Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Debuts in Print & English This Fall 2024
Kodansha Reveals Iconic Boxing Manga Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow to Make Its English-Language Debut Fall 2024
Kodansha announced today on ICv2 that the legendary boxing manga Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow—written by Asao Takamori and illustrated by Tetsuya Chiba—will see its English-language debut in print and digital this fall 2024. A true manga classic and Japanese cultural phenomenon, Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, has inspired a host of anime series, live-action films, video games, and has even influenced a number of noted manga and anime creators since its original run from 1968 to 1973. Kodansha is set to translate and publish this inimitable boxing epic, in its entirety, across eight oversized, hardcover omnibus editions—the first of which will debut December 2024. Each volume will be distributed by Penguin Random House upon its release. Digital editions will also be available to purchase across participating digital manga retailers including on kodansha.us.
“Kodansha believes that the manga market is maturing, as well as looking for past manga classics that have never been translated into English. Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow This work is a true masterpiece that Japan is proud of. This year marks the 50th anniversary since its completion in 1973. Because of this, we think that now is the best time to bring Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow to English-reading manga fans worldwide,” says Kodansha Publisher, Toshihiro Tsuchiya. “We consider it an honor and a labor of love to introduce such an important manga masterpiece to a new generation of fans. And we hope that this new edition will be as much of an inspiration as it was when it originally debuted in Japan.”
In the world of Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow: 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, but the cocky young fighter brushes him off. 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.
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