Megalo Box – Episode 4 Review

“The IMA Megalo Box regulations do not prohibit fighting without any Gear. Thus, the match with proceed according to standard rules.”

Episode 4 of Megalo Box opens the door to new issues, and my feelings on this entry are rather conflicted. As sheer popcorn entertainment, this episode is probably second only to the premiere due to its fun opening match, but one of its key plot points comes off as a bizarre decision that further exacerbates one of the show’s shortcomings. To make matters worse, the pacing of the episode lurches about in the last third with little regard for how it strains credibility. Megalo Box is displaying signs which indicate it doesn’t know how to handle the pacing of a sports series, and even small missteps in execution can feel apparent in such a title. It feels like it is rushing, and, given only a single season has been announced, it probably is. I’m not sure I know what Megalo Box wants to be anymore. If it wants to be a sci-fi sports action series, then it should commit to each part of that idea, rather than undermining it to present the same old underdog tale.

The episode kicks off with the reveal of how Team Joe decided to circumvent the issues with their gear. Frankly, I had considered this particular possibility, but had dismissed it because it didn’t make sense to me that the show would go that route. It turns out that the answer to Joe not having gear to fight with, was to simply have him fight without gear… There’s no rule saying a dog CAN’T take part in Megalo Box! This serves as a problematic idea given the entire premise of the show was built on the concept of mechanized boxing matches, so having a twist be that our main character is going to simply be boxing normally feels like an odd rejection of their own premise. Hell, most of the promotional images displayed Joe in his gear, so I rejected the passing idea of him going without it, and didn’t even bother addressing it in the previous review. This also serves to undermine my praise for episode 3’s handling of Sachio’s introduction. I had argued his mechanical know-how served to justify a child’s presence in this narrative, but that statement has been severely kneecapped by this subsequent revelation. In theory, he could still provide aid by advising Joe on his opponent’s gear and its capabilities, but we see none of that in this episode, so that remains nothing more than a theory. The fight that takes up the first half of the episode is a good one that sees Joe grappling with unfamiliar anxieties, but it’s hard to argue it justifies this abrupt shift in the narrative as it further highlights the problem that I pointed out last time. There is no need for the science-fiction element in this story, as it really doesn’t add much.

If the first two thirds of the episode suffers due to its perplexing narrative choices, then the last third is forced to grapple with the narrative shooting ahead like a bottlerocket. Joe proceeds to win his next few fights… in a montage! Having two matches in the first four episodes of a sports anime isn’t particularly ridiculous. Normally, a show wants to use the opening episodes to establish the rules of the sport for the uninitiated viewer as well as introduce them to the capabilities of the lead character. Megalo Box appears to be rushing things though. I’m actually struggling to think of the last time I saw a sports series throw a bunch of victories at the viewer in a montage, and in episode 4 no less! The fight that had preceded this montage had, despite that annoying plot reveal, actually been well paced and offered up some decent development for Joe. To have it be followed by a montage where Joe jumps up a hundred ranks was downright whiplash inducing. Still, I’m interested in where the narrative plans on taking us. Joe’s next opponent has some history with Nanbu, so I’m eager to see where this will take the story, but I’m also experiencing trepidation. The show needs to get its act together, regain its footing, move with confidence and other boxing cliches!

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• I thought that the rest of the orphans would be lending support as well, but they appear to have disappeared into the ether between episodes.
• I’ve been hearing Air Bud “There’s not rule that says a dog CAN’T- *Insert ridiculous scenario here*,” jokes recently, but I can’t say that I foresaw myself using one for a Megalo Box review, but, from the moment that the referee announced there was nothing in the rules that prohibited a boxer from fighting without gear, it was the only thing going through my head.