Sports based anime is something that I've always enjoyed. Slam Dunk, Prince of Tennis, and even Hikaru no Go (though not technically based on a 'sport') were among the few series that have held my attention all the way through. Among this sub-genre one stands out to me in particular. This is Hajime no Ippo, a series based on boxing. That is why, after hearing of Champion Joe, an anime film based on the same sport, I couldn't stay away. The fact that this was an older release wasn't nearly enough to deter me. Unfortunately Champion Joe (or Ash!ta no Joe as it's known as in Japan) just isn't that great a film.

Joe Yabuki is a loud mouthed, smart alecky youth who lives the life of a bum. As an orphan Joe has had a hard life, but this has granted him great strength as a fighter. The film begins with a chance meeting with an ex boxing coach named Danpei Tange. This old man sees incredible potential within Joe and is determined to mold him into a formidable boxer. Through an unfortunate series of events Joe winds up in juvenile hall which pits him amongst a much rougher crowd. It is here that Joe meets a talented professional boxer that soon becomes his rival. It is this relationship which drives Joe to train and join the national boxing association in hopes of facing off against his new friend. Unfortunately this boxer, named Riki Ishi, is about as bad a loser as Joe himself.

While I do like the premise behind this film Champion Joe suffers from bad execution. The pacing is completely out of whack - the action doesn't pick up until well over halfway through the film. The first part of the story is meant to establish Joe's character, unfortunately he just isn't particularly interesting. He's somewhat generic, but not all of his actions make sense. What I found strange is the fact that Joe's main weapon is inaction - he often allows other characters to simply beat him to a bloody pulp only to then surprise them with his determination. It's a plot aspect that really doesn't work.

Furthermore, Champion Joe is way too long. This wouldn't be such a problem were it not for the terrible pacing. The film focuses on Joe's life in juvenile hall almost as much as it follows him as a professional boxer. It's pretty safe to assume that the main point of interest in a film like this is well orchestrated fight scenes, so why do we have to wait so long for anything exciting to happen? Sure there are the random tussles here and there but they all seem to play out the same - Joe allows himself to be beaten up only to turn around and defeat every fighter in the room. We're subject to this over and over again. The final encounter between Joe and Riki Ishi is the only one that the animators put any real work in to and it really shows.

Champion Joe is a very rough looking film. The animation is a bit choppy, the mouths do not always sync with the voices (this improves in the later parts of the movie) and the film has a very generic hand drawn style to it. Furthermore, the colors are quite drab which gives the film a dull look. I supposed this may have been done in order to give Champion Joe a more realistic appearance but this doesn't always work. The biggest problem with the film's animation is that the characters, most often during fight sequences, look terribly unnatural. Arms and legs bend in ways that no appendage ever would in real life, and sometimes the characters look ghastly skinny. Champion Joe is not a pretty film.

The English dub among the worst I've ever heard. The characters speak way too fast most of the time, and the dialogue is often very robotic. I mentioned earlier that the lips don't always match the mouth animations and this can be very distracting. Another big problem is the fact that the film is missing several sound effects. You'll see characters hitting each other but hear absolutely nothing in several instances. This too is distracting and furthers my belief that those put in charge of editing this film were terribly lazy.

Final Recommendation
I was extremely disappointed with Champion Joe. It had great potential but is bogged down by some serious issues. Champion Joe is boring, suffers from terrible pacing, and it looks/sounds terrible. The fantastic surprise ending is the only thing which saves Champion Joe from getting a one star rating.

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD