Aoashi

I don't often go out of my way to rate things or publicly share my thoughts on things, but this anime is incredible and if we don't get a season 2, I might start a riot. The characters are well crafted and feel unique. They sometimes fit some preexisting anime stereotypes, but the characters also feel fresh and worthy of investment. The in-game action/player development/power level creep is exciting to watch and the episodes end on cliffhangers that draw you in. They do such a good job of creating tension with on and off the field obstacles in Aoi's life. It's also wonderful to see a love story developing that isn't based on fan service. The art style and actual animation is really high quality and for 24 episodes, they've done a beautiful job of making sure the cuts/transitions flow well. Intro and outro songs are playlist adds, absolute fire. I can't say enough good things about this anime, please check it out for yourself and help get a season 2! I don't normally watch shows as they come out, but this show had me in front of my TV or computer every Saturday, y'all are lucky and get to watch the first season in one swoop.

I've seen many anime, but this one is the one that has impacted me the most. The character development is really accurate to how some players will think in real life, but what I like the most is how those character feelings are portrayed in the episodes. The shadowing, the facial expressions, and coloring really adds to the emotion. The way these characters are written make them easy for the audience to connect with at least one of the characters, so many experiences that a player can go through and this show helps us understand the difficult moments a player has to undergo. Another important fact that I seriously love about this anime, is that the story is not really rushed and they pay attention to so many details. So far in my opinion, this is the anime that has been the most accurate to how people would think and feel in real life. Life is not always about blue skies and rainbows and this anime is one of the few that have been able to show us that. An absolutely beautiful show, well written, and filled with amazing character development.

As people tend to watch a lot of sports anime, some of the story become as cliché as it can get. They follow the same route like many others such as, a kid, with or without any special abilities, meet friends, training, enter competition and the story end with a high note (usually the team that MC plays for win the competition).

But, Ao Ashi, while it seems to follow the generic road, it does not lead to the same conclusion, the story itself is about a kid from Ehime, enter a youth team for an existing club (in the anime not real life) and began to know what soccer is all about. His brain and knowledge on the game change from a Sunday League IQ into a professional player mind during the course of the story, The story itself is just a summary of how a kid enter a youth team in order to become a professional. While there are few exaggerate element , this is the most real as it can get.

There is no super power like Captain Tsubasa or Inazuma Eleven or there is no illogical skills which can be seen in Blue Lock. All the training and tactics seems to be more lean towards realism and while others soccer storyline have either a broken MC who superb all the way from the start to finish or a weak MC who gradually become the best, Ao Ashi tend to push for a different route. The MC have major flaws that cannot be changes(physical) and he only have his tenacity to learn and his inborn talent of bird eye view.

For people who want a fast bombastic and crazy stunt, this anime is not for you. The anime is very slow pace in term of character development. Hence, while it does have a good storyline, the anime might not be your cup of tea if you don't like anime with slow build up.

Ao Ashi is the first 24-episode anime I watched while airing, which means I watched this weekly for 6 months. And I loved it. I won't deny that I did not enjoy some episodes in the 1st half as much, but the 13th episode completely surprised me and turned the story on it's head. It seemed like I knew exactly where the story was going in the first half but that completely changes in the 2nd half, and it made sense later why the first half was slow and why they created a certain environment before going in the 2nd act. This anime did a great job in showing the mental struggles of an athlete and that things won't always go as you want in this profession. You have to adapt according to your skills. And, as you would expect from a sports anime, there are plenty of cheer-worthy moments as well.

ENG Ao Ashi tells an inspiring story through the eyes of Ashito, a passionate young football player chasing his dream. The matches are intense and often come down to the wire, which keeps the excitement alive. The animation is solid, and the art style gives off a vibe similar to My Hero Academia.

Ashito's character development is one of the anime's strongest points. Watching him grow from a reckless, solo-minded player into a more strategic and team-focused one is satisfying. However, one major flaw is how almost every character seems overly fixated on Ashito, which hurts the depth and realism of the supporting cast.

Overall, it's an enjoyable and motivating sports anime, though it struggles with balance at times.

Rating: 8/10.