Are you itching for some sports, especially a soccer anime, this Spring 2022? Another sports legend seems to be in the making. Aoashi Episode 1 brings the journey of a young, aspiring football player from a backwater town in Japan. Let’s find out in this review!
Aoashi Episode 1 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.
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 1.
– Aoashi Episode 1 Review does not contain any spoilers –
Aoashi Review – The Beginning Of A New Soccer Journey!
Aside from Love All Play (badminton), Aoashi is set to be released this season. It is a sports anime with football (soccer) as its principal premise. Feel the heat from this football anime yet? Let’s talk about this a bit more!
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Ao Ashi Episode 1 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. This anime proceeds to showcase his journey from here.
Ao Ashi seems to present itself as one of the rare anime where the main protagonist is realistic. Surely he is talented but not a born prodigy. He is very hard-working and possesses incredible will and stamina. His temperament, at first glance, looks to be somewhat egoistic, very outspoken, and straightforward. But as we proceed on the journey with him, we realize other aspects of his personality-caring, protective, resilient, and passionate. In less than 24 minutes, he can fiercely convince us to walk on the journey with him.
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Aoashi uses almost exclusively an eagle eye’s perspective for all of the large motion scenes, along with some characters explaining the tactics making for an extremely accessible and easy-to-follow orientation. You won’t get lost in the build-up of fuzzy scenes.
The setting of the anime also gives it an advantage. Instead of starting in high school, Ao Ashi starts in middle school. Although we might not see any immediate tournaments approaching, giving it a very common premise what most sports anime have. We see the perspective of what an ordinary player might have to face to reach the top!
The pacing and development are very well-paced, and it does not feel that the main character is “suddenly powering up”. The art style is very refreshing. The character blueprint is also good. Ashito is likeable, and so we root for him. But he is a selfish forward who does not like to pass, and he openly proclaims that. This makes his character more realistic. The narrative account was speedily and carefully treaded upon but is never rushed, so it is a great watch. You will be invested in the story as soon as you start watching!
Verdict
Aoashi Episode 1 introduced a whole new viewpoint of realizing a soccer journey. This anime holds the full potential to make one cry, laugh, and get thrilled. If sports or thrill or even good comradeship is your genre, this anime is to be put on a must-watch list!
Click here to read the review of the previous episode!