Coach Fukuda has some drastic news for Aoi. Despite the seemingly upward curve Aoi seems to be following along the past few episodes, accompanied by some really good wins, Aoi will not be playing the forward position on the team. What could be the reason? Let’s find out more in this review of Aoashi Episode 14.
Aoashi Episode 14 Overview
Aoashi, also referred to as Ao Ashi, is a sports anime based on a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi. It has been serialized in Shogakukan’s seinen manga magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits since January 2015. It is being produced by Production I.G, who have great hits such as Guilty Crown, Psycho-Pass, Kuroko’s Basketball, Haikyuu!!, Psycho-Pass 3 and Moriarty the Patriot.
Ao Ashi follows the story of a third-year middle school student Ashito Aoi living in Ehime prefecture, a backwater town in Japan. Ashito seems to possess talent but has a very straightforward personality. Because of this, other players dislike playing with him. Finally, he was able to join an average team where he felt accepted and came into the eyes of the coach of the youth team, Tatsuya Fukuya. Aoashi proceeds to showcase his journey from here.
The anime is being directed by Akira Satou, who worked on previous projects such as Deadman Wonderland and Release the Spyce, with scripts written by Masahiro Yokotani, and Nakatake and Yamaguchi also serving as chief animation directors. This episode of the show is also known as Ao Ashi Episode 14.
– Ao Ashi Episode 14 Review does not contain any spoilers –
Aoashi Episode 14 Review- Front To Back
The episode last week ended up on a high-tension-inducing note. We have seen Aoi set aside his ego and learn from the basics of soccer again. He accepted his flawed knowledge and style of playing soccer and started from square one again. Even with all the head-butting he got into with some other players, Aoi was finally getting the hang of it. He even was one of the primary reasons for the wins that Team B had in the last few games. With all this in full momentum, Aoi seemed hyped up, and we thought he would continue down this victory path. But it seems like it was all a sham.
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Aoi receives a devastating declaration from Coach Fukuda. His position on the team has been changed- from forward to defence, the geographically opposite post. Saying that this news caught Aoi off-guard would be an understatement. The guy is a maniac when it comes to scoring while being on the field. His whole idea of soccer started just to score and have fun even when he was back in Ehime. Even though we, the viewers, can see and understand that Aoi probably would never have been the best as a forward, Fukuda’s declaration seemed too sudden and heartless.
Ao Ashi Episode 14 kept you on edge the entire time. We slowly see the rest of the team hear the team position updates and immediately spring into action, looking for and comforting Aoi. This incident represents the rapport built among the players. Akutsu is back in this episode of Aoashi and continues to remain an unlikable character. On the other hand, Coach Nozomi, who had been another one of the most hated characters so far to get a bit more screen time, displaying his true intentions and emotions, and they align with the well-being of our beloved characters.
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With superior animation quality, this episode packed a lot of story and emotions into a short duration. The episode ride was so smooth that multiple characters came and went, with their interactions reinforcing their personality sketch, and the story moved forward by a significant portion- and all this goes unnoticed until you sit to break down the episode. Only then do you realize the mature writing in Aoashi and the amazing soccer anime it has shaped up to be. And yes, Hana is amazing!
Prognosis
Aoashi Episode 14 is a smooth episode that packed a big punch. The plot is interesting, and with the fantastic character casts, it will be going just uphill from here.