Our boy Joe has done it! He has made it into Megalonia as the final contestant, and we’ll soon have the pleasure of seeing him face the other big dogs. At least that’s what I’d like to say after finishing the episode, but alas, Fujimaki has surfaced with his true intentions and the road to Megalonia has grown far more bumpier.
But before we delve into the threat that Fujimaki poses, let’s talk about the Mikio fight itself. At first, I was taken aback by the decision to skip the first round entirely and start dead in the middle of the second round. However, it makes sense considering that the rounds consisted of the same content, with only the final one topping off with a cherry punch. The first round would’ve probably just been Joe getting his butt handed to him after saying a snarky comment anyway.
The combat itself had some interesting shots, such as a 360 degree rotation shot that transitioned into a flashback of Nanbu practicing with Joe. It was a short moment, but I thought the change was spectacular. As for Mikio himself, I enjoyed the bits of characterization that were scattered throughout the fight. His use of drugs(?) to further enhance his synchronization with ACE, this fierce competition he feels against his sister, and this desperate desire to prove that ACE is the future of Megalo Boxing. Although he can’t compare to the great opponent that was Aragaki, I’m still impressed that he manages to hold up as a decent character.
The issue of whether it was ACE boxing or Mikio boxing was an interesting one as well. It’s clear from the flashbacks that this thought plagues Mikio, and raises the question of whether Mikio truly is a genuine article. Is it just his gear doing all the work, or is there a man under that gear too? The final hits reveal that Mikio is not a one trick pony, heavily reliant on ACE. He uses his own instinct as a boxer and proves to Yuri that he is more than just the gear. Granted, he loses the match, but I think proving his point gave him plenty of satisfaction.
I was a bit disappointed by the fight itself, and found its resolution to be a bit absurd. However, it wasn’t enough to bother me too much, but I am very curious as to how the upcoming matches will resolve themselves. Hopefully we see some awesome maneuvers and top tier boxing!
But before we get to those matches, we have to worry about Fujimaki. His intentions were something that I was curious about since his first appearance, and it was clear that this was coming. The past seems to just love haunting Nanbu, and even now, it comes for him as Megalonia is within Team Nowhere’s grasp. I am however, a hundred percent sure that they’ll get out of this. Shirato’s assistance seems unlikely and simply fighting back against Fujimaki is out of the question. Perhaps the people of the slums will help Joe out? He has amassed quite a number of fans after all.
Whatever happens, I’m super excited for what’s coming up!