Soup

In their relationship dynamic, Niall was a younger version of himself and he was- well, his father. That's why Ruben was capable of over stepping his step brother's boundaries so easily, because he possessed him the same way his dad did him.

Which explains his homophobia (it was ownership all along): Yes, he can have an homosocial incestuous relationship with his stepbrother because that's just family! But if Niall starts delving too far into relationships and adulthood he'll sure come crash his life and bring him back to square one.

That's why back at his college dorm he makes sure to physically intimate with both of his roommates; including the woman who was crushing on Niall. That's also why he beats Albert near dead, so that Niall can prove his loyalty. Ruben knows Niall is gay and he knows it's a matter of time he finds out for himself, so he can only involve himself and make him choose him over anything else.

The biggest betrayal is not that Niall has sex with Mona, but that he spoke the truth during their first trial.

No matter how earnest or sincere her efforts could have been, Joe could have never reciprocated, and it's not because Joe doesn't have any interest in love or relationships. But because of his low self esteem and his own self awareness.

One thing i wanted to take note of since i was very pleasantly surprised with was Yoko's character throughout the series. This is possibly the first time I've ever seen a female character be ESSENTIAL to a plot line that'd be otherwise mainly driven by men. I love that she's a character of her own instead of a device to explore and develop the men's stories.

I've always been drawn to her ever since the first season but i could not have predicted she'd have been such a well rounded character. I love that she despises Joe for a good chunk of the series, seeing him as a no good man that's defiled Rikiishi's legacy and ought to pay for bringing him death. A line of thinking that Joe does internalize and would cost him dearly.

Even when Yoko is best meaning, once she truly becomes kind with no pretensions, she's the catalyst of a lot of tragedies due to her own oversights and miscalculations. Such an instance is when she sets up a match for Joe against Harimau, oblivious to the fact she'd only aggravate Joe's punch drunk syndrome...

She's such a humane and sympathizable character i find it insane she was written in the 70's...

More often than not when watching media targeted towards men rarely do we get any insight into why things occur between characters, what moves them and what enrages them. It's presumed that the audience can draw conclusions fairly easily, as if there was an unspoken consensus between author and audience to accept anything that's presented as part of manhood, second nature.

Most shonen or fighting media is premised on that principle, male characters are not defined or characterized because you are not supposed to engage with them in any other conceivable sense that's not emotional. They are devices to be used artificially to bring sentiments that have otherwise not been earned by sincere, grounded writing.

When it comes to Ashita no joe, the depiction of the two main protagonist's dynamic stands out as the earnest portrayal of friendship that's ever been written in anime. Because it's the kind of allyship that's found before knowing the words friendship and before knowing the word love.

The kind of kinship that burns blindingly into pure white ash before knowing you had found a friend.

Joe is the perfect portrayal of neglect and poverty. He's not a delinquent with a golden heart, he's a young man that's illiterate and severely socially maladjusted byproduct. Every single institution has failed him, so does the juvenile detention center he finds himself in. On the surface this story arc serves as a catalyst to push Joe into the world of boxing after meeting his fated rival, Rikishi.

But I can't help but think the author is trying to prove to us the failed system within the carcelary industry. Joe was supposed to be given the tools to navigate through society and adulthood, yet instead he is thrown into an environment that's inherently hierarchical and violent. These young men learn to be afraid of other men, to be accepted into social groups they go through rites of approval with other inmates that involve humiliation and abuse. If anything Joe is learning that he's been right about everything all along, his trust issues, his abandonment fears, his detachment and his overall apathy are all justified given the world is the same as for within as for outside those gates.

It is of no surprise after he is released the only thing that stops him from commiting crimes as some of his ex inmates do is his new found life with his coach and Nishi. Yet the consequences of his lived experience still prevail and that's what i find both terribly tragic and amusing. Joe is virtually incapable of bonding with most boys his age because he still has a survivor's mindset. I can't stop thinking about his first test to get an official boxing license..He literally punches a boy out of the ring and even when he is begging for him to stop Joe follows him out and punches him till he faints. To joe boxing is not a sport or a discipline, it's a way of living, and any suggestion to abide by the rules is a direct attack to him and his ways.

The whole story setup till now is a perfect recipe for disaster. The coach is not an adult Joe can confide in and trust, he's a man that's willing to put up with him, but who'll never and has never loved him unconditionally and will raise his hand at him at any given point if he's given reasons to (which farther validates Joe's violence as retroactive behavior).