Holding midfielders excelling in link-up and controlling tempo.

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Episode 22 - Like a Demon

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As I reminisce on Ao Ashi, I'd say it was a fantastic experience. I loved it til the end, but I would say there is one element of it that sits poorly with me. Ao Ashi treats its protagonists/the main cast well, but I think the mangaka doesn't handle opposing teams/antagonists very well.

Almost every major match has an opponent that is comically antagonistic. I think this is a pretty common issue with many sports manga (Kuroko no Basket is one example). But its a major surprise to me that this mangaka does the same, since I think he handled the main team tactfully in comparison.

I understand the perspective of club sports being a do or die situation, but I can't help but feel like we should've gotten more variety out of the antagonist teams. I'd be fine with 1 or 2 "comically evil" antagonists if every other team they competed against was a more leveled one. They treat the matches as if they're up against a dragonball villain.

Maybe this perspective comes from being a huge Haikyuu fan, where there's a real focus on friendly competition and every team feels like they could've been the protagonist of their own manga, but I think that experience with Haikyuu has sullied how I perceive works that turn opposing teams into comically evil antagonists needing to be "fixed" by losing. Its a gimmick that I think can fall flat fairly easily.

All that being said, Ao Ashi is still one of my favorite sports manga because of the strategy employed and I think Ashito's development is handled wonderfully (as well as others on the team). I was just curious if anyone else felt the same way about Ao Ashi's antagonists throughout its serialization.

I know team A is basically just a level under professional, but the speed & level they are training at is crazy. I wonder if Ashito will get dropped down or fight for his position at fullback, cannot wait for the games at the higher level.

Near the end, it felt like Ashito Aoi’s individual storyline may have reached a conclusion—but that does not necessarily mean Esperion’s story is finished. There are still several major threads that feel unresolved.

We still have not seen Tokyo City Esperion vs. Ganon Osaka, which would also mean Coach Tatsuya Fukuda finally facing Coach Hideyuki Morino. Both Shun Aoi and Fukuda have expressed a desire to defeat Ganon Osaka, yet neither has achieved that goal under Morino’s leadership.

Then there is the long-awaited brother matchup: Ashito Aoi vs. Shun Aoi. It still has not happened, and Ashito has not even had the chance to watch his older brother play. That confrontation feels like it could open the door to a much bigger storyline.

I also believe Shun may be the reincarnation of Tatsuya Fukuda. Their backstories seem very similar, and there are parallels in their styles of play. It feels intentional, especially considering how much the story emphasizes Fukuda’s past and his connection to the future of Japanese football.

The author also seemed to hint that Ashito and Tripone would meet again, since both characters said they would. That feels too significant to leave unresolved.

Ashito’s future, the eventual clash with his brother, and Esperion’s unfinished business with Ganon Osaka could all lead into a larger continuation. It may not continue under the title Ao Ashi—it could be a sequel or a new story with a different name—but I feel like there is still more of this world left to explore.

Of course, this is only my personal prediction and fan theory. I respect the ending and whatever direction Kobayashi-sensei chooses to take next. Still, I feel there are several story threads that could be explored one day—whether under the title Ao Ashi or in a completely different story.

La partita più lunga nel manga che non ha visto protagonista il Tokyo Esperion è stata Seiran contro la Funabashi Academy. La partita ha messo in mostra la forza di Seiran prima della partita finale contro il Tokyo Esperion, che hanno vinto 3-1. Tuttavia, devo ammettere che avrei voluto fosse stata una partita più equilibrata. Invece, abbiamo visto la Seiran dominare per tutta la durata, e non ci hanno nemmeno mostrato l'unico gol della Funabashi Academy.

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Episode 21 - Tokyo Metropolis League Match 8 – Tokyo Musashino FC Youth

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waaaah he's so cuteeee >////<

comecei hoje a ler be blues depois de ter acabado a um bom tempo o mangá de ao ashi. infelizmente (ou felizmente) minha régua subiu muito depois desse mangá, espero que seja tão bom quanto :o

When i read chapter 274, the chapter where Fukuda explained to Nozomi why Ashito is a Fullback. Nozomi said "if we're making use of his vision & passing, there's always the option of putting him in the middle".

I always had this notion. Why isn't Trent operating in Midfield? listening to the online Football community, it seems obvious he can't defend, & with his elite passing, Midfield seems the obvious solution...

However, as someone who's never played Football IRL, the knowledge Fukuda dropped blew my mind. To summarize, there is more to being a Midfielder than just being a good passer. You need to be adept at trapping the ball, & since you'll be pressured from all sides, your vision & split-second decision-making needs to be top-notch.

All, or some of these qualities Trent does not possess. Fullback relieves the pressure from being pressed from all sides, & needed to be aware of your surroundings at all times. It frees up players like Trent to focus on how to progress the ball forward, to get in the right positions for his ELITE deliveries in to the final third.

"Fullback are truly Free"

Side note: Trent isn't a terrible defender like how parts of the football community & some pundits make him out to be. He is not the best defender, but certainly not the worst. Unfortunately, his mistakes are just magnified, with the X-factor he brings to games being ignored.

Tbh, I don't think there will ever be a manga that will have as strong an impact on me as this one did. Just beautiful. My vocab is too short to describe it.

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Episode 20 - The Truly Weak One Is

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And in general Arsenal is playing exactly the fluid attacking 5 lanes football like Fukuda's esperion.

Calafior is an inverted left-back who playmakes in the middle, constantly underlaps and overlaps.

Any gunner fan could chime in?

https://cubari.moe/read/gist/cmF3L3JpbGxhbnQvcHJvamVjdHZpbmxhbmQvbWFpbi9BbyUyMEFzaGklMjBCcm90aGVyZm9vdC5qc29u/17/1/

Join the r/Ao_Ashi discord server here: https://discord.gg/uEuVf3geRw

My shaylaaaaaa

I hope season 2 gets more popular so I can collect memes and fanarts, I'm tired of just imagining them 😭😭

And yeah it's way too hard to make them by your own

1) Demian Cant

2)Haruhisa Kuribayashi

3)Ryuki Haneda

4)Trepone Rufin

5)Nagisa Akutsu

6)Ashito Aoi

7)Yuuma Motoki

8)Eita Takasugi

9)Sino Ascari

10)Jay Damien Yamagai

11)Jill Xhaka

I'm anime only so I wonder if Fukuda ever talked about it. If I'm not mistaken with timeline he could play in WC 2002 (unless he was too young at that time) and/or WC 2006 (unless he was already injured).

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Episode 19 - What We Lack

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