r/AshitaNoJoe

I wonder if anyone else has seen those TikTok posts these past months where creators do mini reviews of the ANJ anime, rating the MC, deuteragonist, tritagonist, best dynamics, etc. Opinions are great, but what never fails to surprise me is how some of them talk about the story and characters without mentioning Yoko even once.😭 Not to mention, I’ve seen people in comment sections downplaying her relevancy so much and disagreeing that she’s important.

Part of me blames the anime, especially season 2, for damn near butchering entire aspects of Yoko’s writing, involvement, and character development. But at the same time, I wonder if there are other factors at play.

No offense to the guys reading this LMAO, but I think it’s pretty notorious that some male fans struggle to acknowledge female characters as genuinely important, even when they’re clearly well-written and far beyond surface-level characterization that is unfortunately seen across animanga history. I wonder if Yoko being as complex as she is, combined with the fact that Takamori doesn’t portray her as fanservice or “male fantasy” bait, makes some people write her off as someone who’s “just there,” or even dislike her.

Or maybe, like with a lot of female characters, because she’s in love with the MC, some fans automatically can’t see her as the secondary thematic character. I understand that ANJ doesn't have completely established roles beyond Joe being the MC, but whether people like her or not, denying Yoko’s importance to the story just feels like rejecting Takamori’s intentions.

However, what confuses me even more is how some of these posters and comments argue that Danpei or Rikiishi is the deuteragonist, with Nishi being the Tritagonist. Essentially implying that Yoko’s relevancy to the story is on the same level as side characters like the kids, or Noriko, for instance. And I think most can see why and agree that it is blatantly incorrect.

As for Rikiishi being the deuteragonist, I think that’s definitely the stronger argument, but I still personally disagree. The story isn’t secondarily centered on his perspective, actions, or his search for fulfillment. To me, Rikiishi is a deeply important rival, a catalyst character rather than a true deuteragonist. His presence in Joe’s life pushed Joe to take boxing seriously, improve his behavior, find a passion, and build meaningful connections. He’s also the first thing that truly makes Yoko confront the danger of boxing, causing her to question the “man’s world” around her and what personal fulfillment really means despite the risks involved.

On top of that, Rikiishi’s dedication to boxing and subsequent early death became the major turning point for both Joe and Yoko, shaping the paths they took into the boxing world afterward. But even with all that importance, I don’t think that automatically makes him the deuteragonist. To me, he functions more as a deeply symbolic figure for both Joe, the MC, and Yoko, whom I see as the secondary character.

There’s also the fact that Rikiishi has been dead for such a huge portion of the story that I think it’s questionable to argue that Takamori intended for him to remain the secondary focus. I love how season 2 constantly references and pays homage to him, but still, in the source material, he really isn’t brought up nearly as much after Joe overcomes his trauma and defeats Rikiishi’s "ghost." Outside of the Kim arc and the weight-loss parallels, which were amazing, of course, he’s not heavily mentioned again.

So while I absolutely think Rikiishi’s dynamic with Joe and Yoko, and his impact on them, is one of the most important parts of ANJ, I don’t think his own goals, life, and perspective are the second most focused aspect of the narrative.

As for Danpei, I think his being the intended deuteragonist is even less likely. He’s the one who introduced Joe to boxing and acts as his coach/father figure, but his dreams and actions still aren’t the story's secondary focus to me.

Danpei’s goals are already directly tied to Joe’s journey. Before meeting Joe, he was a drunk with questionable morals and a horrible temper, all because he was desperate to find a pupil who shared his passion for the sport. The moment Joe enters his life, and with every step Joe takes toward glory, Danpei’s redemption and purpose are already being fulfilled. If anything, he gains a new purpose entirely through becoming Joe’s father figure.

By the latter parts of the story, Danpei reached a point where he would be genuinely content with Joe giving up boxing if it meant Joe could be safe and happy. As the series progresses, especially in the manga, Danpei is kinda just along for the ride. He never fully understands Joe’s obsession with boxing, but he recognizes Joe can’t be stopped, so he supports him however he can. Proud, worried, and always by his side, but still not the secondary focus of the narrative.

As with Rikiishi in season 2, manga readers probably noticed the anime pushes Danpei much more to the forefront, which I do prefer because it heightens the emotional impact. But just because Danpei is always beside Joe doesn’t suddenly make him the deuteragonist to me. If anything, I feel Danpei or especially Rikiishi fits the tritagonist role far better than Nishi, who, unfortunately, loses most of his relevance once he can no longer box and is basically written out of the manga. Who doesn't love Nishi, and honestly, I far prefer his season 2 portrayal, but saying he’s somehow more plot relevant than Yoko is genuinely jarring to me.

Regardless, Yoko is the only character, in my eyes, who really fits the secondary character role. We know from interviews that Takamori was heavily involved in writing not just Joe, but Yoko as well. She was clearly one of his main focuses, and while I won’t repeat all of my previous analyses here, I hope I’ve already emphasized just how much depth and care went into her character!

To me, ANJ’s primary focus is Joe, and secondarily, Yoko’s development as she searches for fulfillment and understanding through completely different backgrounds and perspectives. Especially in the manga, it becomes obvious that after Rikiishi’s death, Yoko essentially monopolizes the relevance and screen time among the non-rival/antagonist characters. Her long-term change and actions directly drive the events of the story, which is a recurring theme.

She was always present in the earlier parts of the story, but more so in the background, observing and experiencing a lot of internal conflict with her "angel" image and wanting to be her true self, jealousy, and struggle to openly acknowledge Joe, along with feeling lost in Rikiishi's thought process. Once she becomes the Shiraki Gym president, though, the scale of her role changes completely, and it’s clear Takamori had been subtly building her up for that position the entire time, with the major shift occurring because Rikiishi died tragically. Like Joe, who is the MC, this intentional, focused development never stops, up until the very end of the series.

Though, despite how much I love Yoko, I seriously appreciate season 2 for making sure the kids, Danpei, Nishi, Noriko, and even Rikiishi feel more integrated into the story. I just hate that it came at the expense of Yoko’s beautiful character writing being dulled down. I genuinely think there could’ve been a perfect balance where Yoko remained as complex, expressive, and relevant as she is in the source material, while still giving Joe’s other relationships proper focus.

Unfortunately, I do think her mediocre season 2 portrayal has had major consequences for how parts of the fandom view her character, especially since the anime will probably always be the more well-known and preferred version of the story. And honestly, I can’t even fully blame them, because despite its flaws here and there, the anime is still an absolute masterpiece in so many ways.

All in all, people are of course entitled to their own opinions on who the most relevant or best/favorite characters are, but the Yoko downplay seriously has to stop! 🥲 She’s genuinely the best female character I’ve seen so far in animanga, and it’s such a waste how some people can watch ANJ and somehow overlook her completely.

I would like to hear anyone else’s thoughts on this matter! 🥊

Side note, in an attempt to respond to someone, I kinda accidentally wrote a mini analysis talking more about Joe and Yoko’s relationship on Tumblr lol. Despite being short, I think it's pretty informative! If anyone is interested in reading, the link is below!

https://www.tumblr.com/mary328/815881251852533760/no-hate-to-this-poster-at-all-i-just-found-the?source=share

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