it was a great choice for the show, I do however hope that a full 1080p version is released through the Blu-Ray version.

  The original soundtrack, oh god the OST is truly perfect for this show and just amazing to listen to on their own as well, the music of this show is definitely worth a mention, every score seems to be particularly crafted for each scene they are put into it is beyond anything I see in most shows, we are talking Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo levels of OST goodness here. And it is all available to listen to right now on Spotify if you want to see (or rather listen) for yourself what I am talking about.

  Now onto the only real issue that the show suffers from which is the short nature of it. You really do get the feeling that some things in the show had to be rushed when watching it, with only 13 episodes to work with they really did not have time to explore everything to the extent that the original did. However, I have to say, seeing as they only had 13 episodes to work with I do feel it used every single episode to its fullest potential, it feels complete for what it is, I just wish they would have gone with a 24 episode format instead for a better buildup.

  All-in-all I think this is an absolute must watch for anyone. Even if you don't like boxing (which I don't).

  I will give this show my highest recommendation and I give it a 100/100 overall score. It has its flaws, but so does anything, this is one I will most likely revisit from time to time.

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• 

  HaxoScript

  80/100
  Excellent boxing anime, with great visuals and soundrack.

  This review contains minor spoilers about the first episodes.

  I’m not into shounen anime. I’m not into many sports anime. Heck, I don’t even like boxing. However, Megalo Box managed to catch my attention. And boy, that was a fantastic ride.

  Megalo Box is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Ashita no Joe, probably the first boxing manga/anime in history. However, this review won’t focus on that fact. I will focus on the values that make Megalo Box stand out by itself, ignoring all “fanservice” (read: tribute elements to impress old-school fans) that it could have.

  Story: predictable and simple, but it works.

  This is the classic underdog story. Joe, also known as Junk Dog, who literally lives on trash, is a boxer who makes money with rigged fights, but he’s unhappy with that lifestyle, he wishes to prove himself in a real fight. One day, he finds an opponent who he can’t beat even giving his best: Yuri, the champion of Megalonia, the biggest megaloboxing tournament. After that fight, he decides to join Megalonia to climb until he can rematch Yuri.

  The story is simple, but it’s well done. It’s obviously not a strong point of this anime, but it isn’t either a weak point. Let’s say that the story is just there to allow the other elements to shine, so those elements are the ones that will decide if this anime is memorable or not.

  Plot: focused on fights, with a simple yet effective message.

  Oh, I haven’t mentioned what’s this “megaloboxing” about. Well, the story is situated on a future where boxing has evolved into a sport where all boxers are equipped with a gear which empowers the arm strength of its user. What’s the twist? Our protagonist, Joe, will fight without any gear. He wants to prove what is to be “authentic”. He wants to prove that you can win with only your own strength. And other characters eventually understand his message, and this may change their point of view on megaloboxing.

  This anime is mainly focused on fights. Are they good? Some ones are, but some others are average. And by average I mean that, even when Joe was clearly losing, at the last moment he manages to one-hit KO his foe, which may seem as an artificial resolution to the fight. Luckily, this doesn’t happen in every fight, so it’s not a big deal. The rest of the fights, the good ones, are kind of predictable, but they’re still entertaining and manage to deliver some shivering moments.

  On later stages of the series, the fights are still there, but some other conflicts appear, and those conflicts can’t be resolved through winning a fight, so it adds an unpredictable factor to the plot. And I find this to be really nice.

  Characters: very well done, almost all of them experience good development.

  Ironically, Joe is the only one to not get any significant development. He starts as a stray dog, and he ends as a stray dog. But that’s the point of his character. However, he serves as a medium to allow other characters to develop. The characters that are with him learn things from Joe and his motivations. Even the antagonists learn from Joe, and they get to have more screentime thanks to that. At first, this development is so small, but as the show progresses they face tougher situations and those are the decisive moments that will make them change.

  Visuals: excellent 90s style and very good animation.

  Oh boy. The artstyle in this show is excellent. It’s made on a 90s anime style, it may remind you of other well known anime from those years like Cowboy Bebop. But I’m not praising it for making an homage to that style. I’m praising it because it’s done good, and it demonstrated that this style is still enjoyable even in modern times. The character design is also so good, they perfectly reflect their personality and makes them look unique. The animation is great too, and keeping in mind that the show is mostly focused on fights, this is a very important factor.

  I find funny that the point of most fights in this show is “classic technique can win over modern technology”, and the artists did exactly that with the visuals of this anime.

  Sound: amazing soundtrack used perfectly.

  The soundtrack of this show is on point. They use every track exactly at the moment where they should be. That allows some amazing moments and they produce a really good experience. The soundtrack has a certain theme for every important character, and that adds to the mood when they appear on screen. It also has some original rap songs which are catchy too. Overall, the soundtrack is absolutely amazing.

  Final judgment: Is this show worth watching?

  Definitely. Even if you’re not into shounen nor sports anime, it’s still highly recommended. This isn’t one of those deep shows which make you question your existence, it’s just a show to have fun and enjoy its quality and good design, but that’s totally fine, and it will let you satisfied once you finish it.

  This review was taken from my reviews blog, link to the original here.

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• 

  BurnsyCEO

  85/100
  A story of an underdog with the spirit of hajime no ippo.

  One of the most talked about and hyped shows of the spring 2018 season, comes an anime that could have easily been overlooked due to other high profile animes taking the spotlight. I hear it pays homage to a 50 year old boxing anime called ashita no joe but that's something I know nothing about so I'll skip it.

  Megaloboxing is a sport which is basically boxing with huge augmented mechanical arms whose sole purpose is to make you punch that much harder. But as cool as a concept that is, the show really isn't about the mechanical part of the sport but the human part.
  Our protagonist is an underground fighter who is making ends meat by throwing illegal underground megalobox fights for the despite being far superior skill wise as a boxer to the rest of his opponents. The story is about our nameless protagonist who has an encounter with the world champion of megaloboxing and they become rivals and get in the ring in episode 1 itself in one of the best and hypest first episodes I've seen in a long time.

  _"They don't make graves for stray dogs" - Junk dog
  _

  

  You will definitely notice the artstyle in the anime being much different than your regular anime. It looks cell shaded and it goes for the 80's anime look of cowboy bebop/samurai champloo and while it makes the slum settings look very nice but a lot of other environments and characters look flat and unmoving at times with very obvious outlines and a lack of detail in many areas. The fights however look pretty good which goes to show where the money and effort went.
  It might be an artistic choice but not a very good one.
  The soundtrack however is very dope. Makes you really get into the story and fights. And I absolutely love the voice over of the main character,he sounds like a fucking man.

  Overall, it's a story of an underdog.It's about over coming challenges both inside and and outside the ring. It's no generic sports anime, it's got a lot more going for it. You'll learn that there are fights which cannt be won with your fists alone and debts can be paid in more ways than money. The ending might be a bit controversial how they handled it but the final fight was amazing. It's only 13 eps and I'd say a must watch for this season.

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