Tomorrow's Joe

Aired 1970-04-01

A former boxer and current drunkard named Danpei Tange meets a drifter named Joe Yabuki and sees potential in him. Tange offers to teach Joe how to box, but Joe isn't easily convinced.

Aired 1970-04-08

Danpei is severely hurt after trying to protect Joe from the yakuza. Joe goes to visit the head of the yakuza group to try to get reparations for Danpei.

Aired 1970-04-15

Danpei works hard day and night to save up for Joe and his boxing gym. Meanwhile, Joe uses the slum kids to con some money out of people and he runs into a woman named Yoko Shiraki.

Aired 1970-04-22

Joe holes up in an abandoned building after he gets caught lying to con people out of money.

Aired 1970-04-29

Tange sends Joe a letter to teach him boxing while he's at the police hospital waiting for his fate.

Aired 1970-05-06

Joe ends up in a juvenile classification home and is quickly put into his place after trying to be cocky against his fellow inmates and their boss Nishi.

Aired 1970-05-13

Joe, Tange, and the kids show up to court to hear if Joe will be sent off to the juvenile training school.

Aired 1970-05-20

Joe and Nishi spend their first night at the Toko Special Juvenile Training School and are quickly put into their places.

Aired 1970-05-27

Joe and Nishi are sent out with the rest of the inmates to do some farmwork. Later on, Nishi comes up with a plan to help Joe escape the island, but they meet a man named Toru Rikiishi.

Aired 1970-06-03

Joe is completely out of it after getting punched by Rikiishi. However, later on, he had a huge surprise in store for everyone.

Aired 1970-06-10

Joe continues to practice boxing while he's alone in solitary. Danpei and the kids try to find a way into the juvenile training school when they unexpectedly run into Yoko.

Aired 1970-06-17

Joe tells Yoko why he treats her so badly. Rikiishi tries to interfere and Yoko proposes that they settle this in a boxing match. Tange finally gets to train Joe again in person.

Aired 1970-06-24

Joe and Rikiishi prepare for their upcoming match. After seeing just how powerful Joe's new punch is, Rikiishi devises a unique training method to counter it.

Aired 1970-07-01

Joe and Rikiishi finally have their first match. But for some reason, Danpei tells Joe to let Rikiishi keep knocking him down. Who will be the winner in the end?

Aired 1970-07-08

Moved by the fight between Joe and Rikiishi, the inmates also start boxing.

Aired 1970-07-15

Tange becomes the full-time boxing coach at the juvenile training school on Nogiku Island. Joe seems to finally be interested in training more with Tange, but Tange suddenly seems distant.

Aired 1970-07-22

Joe keeps trying to get Tange to coach him again, but Tange just keeps ignoring him and concentrates on training Aoyama. No one expected Aoyama to get into the tournament, but he then somehow defeats the rep for dorm 7, Numata.

Aired 1970-07-29

The dormitory boxing tournament begins and everyone finds out just how Aoyama defeated Numata.

Aired 1970-08-05

Joe and Aoyama's match finally begins, but who will come out on top?

Aired 1970-08-12

Joe and Aoyama's match concludes and Tange reveals something to our two fighters.

Aired 1970-08-19

Rikiishi tells Joe that they need to have their match sooner because something came up, so they have an unofficial match out in the rain.

Aired 1970-08-26

Rikiishi leaves Toko Special Juvenile Training School and Joe feels empty inside. Meanwhile, the final match of the dorm boxing tournament is about to begin.

Aired 1970-09-02

Following Rikiishi and Aoyama, Nishi is also going to leave the juvenile training school, leaving Joe all alone.

Aired 1970-09-09

Joe finally leaves the juvenile training school and goes back to the slums where he's welcomed back with open arms, and Danpei has a surprise for him.

Aired 1970-09-16

Joe finally feels like something might be changing in his life, but then he is visited by Guerilla, who's on the run from the police.

Aired 1970-09-23

Tange goes to the Japan Boxing Association to get his gym officially recognized. Meanwhile, Joe starts working at the grocery store Nishi works at.

Aired 1970-09-30

Tange is unable to get the license for his gym, but then, an unexpected visitor gives them an unbelievable offer.

Aired 1970-10-07

Joe goes to see the All Japan Rookie Championship Tournament and figures out a way to get one of the members of the Boxing Association to give Tange the license he needs for his gym.

