Megalobox

Number of Episodes: 13

What ANN says: In the not too distant future, boxing has become a sport enhanced by “Gear,” machine exoskeletons worn over the shoulders and arms to allow boxers to punch farther and harder than before. Known as “Megalobox,” the sport is popular as both a regular sporting event and as one during which underground bets are laid, with dramatic differences between the fanbases. Junk Dog, a young Megaloboxer, is struggling both to make a name for himself in the underground fights as well as with whether he's really happy with his current situation. When he hears that the upscale Shirato Group is sponsoring a worldwide Megaloboxing tournament in a special arena, he's largely ambivalent, seeing it as both not worth it and beyond his grasp. But he's getting tired of the rigged fights he's forced to participate in. Then he encounters Yuri, the reigning champ of the sport, and might change his mind.

What Wikipedia says: Megalo Box (メガロボクス Megaro Bokusu) is a 2018 anime television series created in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the manga Ashita no Joe.It is produced by the studio TMS Entertainment, who also produced the second Ashita no Joe anime in 1980.

What KoanMan says: Gritty, grungy, unkempt and seedy, Megalobox captures the rough and brutal nature of this boxing underworld. Inspired by Ashita no Joe, director Yo Moriyama brings Chikara Sakuma’s story to life in authentic fashion, following Joe, a young upstart with a simple dream, and tenacious spirit.

The plot moves steadily and builds to an intense climax, with good music, good character development, and a slightly rough, worn style that fits perfectly with the story - like old sweaty gym shoes and gloves long past their prime. A tribute to masculinity and fairness, struggle and ambition, that may not be well understood in the politically correct, tree-hugging society of today, it is never-the-less a timeless and enduring tale.

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): Well. No sequels here. 

Overall Grade: KoanMan gives this a solid A.

Addendum by tTPO: Not surprisingly, Megalobox is unashamedly old school with the animation style more consistent with 1998s Cowboy Bebop than anything more recent. The basic linear nature of the plot reflects this also but this is not a drawback with the pacing of the series kept just right. The inevitable climax avoids cliches and the ending was, for tTPO at least, both not quite what I expected, but very consistent with the characters motivations. 

With all of that, this series was almost faultlessly executed, but with nothing profoundly original to say the rating remains a solid B from me.