What Ashito doesn’t know is that a current youth coach for Esperion FC, a Tokyo based club is at the game. The reason of his visit was just nostalgia. The coach is from this area, and his is also a former international player, who’s promising career got cut short because of a serious injury (in classic anime troupe, they never really tell you what it was, but lets say he has some chronic/degenerative knee issues). He dreams of creating a mighty club with immense youth products. He wants a Japanese La Masia, to create one of the best soccer youth academies in the world. The club itself is already youth oriented, has impressive facilities (to Ashito at least) and features a lot of youth graduates already in the team. Each youth graduate playing a important role in the first team.

Morrissy, Kim (March 10, 2023). "Spanish Soccer Athlete Andrés Iniesta Endorses Aoashi Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023 . Retrieved March 10, 2023. Transcription: " Tōkyō-to Rīgu Dai Nanasetsu Tama Taiiku Daigaku Fuzoku Kōkō Sen" ( Japanese: 東京都リーグ第7節 多摩体育大学附属高校戦)Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 27, 2021). "Yūgo Kobayashi's Aoashi Soccer Manga Gets Spring 2022 TV Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022 . Retrieved May 27, 2021. Pour se faire une bonne idée de cette série, je recommande de lire les tomes 1 et 2, car ils forment un arc. Les tomes 3 et 4 d'ailleurs suivent la même structure. in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023 . Retrieved October 30, 2023. There is very technical growth happening here on the micro level which the characters don't always get right all the time. I've actually pulled from some of the lessons and techniques in this series to inspire me to be a better bartender, leader, and teacher. in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022 . Retrieved November 10, 2022.

in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020 . Retrieved July 12, 2017. I like how the mangaka clearly knows a lot about soccer. He is familiar or is a fan of the sport to a high degree. There are tactical discussions that aren’t just gibberish but actually make sense. The club is well thought out. The way they explained youth development and the various processes involved with it ring true. It touches the stone heart of this Football Manager gaming fan greatly. And what I like most of all, its not shonen in the same way something like Kuroko’s Basketball is shonen. There are no special moves or outlandishly dumb stuff that bastardize the sport. Soccer as well as basketball are globally super popular, no need to invent finishing moves, just show the passion and the skill. Aoashi does that brilliantly. It is slow and incremental in its storytelling but every little step of growth for the characters feels naturally satisfying and always building to something greater. Chapters in (about halfway through what's out) and this might have bumped up to one of my favorite pieces of fiction, period. The research into the world of football (soccer for the American) is detailed and thoughtful. The cast is huge but the characters all stand out.in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021 . Retrieved October 16, 2020. a b c d e Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 27, 2022). "Aoashi Soccer Anime Adds 5 Cast Members". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022 . Retrieved February 27, 2022. a b c d e Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 14, 2022). "Aoashi Soccer Anime's Promo Video Reveals More Cast, Theme Song Artists". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022 . Retrieved March 14, 2022.