#megalo box aesthetic

[vedo-anime]

－ Ｓｏｍｅｔｉｍｅｓ， ｊｕｓｔ ｓｏｍｅｔｉｍｅｓ， ｉｔ＇ｓ ｂｅｔｔｅｒ ｔｏ ｇｉｖｅ ｕｐ.

[tamethespaghetti]

The most recent ep just reminded me yet again how much of an impact Chief had on Joe. So here's a lil doodle that’s a loose continuation of my post here where I pretend Chief isn’t dead.

[existentialdreadhead]

[bigtiddiesgothgirl]

Megalo Box-Gearless Joe

Because this anime needs more love and I’m bored

Gothic Baby

[tranxendance]

Megalo Box - Episode 1

[krobelus]

[estarrossa]

[isavstheworld]

Megalo Box (2018)

[burntsparks]

[natsspammityspamspamham]

Top Anime of 2021

Sequels and things I haven’t finished won’t be included. Mairimashita Iruma-kun (S2), Zombieland Saga: Revenge, and Hamefura (S2) were amazing sequels that should be watched.

Haven't watched/finished:

Mushoku Tensei

Mashiro no Oto

Megalo Box

Shiroi Suna no Aquatope

Blue Period

Ranking of Kings (only watched 5 episodes)

Disappointments:

Sonny Boy

This felt like a fever dream that wasn’t even worth it. It was stylistically fun, but from every single perspective, I just don’t understand what it was trying to go for or its point. I get feeling lost in high school, but that’s how you guys go about it? I don’t know, it was an interesting premise, but I couldn’t grow to like any of the characters at all.

Takt Op

Hmm... the animation was good. Besides that, everyone knows this anime was hot garbage and a disappointment to all.

Kaizoku Shoujo

Crunchyroll Originals are just not doing great. This had a good first episode then progressively got worse until the final episode which actually offended me, my intelligence (where there wasn’t much), and my time. Thanks for wasting my time. The romance could’ve been better, the premise was good and could’ve been worked on better, the characters could’ve been fleshed out better, there were so many missed shots that were just so painful to endure because you know the starting material looked great.

Good/Okay anime; Bad Adaptations:

Horimiya

Imagine trying to condense almost 120+ chapters into 12 episodes. Oh wait. They did. Yeah, it sped through during the second half and actually included scenes that I would’ve dropped out. Okay, maybe it’s just the one that got everyone on Twitter to call Hori homophobic (which I don’t fully agree with in the first place), so I really think that dropping it would’ve been for the best since it didn’t actually add anything to her character and was there for comedic value which I didn’t find funny which was the point of the scene. I digress. Just read the manga for more substance and cute moments.

Tokyo Revengers

Until the last arc, I thought Tokyo Revengers was amazing as a manga. It was a mediocre anime. That’s all. The manga drags on, so the segment about the anime shouldn’t.

I guess they were okay...

Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu

This anime was mediocre, but I needed something for this spot. Honestly, it started out funny then dragged on. The art wasn’t great, but it was funny. John is the best character.

Vanitas no Carte

For all the stuff I say about Vanitas, it was okay. The art was great, and I like the aesthetic, but I would still punt and kick Vanitas given the chance.

Uramichi Oniisan

Same problems with number 10 except I related, and it stayed funnier for longer. The art was bad, but that’s because the entire budget went to the voice actors. Every single named character was voiced by a really popular voice actor. The casting was insane.

Top Six

6. Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu

Despite how often I trash-talk this anime, it was actually good and entertaining. It just didn’t live up to the hype/bar that was set. The art was good, the story was good (even with the qualms I have), the characters... they exist, and I really relate to some of the things that come up.

5. Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi

I nearly skipped on this anime because I thought it looked stupid, but this anime was so good. It was so funny, so cute, and it was a romance that doesn’t take place in high school. I really like that.

4. SK8

This anime just hit a lot of good points with me, and I really liked it. I like the characters, I liked the story (and I don’t even like sports anime!), and I liked the art. I would recommend it to anyone.

(Note: I can’t really say whether the order of 1-3 is right. I chose this order on a whim.

