10 More Sports or Life-Oriented Shows!
Although many people are aware of Hajime No Ippo and Megalo Box, some fans don’t know about Ashita No Joe. It’s unfortunate since it’s a fantastic boxing anime despite being a little older than the ones mentioned above. It follows Joe, a troubled boy who picks fights with rude people and gangsters. One day, a boxing coach notices one of Joe’s fights and offers him a chance to brawl as a professional boxer. What happens afterward is an epic journey of hardship and self-discovery that you don’t want to miss.
Fear not if you’re having trouble finding anime similar to Ashita No Joe! We’ve discovered 10 alternate shows that’ll give you a similar experience as Ashita No Joe.
Additionally, for each anime we’ve reviewed, we’ve included a link that allows you to view our full thoughts about the series to see if it’s worth your time.
So without further ado, we present TV shows/anime that should whet your appetite when you’ve finished streaming Ashita No Joe!
Hajime No Ippo
Similarities – Boxing, Action, Story
Hajime No Ippo is an incredible boxing anime with a massive following. It follows Ippo, a boy who often gets bullied because of his weak persona. He meets the professional boxer Takamura and impresses him after a few days of training. Takamura takes Ippo to his training gym to meet his friends and coach. We examine Ippo’s journey to becoming a professional boxer and a stronger individual.
Like Ashita No Joe, Hajime No Ippo is an incredible boxing drama with an underdog protagonist who strives to achieve success inside and outside the boxing arena. Ippo and Joe train effortlessly to improve their skills and techniques. They’ll meet many challengers who’ll push them to their breaking points. Ippo’s journey will inspire viewers to pursue their dreams and never-give-up.
This anime’s handling of fighters’ lives outside the boxing ring is great. You’ll see Ippo, Takamura, and others learn to accept their losses and discover ways to deal with rejection. If you’re in need of a series that’ll encourage you to work hard and become the best person you can be, check out Hajime No Ippo.
Ping Pong The Animation
Similarities – Characters, Diverse Art Styles, Sports
Although this anime doesn’t dabble in professional boxing, it shares similar aspects with Ashita No Joe. Ping Pong The Animation follows two buddies named Peco and Smile. They’re gifted ping-pong players with differing backgrounds and issues. Peco’s known for being lackadaisical while Smile’s known for his cautious attitude.
They must find a way to retain their love for ping-pong before the inter-high tournament. Like Ashita No Joe, Ping Pong The Animation demonstrates an authentic approach to its sport, depicting how competition affects our protagonists’ on a physical and mental level. They demonstrate why it’s important to discipline yourself and work hard toward your goals.
Both anime have diverse art styles. Where Ashita No Joe carries a retro 80s aesthetic, Ping Pong The Animation utilizes unusual camera angles, exaggerated animations, and realistic character design to stand out. Both anime explores themes of identity, self-improvement, and friendship. By the end of Ping Pong The Animation, you’ll learn why it’s important to conquer your fears and embrace competition.
Megalo Box
Similarities – Boxing, Characters, Action
Megalo Box is a great boxing anime with a futuristic take on the sport. It takes place in a world where underground fighting rings are the norm. Many people attend these events to witness the sport called Megalo Box. It’s a boxing event where fighters use mechanical limbs called GFear to fight. Junk Dog, our protagonist, likes to fight the classic way, resulting in him losing multiple fights.
He puts his routine to the test when he meets the sport’s champion Yuuri. With determination, Junk Dog dons the alias “Gearless Joe” and enters Megalonia to get a chance to defeat Yuuri and become the new Megalo Box champion. Like Joe, Junk Dog is another protagonist who starts from the bottom and must navigate his way to the top by fighting skilled challengers.
Both anime offer strong depictions of social inequality and personal growth. Megalo Box depicts a futuristic civilization where the upper class holds an unfair advantage of technology and power over those in the working class. Joe and Junk Dog undergo severe development through their fights and life-oriented issues that’ll help them gradually mature by their series’ conclusion. If you’re searching for an anime that feels like a spiritual successor to Ashita No Joe, Megalo Box should entertain you.
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
Similarities – Characters & Action
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple may look like a cliché martial arts anime, but it’s far from one. It’s a remarkable tale with strong characters and engaging plotlines. Our tale is about Kenichi, a young martial artist who wants to become a stronger person. He meets a female martial artist named Miu who directs him to a dojo that’ll help him sharpen his craft.
Like Joe, Kenichi receives wonderful character development. He starts off looking weak but by training and fighting numerous foes, he’ll become more knowledgeable and skilled in martial arts. Kenichi’s training regime is strict but he’s as determined as Joe when it comes to his preferred sport. Therefore, this anime highlights why it’s significant to discipline yourself if you hope to achieve success. If you’re looking for an anime like Ashita No Joe that contains an inspirational protagonist and epic fights, check this one out.
Ao Ashi
Similarities – Sports & Life Lessons
Ao Ashi is another fun sports anime with great messages, storytelling, and characters. It revolves around Ashito, a self-centered soccer player who gets removed from an important game because of his terrible behavior. Without Ashito, his team loses. Tatsuya, a youth team coach, invites Ashito to join a new team in Tokyo. Despite being unfamiliar with the area, Ashito accepts Tatsuya’s offer.
We follow Ashito’s journey with his new team, where he’ll learn to become a better person. Despite Ashita No Joe and Ao Ashi tackling different sports, they showcase why it’s important to be a hardworking, motivated individual. Despite Joe being a decent fighter and Ashito being a talented soccer player, both characters must put their foot down and train to become proficient at their crafts.
