Aoashi

<i>Aoashi</i>

Aoashi

Japanese manga series


Aoashi (アオアシ)[lower-alpha 1] is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi and based on a concept by Naohiko Ueno. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits since January 2015. The series involves youth football player Ashito Aoi and his journey and experiences in the Tokyo Esperion youth academy.

Quick Facts アオアシ, Genre ...

An anime television series adaptation produced by Production I.G aired from April to September 2022.

By March 2024, the manga had over 20 million copies in circulation. In 2020, the manga won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the general category.

Synopsis

Aoashi tells the story of young Ashito Aoi in his third year at Ehime City Middle School and his meeting with football coach Tatsuya Fukuda. Ashito, although talented, is a difficult boy, but Fukuda believes in him and invites him to join his own team. Ashito could well change the face of Japanese football.

Characters

Tokyo Esperion

Ashito Aoi (青井 葦人, Aoi Ashito)
Voiced by: Kōki Ohsuzu[3] (Japanese); Ciarán Strange[4] (English)
Ashito joined Team Esperion from the Ehime Prefecture after impressing Coach Fukuda with his vision, dedication and commitment to improving. At the beginning, he played as a forward, but Fukuda converts him into a left back much to his chagrin.
Eisaku Ohtomo (大友 栄作, Ōtomo Eisaku)
Voiced by: Tatsumaru Tachibana[3] (Japanese); Christopher Llewyn Ramirez,[5] Ben Balmaceda (14–24)[6] (English)
A central midfielder for Esperion's B Team and Ashito's first friend at Esperion.
Sōichirō Tachibana (橘 総一朗, Tachibana Sōichirō)
Voiced by: Seiichirō Yamashita[3] (Japanese); Clifford Chapin[5] (English)
A centre-forward for Esperion's B Team and friend of Ashito. He was a former player for Tokyo Musashino.
Keiji Togashi (冨樫 慶司, Togashi Keiji)
Voiced by: Taku Yashiro[3] (Japanese); Marcus D. Stimac[7] (English)
A centre-back for Esperion's B Team and Ashito's roommate.
Kanpei Kuroda (黒田 勘平, Kuroda Kanpei)
Voiced by: Shun Horie[3] (Japanese); Ry McKeand[7] (English)
An Esperion academy graduate and central midfielder for Esperion's B Team.
Jun Martis Asari (朝利 マーチス 淳, Asari Māchisu Jun)
Voiced by: Wataru Katō[3] (Japanese); Mitchell Stephens[7] (English)
An Esperion academy graduate and full-back for Esperion's B Team.
Yūma Motoki (本木 遊馬, Motoki Yūma)
Voiced by: Junya Enoki[3] (Japanese); Ricco Fajardo[7] (English)
An Esperion academy graduate and forward who recently got promoted to Esperion's A Team.
Ryūichi Takeshima (竹島 龍一, Takeshima Ryūichi)
Voiced by: Kentarō Kumagai[3] (Japanese); Austin Tindle[6] (English)
An Esperion academy graduate and centre-back for Esperion's B Team.
Tatsuya Fukuda (福田 達也, Fukuda Tatsuya)
Voiced by: Chikahiro Kobayashi[3] (Japanese); Eric Vale[4] (English)
The head coach of Tokyo Esperion Youth Team A and former footballer.
Nagisa Akutsu (阿久津 渚, Akutsu Nagisa)
Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi[8] (Japanese); Brienne Olvera[9] (English)
A centre-back for Esperion's A Team. He tends to be Ashito's harshest critic.
Haruhisa Kuribayashi (栗林 晴久, Kuribayashi Haruhisa)
Voiced by: Yūichirō Umehara[8]
The playmaker for Esperion's A Team.
Taira Nakamura (中村 平, Nakamura Taira)
Voiced by: Kensho Ono[10] (Japanese); Jason Liebrecht[11] (English)
Yōichi Kiriki (桐木 曜一, Kiriki Yōichi)
Voiced by: Koki Uchiyama[10]
Eita Takasugi (高杉 榮太, Takasugi Eita)
Voiced by: Makoto Furukawa[10] (Japanese); Christopher Wehkamp[12] (English)
Kenta Yoshitsune (義経 健太, Yoshitsune Kenta)
Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu[13] (Japanese); David Matranga[12] (English)
Nozomi Date (伊達 望, Date Nozomi)
Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto[10] (Japanese); Robert McCollum[5] (English)
The head coach of Esperion's B Team.

