[Hollywood to Anime] Like Creed II? Watch These Anime

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Megalo-Box-225x350 [Hollywood to Anime] Like Creed II? Watch These Anime
Megalo-Box-225x350 [Hollywood to Anime] Like Creed II? Watch These Anime
Megalo-Box-225x350 [Hollywood to Anime] Like Creed II? Watch These Anime
In Creed II, Adonis Creed has become one of boxing’s biggest stars under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, and now, they face their biggest challenge yet, Viktor Drago. To make things more personal, Viktor is the son of Ivan, who killed Adonis’ father, Apollo Creed, in Rocky IV. Seeing this is as a chance to avenge his father, Adonis wishes to fight Viktor against Rocky’s advice. Just like Ivan, Viktor is big and strong, and looks like he eats lions, tigers, and bears for breakfast.

As a sequel to the Rocky series, Creed II continues that All-American legacy. Not everybody can get into a boxing ring and take on a big roided Russian, but it manages to find a way to make it relatable to audiences, which is why it continues to flourish even after 40 years. So in relation to Creed II, what are some titles from the world of anime to check out?


Liked Creed II? Watch Megalobox!

  • Episodes: 13
  • Aired: April 6, 2018 – June 29, 2018

In comparison to Creed II and what we’re also recommending, Megalobox tends to lean more towards the gimmicky side of combat sports. However, with Creed II, the Drago’s are also presentably gimmicky. In Megalobox, combatants wear augmented gear on their upper body to strengthen their speed and power. You can relate it to Ivan’s former steroid use except with this anime, enhanced performance (by means of technology) is openly allowed.

Major Similarities Between Creed II and Megalobox

1. The main characters are alike

Junk Dog, who eventually takes the name Joe, is a lot like Adonis. Like Adonis, Joe started his boxing career in underground fights. Both are naturally talented and driven, and wish to make it to the big time. Just like how Adonis is undersized against Viktor, Joe’s struggles in the ring are very similar since his boxing league has no weight classes and he refuses to wear the augmented gear (or more like he can’t afford to).

2. They’re universally relatable

Both Creed II and Megalobox symbolize life because we all go through struggles, and taking the harder road to get to the top makes the reward more worth it, and it’s certainly better than not trying at all. It doesn’t matter what your background is, everybody has to face adversity at some point in their life, and both Creed II and Megalobox do a great job of resonating that to their audience.


Liked Creed II? Watch Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirit)!

  • Episodes: 75
  • Aired: October 4, 2000 – March 27, 2002

When Ippo is first introduced as a lonely high school student, he was a constant target of bullies. After Takamura, a boxer, saves him from a beating, Ippo is inspired to take up boxing. Thanks to his work ethic, he shows what it takes to become a champion.

Major Similarities Between Creed II and Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirit)

1. Hearts on Fire

Though Takamura and his coach Kamogawa initially think that Ippo isn’t cut out for boxing, they see an old school sense of heart in him that you can’t teach anyone. If Creed II is about anything, it’s about having heart, and that’s what Ippo does best. Like Adonis, Ippo is undersized for his weight class and faces opponents that are bigger and stronger than him. But with hard work and dedication, Ippo can overcome any challenge.

2. The relationships

Just like how you feel a father-son relationship between Rocky and Adonis, you also see that with Ippo and Kamogawa. Though Kamogawa doesn’t have Rocky’s humor, he has more of Mick’s (Rocky’s trainer) demeanor but with a sense of Mr. Miyagi’s wit. Either way, Kamogawa has an unorthodox sense of wisdom that you can only get just living the hard life, and he shares that with his more privileged boxers.

Final Thoughts

Megalo-Box-225x350 [Hollywood to Anime] Like Creed II? Watch These Anime

What we can learn from what we listed in addition, the biggest opponent we’re going to face is ourselves. It applies in boxing, and it applies in life. When it comes to adversities, it’s about making the right decision when that time comes, and putting in the work necessary in order to make those decisions. A lot of unexpected things can happen and can mess up our plans. When we get hit, we stand up and keep going and that’s the message that Creed II and these anime titles best teach its audience.

Megalo-Box-225x350 [Hollywood to Anime] Like Creed II? Watch These Anime

Writer

Author: Justin "ParaParaJMo" Moriarty

Hello, I am originally from the states and have lived in Japan since 2009. Though I watched Robotech and Voltron as a child, I officially became an anime fan in 1994 through Dragon Ball Z during a trip to the Philippines. In addition to anime, I also love tokusatsu, video games, music, and martial arts. よろしくお願いします

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