3. Link Click

While technically a donghua, I’m including it on the list. This show was amazing. It had me on the edge of my seat, and I am waiting for the next season. Maybe I arbitrarily put it on the 3rd spot because I’m salty about the next season not being out yet.

2. Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song

I skipped this until hearing how good the animation was, and this really sold me on how great of a voice actress Atsumi Tanezaki is. The music, animation, voice acting, story, execution, everything was amazing!

1. Oddtaxi

Oh man, this anime lives up to the hype, and as much as I’m adverse to furry anime, this is not a furry anime! The animal component has nothing to do with the story! Watch Oddtaxi! It’s so detail-focused, riveting, and I had such a fun time binge-watching it. Who knew that madness from gacha games could be an interesting subplot? The style and aesthetic fits just right.

[stillinaincrad]

Myanimelist says that Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens aired from last January through March (2018), but I don’t remember ever hearing of it or seeing it in the simulcasts. Of course, that could be because I was all-in on Megalo Box, Darling, Invisible Panic, and some others last spring, too, but either way, this was one I literally stumbled across just looking for something that didn’t suck. And boy, did I find something that didn’t suck... 

The opening episode is almost entropic. It’s all over the place and kind of hard to follow. I had a hard time keeping everyone straight and trying to make any kind of a plot surface. But I kept watching. Just about the time I was asking myself if I was going to drop it after one episode, I was greeted by what felt like reuniting with an old, lost friend when Kishida Kyoudan & The Akeboshi Rockets started belting out the OP music. Electricity suddenly started arcing across my interests, and I was pretty much in for the ride from then, no matter. 

And truth be told, it’s a really good ride all the way through. It turns into this crazy BeBop meets Kekkai Sensen without any of the supernatural or sci-fi. There are no special powers or hovercraft trash barges, but it has that same aesthetic and attachment to the characters who aren’t always the good guys. The most incredible part about this anime is that there really is NO fanservice at all, which is insane considering one of the mains is a cross-dressing albeit straight guy who has obvious chemistry with the other main and it is never exploited in the least. I mean, is that even allowed in anime anymore in today’s day and age? It was such a refreshing break. 

But what I think was best about Hakata was that as you come to align with and attach yourself to these especial and aberrant characters, who - by the way, are all professional killers living a city where one of the main industries is professional killing - you begin to humanize them and internalize certain perspectives that you never saw coming... again, much like my experience with BeBop. You see that even the steeliest of bastards has a softer side to them, and it gets in and under everything with this inexplicable charm. There are some pretty twisted and heavy storylines that come out that kind of makes you say “wow, F---” at times, there’s a lot of blood and point-blank range stoicism, and they do make it kind of fun in an asymmetrical way (which sounds pretty messed up, I know lol), but knowing there’s still someone in there makes it all worth watching. 

It’s completely predictable, it’s not very realistic, but let’s face it - isn’t that what draws us to fiction in the first place? Part of the reason I got such a BeBop vibe might be because Zenji Banba is practically a carbon-copy of Spike in looks, attitude, and fighting ability, and I was shocked to find out that Bones didn’t do Hakata because the feel of the city was so much like scenes from Hellsalem’s Lot I thought it was the same studio. So, yeah - it’s nothing overly earth shattering, and it is just an anime. One that I don’t remember happening, but happened to find.

It’s just been a while since I found one that I thought was that much different from the rest. Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is somehow a feel-good fun story about deplorable human beings who murder each other for sport and money, who - as it turns out - are actually still real people underneath, and likeable people, at that. It’s a great watch, totally recommend. 

[writingonesdreams]

Novel Prep tag Game 3 - New wip: Flickers in the dust

So a new wip, another Novel prep tag game. These questions are just perfect for testing and developing ideas so here we go.

Rules: Answer the questions and then tag as many writers as there are questions answered (or as many as you can) to spread the positivity! Even if these questions are not explicitly brought up in the novel, they are still good to keep in mind when writing.

1. Describe your novel in 1-2 sentences (elevator pitch)

The question: How can a bunch of people with "useless" skills survive an post-apocalyptic world?