The training they endure is intense but will assist them in their professional paths. Both anime have great psychological aspects and showcase the challenges of competing in high-level sports. Joe and Ashito must overcome their diverse and similar fears and self-doubts to prove to themselves and others that they’re capable of achieving greatness. If you’re looking for another grounded sports anime with similar character arcs and tension as Ashito No Joe, Ao Ashii should suffice.
Baki
Similarities – Action & Characters
Baki is a fun action-packed anime series with mature storytelling, brutal bouts, and great animation. It follows a noble fighter named Baki who wants to become strong enough to challenge his father. However, someone informs Baki that many escaped convicts want to murder him. Therefore, the anime highlights Baki’s all-out war with these fighters from the terrifying underground world.
Like Ashita No Joe, Baki delves into the art of fighting. Baki is just as skilled as Joe and will combat many formidable fighters who’ll help him improve his craft. Baki endures difficult training regimes like Joe to become stronger. Many will be motivated by the amount of time Baki puts into his physical and mental training. The antagonists in both anime are just as interesting to follow.
They have unique skill sets, backgrounds, and personalities fans will adore. In addition to having an alluring visual style and well-choreographed fights, Baki is a great martial arts anime to check out for those who adored the action and characters in Ashita No Joe.
You can read our thoughts on Baki in our full-season review here!
Rainbow: Criminal Seven of Compound Two Cell Six
Similarities – Characters
For those who adored Joe’s quest in Ashita No Joe, you’ll grow attached to the journey our young men embark on in Rainbow: Criminal Seven of Compound Two Cell Six. This anime offers a meaningful take on brotherhood and has our characters endure severe and depressing situations. With their leader’s help, they’ll have enough determination to withstand their harsh conditions.
In it, we follow six troublesome teenagers who get sent to a reform school. They meet a former boxer named Rokurota and form a tight bond with him. Rokurota vows to help the boys break free and live a delightful life. Like Ashita No Joe, Rainbow follows young men who endure intense hardships and long for a better life. Rainbow’s teenagers come from poor living environments.
This anime excellently showcases how being impoverished can directly impact a person’s life for the worse. From discrimination to neglect, expect the boys to overcome these difficult hurdles that plagued their lives. On top of delving into each teenager’s backstory and highlighting the importance of forming tight connections with others, Rainbow is a great anime to watch after Ashita No Joe.
Cross Game
Similarities – Characters & Sports
Cross Game is a notable sports anime with rom-com elements. In Cross Game, we examine the life between two friends named Ko and Aoba who cherish baseball immensely. Like Ashita No Joe, this anime gives viewers a realistic depiction of its respective sport and offers a great blend of slice-of-life and action to keep the audience hooked.
Like Joe, Ko is a phenomenal male protagonist whose passionate about the sport he’s playing. He’ll strive for success by overcoming numerous hurdles that stand in his way. These obstacles will give viewers a better picture of his motivations and will allow them to grow attached to his character. Ko’s relationship with his coach is as touching as Joe’s relationship with his.
Both coaches will guide our lead characters through each sport and will cheer for them when they’re on the ropes. Both anime have incredible, distinct visual styles that allow audiences to immerse themselves in their narratives. From realistic sports action to their series plethora of emotional segments, you’ll feel like you’re watching a real tale unfold before your eyes.
Fist of the North Star
Similarities – Action
Fist of the North Star is an iconic martial arts anime. It’s spawned numerous memes, clips, and discussions online, despite being an older work like Ashita No Joe. Nonetheless, the anime contains enough incredible fights and likable characters to warrant its popularity. Like Joe, Fist of the North Star’s protagonist Kenshiro strives to become the best fighter in his world.
He’ll make a name for himself by fighting numerous opponents, some weaker and stronger than himself. Both anime take place in run-down and brutal environments. You’ll admire how Fist of the North Star’s setting reflects the harsh training and bouts Kenshiro endures throughout the anime. Furthermore, the action scenes are incredible to gander at in both series.
They’re intense and often violent, showcasing the characters’ martial arts techniques and skills. Some fights reveal the characters’ backstories and motivations, making them feel more essential than just pure eye candy. Give this anime a watch if you’re looking for an action anime that leans more into the gore aspect of physical fights.
Slam Dunk
Similarities – Characters, Sports, Realism
Slam Dunk follows the trend of others on this list for its realistic depiction of its respective sport. This anime follows Hanamichi, a boy who wants to find a girlfriend in high school instead of participating in basketball, a sport he used to adore. After an attempt at impressing a girl at his school results in him joining its basketball team, Hanamichi must return to the sport he thought he left behind.
Like Joe, Hanamichi is a talented athlete who aims to achieve multiple goals in his chosen sport. He’ll need to work hard and practice alongside his teammates if he hopes to win multiple basketball games. The amount of effort Hanamichi and his comrades put into the sport will inspire you just as much as Joe’s training throughout Ashita No Joe.
Both anime aren’t afraid to delve into the social lives of their characters and the dark aspects of their respective sports. This allows viewers to get a genuine idea of the inner and outer workings of basketball and boxing. Many will appreciate both anime’s devotion to fleshing out their cast gradually throughout the narrative. This helps make the protagonists feel genuine and worth following. If you’re searching for an emotional and realistic interpretation of basketball in anime form, check out Slam Dunk.
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with Ashita No Joe!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!