Megalo Box - Reviews

I have heard of this anime being mentioned by Joey (The Anime Man) many times saying how great this anime is and 110% agree with him on his opinon. The fighting scenes were just beyond incredible. The characters just make the whole viewing experience of the 13 episodes much easier to follow, especially Joe with his laid back but pumped up attitude when it comes to every opponent he fought in the ring.

It's been a very long while since I last heard an English dub and I can honestly tell you, Kaiji Tang among the other English dub actors were pretty soothing to hear haha. It's good seeing and of course knowing, that the voice actors were matched well with their characters. I can definitely say this also for the Japanese voice actors in the sub version of the anime series.

What was a downer though that it did lose a score is that the music was a hit/miss. I personally didn't think that the op and ending songs weren't that pumped up enough for this particular series. Hopefully whenever season 2 comes out this year (or next year if covid did affect its airing), the soundtrack side will be better. Don't get me wrong, the songs were good in a way but just not to my tastebuds.

Literally can't wait for season 2 and what'll bring in Joes boxing journey ^^

Megalobox, an anime that is mainly a celebration of "Ashita no Joe", is indeed a show that does the classic much needed and deserved justice.

||Story 6.5/10||

Although a 6.5 may sound a little harsh, it does mean that Megalobox has managed to create a good story based on simplicity and basics. The main aspect of this anime is definitely not story and that is pretty evident straight from the first episode in the way things are set up. They can be quite predictable and obvious. This is however not a weakness of this show but rather a strength. While not focusing on the story it manages to have a smooth pace that keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats which is a great feat considering how simple and predictable the story is as mentioned earlier. As a sports anime it maintains a lot of the classic elements of the genre, however it also takes time to do world building, show the politics, and takes a deep dive into who controls the sport- the people behind the scenes or the actual atheletes.

Overall the story while being simple is a prefected one without any loopholes, plotholes and does a fantastic job in keeping the plot moving and highlighting the strengths of other areas such as the characters.

||Animation 7/10||

Megalobox was animated by TMS Entertainment who are no strangers to sports and action packed shows such as Yowamushi Pedal and D.Gray-man. This show is highly stylized for the purpose of evoking nostalgia among the viewers. While being stylized in such a way, uit still retains the smooth transitions and gritty shots which one could say that weren't so prominent back then. The fight scenes never felt choppy even with its human-like character design as a pose to the generic anime designs. In the down-time between the fights and action packed scenes, we had the show feel completely natural as a almost slice of life. In my opinion this was doen through the help some beautiful background art and great colors.

Animation is an area that wasn't compromised and in fact was done in a way to give respect to Ashita no Joe and other classics. This was great because they made this work while still keeping the strengths of modern animation present on the older aesthetic.

||Sound 8/10||

This is one of the strongest features of this show. The music of this show is spot with Mabanua doing this show great justice. I like how they went for rap and hop hip style rather than the generic electro or orchestral or jazz. While those generes are great too, this felt like a breath of fresh air and more importantly it felt very fitting. The soundtracks onmce again felt similar and very very fitting. The abient sounds and voice acting side of things too didn't disappoint.There not too much to say just that this show gets it very right.

||Characters 8/10||

Firstly from a design point of view I must say the characters were well made. They looked interesting and never struck as too generic. their outfits and styles too were very fitting. Secondly due to the show's apporoach we had some excellent character development and so from the pure character appeal perspective while being a more subjective point I can definitely say they were all very interesting. Joe espescially. I normally find several generic protagonists very bland and annoying as all they do is shout and scream like A LOT. I liked Joe because that side of things was more minimum and he was the type of person who let his fighting do the speaking. Nabu and Sachio too were very memorable and definitely likeable. The other characters and the way the changed and developed espescially Yuri was great to watch. Overall characters were also one of the stronger aspects of this show.

||Conclusion||

In conclusion I took the average of all the scores and would approximately give this show a rating of 7.3. It is a great watch and in fact a must watch for people that love sports animes. A warning though for viewers getting into this show expecting a real life boxing experience or wanting to explore more strategy or just pure boxing, I have to say you will be disappoint in that end as that is not what this show was about. It was more about the character Joe and his "journey" and the friends and relationships he makes in this journey. Apart from that i think the only area I personally found this hsow lacking was in the fact that i felt that this played it a little to safe often and i wished they explored more about the world and setting and politics. Apart from all that though it was a very enjoyable show and in fact if there was a satisfaction score i would give a strong 9/10 in that!

