Aoashi

Fotsuan★ 8

Sports anime might be fundamentally similar to each other, but the writing and deliverance can differ a lot. Ao Ashi creates a world full of lessons and hardships, in both football and life. And like most sports anime, it doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of football to appreciate it. The characters are there, the build-up is there, and the emotions are there too, like in any other good anime. The main purpose of this review is to express how well Ao Ashi excels in certain things compared to other sports anime, what it lacks compared to them, and how good it really is overall. Theprotagonist lives in Ehime, a prefecture of Japan that is located on an island and is not famous for its football players. Ashito, who is at a young age, is the best player in his school and is very passionate about football. He decides to try his luck and moves alone to Tokyo, to enter the football powerhouse called Esperion. What I love about Ao Ashi here is how well it portrays the hardships the athlete, their family and friends must struggle with, and how the athlete has to sacrifice everything and leave it all behind, focusing on a single thing – which is football, in our case. There is bittersweet drama and decent character writing. Other than that, there is the test Ashito must face as an outsider, the bullying, the rivalries, and the unsportsmanlike conduct of other players. While on the same time, he works hard, he progresses, and he makes friends and acquaintances. Another point to be made about why Ao Ashi is such a good sports anime is the on-point portrayal of different behaviours inside the football world (coaches, players, managers, nutritionists, etc.) and how everyone plays their own role in the greater image. How Ashito, who wants to improve, will have to face other people who care solely for their own benefit. This is sometimes shown in a harsh way, but at the same time, there are beautiful moments of team spirit and emotions. After all, we are not alone, and we need the strength and faith of people who care about us; this is something else Ao Ashi does well. But the most praiseworthy thing Ao Ashi succeeds in delivering is the difficulty of the sport. Most sports anime take their sports lightly and do not emphasize techniques and serious ways to improve, aside from team spirit and hard work. In Ao Ashi, we know how it is physically exhausting, mentally tiring, and may ruin both your body and psychology. How many techniques have to be taught, how much the athlete must do inside and outside the court, how he has to take care of himself and what huge an emotional capacity is needed. And at the same time, how the trainers can use you for their own benefit without caring about your opinions, and how your teammates can sabotage you or not care about you. As far as character writing is concerned, the most common problem Ao Ashi watchers face is Ashito’s personality. I agree that his behaviour might be annoying at times, but let’s not forget that he’s an immature, ambitious 15-year-old. He is realistic and I hope to see development in his personality in the next seasons; I think it is hinted that there will be. The protagonist matures little by little and views differently his friends, his love interests and even football as a sport. What about the side characters, though? Like I said before, we get to know all different perspectives and behaviours. The main and side casts are detailed, and everyone has a story to support and a dream to pursue. So, whether it is about the matches or the characters, it is not easy to get bored watching Ao Ashi. There is always something interesting going on, and the development is always there. Now, it is worth mentioning that Ao Ashi’s animation is plain and simple, and people who care about flashy animation and non-stop motion often complain about it. To me, the colourful art and the good character designs are enough to make Ao Ashi good visually and aesthetically, so I think there is absolutely no problem with the animation not being fabulous. In addition, the soundtrack is great and creates the perfect atmosphere. OST aside, the opening and ending songs are usually great. The opening sung by Alexandros in the first half is one of the best sports anime openings I have ever heard, since it fits the show’s vibes and radiates a feeling of “hype”. Sadly, the second opening song is not as good, but some people like it due to its good animation… while both ending songs are perfect for closing the episodes. Finally, I would like to mention the original voice-acting cast. It does not feature the most famous names in the industry, but it gives chances to younger voice actors. I do not think the choices were not well-thought though, because the result is positive and I consider the cast great as a whole. Katou Wataru, Yashiro Taku, Oosozu Kouki are all names that could be frequently included in the most-awaited anime in the future. So, what is it that Ao Ashi lacks? As you can understand, since it focuses on a technical and psychological viewpoint this much, some other things are expected to be missing. The first comparison that comes to my mind is with Haikyuu: in the latter, the character dynamics and development during the matches feel stronger, in both main and opponent teams. This is because of the focus on teamwork and the classic “nakama power” that shounen anime tend to show. On the other hand, there are also some scenes where a certain event has occurred before, or a certain technique has been explained to Ashito, and suddenly everyone starts talking about it in the matches – a kind of plot convenience to help the watcher learn more about the sport and see progress. To sum up, to me, Ao Ashi’s pros outnumber its cons and are very interesting, so I consider Ao Ashi a “top tier” sports anime in its own way. It is very different from other sports anime in aspects I have mentioned above, but that’s what makes it worth watching. In the end, it is all a matter of taste and aesthetics, so it is up to the watcher to decide if Ao Ashi is interesting or not – but what it does in terms of writing, it does more than well.

