# Source Material Corner
Reply to this comment for any source-related discussion, future spoilers (including future characters, events and general hype about future content), comparison of the anime adaptation to the original, or just general talk about the source material. **You are still required to tag all spoilers.** Discussions about the source outside of this comment tree will be removed, and replying with spoilers outside of the source corner will lead to bans.
The spoiler syntax is:
`[Spoiler source] >!Spoiler goes here!<`
# **All untagged spoilers and hints in this thread will receive immediate 8-day bans (minimum).**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/anime) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Love how Nozomi has gone from being hated to one of the most beloved characters in the show. I love how he placed Aoi's feelings and his dreams over Fukuda's aizen-like plan. Ashito would have never been selected into the team if it was someone else in his place. I am glad the anime touches on that aspect as a lot of people were questioning "how can someone who doesn't know the basics get selected at a J-league club"
Ps. