Joe vs. Joe
| Joe vs. Joe | |
|
ふたりのジョー (Futari no Joe) |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Seishun, Boxing, Sport |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Kouichi Kimura |
| Studio | Museum |
| Licensed by | |
| Released | May 25, 2003 – September 25, 2003 |
| Episodes | 6 |
Joe vs. Joe (ふたりのジョーFutari no Joe) is a Japanese animated OVA (original video animation) consisting of six episodes. The show was produced by the studio Museum.
Joe vs. Joe tells the story of two youths from totally opposite lifestyles. The only way they can overcome their own personal troubles in the story is to fight each other in the ring.
The animation is a spiritual successor of Tomorrow's Joe (あしたのジョー Ashita no Joe), one of the first dramatic animations to ever be created globally, which was originally broadcast on April 1, 1970 in Japan. Joe vs. Joe was a direct-to-video release and was never broadcast.
Two Joes from different economic backgrounds, one came from a wealthy family and the other, from a poverty-stricken one: One is Shibuya's city's top DJ, and the other is a parcel delivery man. Two different Joes living an opposite life, both walk on different paths until one day their roads are merged by faith in the boxing ring.
After his DJ gig at a nightclub, Joe Yuuki encountered a drunk girl named Maki Takakura. At first, he ignored her, because he thought Maki was just another prowling drunk in the street. But as Joe Yuuki walked away, he noticed she was being attacked by a group of Yakuza. He rescued her; this was the first time he met his future girlfriend.
Meanwhile, Joe Akamine is a truck driver and package delivery person. He went to a boxing gym to keep himself fit. He was not taking boxing seriously, although deep down he loves it. Joe Akamine had his own reason for not being serious.
Once a week, Joe Akamine goes down to the city streets to put up a street show as a human punching bag. He will let people hit him, and he will not throw punches back. But in return, he will try to dodge all the attacks. As he was "performing", Joe Yuuki noticed him. As curiosity got Joe Yuuki's attention, it made him remember about his dark past. He soon became annoyed, and he decided to participate. He was knocked out by Joe Akamine.
After the incident with Joe Yuuki, Joe Akamine started to think about Yuuki's remarks, and those words motivated him to continue with boxing. By the same token, both Ryuichi and George Takizawa encouraged him to become a professional boxer by convincing him that he was one-of-a-kind and a natural talented boxer. Moreover, Ryuichi demanded that Joe Akamine either take boxing seriously, or else just quit. This made Joe Akamine befuddled and confused. He then assured himself that he will continue doing what he loves the most.
After losing the match with Joe Akamine on the street, Joe Yuuki decided to pursue the next boxing championship as retribution. He joined Matsuda Boxing Gym in Shibuya for his training. Joe Yuuki was a proud man, and his antipathy toward losing made him embrace boxing. Joe Yuuki did not know that Joe Akamine was a professional boxer as well. Consequently, Joe Yuuki diverted his ambition of becoming champion into an avid pursuit of humiliating Joe Akamine’s boxing career.
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