LordSozin★ 7

I like Ao Ashi. What I like about Ao Ashi is the emphasis that in the world of football, not everyone is instantly a top star football player who only plays in the frontline like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. In the world of football, a team consisting of multiple talented players in different positions is what makes different players stand out and valuable in the eyes of many football enthusiasts. When a show like Ao Ashi breaks this false perception in the established norm media, it’s a welcoming thing to see because that means a show like Ao Ashi can explore other aspects offootball other than the conventional route. Ao Ashi begins like any other sports series: A high schooler who’s passionate about the sport he plays and strives to be the best at the sport in the hopes of going professional. Aoi Ashito is, by all means, presented to be the usual run-of-the-mill shounen sports series’ protagonist. A character who embodies all of the positive traits there can be. Thankfully, however, the series does break him down and allows him to go through transition phases and progression while maintaining the said traits. What differentiates Ao Ashi from other sports anime alike is the approach in which this is done. The show is very much grounded in reality. It doesn’t have the over-the-top edginess shenanigans to it like many other shounen sports series out there. This then in turn allows Aoi Ashito’s eventual growth as a player and as a person to feel authentic to the viewers. In earlier episodes, besides the struggle in understanding his own capabilities as a football player, Ashito’s also weighed in by the burden he has on his mother and brother. The series emphasizes the importance of his family and how much they have sacrificed for his dreams. Ashito as a player and person is very much molded by his family’s influences. This is why he feels that if he doesn’t succeed in his dreams, it would be a waste of his family’s hard-earned money, time, and devotion to him. This level of investment that the series has for a part of Ashito’s motivation as a character is humbling to me. Because of the series' strong emphasis on this part of him, we can see why he acts the way he does and the drive he has for his passion. It’s this understanding that makes him much more nuanced than what it may appear on the surface. And the series isn’t afraid of reminding Ashito and the viewers about his upbringing from time to time, which is crucial to the journey that Ashito continues to undergo as a football player. This anime develops Ashito and then immediately breaks him down. Similar to Ace of Diamond, Ashito in this series goes through transition phases and that’s how the development of his character comes into play. Throughout the first half of Ao Ashi, we see how Ashito grows comfortable in his position and play style. He’s very forward-minded. All he ever wants to do on the field is to play the striker positions and score goals—a very typical depiction of main leads in football-related media. He wants to become the best of the best solely in that position and when he’s stripped of that position, he’s left distraught and breaks down. Ashito felt as if his soul was ripped from him because scoring goals and playing the forward position was all he ever conditioned himself to do. This further exacerbated his mentality when his friends and family in the past also encouraged him in his so-desired playing style. But changing his desired position also paved a way for a new perspective. Football is a team sport, which is why it was important for Ashito to finally grasp this concept. It’s part of his character development in the series. This also initiated a much-needed contemplation on his part. Upon reflecting on his past, Ashito realized he was selfish and naive before he entered the academy, and after he entered the academy. He realized he never understood what football was despite being his passion. He felt guilty for blindingly indulging in his friends and family’s trust and praises in him for all those years that he preached about becoming a renowned footballer. By playing in a fullback defender position, Aoi Ashito not only learned the lessons that were needed but also about himself—what defines him as a footballer and his abilities. Ao Ashi as a sports anime presents things on a more microscopic level for viewers to understand. Ao Ashi’s majority of the episodes consist of demonstrating the sport on the side of tactical and strategic plays. But it’s largely presented through the eyes of Ashito as he’s the playmaker on the field. This also inevitably leads him to be a “protagonist” who lacks the fundamental knowledge of football even though he was recruited to a supposed prestigious football academy in Japan. Thus when watching the earlier episodes of the series, the pacing can feel really slow even though it’s decently paced given the amount of content from the original source material that was cut in the sacrifice of time. One can argue the quality of the series in this sense. Ao Ashi is very much on the side of presenting strategies, tactics, and how a game of football is played in different scenarios depending on each team’s approaches and the subtle tactical maneuverings on the field. In doing so, not only the pacing is slow, but it’s also at the risk of losing viewers’ attention if the emphasis on the tactical plays doesn’t interest them. For that, it’s up to each individual’s perception. But to me, this aspect of the series adds a great level of depth and it’s meant to be appreciated as there’s a level of enjoyment it holds. The second major setback to Ao Ashi during the earlier episodes is that of animation–or lack thereof. What consists of the fluid animation is not of football matches or character movements, but of slide-show. The directing was subpar to the like of other Production I.G’s sports series. This inevitably adds to the detriment of some viewers' enjoyment. However, evidently, much of that is gone by the second half of the series. The newfound directing and animation reinvigorated Ao Ashi in my eyes. This is also compelled by the fact that the plot was solely focused on moving forward from its trial arc. Much of Ao Ashi lies in the foundations of football. The ways in which some parts are presented aren’t something to be awed over as it does subsume to the wider anime tropes in some aspects. The characters are much of that case. And I can’t say that I’m fond of it. But it does its job given the writing of these characters is true and down to earth—one other thing that keeps the series from indulging into the edgy territory. In the end, the strong suits in Ao Ashi also compensate for it, which makes it more appealing in my eyes. All in all, I really do recommend Ao Ashi. It is something of its own and it does hold its own integrity to the likes of Haikyu and Ace of Diamond.