Ashita no Joe 2

あしたのじょーつー

Aired: 1980 - 1981

A television anime produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and broadcast on the Nippon Television network, the second television series adapting the immortal boxing manga written by Asao Takamori (Ikki Kajiwara) and drawn by Tetsuya Chiba. Continuing from the 1970-71 first television series, the story begins after the fierce battle with rival Toru Rikiishi. Boxer Joe Yabuki, aiming for the top of the world, pushes through deadly bouts with formidable opponents such as Carlos Rivera, Kim Yong-bi, and Harimao toward a fated showdown with world bantamweight champion Jose Mendoza. Incorporating original developments and characters not in the manga, the series hurls forth the pride of men and an aesthetic of burning out against the backdrop of the Sanya slums, rendered through Dezaki's stylized direction and Ichiro Araki's music, standing as a monumental landmark in anime history.