Aired 1970-10-14

Tange is able to get the license for his gym after the stunt Joe pulled at the All Japan Rookie Championship Tournament, but he says that Joe's not ready to become a pro yet himself. However, Joe's got his own ideas.

Aired 1970-10-21

Joe and Nishi go take the pro boxing test and Joe finds out that it's not as easy as he thought it would be.

Aired 1970-10-28

Joe passes the B-rank exam and takes his first real step towards becoming a pro.

Aired 1970-11-04

Nishi and Joe both have their debut matches in the pro ring.

Aired 1970-11-11

Everyone celebrates after Joe's first victory. Noriko gets him violets but those are quickly overshadowed by the giant bouquet of roses Yoko sends him.

Aired 1970-11-18

Ishikura watches Joe win a boxing match and decides he wants to be just like him. He then suddenly shows up to Tange's gym wanting to join, but Tange surprisingly refuses.

Aired 1970-11-25

Nishi loses all three matches so far after becoming a pro and loses his confidence. Tange, Joe, and the kids try to find a way to build his confidence back up and Kinoko finds a surprising solution.

Aired 1970-12-02

Joe continues winning match after match and asks Tange when he's going to go up against Wolf Kanagushi. Tange tells him they're going to take it nice and slow, but then, Otaka sends them an invitation...

Aired 1970-12-09

Joe, Tange, and Nishi are anxious about what Wolf's secret training could be. The kids decide they'll sneak into the Asia Boxing Club to find out what Wolf's training is, but things go terribly wrong.

Aired 1970-12-16

Joe and Wolf's match finally begins. Whose training will bring them victory?

Aired 1970-12-23

Joe and Wolf's intense match finally comes to an end. Who will stand victorious?

Aired 1970-12-30

Tange takes Joe, Nishi, and the rest of the neighborhood on a hot springs trip to celebrate Joe's victory, but on their way up, they find out that Wolf may have been incapacitated.

Aired 1971-01-06

The new year has arrived and Joe finds out that Rikiishi is losing weight to become a bantamweight so he can face off with Joe.

Aired 1971-01-13

Joe and Rikiishi continue training for their match. However, Rikiishi is starting to worry Yoko and Mikinosuke because he is going to extreme lengths to lose weight.

Aired 1971-01-20

Tange formally accepts Shiraki Gym's match request between Rikiishi and Joe and he tells Joe about Rikiishi's brutal weight loss regimen. Meanwhile, Nishi doesn't seem to be losing any weight...

Aired 1971-01-27

Rikiishi has his first match as a bantamweight against Pancho Leo. Who will come out on top?

Aired 1971-02-03

Joe asks Tange and Nishi to help him improve his sway backs so he has a way to counter Rikiishi.

Aired 1971-02-10

While Joe continues his intense training, Rikishi is equally devoted to maintaining his weight.

Aired 1971-02-17

On the day of the match, Joe and Danpei reunite with Rikishi during the weigh-in and acknowledge his impressive weight-cutting success.

Aired 1971-02-24

Joe realizes that Rikishi has stabilized his body after extreme weight loss.

Aired 1971-03-03

Rikishi's uppercut grazes Joe's cheek, causing it to bleed. Alarmed, Joe moves in close during the third round, leading to an intense exchange of hooks.

Aired 1971-03-10

Joe fortifies his guard for the first time in his professional career, but Rikishi's fierce attack knocks him down.

Aired 1971-03-17

The fierce battle ends. Joe extends a congratulatory handshake to Rikishi, who starts to smile but collapses onto the mat.

Aired 1971-03-24

On the day of Rikishi's funeral, Joe leaves their condolences to Danpei and Nishi and tries to distract himself by playing energetically with the children by the riverside.

Aired 1971-03-31

Joe wanders through the town on a snowy night, carrying memories of Rikishi. To Joe, who has no family, Rikishi was an irreplaceable presence...

Aired 1971-04-07

Three days after Joe disappeared, a ten-count gong was held at Korakuen Hall to mourn Rikishi's death. Joe watches the scene on a street-side TV.

Aired 1971-04-14

Joe sees Wolf Kanagushi, who has become a bodyguard for the yakuza, on the streets.

