The Ballad of Tobio

The Ballad of Tobio (トビオのバラード, Tobio no barādo) is a manga series by Osamu Tezuka that ran on Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1965 to 1969, it tells the story of young orphan Tobio Katsumoto training from Street Smart Teen to Featherweight Prize fighter, this is considered to be Tezuka's most violent work in his career.
In 1975, United Artists released a loose adaptation simply named Toby, starring Walter Matthau as the trainer Robert Shmuel and Joey Miyashima in his feature film debut as the title character. In 1979, an Anime adaptation was aired on TV Ashai that concluded in 1982, followed by some video games, a Musical version was released by Paramount Pictures in 2022.
==Storyline==
The year is 1963, Tobio Katsumoto is a troubled 14-year old boy who ran away from an orphanage in 1959, wandering through the slums of Tokyo, he meets old Trainer Robert Shmuel being harassed by a robber, Tobio beats him up and saves Robert, Tobio however slips on a banana peel and gets knocked unconscious, Robert later takes Tobio to his Boxing Gym and later Tobio wakes up on one of the benches, the two become friends and Tobio agrees to be Shmuel's boxer pupil.
however, a ruckus begins outside caused by the biker gang, the Mad Masked gang, Tobio pops out of the gym and defeats many members, including their leader Maku Kata, Tobio later frees Italian-American 14-year old schoolgirl Hannah Cacaronie, whom becomes Tobio's love interest later on.
One night, Maku and his gang come back and burn Robert's gym in retaliation. fortunately Tobio and Robert are able to escape the burning building though Robert is devistated by the fire. evetually they seek refuge in Hannah's house thanks to her parents and establishes a small gym in their basemant. Tobio later attends Hannah's school to get a better education. there he befiends Jiro Takeshi after beating up school bully Shohei Ōshima.
Following some weeks of rigorous training, Tobio feels ready for his first fight, he starts his debut at a underground bar ran by Loan Shark Hamegg, against the 18-year old French weakling, Jean Belmondo, whom Tobio defeats in the first round, he later fights the more stronger 15-year old Jo Kashuka, whom he knocks out in the second round, after the fight, promoter Hamegg soon offers Tobio 1,000 Yen to break someone's leg, but due to his moral standing on violence against strangers, he refuses much to Hamegg's ire.
After winning a slew of illegal underground matches, Tobio then faces off against Jazz Kid, a 16-Year old African American living in Tokyo, they then score a brutal match on each other, both getting major injuries in the process, at the final 5th round, Tobio soon gets the upper hand and knocks him to his corner, Tobio tries to perform the final blow on Jazz, when his arm is stopped by Hannah, preventing Tobio from accidentally killing Jazz, the match ends with a split decision, declaring Jazz the winner, though they become friends later on.
Tobio and his friends from School and the gym all decide to unite together to fight the Mad Masked gang, they all emerge victorious against the gang and even getting leader The Knife sent to the police while the rest of the gang all declare surrender, they become heroes of the Neighborhood slum, Hamegg soon returns to offer Tobio again to commit a violent act, Tobio finally accepts the offer, only to break Hamegg's legs, this ends the first half of the Story.
3 Years Later and it's Late 1966, Tobio is now 16 after years of being a Club fighter, at school however, the School principal Mr. Oroka expels Tobio after finding out his Double life, Tobio is now in a state of depression and having constant visions of his dead mother, it would all seem like the end for Tobio's career when suddenly while training, he is found by a TV Sportscaster and recommends him to sign a deal to broadcast his fights on national Television, he agrees and suggests his Ring name to be "Kid Kamikaze of Yokohama" (横浜のカミカゼ) after Yokohama, his place of birth, he then tells Robert and Hannah the news about his deal, Tobio then trains more harder than before for his first Televised match against 26-Year old Calamity Jones from the UK, as Tobio appears on the TV, he gives Hannah's parents who are watching on TV a big shock, the match begins as Tobio throws Body and head blows at Jones, but no success, but at Round 2, Tobio takes the round and knocks Jones down for the count, thus winning the match.
After having a successful winning streak with 17 wins and barely any losses, Tobio then fights Andrei Eisenstein from the Soviet Union, unfortunately in the 3rd round, Tobio is knocked down and loses by knockout, for a while this creates a dilemma for Tobio and if going pro was really worth it, soon however he is approached by 36-year old undefeated heavyweight champion and expatriate Salvador Havana from Cuba, and they agree to a 15 round match on Christmas day 1967 that be broadcast worldwide, between July and December, Tobio trains rigorously to be stronger and more worthy of fighting an unbeatable menace, as he prepares for the big day though Tobio meets Hannah at her local church, where Tobio decides to convert and becomes a Christian, knowing the lord will always be on his side.