Impassive procastrinator Alysa travels with her self-destructive childhood friend Kyle, and the energetic 8 yeal old neighbour Iris, with the delinquent but vigorous boxer Roman and his werewolf friend Wes through the desolated world left after the apocalypse, trying to reach a better life in a bigger city.

2. How long do you plan for your novel to be? (Is it a novella, single book, book series, etc.)

A novel for now.

3. What is your novel’s aesthetic?

Dusty wastelands. Long field road. Vacant ghost towns and abandoned cars. Dust storms. Constant dark cloudy sky.

4. What other stories inspire your novel?  

Megalo Box, Wolf’s rain, The promised Neverland, Ergo Proxy

5. Share 3+ images that give a feel for your novel

6. Who is your protagonist?

Alysa is a talented, thoughtful girl and former child prodigy, but she had trouble deciding what she wanted from life and started to fail her university exams. Her lack of self-discipline, motivation or healthy socilaization led her to believe she is quite unfit for the adult life or the world in general. After the apocalypse happenes she is forced to drastically change her priorities and negative thinking for the sake of survival.

7. Who is their closest ally?

Kyle is emotionally abused, burned-out genius with a self-destructive streak and fondness for dark humor. His will to live and emotional stability has steadily decreased over the years. Staying alive has been enough of a challange, so activelly fighting to survive seems like a pretty impossible feat to him.

8. Who is their enemy?

The desolated world after the apocalypse and it’s survival challanges, including insane mutated humans, ruthless gangs, isolated research centers, way too intelligent wolf packs and their struggle not to give up on their will to live.

9. What do they want more than anything?

The main characters want to be capable enough to survive and in addition to that live in a somehow meaningful way. To find out what's really important and what's the main difference between survival and living.

10. Why can’t they have it?

Alysa was pretty much a failing existence when it came to finding her place in the adult society and now she is supposed to survive in a world that's 100 times worse after the apocalypse. How can she do that when she had trouble surviving in the normal one?

Kyle struggled to find reasons to stay alive after his emotional abuse and depression. He has been saved by his friends and family from this, but now it's not just his survival at stake. Will a boy that had to be constantly saved from himself, be able to save someone else?

Roman was a boxer and convict before the apocalypse happened. His violent past marked him as unfit to decent people, but ironically made him exceptionally suitable for this destroyed world- he pretty much has better chances for a good life now then before. Does this make him a bad person? Does he deserve to win against the world or will he change to match it's cruel conditions?

11. What do they wrongly believe about themselves?

Alysa believes she is worthless and incapable as a person.

Kyle feels like he is living on borrowed time anyway and doesn't see any perspectives for himself.

Roman isn’t sure if his abilities to survive that are based on his violent past don’t make him a bad person.

12. Draw your protagonist! (Or share a description)

Alysa is tall and slender girl, has middle long wavy blond hair, light blue eyes and ivory skin. She has very delicate features and is rather pale.

Roman is muscular and tall with tanned olive skin, black curly hair and amber eyes. He is covered in scars, most notably on his chest, arms and neck.

Kyle is tall, lanky and not visibly muscular even though he is trained in martial arts. He has a bit longer black hair, with bangs falling in his eyes, very pale skin and grey eyes.

Wes in his human form has dirty blond curly hair and eyes that change from green-blue to black according to his mood. He has dusty grey fur in his wolf form.

Iris has short red hair and vibrant green eyes.

Plot Points

13. What is the internal conflict?

The characters struggle with their will to live in a destroyed world and with their feelings of worthlessness and inaptitude to fend for themselves or build happy lives.

14. What is the external conflict?

Surviving in the destroyed world, maturing and growing stronger, adapting to change and fighting for themsleves in a world that is aiming to make it as hard as possible for them.

15. What is the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist?

To die because they gave up on life instead of the world actually killing them. Losing to the harsh conditions of the world would be better then losing to themselves (albeit not much).

16. What secret will be revealed that changes the course of the story?  

How do you not give up when everything seems hopeless? Who is the worse enemy in this destroyed world - the mutated monsters or the humans left? Where does the will to carry on come from? Is it possible to hold on to humanity in a world of ruin? And what is it that makes us human?

