The spring 2018 anime series Megalobox is managed by Viz Media and they’ve brought some expanded distribution to the series today without much notice. With a second season that’s in the works, the show is now on Netflix and notes that it’s the first season as well. The thirteen-episode season is available in full and it comes switch familiar language options where there’s Japanese language and English language options along with English subtitled and Japanese Closed Captioned options.
The series was directed by You Moriyama with scripts coming from Katsuhiko Manabe and Kensaku Kojima. It was animated at TMS Entertainment.
The Japanese cast includes Yoshimasa Hosoya as Junk Dog, Shiro Saito as Gansaku Nanbu, Nanako Mori as Yukiko Shirato, Michiyo Murase as Sachio, Hiroyuki Kinoshita as Fujimaki, and Hiroyuki Yasumoto as Yuri.
With the English dub, the series has Ezra Weisz serving as the ADR directing and the English cast includes Kaiji Tang as Joe, Jason Marnocha as Coach Nanbu, Erica Mendez as Sachio, Lex Lang as Yuri, and Erika Harlacher as Yukiko.
Priced at $44.95 for the regular edition and $69.95 for the limited edition, the home video releases are bilingual sets with both editions including the Megalobox Audio Drama, Interview with Japanese Production Staff, Interview with English Cast, Clean Opening and Ending, Trailers and Art Gallery.
Plot Concept: A desolate land stretches out from the city of poverty. A motorcycle speeds recklessly, blowing clouds of sand and dust. The rider is the protagonist of this story – he has neither a name nor a past.
All he has is his ring name, “Junk Dog” and a technique for rigging MEGALOBOX matches with his pal Gansaku Nanbu, which they use to support their hand-to-mouth lives. Although he has the skill, he isn’t dissatisfied enough to change his ways- but he’s not satisfied with his life either. JD is bored, resigned, and unfulfilled. He lives with frustration in a life of shadows beneath the lights of fame.
Meanwhile, under the bright sun is Yukiko Shirato, the daughter of Shirato Konzern —the reigning family of the wealthy class. Yukiko decides to advance her career by using MEGALOBOX to organize a large fighting event, MEGALONIA: the tournament to determine the champion of MEGALOBOX. She creates a scenario: MEGALOBOXER Yuri, under her control, will win and become the champion to further promote the Shirato brand gear and expand business. Yuri has been the reigning champion of MEGALOBOX for the past few years. Driven by self-discipline and his strong will to practice, he has the skills and presence of a true champion. The man himself is a shining exemplar of virtuosity.
This is a story of JD and his rival, Yuri. An encounter between shadow and light; a fast-paced story begins when their paths cross.