December 25th arrives and the fight is to start, their respective corners are decorated in the flags of Japan and Cuba, their home countries, Tobio says he can fare against Salvador, the fight begins as Tobio and Salvador duke it out, early on during the grueling match, both boxers get facial and body injuries including black eyes, bloody noses, ect., sometimes, Salvador has the upper hand, other times is Tobio, at the last round of the match, Tobio and Salvador are at each other's throats, beating each other senseless, until the round ends, both fighters are separated to avoid further damage, Salvador is declared the winner by split decision, until a bruised and bloodied Tobio falls out cold on the canvas, he soon gets taken to his locker room by his trainer, only to see that Tobio is dying of injuries, leaving Robert, Hannah, her parents, the rest of his pals, and even Salvador in shock and sadness, Tobio finally dies while holding Hannah's hand.
In an epilogue, Robert is seen in Funeral tuxedo (Indicating a funeral for Tobio had took place) wandering in the now abandoned gym, soon to be replaced by a restaurant, he then sees a picture of Tobio and says, "Good work son, Good work..." he then leaves the gym.
== Characters ==
=== Main ===
* Tobio Katsumoto (勝本 飛夫, Katsumoto Tobio) or Toby in English versions, the protagonist of the story, a parent-less street urchin turned Featherweight boxer who always protects those in need, and can attack someone if provoked, known for his brown hair, his orange sweater, red newsboy cap, and Gakuran uniform when at school.
* Robert Shmuel (ロバート・シュムール, Robāto Shumūru) an old WWII Vet of Jewish descent who got lost due to his drunkenness and stayed in the streets of Tokyo since, though overtime, he opened up a Boxing gym in the 50s despite never being a boxer himself, though he has claimed his Father was one, After seeing Tobio's potential, he decides to bet everything on him, believing that Tobio can become an extraordinary boxer.
* Hannah Cacaronie (ハンナ・カカロニー, Han'na Kakaronī) an Italian-American foreign exchange student living with her family, after she was saved from the Mad Mask gang by Tobio, she becomes his love interest and became the series main couple. Tobio was the only boy Hannah ever really loved, and is torn apart after his eventual death. Hannah is known for her Working clothes at home and her Sailor Fuku at school, their romance made this one of the first interracial relations in a manga.
=== Tachi High School ===
* Jiro Takeshi (武 二郎, Takeshi Jirō), Jeremy Bottoms in English dub of the Anime, A weak student whom Tobio saves from bullies, they become the best of friends even after Tobio gets expelled.
*Shohei Ōshima (大島昌平, Ōshima Shohei) Samson Willis in the English dub of the Anime, The school bully who makes Jiro's life a living hell until Tobio comes in and beats him up, defeating him in the process. Eventually Shohei changes his bullying ways and joins Tobio's gang in the battle with Maku's gang.
*Mr. Oroka (愚かさん, Oroka-san) Mr. Orson in the English dub of the Anime, the strict principal of Tachi High School who at times is seen in conflict with Tobio, he is last seen when Tobio is expelled, when he is given a punch to the face by Tobio in return, to the amusement of some of the students.
=== Cacaronie Family ===
* Johnny Cacaronie (ジョニー・カカロニー, Jonī Kakaronī) is Hannah's father who like Robert is a former soldier and is later revealed to be a Boxer himself during his youth.
* Katie Cacaronie (ケイティ・カカロニー, Keiti Kakaronī) is Hannah's mother
* Kyo "Chibi" Cacaronie (京「ちび」カカロニー, Kyō `chibi' Kakaroni) or simply Chibi, is Hannah's adoptive little brother whom can be a bratty half-pint at times, but is respected by her older sister nonetheless, his design was the title character from Tezuka's first published manga "The Diary of Ma-Chan"
=== Opponents ===
*Jean Belmondo (ジョン・ベルモンド, Jon Berumondo), from Paris, France, is Tobio's very first opponent and his most easiest opponent due to his weakness and cowardice, he may have been an inspiration for the Punch-Out!! series' Glass Joe.
*Jo Kashuka (歌手歌 丈 , Kashuka Jō), A reclusive mechanic from Tokyo who wears all black in the ring
*Jazz Kid (ジャズキッド, Jazukiddo), Originating from Harlem, New York City, an African-American Foreign exchange student from another school, he and Tobio start out as enemies but become good friends after.
*Andrei Eisenstein (アンドレイ・エイゼンシュタイン), a Soviet boxer exclusive to the Manga.
*Luca Ferrari (ルカ・フェラーリ), a young fighter from Italy who only appears in the Anime's second season.
*Calamity Jones (カラミティ・ジョーンズ, Karamiti Jōnzu), a fighter from the United Kingdom
*Salvador Havana (サルバドール・ハバナ, Sarubadōru Habana) The perfect champion who had never lost, fought beautifully and was admired by all. He takes great care of his health and family, and is constantly calm and confident, giving an aura of being truly unbeatable. He only breaks down from this during the later stages of his fight with Tobio, where he loses his cool and fears for his life against Tobio's unrelenting spirit. Havana was knocked down for the first time in his career during the fight, and even fouled Tobio violently in a moment of terror. He would win the decision, he may have been an inspiration for Jose Mendoza in Ashita no Joe.