Simple story, not crazy amazing, isn't the type of anime you'd be fangirling over or saying it's your best anime or anything of the sort. Just to simply say it, it's a good anime. Not super in-depth with characters, story or flow, it was simple, enjoyable and the type of anime you can enjoy when you're bored or looking for something to watch.

Not sure how to explain it but the whole story feels the same, there aren't huge heart-wrenching sad backstories, nor is there any love-story or romance or even any kind of emotional rollercoaster. It gives you one emotion, and not too much of it, it's a simple and enjoyable hype train, that allows you to just simply enjoy the fire and love for boxing that the characters have. Nothing else, nothing more.

The story is simple, slightly predictable, fighting is simple, characters are simple, everything is simple, but I think that's what makes this anime so good. It doesn't throw you into an emotional journey, making you feel sad or angry or what not, it's just simply here for you to enjoy, not to love, but just enjoy. If you're looking for the next hajime no ippo or something like that, you won't find it here.

You won't find an amazing struggle to be the strongest, you won't see the MC cry in frustration over a loss or something along those lines, there is no character growth or development with the MC so to speak. This isn't the story of hardwork vs talent, this is the story of talent and hardwork against talent and hardwork. It's simple.

Do not expect Hajime no ippo. This series is about the struggle of poverty, in a boxing setting. This emphasized by the inclusion of machine assistance. You will not see any distinct techniques or styles used. No special training the main character does not undergo any special training nor does he possess special abilities. It is all about the main character training hard, allegedly, and being persistent. His fundamental style is even emphasized in the script.

I felt that details in everything was missing like; information about the gears, techniques, training and contradictions.
13 episodes was too short.
It seems like an origin story and i could really see this concept succeed in the future.

"Megalo Box" packs a punch as a thrilling and stylish anime that brings the world of futuristic boxing to life. Set in a gritty and dystopian future, the series follows Junk Dog, a talented but down-and-out underground boxer who fights in fixed matches. His life takes a dramatic turn when he crosses paths with Yuri, the reigning Megalo Boxing champion, and decides to enter the official Megalonia tournament under a new identity.

One of the standout aspects of "Megalo Box" is its retro-inspired art style. The series intentionally adopts a grainy and worn visual aesthetic that harkens back to the classic boxing anime "Ashita no Joe." This unique choice gives the show a sense of nostalgia while also adding a layer of grit to its world. The boxing matches themselves are exhilarating, with fighters using mechanized gear to enhance their abilities, creating high-stakes and dynamic battles.

The characters, while somewhat archetypal, are still compelling. Junk Dog's journey from an underground fighter to a contender in Megalonia is a classic underdog story that's easy to get behind. The rivalry and respect that develop between Junk Dog and Yuri provide emotional depth to the narrative.

The series' soundtrack, featuring a mix of electronic and hip-hop beats, complements the futuristic and urban setting, enhancing the overall atmosphere and excitement of the matches.

While "Megalo Box" is an entertaining and action-packed, it has somewhat predictable plot and character arcs. Some viewers might find that the narrative follows familiar tropes of the sports anime genre.

In summary, "Megalo Box" is a visually distinctive and action-packed anime that delivers excitement and nostalgia for fans of classic boxing stories. Its retro style, thrilling matches, and underdog protagonist make it an enjoyable and adrenaline-pumping watch. While it may not break new ground in terms of storytelling, it's a series that knows how to deliver on its promises of high-octane action and sports drama.