17. Do you know how it ends?  

Nope. I’m happy I don’t, since it makes it seem like a very exciting story to work on!

18. What is the theme?  

Self-worth, aptitude for life, will to live, not giving up, true companions, bonds, drive, meaning

19. What is a reoccurring symbol?  

Dust, wind, dark sky, endless road, storms

20. Where is the story set? (Share a description!)  

A destroyed post-apocalyptic Earth, where the majority of the population died and the rest flocks together in desperation into cities for protection from the zombie-like humans affected by the radiation and mutated over-intelligent wolves.

21. Do you have any images or scenes in your mind already?  

Many scenes, dialogues, themes, flashes of setting and atmosphere.

22. What excited you about this story?

Something about the destroyed post-apocalyptic world fascinates me. It’s a plot around survival and hard conditions forcing the protagonists to face their inner demons and self-doubts if they want to survive and have the will and drive to fight, witch often makes the difference between life and death. Also the necessity for the characters to trust and rely on each other and their group dynamics development is very exciting.

23. Tell us about your usual writing method!  

I always start with characters that I stick in different scenarios or in my favourite movies and series or books and let them interact. From those I mostly get inspiring scenes that I try to connect through a plot. Afterwards I work on characterisation, world-building, research details and outline stuff a bit. I also write little snippets that sometimes turn long and can be used as chapters.

-

I'm tagging a few peeps I haven't seen doing this game if you are interested: @piratequeenofpixies @imaghostwriter @tenacious-scripturient @writingwhithotchocolate @cabaretofwords @nemowritesstuff @emmathenovelist  @bos-ingit @my-desk-is-full-of-used-pens @purpleshadows1989 @whiteblack-raindrops @surroundedbypearls & anyone who wants to!

Wip tag list:  @tenacious-scripturient @hyba @urbanteeth (tell me if you want to get on/off)

[hobotics]

folder ;; BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

Theia Lux

Hero Name: Titan of Light : Hikari Quirk: Light Desc: Manipulation of light rays that allows her to transform the rays into hardened physical aspects of itself. Costume Design: Her costume uses her light manipulation to create armor. She wears devices placed around her being to amplify light around her. There’s six devices, two on bracelets, two on anklets, one on her belt, and one around her collar. They’re made of a simple crystal surrounded by metal that protects it. Light beams into the crystal, and bends around her form. Later, she gains a metal tube of the same technology, a crystal inside that amplifies her power to create a sword.

Athena Olympa

Hero Name: Titan of Fire: Atlas Quirk: Fire Desc: Manipulation of fire that is already created, but can raise her own external temperature to create new fires from anything she holds. Costume Design: Unlike the other Titans, Atlas being in the support group means her costume consists of useful tools to help her create. Most of the time she has a belt around her waist with iron tools--a hammer, pliers, a pair of tongs. To help her create, she has created a pair of gauntlets that allow her to touch and mold iron into whatever shape she can muster up. The gauntlets resist up to 2,000 F degrees; which helps her mold simple metals like iron. Though she has a high resistance to temperature due to her quirk, she still wears an apron over her clothing while she works--to protect her clothes from the high temperatures.

Richard Letus

Hero Name: Titan of Darkness: Thanatos Quirk: Darkness Desc: Manipulation of light rays in a way that hardens the space left over when light has been absorbed. Costume Design: Thanatos didn’t apply for a costume, however he wears a simple black samue. He requested a Kusarigama, but without a blade. Like Theia’s sword, it has a crystal inside that amplifies his abilities and allows him to extend or shorten the length of the kusarigama’s blade.

Aabinus Hellen

Hero Name: Titan of Nature: Aeolus Quirk: Nature Desc: Manipulation of any type of plants, unless a part of another living creature.  Costume Design: Aeolus is from a high class family, riches leads his costume to be lined with gold. He wears a long coat, monocle, and family jewelry decorates his neck and ears. Using his quirk, Aeolus has vines wrapped around his forearms, which he uses to dig into the earth to surprise his enemies. The only difference in his costume versus his daily outfit is a small scheme of colors--and vines. Fencing has always been a family tradition, and as a master in fencing; Aeolus uses a rapier as his weapon of choice.

