Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Vol. 01 (Hardcover)

Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Vol. 01 (Hardcover)

A massive cultural phenomenon, made even bigger by the hit anime based on it. To this day, “Ashita no Joe” remains one of the most important manga of all time, and now it will finally see the light of day in English for the first time!

A young drifter named Joe Yabuki wanders through the slums of Tokyo, but when the local ruffians try to give him a hard time he teaches them a rough lesson with his fists. The spectacle sparks a gleam in the eye of an old drunk who happens to be watching – Danpei Tange, a failed boxer and former coach who sees something special in the boy.

He pleads with Joe to train with him off, but the cocky young fighter brushes him. Later, though, when Joe is arrested and put in a juvenile detention facility, he realizes that he’s going to need to hone his raw fighting skills if he wants to survive. Thus is born a partnership that might just take Joe all the way to the top…

Series Overview: A story of a young drifter moving through the system and discovering his destiny in the boxing ring is so much more than a sports manga. “Joe” was particularly influential with college students and the working class during it’s run (1968-1973), who saw their own experiences reflected in Joe’s struggle against authority. The manga was a massive cultural phenomenon, made even bigger by the hit anime based on it. To this day, “Ashita no Joe” remains one of the most important manga of all time.

Biographical Notes:

Takamori was perhaps the biggest manga author of his day, churning out hit after hit in the 60s and 70s, including “Ashita no Joe,” “Star of the Giants,” and “Tiger Mask.” While all are nominally sports manga, Takamori’s great skill was in bringing other dimensions to his work.

Tetsuya Chiba, known primarily for his sports manga, is one of the most influential manga artists of all time and winner of innumerable awards.

Title Notes:

It is impossible to overstate the cultural importance of “Ashita no Joe” in Japan. It is a universally known and acclaimed classic, with massive influence both in- and outside of manga to this day, inspiring everyone from avant-garde theater legend Shuji Terayama to the makers of hit anime “Naruto” and the video game “King of Fighters”.

With the popularity of classic manga on the rise and maturity of the manga market in the West, we feel that this is the perfect timing to publish this series.

Episodes of the anime are officially available to view on TMS Youtube Channel.