ONA
Description
Joe is a central character in the 2023 anime series, known as Satoru Matsuda to those around him. He is the best friend of the protagonist, Boco, and the two have been inseparable since they met in the first grade. Their friendship began when Joe defended Boco from bullies, an event that forged a deep and lasting bond between them.
Joe's personality is defined by a strong sense of responsibility and a protective nature, which stems from a traumatic childhood. At a very young age, he lost his mother and younger brother in a car accident. This tragedy had a profound effect on his family; his father was unable to cope with the grief and turned to alcohol, becoming unable to hold a job or care for himself. As a result, Joe was forced to mature rapidly. He works as a paperboy to pay the family's bills and takes on all the household chores, including ensuring his father eats. This difficult upbringing has made Joe acutely aware of how fragile life can be, which fuels his powerful desire to protect the people he cares about, especially his friends.
While Joe is just as courageous as his friend Boco, he is notably more cautious and does not recklessly dive into danger. He often serves as the voice of reason within the group, expressing doubts and urging caution when others are excited by the extraordinary events unfolding around them. This careful disposition, however, does not mean he will abandon his friends. He is consistently present when they need him, ready to face any threat by their side. His tragic past also makes him slow to trust adults and outsiders. He is deeply suspicious of the Eustace Foundation, a distrust that proves to be well-founded as the story progresses.
His key relationships are central to his character. The bond with Boco is the most significant; Joe sees a reflection of his lost younger brother in Boco, which intensifies his protective instincts to the point of being willing to sacrifice his own life. Their friendship is tested when Joe’s constant suspicion of the Foundation leads to an argument, during which Boco reminds him that he is not his deceased brother. This moment of conflict ultimately leads to a reconciliation, with both recognizing their mistakes. He also has a contentious relationship with Brody, another member of their group, initially clashing with him frequently. Joe only accepts Brody as a true friend after Brody proves his loyalty by standing up to his own father to help Gamera.
Joe's role in the story is that of the group's caretaker and moral anchor. His most defining act comes during the climax, when the children are escaping from the Foundation's plan to feed them to the kaiju Viras. Their space shuttle is attacked and catches fire, and the system for ejecting the escape pods fails. Seeing his friends in mortal danger, Joe makes the selfless decision to sacrifice himself. He stays behind in the cabin to manually eject the pod containing Boco, Junichi, and Brody, saving their lives while accepting his own apparent death. His final words to Boco are a poignant request not to give up on riding his bicycle, a personal goal Boco had been struggling with.
The series suggests a potential development for Joe after this heroic act. While his friends believe he perished in the explosion, a post-credits scene reveals that Joe survived. He is heard trying to contact Boco using their communication device, but by this time, Boco had moved on from their old hideout and left the device behind, unknowingly missing the message that his best friend is still alive. Joe does not possess any superhuman or notable physical abilities; his strengths are entirely human, rooted in his resilience, loyalty, and the extraordinary strength of his character forged through hardship.
Joe's personality is defined by a strong sense of responsibility and a protective nature, which stems from a traumatic childhood. At a very young age, he lost his mother and younger brother in a car accident. This tragedy had a profound effect on his family; his father was unable to cope with the grief and turned to alcohol, becoming unable to hold a job or care for himself. As a result, Joe was forced to mature rapidly. He works as a paperboy to pay the family's bills and takes on all the household chores, including ensuring his father eats. This difficult upbringing has made Joe acutely aware of how fragile life can be, which fuels his powerful desire to protect the people he cares about, especially his friends.
While Joe is just as courageous as his friend Boco, he is notably more cautious and does not recklessly dive into danger. He often serves as the voice of reason within the group, expressing doubts and urging caution when others are excited by the extraordinary events unfolding around them. This careful disposition, however, does not mean he will abandon his friends. He is consistently present when they need him, ready to face any threat by their side. His tragic past also makes him slow to trust adults and outsiders. He is deeply suspicious of the Eustace Foundation, a distrust that proves to be well-founded as the story progresses.
His key relationships are central to his character. The bond with Boco is the most significant; Joe sees a reflection of his lost younger brother in Boco, which intensifies his protective instincts to the point of being willing to sacrifice his own life. Their friendship is tested when Joe’s constant suspicion of the Foundation leads to an argument, during which Boco reminds him that he is not his deceased brother. This moment of conflict ultimately leads to a reconciliation, with both recognizing their mistakes. He also has a contentious relationship with Brody, another member of their group, initially clashing with him frequently. Joe only accepts Brody as a true friend after Brody proves his loyalty by standing up to his own father to help Gamera.
Joe's role in the story is that of the group's caretaker and moral anchor. His most defining act comes during the climax, when the children are escaping from the Foundation's plan to feed them to the kaiju Viras. Their space shuttle is attacked and catches fire, and the system for ejecting the escape pods fails. Seeing his friends in mortal danger, Joe makes the selfless decision to sacrifice himself. He stays behind in the cabin to manually eject the pod containing Boco, Junichi, and Brody, saving their lives while accepting his own apparent death. His final words to Boco are a poignant request not to give up on riding his bicycle, a personal goal Boco had been struggling with.
The series suggests a potential development for Joe after this heroic act. While his friends believe he perished in the explosion, a post-credits scene reveals that Joe survived. He is heard trying to contact Boco using their communication device, but by this time, Boco had moved on from their old hideout and left the device behind, unknowingly missing the message that his best friend is still alive. Joe does not possess any superhuman or notable physical abilities; his strengths are entirely human, rooted in his resilience, loyalty, and the extraordinary strength of his character forged through hardship.