Mantus Lulana

Hero Name: Titan of Aether: Siarnaq Quirk: Aether Desc: Manipulation of the Aether, has the ability to warp the energy of the universe around him to create portals and synthesis energy into weaponry. Costume Design: Leather straps up and down his person, you swore he jumped out of a 90′s emo vampire movie. Though shirtless under his coat, Mantus uses his heartbeat to communicate with the spirits of another plane to grant his power, and therefore makes it easier to hear them without cloth. Due to his family’s history in the military, Mantus was trained at an early age with firearms, and uses a versatile gun in battle. It switches easily from dual pistols to a long range sniper rifle--by using his aether he can manipulate the metal and create energy bolt to stun--or kill--if needed.

Joseph Chronus

Hero Name: Titan of Electricity: Zeus Quirk: Electricity Desc: Manipulation of electric currents, though his body cannot create it--he can manipulate currents around him as well as become a rod in which attracts electricity. Costume Design: Joseph planned his costume around the idea of being hit by electricity, and his ability to absorb and attract lightning. He wears a wool beanie, pants and jacket made of cotton and wool blend, lined all with copper. Using a rare element, and a combination of metals like copper, Zeus uses tactical yo-yo’s to fight his enemies, and when needed--blades to skate on!

Rosalicia “Rosa” Vargas

Hero Name: Titan of Terra: Demeter Quirk: Terra Desc: Manipulation of rock, mineral, and most metals. Though she cannot control copper. Costume Design: Rosa likes to play in the dirt, and therefore needs colors that match her personality. She wears black jeans and a brown overcoat, though ironically likes wearing white shirts. Her jacket is a blend of bullet proof AND fire proof. Though the reasons behind it are shielded from UA. At least, she thinks shes being smart. Unlike most heroes, Rosa didn’t want gloves to protect her hands from danger, as she uses her hands to literally scoop and manipulate the ground below her.

Kaya Yazzie

Hero Name: Titan of Water: Thetis Quirk: Water Desc: Manipulation of water, can change the temperature within water molecules to change its form. Costume Design: Kaya wears more masculine clothing. His costume design seems more masculine--but can transform slightly if needed. Given a sleek skin tight suit, they wear a pair of swimming trunks with water proof pockets--allowing them to hide important things in them. His boots are lightweight, and gloves that have webbing on them to allow them to swim faster through water.

Dibe Yazzie

Hero Name: Titan of Ice: Khione Quirk: Ice Desc: Manipulation of ice, allowing her to change the temperature of the molecules of water vapors present in the air to transform them into their crystal forms. Costume Design: Unlike her brother, Dibe wears an oversized coat that covers a skin tight outfit. The material allows her to keep her body temperature regulated, and she has almost comically big sized boots with a fur trim. Her coat is similar, made of leather with a fur trim. Her costume has a brown and white color aesthetic. 

Jacopo Moretti

Hero Name: Previous Hero: Megalo Box Quirk: Adaptation Desc: This quirk allows him to change the molecules in his body to match whatever he touches, such as changing his skin into brick if he touches it. Costume Design: Due to his quirk needed skin contact, Jacopo wore simple boxing style shorts and combat boots. He left much of his upper body free of clothing.

Juno Olympa

Hero Name: Pro-Hero: Blaise Quirk: Smelt Desc: Although she can’t create fire, her body temperature can rise beyond that of normal ranges, allowing her to burn things if she touches them. This allows her to bend and break things easily through melting them. Costume Design: Since her quirk mostly comes from her hands, she leaves them exposed. She has fire-proof material in her outfit that keeps her skin covered to protect from blunt or sharp objects, though not projectiles. It’s a simple pair of long pants, a white tank top, and a zipped down jacket. All in a dark purple hue.

Jacopo Olympa

Hero Name: NONE Quirk: Technomance Desc: Has the ability to manipulate and transform technology to how he see’s fit. Costume Design: Jacopo has extended arms that allows him to attack anyone he doesn’t like, and was born with metal claws. This proved problematic when he was younger, as he sliced his mother before his birth, and was born premature. He wears a long trench coat with long arms to hide his arms.

