Italian distributor Dynit revealed last month that they have some new releases that we’re still hoping to see get some traction in North America with the original Ashita no Joe series. The first set will have twenty-five episodes that will be released on a five-disc DVD box set that landed today. It’s priced at 40 euro and will be in Italian with Italian subtitles, no original Japanese language version available with it going by the first round of information supplied to Amazon Italy. The second box set is scheduled for a September 22nd, 2016 release date and has episodes 26 through 55 with six discs being produced for it. Both sets now have their artwork revealed below!
The show originally ran for 79 episode beginning in 1970 and was based on the twenty volume manga of the same name. A sequel series ran for 47 episodes when it was first broadcast back in 1980 with TMS working on the animation
Plot concept: Joe, a teenage orphan in the slums of the Doya streets, meets Danpei, a homeless, alcoholic ex-boxing coach. Danpei, seeing Joe’s boxing talent, decides to train him. When Joe is sent to a terrible juvenile home for petty crimes, he meets Rikiishi who becomes his boxing rival. Danpei arrives at the home to help Joe to train in order to defeat Rikiishi. When Joe decides to seriously pursue boxing, Danpei cannot get a coaching license because of his reputation as a drunk.
[Source: Ashita no Joe]
