Should You Read Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow
Ashita no Joe is a classic manga that has become available in English for the first time. It follows delinquent, Joe Yabuki, as he makes the journey from street thug to prisoner in a juvenile detention center to world-class boxer. Written by Asao Takamori and drawn by Tetsuya Chiba, both of whom would go on to become sports manga royalty, Ashita no Joe is a story that anticipates the likes of Rocky by several years. Followed by a successful anime adaptation, Ashita no Joe became one of the most influential manga of the 1970's with artists working on everything from Ghost in the Shell to Naruto citing it as an inspiration. Ashita no Joe arrived at a very specific moment in Japanese history. Post-war angst was at an all time high. The Japanese government was (is) dominated by a conservative ruling class who were all too happy to aid the United States in its military efforts to suppress communist uprisings in Asia. Student protest movements rocked the country. The working clas...