[dinonat385]

Song: Adabana Necromancy / 徒花ネクロマンシー Anime: Zombieland Saga / ゾンビランドサガ Artist: Fran Chou Chou (フランシュシュ) Sakura Minamoto (CV: Kaede Hondo) / 源 さくら (CV: 本渡 楓) Saki Nikaidou (CV: Asami Tano) / 二階堂 サキ (CV: 田野 アサミ) Ai Mizuno (CV: Risa Taneda) / 水野 愛 (CV: 種田梨沙) Junko Konno (CV: Maki Kawase) / 紺野 純子 (CV: 河瀬 茉希) Yuugiri (CV: Rika Kunigawa) / ゆうぎり (CV: 衣川 里佳) Lily Hoshikawa (CV: Minami Tanaka) / 星川 リリィ (CV: 田中 美海)

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Video Source Sheet Music Source *That's from the YouTube video's channel's link in their "About" box.

[Kaosub’s] SUBBED LIVE PERFORMANCE: 

It comes in Romaji, Japanese, and English, so I used it for my video!

Here’s the OFFICIAL OPENING from CrunchyRoll’s YouTube!

[Ramble about the new year, my birthday approaching, anime this year, and my plans for future songs... kinda?]

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It's a little late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR! We all survived the holidays! I personally had a very rough time with all the parties and awkward interactions. Now that it's over, my mom's birthday has passed, and now we can get started planning the real stuff. My birthday is at the end of the month! January 28th. Mark your calendars! International Dino Day is just around the corner! Time zones are a hassle, but Hiroshi Kamiya is one of the most famous Japanese voice actors out of there, and he shares a birthday with me! How cool is that?

I really liked this anime! It was one of my favourites from last season and one of my top anime of the year! I originally watched it because I heard how strange it was with its premise and Mamoru Miyano's crazy acting as Kotaro. Speaking of Kotaro, some people found him annoying, but I liked him! He was a highlight of the show.

And about Lily being a transgender girl, I don't think it's a spoiler anymore over how much buzz it has gotten. It was overshadowed by G****n S****r (I watched that anime and hated it a lot). Anyways, let's respect Lily. She's valid, and the show makes a point of that in both English and Japanese. My favourite girl (excluding the LEGENDARY TAE YAMADA) is probably Saki. She got the best episode, and I liked every moment of it. It was one of my favourites.

On my Tumblr, I wrote my favourites from this year (I haven't finished all of them!): Hataraku Saibou, SSSS.GRIDMAN, Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san, Violet Evergarden, Wotakoi, Hinamatsuri, Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai, and Zombieland Saga.

But I haven't watched: Planet With, Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho, Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san, Megalo Box, Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken, Yuru Camp△, Golden Kamuy, and Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara.

I am sure I'm missing a few, but those are the ones from my list for now.

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I have a Synthesia video for this as well that I want to get uploaded eventually. It's better aesthetically, isn't it?

I'm not sure if I want to make a full version, but I am open to the idea. I don't know what I want to work on next! It's tough to decide... I also start a lot of things I never finish...

*As usual, sheets will be linked if anyone wants them.* I have this written as a piano duet, but it can easily be a solo piano piece if you take out the second piano. And again, if you want it simplified, just ask! I might ask for a reference piece that you can play in return just to see what level it's at. I am not a very good piano player though. I am also open to other instruments as well. This was originally written for brass and woodwind band!

[galacticfairy18]

Another Idea for a Sheith AU: Megalo Box AU

This is the eternally bored me throwing Ideas just for the shits and the lols and also throwing this jem as an anime recommendation to those who love 90s anime aesthetic and to those who want to see something different.

Keith as Joe/Junk Dog and Shiro as Yuri.

1st the Character designs:

Megalo Box is basically a boxing Anime and in a way is a reboot of an old property (Ashita no Joe). The series was created in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the manga Ashita no Joe. They are honestly a real rival ship that ended up being a true parnertship (with dog included).