Supporting characters

Hana Ichijō (一条 花, Ichijō Hana)
Voiced by: Maki Kawase[3] (Japanese); Marisa Duran[4] (English)
Fukuda's younger step-sister and nutritionist. She doesn't understand football, but she declares herself as Ashito's biggest fan.
Anri Kaidō (海堂 杏里, Kaidō Anri)
Voiced by: Reina Ueda[10] (Japanese); Molly Zhang[11] (English)
The heiress of one of Tokyo Esperion's sponsors. She has substantial football knowledge and hopes to be a manager one day. She also develops a crush on Ashito.
Aoi Kaneko (金子 葵, Kaneko Aoi)
Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu[13] (Japanese); Giovannie Cruz[12] (English)
Noriko Aoi (青井 紀子, Aoi Noriko)
Voiced by: Mie Sonozaki[13] (Japanese); Monica Rial[4] (English)
Ashito and Shun's mother. She is initially against Ashito joining Tokyo Esperion due to lack of funds.
Shun Aoi (青井 瞬, Aoi Shun)
Voiced by: Yoshiki Nakajima[13] (Japanese); Blake McNamara[4] (English)
Ashito's older brother and former footballer.

Tokyo Musashino

Akinori Kaneda (金田 晃教, Kaneda Akinori)
Voiced by: Takuya Eguchi[14] (Japanese); Cody Savoie[5] (English)
A former trialist at Tokyo Esperion seeking revenge against Ashito.
Junnosuke Nakano (中野 淳之介, Nakano Junnosuke)
Voiced by: Koutaro Nishiyama[14] (Japanese); Kevin D. Thelwell[5] (English)
Another former trialist at Tokyo Esperion who makes friends with Ashito at the trial.
Chiaki Mutō (武藤 千秋, Mutō Chiaki)
Voiced by: Yūki Ono[14] (Japanese); Ivan Jasso[15] (English)
Kōji Satake (佐竹 晃司, Satake Kōji)
Voiced by: Tomoaki Maeno[14] (Japanese); Landon McDonald[15] (English)
The head coach of Tokyo Musashino.
Miyako Tachibana (橘 都, Tachibana Miyako)
Voiced by: Kei Shindō[14] (Japanese); Kat Lozano[15] (English)
Sōichirō's younger sister.

Media

Manga

Aoashi is written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi, and based on an original concept by Naohiko Ueno. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Big Comic Spirits since January 5, 2015.[16] Shogakukan has compiled its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was published on April 30, 2015.[17] As of March 29, 2024, 35 volumes have been published.[18] An alternate tankōbon edition for younger audiences, called Aoashi Junior-ban (アオアシ ジュニア版), began publication on March 17, 2022; this edition, published under Shōnen Sunday Comics imprint, features furigana and full-color guide written by former Kawasaki Frontale player Kengo Nakamura.[19] As of June 16, 2023, 31 volumes of the Junior-ban edition have been published.[20] The series is licensed in Southeast Asia by Shogakukan Asia.[21]

A spin-off manga series, also written and illustrated by Kobayashi, titled Aoashi Brotherfoot (アオアシ ブラザーフット, Aoashi Burazāfutto), was serialized for five chapters in Weekly Big Comic Spirits from July 12 to August 23, 2021.[22][23][24] Its chapters were collected in a single tankōbon volume, released on August 30, 2021.[25]

Volumes

More information No., Release date ...

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced in May 2021.[59] The series is produced by Production I.G and directed by Akira Satō, with scripts written by Masahiro Yokotani, and character designs by Manabu Nakatake, Toshie Kawamura, Asuka Yamaguchi, and Saki Hasegawa, with Nakatake and Yamaguchi also serving as chief animation directors. Masaru Yokoyama composed the series' music. It aired from April 9 to September 24, 2022, on NHK Educational TV.[3][8] The first opening theme song is "Mushin Hakusū" by Alexandros, while the first ending theme song is "Blue Diary" by Rinne.[13] The second opening theme song is "Presence" by Superfly, while the second ending theme song is "Color Lily no Koibumi" by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai.[14]

Crunchyroll has licensed the series outside of Asia.[60] On April 11, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered on April 23.[61][4] Disney Platform Distribution licensed the series in Southeast Asia.[62]

Episodes

More information No., Title ...

Reception

Aoashi was nominated for the 10th Manga Taishō awards in 2017,[66] and ranked fourth with 60 points.[67] In 2020, along with Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, the manga won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the general category.[68][69][70] The series ranked 20th on the 2022 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine.[71]

By April 2020, the manga had over 4.5 million copies in circulation, including digital versions;[72] over 10 million copies in circulation, including digital versions, by February 2022;[73] over 12 million copies in circulation by June 2022;[74] over 15 million copies in circulation by August 2022;[75] over 17 million copies in circulation by February 2023;[55] over 18 million copies in circulation by May 2023;[56] and over 20 million copies in circulation by March 2024.[76]

In March 2023, the manga was recommended by Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta.[77]

See also

Notes

  1. Ao means 'blue", which is the colour of Japan national football team, while ashi means "feet". Ao () also comes from ("青春", lit. "youth", "blue spring"). The title also means "blue reed", which represents immaturity.[2]
  2. Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.

References

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  3. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 28, 2021). "Aoashi Soccer Anime's Teaser Unveils Cast, Staff, April 2022 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
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  5. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 9, 2022). "Aoashi Soccer Anime Reveals 2 More Cast Members, Visual, April 9 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  6. 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.
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