With the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off on June 11, now is the perfect time to dive into a soccer anime. If you think you need deep knowledge of tactics and positions to enjoy one, think again. Let us introduce you to ‘Aoashi’ – an anime that hooks even the most soccer-illiterate viewer.
What Is ‘Aoashi’?
Based on the manga by Kobayashi Yuugo, serialized in Weekly Big Comic Spirits since 2015, ‘Aoashi’ follows Aoi Ashito, a middle schooler from Ehime who one day meets Fukuda Tatsuya, the youth team coach of J.League powerhouse Tokyo City Esperion. Invited to a selection trial, Ashito moves to Tokyo and, through repeated setbacks and growth, strives to become a professional soccer player. The TV anime aired from April to September 2022, earning praise for its realistic soccer portrayal and Ashito’s down-to-earth development. Season 2 (‘Aoashi Season 2’) is confirmed for October 2026.
1. Learn Soccer Alongside the Protagonist
One of ‘Aoashi’’s biggest draws is that you learn soccer alongside Ashito. While many sports anime feature a prodigy who blazes a trail, Ashito is different. He has a wide field of vision and picks things up quickly, but he struggles badly at the youth club and is treated as a laggard. This allows the series to patiently explain soccer fundamentals. In Episode 8, “Night Practice,” Ashito is called out for lacking basic “stop and kick” technique and spends all night practicing traps. I initially wondered why such drills were necessary, but when Ashito later realizes that “stopping = a crucial action for moving the ball next,” I had an “aha!” moment right along with him. The show makes the viewer’s learning mirror the protagonist’s.
Furthermore, for those who thought soccer was all about speed and physicality, the depth of tactics and situational awareness revealed in ‘Aoashi’ is refreshing. Watching the World Cup with the perspective gained from this anime will surely make the experience different and more enjoyable.
2. You Can’t Help but Cheer for His Gritty Struggle
Honestly, I didn’t like Ashito at first. He was a cocky kid shouting “Give me the ball! Let me score!” and often oblivious to his surroundings. Even though he was likely a star back home, I doubted he’d cut it at the youth level. And indeed, Ashito hits wall after wall. The most striking moment is Episode 9, “Spreading Soccer,” during a practice match. Ashito thinks he’s acting clever, but he makes a “play that anyone with soccer experience knows is forbidden,” angering his teammates. Because he has no knowledge or experience, he doesn’t even understand why they’re mad and stands there stunned. It’s painfully real.
Yet Ashito doesn’t give up. He admits his shortcomings, trains harder than anyone, and humbly asks coaches to teach him. Instead of leaping over obstacles with overwhelming talent, he climbs step by step through repeated failure. Watching that “gritty, mud-smeared figure” eventually turned me from a skeptic into a supporter.
3. The Heartfelt Family Support
Another memorable aspect of ‘Aoashi’ is how carefully it depicts family relationships. While many sports anime focus on bonds with teammates or rivals, this series also devotes significant time to the family that supports Ashito. His family is far from wealthy. His mother Kimiko raises two sons alone, and his older brother Shun works part-time to help make ends meet. It’s easy to imagine how hard it is to continue soccer and aim for pro under those circumstances.
Still, the family never stops cheering for Ashito’s dream. Episode 5, “Orange Colored Landscape,” is especially moving. When Ashito travels to Tokyo, he discovers a bankbook with 200,000 yen and new cleats that his mother had secretly prepared for him. Despite often being strict and even saying “It feels like soccer is taking you away from me,” she had been rooting for him all along. I was in tears.
Ashito, in turn, understands his family’s sacrifice and never gives up, driven by the strong desire to “become a pro and make his mother’s life easier.” The realistic weight of his challenge, with a family that supports him emotionally and financially, makes his story deeply moving.
A Soccer Novice’s Gateway to the Beautiful Game
What made me, a soccer novice, fall in love with ‘Aoashi’ isn’t just the soccer lessons or excitement—it’s the universal themes of personal growth and family bonds portrayed so earnestly. Ashito’s muddy, unglamorous struggle is the series’ greatest strength, and it’s a reminder that the real-life stars of the World Cup also built their careers through daily grind.
If you think you don’t understand the rules or tactics, watch ‘Aoashi’. You’ll learn soccer alongside Ashito, and before you know it, you’ll be rooting for his growth. Season 1 is currently rebroadcasting on NHK E-tele and available on Netflix and other streaming services. Use this opportunity to catch up before Season 2 begins in October.
Staff
Original: Kobayashi Yuugo ‘Aoashi’
Director: Satou You
Series Composition: Yokotani Masahiro
Assistant Director: Soga Jun
Soccer Supervision: Takeshita Kenichi, Soga Jun, Iizuka Kenji
Character Design: Nakata Manabu, Kawamura Toshie, Yamaguchi Asuka, Hasegawa Saki
Sub-Character Design: Kiyoike Naho, Watanabe Yukiko, Daidouji Miho, Shirai Eisuke, Honda Masayuki
Chief Animation Directors: Nakata Manabu, Yamaguchi Asuka
Prop Design: Itou Arisa, Tsusaka Miori
Color Design: Ueno Emiko
Art Directors: Kakizaka Tsukasa, Takeda Yuusuke
Art Setting: Kanehira Kazushige, Ii Kura
2D Works: Hamanaka Akiko
Pre-Visualisation: Maejima Masanori
3D: Morimoto Shiguma
Director of Photography: Imazeki Maiko
Editor: Murakami Yoshinori
Sound Director: Hata Shouji
Music: Yokoyama Masaru
Animation Production: Production I.G
Cast
Aoi Ashito: Oosuzuki Kouki
Ootomo Eisaku: Tachibana Tatsumaru
Tachibana Souichirou: Yamashita Seiichirou
Togashi Keiji: Yashiro Taku
Kuroda Kanpei: Horie Shun
Asari Maachisu Jun: Katou Wataru
Motoki Yuuma: Enoki Junya
Takejima Ryuuichi: Kumagai Kentarou
Akutsu Nagisa: Takeuchi Shunsuke
Kuribayashi Haruhisa: Umehara Yuuichirou
Nakamura Taira: Ono Kenshou
Kirigi Youichi: Uchiyama Kouki
Takasugi Eita: Furukawa Makoto
Gishou Kenta: Okitsu Kazuyuki
Ichijou Hana: Kawase Maki
Kaidou Anri: Ueda Reina
Kaneko Aoi: Komatsu Mikako
Fukuda Tatsuya: Kobayashi Chikahiro
Date Nozomu: Yasumoto Hiroki
Aoi Kimiko: Sonozaki Mie
Aoi Shun: Nakajima Yoshiki
Theme Songs
Opening Theme: [Alexandros] “Mushin Hakuu”
Ending Theme: Rin音 “Blue Diary”
(C) Kobayashi Yuugo・Shogakukan / “Aoashi” Production Committee