The story : The series takes place in a futuristic setting where licensed citizens live in a wealthy city while, on the outskirts of this city, there is a slum town where unlicensed citizens live in poverty. Megalo Boxing is a popular sport in this world similar to boxing except the boxers fight while wearing a metal frame which makes their attacks much more lethal, Junk Dog is a young man who fights in underground illegal rings in fights that have a fixed result where his coach Gansaku Nanbu directs him on when to lose a fight. One evening he almost crashes his motorcycle into Yukiko Shirato, who is the head of the wealthy Shirato Group which oversees the Megalonia tournament, Junk Dog picks a fight with her bodyguard Yūri who is also the top ranked Megalo Boxer. Yukiko stops the fight but Yūri seeks out Junk Dog and meets him in the underground ring where he easily beats the less-experienced fighter and tells him to fight him again in Megalonia, which Junk Dog would need a place at the top of the official Megalo Box rankings to qualify for, as well as a proper citizenship ID to enter the rankings in the first place. After Nanbu persuades the mob boss Fujimaki to forge Junk Dog an ID under the name Joe, the two are given 3 months to achieve their goal of working their way to the top of the Megalo Box rankings in order to have a chance of fighting in Megalonia.

Joe / Junk DogVoiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya: is an underground Megalo Boxer from the outskirts of town whose real name is unknown, he is forced to throw fights to earn money for his crooked manager. He initially fights with old Gear that is constantly in need of repair. He takes on the name "Joe" when he has a Citizen ID forged in order to enter the Megalonia tournament. He later takes on the ring name "Gearless" Joe as part of a gimmick to rise in the rankings quickly, fighting without Gear against Gear-equipped opponents.

Yūri  is Yukiko's bodyguard and the Megalo Boxing champion. He seeks out Junk Dog after the latter insults his owner, meeting him in the underground ring he easily defeats him before telling him to work his way up in Megalonia if he wants to fight him again. Yūri is equipped with a unique prototype "integrated" Gear, which is surgically grafted directly to his arms.

[redscullyrevival]

Kristie’s Favorite Anime of 2018

Here are the (overall) transcripts of my end of the year audio posts covering my favorite anime experiences of 2018. All audio can be located on podbean but tumblr is typically more receptive to the written word and I’m still learning how to do audio levels and editing; it makes sense if people rather read my goofy thoughts!

So starting from the bottom and working our way up to number one, here is my #1 top pick, my favorite anime of 2018!:

Megalo Box Directed by Yō Moriyama From TMS Entertainment

Megalo Box is the 50th anniversary project for Tomorrow's Joe which is a boxing manga written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Tetsuya Chiba. When it was published in 1968 Tomorrow's Joe really struck a cord with Japan's youth and the working class and the character of Joe has gone on to become a pop culture symbol of sacrifice and work, representative of the strength of the downtrodden and disenfranchised. 

1968 was the start of many grass roots movements in Japan, that year alone saw hundreds of student protests against nuclear-power; US occupation; Vietnam, government and educational corruption; economic imbalance, it was a time of campus rebellions and smaller towns and prefectures pushing back against big companies, against societal standards of success and happiness, and it was done violently.

Tomorrow's Joe, a story about a wandering juvenile named Joe struggling in the slums of Tokyo who takes up boxing to survive, captured and expressed the frustrated feelings of the lower classes and dissatisfied student bodies in it's time. Every iteration of the story that's been told, four films three tv shows, has tried to adjust to contemporary emotions while maintaining it's core idea on fighting truth to power.   

Megalo Box absolutely accomplishes this and hot damn it does it in a cool fucking way!

Megalo Box takes place in a futuristic setting but relies on telling it's story through the aesthetics and visual cues of the past. All the boxers wear "gear", a metal framework attached to their arms which makes their attacks more lethal, and there is a made up science and technology and blahblah it's futuristic! It's not high science fiction but it's not today and now. You get it.

Junk Dog is a young man in the megalo box illegal underground making money by throwing fights as directed to him by his partner Nanbu. Junk Dog is not satisfied with his existence. He's poor, doesn't have a name, doesn't have citizenship, doesn't have control over if he wants to win a fight or not. One night he comes across the leader of the Shirato Group who is the big company behind megalo boxing and they've just announced a open tournament called Megalonia where if you place in the rankings no matter what you'll get a shot at the belt. Junk Dog picks a fight with Shirato's bodyguard who happens to be of course a world class Megalo Boxer named Yuri - they don't get around to fighting but the encounter changes both of them and instills a transformative, and yeah I'm saying it I don't care, romantic rivalry within them and we go from there. 