Aired 1971-04-21

The brawl with Gondo is treated as extenuating circumstances. After being informed by reporters, Danpei quickly retrieves Joe.

Aired 1971-04-28

Joe continues training and lands a powerful body blow during sparring with Nishi. However, Nishi notices that Joe avoids striking the head, arousing suspicion.

Aired 1971-05-05

The ten-round match between Joe and Tonotani begins. Danpei and Nishi, concealing their concerns, watch over Joe.

Aired 1971-05-12

Having returned to form, Joe defeats several Japanese bantamweight contenders with his fierce body attacks.

Aired 1971-05-19

Pre-match predictions favor Tiger in his fight against Joe. Around this time, the head of Bokuto Gym invites Joe to spar with him, saying it is to substitute for Nishi, who injured his fist.

Aired 1971-05-26

In the fight against Tiger, Kunimoto, the Sun Gym president, claims to have uncovered Joe's weakness. In truth, Tiger realizes that Joe cannot properly strike the face.

Aired 1971-06-02

After the fight, Danpei shockingly reveals the truth to Joe. However, learning that his actual opponent is the 'ghost of Rikishi' haunting him, Joe strengthens his resolve.

Aired 1971-06-09

The slump in Joe's performance casts a shadow over the slums. Even so, Joe continues his desperate battle against himself, repeatedly striking the sandbag's temple position.

Aired 1971-06-16

Carlos prays for both fighters' success in the ring for Joe's match against Nangou. As the fight begins, Joe faces his poor condition and a referee influenced by the Hyo clan.

Aired 1971-06-23

After Joe's devastating loss to Nangou, Danpei dissolves the Tange Gym. He entrusts the future of Joe and Nishi to the proprietor of Hachiya, but Joe resolves to continue boxing alone.

Aired 1971-06-30

Joe departs from the Namidabashi Bridge early in the morning and meets a boy who dreams of traveling to far-off places on his way to Ueno Station. Joe sympathizes with his story.

Aired 1971-07-07

A postcard arrives, informing the children of Joe's whereabouts in Oarai. Determined to meet him, they head to Ueno Station, but an attempt at fare-dodging is discovered, forcing them to disembark.

Aired 1971-07-14

Joe's new career in the traveling show begins. Kawano attempts to promote Joe as a star by arranging fixed matches and instructing the others to take deliberate losses.

Aired 1971-07-21

On a day off, Joe goes hiking with Inaba and falls off a cliff in the fog. Yuri, the daughter of a nearby Hiyama Ranch, rescues him.

Aired 1971-07-28

Yoko organizes a Carlos vs. Nangou match in Sendai, where Joe performs. Interested in Joe, Carlos and Robert visit the Namidabashi Bridge and learn how much Joe is still loved by the community.

Aired 1971-08-04

Joe's performances continue at the sparsely attended Hakusan Shrine. During a break, Joe positions himself in front of the TV Kawano bought, intently watching Carlos's match against Nangou.

Aired 1971-08-11

A postcard from Noriko brings news about the Namidabashi community. However, since watching Carlos's fight, Joe has been unable to focus on his performance.

Aired 1971-08-18

Returning to Tokyo, Joe visits Yoko and requests to spar with Carlos. Reluctantly, Yoko agrees and insists they use heavier 16-ounce gloves for safety.

Aired 1971-08-25

Tange Gym fell into disrepair during Joe's absence. Joe begins rebuilding it with Danpei and the children.

Aired 1971-09-01

As Joe resumes training in the Namidabashi slums, Noriko watches with a complex expression. Meanwhile, the day of Carlos's match against Harashima arrives.

Aired 1971-09-08

Yoko finalizes the contract for a Carlos vs. Tiger match. Carlos confidently declares he will win with a first-minute KO.

Aired 1971-09-15

Robert's old friend, promoter Henry James, arrives in Japan. Henry arranges a match between Carlos and the world champion, Jose Mendoza, and proposes canceling the fight with Joe.

Aired 1971-09-22

The day of Carlos's match against Tiger arrives. As a boxing fan, Danpei expresses his feelings about Joe's journey. Yoko quietly encourages Joe as they pass in the hallway.

Aired 1971-09-29

Carlos counters Joe's rope-side techniques with an improvised move, nullifying Joe's strategy. He then proposes an all-out brawl with no tricks.