=== Antagonists ===
* Hamegg (ハムエッグ, Hameggu) a frequent character in Tezuka's works, here he plays a sleazy promoter at the local Boxing Club with the intention to fund his crime organization. he usually bribes Tobio to commit a violent act for money, always rejecting, when he does offer him to break somebody's legs, Tobio takes the money, only to break Hamegg's legs, replying "You told me to break a guy's legs, so I did it". While it isn't explicitly stated, it's implied that Hamegg runs other operations in countries besides Japan.
===== Mad Mask Gang =====
* Maku Kata (カタ・マク) Mack the Knife in English versions, the leader of the hooligan gang Mad Mask, he is first seen attempting to harass Hannah before being beat up by Tobio, forcing him to retreat, he comes back again to get his revenge but not before Tobio bands together with his friends and former Boxing rivals, and his gang is defeated as they retreat while Maku is taken to the Police Station.
=== Havana Family ===
* Audrey Havana (オードリー・ハバナ, Ōdorī Habana) Salvador's loving wife who is merely seen in the manga as a background character in the manga but plays a more supporting role in the Anime.
* Miguel Havana (ミゲル・ハバナ, Migeru Habana) the eldest son.
* Juan Havana (フアン・ハバナ, Fuan Habana) the second eldest.
* Peppy Havana (ペッピー・ハバナ, Peppī Habana) the youngest son.
* Lucy Havana (ルーシー・ハバナ, Rūshī Habana) the only daughter.
=== Others ===
* Chief Nakamura (田鷲警部) a character originating from Astro Boy who only appears when Maku is sent to jail
== Origins ==
According to Tezuka, one night while at a bar, he saw a boxing match on TV, not much familiar with the western sport, he was fascinated with how it was different from his country's homegrown combat sports like sumo wrestling. When he got home, he toyed around with the idea for a Boxing-themed manga, but didn't know what to do with it. One day however he decided to draw Astro Boy in boxing gear just for his own amusement, it was there he decided to tinker with that sketch more and changed Astro's hair to be more human-like, eventually he put it away in his personal storage so he could focus on his work. It wouldn't be until 1962 when he decided to use this design for a Rock Holmes chapter called "The Knockout Kid" in which Rock had to help clear the name of a young boxer, there Tobio was formally introduced as said boxer.
Tezuka would later use the design again albeit slightly altered for the first episode of the 1963 Astro Boy anime, showing Tobio as a human boy who dies in a car wreck before the title robot takes his place. After some consideration, Tezuka then began development on what would become The Ballad of Tobio, new characters were created to accompany Tobio in this new manga, such as Robert Shmuel, Hannah Cacaronie (originally named Giulia in character design cards), Maku Kata, Jazz Kid and many more. Robert in particular was made by Tezuka in an attempt to counterbalance the more negative portrayls of American soldiers post-WWII (Tezuka himself was victim to harrasment by American G.I.'s durring the occupation) and offered a more laid back and down to earth depiction, showing not all Americans stationed in Japan were bad. Hannah was similarly added to represent a more positive portrayl of American exchange students as a way of promoting peace and understanding between different countries.
== Adaptations ==
=== Live Action movie (1975) ===
See Toby (1975 film) for more info
=== Anime Series (1979-1982) ===
See The Ballad of Tobio (Anime) for more info
=== Day After Day (1980) ===
See Day After Day for more info
=== Made-for-Television film (1994) ===
See Toby & Hannah's Christmas in Japan for more info
=== Anime film (2005) ===
See New Ballad of Tobio: The Movie for more info
=== Live Action musical (2022) ===
See The Ballad of Tobio & Hannah for more info
== Video Games ==
the series spawned many video games some only released in Japan,
* 1984 - Tobio no barādo (Arcade) - Namco (Japan)/Bally Midway (North America), Released as Hot Streets Internationally
* 1987 - Tobio no barādo: Hottoburaddiddo (Famicom Disk System) - Namco
* 1991 - Sūpā Tobio no barādo (Super Famicom) - Toshiba-EMI
* 2002 - Tobio no barādo: Eikō (Playstation 2, Gamecube) - Sega, GC Version was released in the US as Hot Blooded Street Story: Tobio's Journey
== In Other Languages ==
* Japanese: トビオのバラード, literally "Tobio's Ballad"
* English: The Life of Toby (1984 English dub), The Ballad of Toby (US DVD)
* French: La vie de Tobie (TF1 broadcast), La Ballade de Tobio (French manga title)
* Spanish: la vida de toby (Televisión Española broadcast)
* Italian: La vita di Toby (RAI broadcast)
* German: Toby: Das Boxerkind (Censored ZDF broadcast), Die Ballade von Toby (Uncensored Animax Germany broadcast)
Category:Manga
Category:Sports mangas
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Category:Osamu Tezuka
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Category:The Ballad of Tobio
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