Nanbu and Junk Dog fake citizenship to enter the tournament, they find backing, help, and a tangled web of training, money, hardship, corruption, self perseverance and self preservation takes off.

This is a really good show. Every week my husband Lee and I were just - we were dying to get around to this show we needed that new episode BAD. There is so much that is good and enjoyable and engaging about this incredibly dense and layered sports anime, it's almost overwhelming to talk about. Who am I that I can explain in a mere 15 minutes what Megalo Box accomplishes and does so wonderfully, ya know?! 

Megalo Box is a series that, as I briefly mentioned before, relies on a very distinct era of anime storytelling; this series looks and feels like something you found in the back of Blockbuster in their one row of anime. 

Like, you'd find Meglao Box between the one of each VHS copies of Appleseed and Kite that every Blockbuster ever had - this series, very specifically, not only perfectly emulates and bottles the designs and animation strengths of popular anime from the late 80s to the late 90s (things like Wicked City, Bubblegum Crisis, Gunbuster, Evangelion, Trigun, and Cowboy Bebop) but Megalo Box successfully sells itself as that found gem, as that personal awe inspiring experience of being lucky enough to come across something, try it, and be blown away...

And I know that sounds kind of kooky, but I lived through that era of anime; Megalo Box's choices to de-rez it's footage, to add graininess, to do tightly cropped sequences as though the aspect ratio has been adjusted from an original format, is not lost on me or I imagine anyone who did the work trying to access anime before the days of DVDs, streaming, and simulcasts - here in the English speaking world and in Japan. That experience is more universal than one would assume; it's a nostalgic kick that visually defines this show and works magnificently well in creating shorthand world building. It's easy for me to get behind anything the show does because I already know this kind of show, which again I know sounds crazy or silly but I really believe that that's what Megalo Box was going for.

I 100% think anyone younger than me or not even an anime fan can pick up this series and be entertained and get really into it because, it's again, really good: But that doesn't mean the series isn't trying to recall a very particular time frame of storytelling trends and character work. This series is absolutely doing that and I'm bring it up because I want that to be highlighted and known, 'cause it's fantastic!

It is the visual presentation that carries the bulk of this series through it's more generic turns. We all know a boxing story, because it's always the same story, but Megalo Box utilizes it's biggest advantage over it's live action counter parts by injecting it's world with a visual coding that creates a new experience that feels familiar, that feels known, which doesn't hurt it's commonalities with other boxing stories but enhances them towards new personal spaces with it's audience. Which is, uhh, very cool.

Megalo Box is gripping from the very start, it builds and grows in it's layers of depth and character work, it can make you cry AND want to learn to throw a punch; the dance between the show and viewer is so good! Haha, I'm having a hard time explaining what I mean in this regard, but if you've experienced Megalo Box you know what I'm trying to say.

Megalo Box feels personal, it feels reflective of our hardest struggles, of anyone's fight. And that's the hallmark of the pop culture imprint of Tomorrow's Joe, of the strength and legacy of this franchise and why it's still making the rounds; it's an underdog story that moves beyond just wanting to see someone win but one that latches onto you and won't let go, Joe's wins become your wins and rooting for him creates a form of self belief. AND it looks and sounds cool as hell!

Megalo Box impressed me and delighted me every step of the way and by the time we got to that last episode - I can't even begin to explain the tension that was in my house! Lee and I just... After a while our engagement to the show became verbal. During a fight lee would mutter "Get up!" and I'd go "oh jesus" and we'd say stuff like "get him" be giving advice and like, that's pretty intense. To be so in it you're involuntarily responding in an attempt to direct events? That's not something that happens usually happens to me and it happen more and more as the episodes went on that by the end we were both very literally on the edge of our seats hands covering our faces as though in prayer. 

So.

Megalo Box is it for me! It's the years winner, by total knock out.