# Joe x rikshi
# Joe
Joe once was a person with no goals or something...he always lived for today's sake
In Joe's introduction we see joe entering into a city with so much mess , direction less winds flowing here and around and all that stuff..this metaphorically represents how misdirected Joe's life is ....
Until then danpei takes him as a student by seeing his exceptional skills that could make up to be a great boxer (that's why no matter what people say i always considered danpei as the one who ignited the spark inside joe...it's like giving an ambition to a fellow who always lived for today)
Joe tries to upscale this fire before it lasts off until rikshi comes into his life and helps as a petrol to it (metaphorically)
# Rikshi
The world's one of the greatest boxers.... A boxer who always kept winning in his life (we assume from what yuko glazes him) until then joe comes into his life...and gives a thrill of what it takes to actually win a match ( edge of the seat type shi)
# Other people's perspectives on Joe
Danpei sees joe as a cool kid with great boxing skills (although deep he cares about him)
Yuko sees joe as a wild talented animal whose fire can burn at any time (Deep down she appreciates Joe as a boxer and as a person)
Observe here how everyone notices Joe's talent..but rikshi is the only one who saw something else in joe .... For the 1st time in life joe found someone to call a rival...a person that always keeps him pushing....(Just like how an iron can make iron sharp)
# post rikshi death
Even after rikshi's death ... Joe's main motivation was to fight for rikshi who sacrificed his life to burn the fire inside him...
And that's why joe does the same as rikshi....he keeps pushing his opponents and burns the spark that ignited inside him....
he also tells danpei that
"no matter how many times I lose i will keep fighting until this fire turns into a bomb...that's how me and rikshi are " (contextually yep ,idt it's the exact dialogue )
That's why until the very end he kept igniting the spark inside him ... rather than putting it off
# Joe fighting Rikshi ghost
The reason why joe loved rikish more than anyone was, they both shared the same ideology.... the ideology drove both of them to their fullest potential... rikshi one's was a man living his life peacefully in a jail but once he kept rivaling joe... An ambition sparked inside him,the ambition led him to a tragic death but still an irregrettable one ..
Joe does the same ... Joe kept fighting Rikshi's ghost inside him....here metaphorically joe fighting to co-exist with the rikshi's ideology....that's why till to the very end he gave everything he had even though he lost....he died with no regrets ... giving us "one of the greatest" conclusions in animanga