Danpei is Joe's serious, cautious and responsible mentor who gets him started in his boxing career. He is fond of sake, being overly cheerful when drunk which contrasts with his strict everyday self. He is also very polite when talking to people who hold higher ranks than himself, something that annoys Joe, who doesn't care for such things. Before meeting Joe, it is stated that Danpei used to be a boxer himself. However, after the loss of one of his eyes, we learn that he was forced to give up on his own boxing career, aiming to become a coach instead. But due to his violent, strict, passionate, and even desperate approach to training his boxers(who couldn't take it and abandoned him for better gyms), he became jobless and eventually a homeless alcoholic.  After meeting Joe and claiming that he has massive potential for the sport, he gives up on drinking due to the former's aversion to alcoholism (only drinking on special occasions) and vows to train him to be Japan's or even the world's best boxer, with the hope of a better tomorrow for the both of them.

Joe Yabuki is a troubled young man who runs away from an orphanage. Wandering through the Tokyo slums, he meets former boxing trainer Danpei. Joe is later arrested and goes to a temporary jail where he fights Nishi, his future best friend, ​and leader of a group of hooligans. He and Nishi then go to a juvenile prison miles away from Tokyo. There Joe meets Rikiishi, a former boxing prodigy, and a rivalry develops between them. They face each other in a match in which Rikiishi dominates Joe until the latter hits him with a cross-counter, resulting in both being knocked out. This inspires the other prison inmates to take up boxing. Joe and Rikiishi vow to fight again. 
(Source: Wikipedia)

Yabuki Joe is left downhearted and hopeless after a certain tragic event. In attempt to put the past behind him, Joe leaves the gym behind and begins wandering. On his travels he comes across the likes of Wolf Kanagushi and Goromaki Gondo, men who unintentionally fan the dying embers inside him, leading him to putting his wanderings to an end. His return home puts Joe back on the path to boxing, but unknown to himself and his trainer, he now suffers deep-set issues holding him back from fighting. In attempt to quell those issues, Carlos Rivera, a world renowned boxer is invited from Venezuela to help Joe recover.


[Wiki (jp)](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/藤岡重慶)

Date of birth: 1927-07-31
Hometown: Roma, Lazio, Italy
Date of death: 2010-04-10

Joe, a teenage orphan in the slums of the Doya streets, meets Danpei, a homeless, alcoholic ex-boxing coach. Danpei, seeing Joe's boxing talent, decides to train him. When Joe is sent to a terrible juvenile home for petty crimes, he meets Rikiishi who becomes his boxing rival. Danpei arrives at the home to help Joe to train in order to defeat Rikiishi. When Joe decides to seriously pursue boxing, Danpei cannot get a coaching license because of his reputation as a drunk. 
(Source: AnimeNfo)

The story revolves around Baki Hanma and his quest to proclaim himself as the strongest grappler in the world, thus taking the title from his father. Baki also fights to gain the trust of his overly psychotic mother. 
(Source: Wikipedia)

Yabuki Joe is left downhearted and hopeless after a certain tragic event. In attempt to put the past behind him, Joe leaves the gym behind and begins wandering. His return home puts Joe back on the path to boxing, but unknown to himself and his trainer, he now suffers deep-set issues holding him back from fighting. In attempt to quell those issues, Carlos Rivera, a world renowned boxer is invited from Venezuela to help Joe recover.

A summary movie of the first season for people to get reminded on what happened before the airing of the second season.

Pilot films for Ashita no Joe, released as bonus material on the series' DVD box. 
 
- Aoyama-hen (prod. 1969/11/06) 
- Rikiishi-hen (prod. 1969/12/22)

[Wiki (jp)](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/名古屋章)

3 short collaboration commercials between Japan life insurance and Ashita no Joe.

[Wiki (jp)](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/渡部猛)

**Non-anime roles:**
- Inazuma Ginga - Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan (TV Series)
- Baku Mozoo - Dai Sentai Goggle-V (TV Series)
- Teiou Aton - Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (TV Series)

A milestone in Japanese manga, "Ashita no Joe" celebrates the 55th anniversary of its serialization. Hina's father, enraged by Hina's indifferent attitude toward her post-high school career decision, disappears, leaving behind all the volumes of "Ashita no Joe" for some reason. When Hina picked up the book, which had a retro Showa-era feel to it, she was immediately moved to tears. On the advice of her father's friend Kenkichi, she determined that the key to his disappearance lay in a place associated with the original work. Hina decides to visit the "sacred places" of the original work... 


Danpei Tange