Megalo Box First Impressions

“They don’t make tombstones for stray dogs.”

At first glance, the idea of sci-fi boxing might seem a little silly since it’s such a straightforward sport. Sure there is nuance in how scores are tallied and in what is disallowed, but at its core, the idea that the last man standing is the winner is a pretty unambiguous concept. However, that proves to be the strength of Megalo Box. Whereas other series which have taken the idea of future sports tend to overcomplicate already ridiculous concepts, Megalo Box takes the simple idea of boxing and asks, “What if all the boxers were essentially the Winter Soldier?” In practice, this proves to be an intriguing concept, and it would appear this premise that sounds like Rocky meets Blade Runner could ultimately result in a laudable action sports drama. I almost overlooked this particular title, but I’m glad I didn’t and I’m eager to see what happens next.

Our main character is a non-citizen boxer who lives on the outskirts of a major metropolitan area and who only goes by his ring name, Junk Dog. When the episode starts he is contemplating the difference between fight and flight responses, and ultimately concludes he is doing neither. He takes part in the titular mechanically-assisted boxing matches, often throwing them at the insistence of his manager. When the prominent corporation the Shirato Group announces they will be holding a tournament called Megalonia in which any citizen could take part, Junk’s mechanic points out to Junk Dog that he could potentially have a shot, though he dismisses the possibility since, as a non-citizen, he doesn’t qualify. However, a chance encounter strikes up a rivalry between him and the Shirato Group’s favorite and current Megalo Box champion, Yuri. Junk Dog has the potential to be a notably gripping protagonist, as he’s more introspective than one might initially expect, though he still has an intriguing and scrappy sense of pride regarding his skills. Part of the reason I almost overlooked this series was that I thought it might be a spin-off of Ashita no Joe which I have practically no familiarity with. Once I learned this was a sci-fi series, I came to realize it’s actually a reimagining of Joe, and thus requires literally no familiarity with that franchise. Fans of Ashita no Joe may get something out of seeing its events altered and shifted to a different setting, but I question how much of the original series can be seen in this particular adaptation.

The visuals are distinctive. The setting has a rough and worn feeling which harkens back to certain 90’s titles like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. For my part, I was never a fan of either of those series since I came to anime for more complicated and interwoven stories, and those titles favored an episode approach that never gripped me. It’s nice to see that particular style get applied to a series which is more in line with my narrative tastes. Production is being handled by TMS Entertainment, who appropriately were the ones behind Ashita no Joe 2 back at the beginning of the 1980’s. As a studio they’ve maintained a solid presence in the anime landscape to this day with more recent titles including Kamisama Kiss, Yowamushi Pedal & D.Gray-man, but I think this may be the most visually striking work I’ve seen from the studio. Technically, that action in this first episode is relatively limited since we only get to see Junk Dog throw a single fight, but there are some really nice shots of him on his bike, and we even get to see some visual flair in the thrown fight.

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• Is it just me or are the 80’s back with a vengeance this season? We’ve got the new Legend of the Galactic Heroes, an adaptation of the prequel to Fist of the North Star, a new adaptation of Captain Tsubasa and this. There’s probably even more stuff I’m forgetting. We’ve got more Lupin III, but that started in the 60’s apparently, and more Gundam, but that’s omnipresent. Cutie Honey also stays off the list by being from the 70’s, but there is a real retro-vibe going on, isn’t there?
• There was no proper intro and possibly no proper outro for this first episode. That’s not all that peculiar for a first episode, so we’ll just have to wait for episode 2 to see what they can deliver on that front.
• I now look forward to one day seeing a retelling of Hajime no Ippo set during the crusades.