Here is a great piece of news for those who read manga in English. Kodansha is about to drop the first-ever English version of the legendary Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe) boxing manga by Ikki Kajiwara (also known as Asao Takamori) and Tetsuya Chiba. Named Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, this manga will hit shelves and screens in December, both in print and digitally. It’s a big deal because, as AnimeNewsNetwork reported, it’s the manga’s debut in English.
Originally published in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1968 to 1973, the series is a Japanese cultural icon. It spawned two TV anime series (in 1970 and 1980) and two anime films (in 1980 and 1981). Plus, there was a live-action film in 2011 and a stage play in Tokyo in 2015.
Ashita no Joe follows the story of Joe Yabuki, a kid from Tokyo’s slums who becomes a boxer under a former champ’s guidance. Created by Takamori and Chiba, this manga is a big deal in Japanese pop culture. It’s influenced lots of other manga, like Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirit). A twist in the Ashita no Joe TV anime even got its own public ceremonies in Japan.
In 2018, the manga got a sci-fi makeover in the Megalobox anime, which pays homage to the original. It was a hit, and now there’s a sequel, Megalobox 2: Nomad, out since April 2021. So, get ready to dive into the world of Ashita no Joe in English this December!
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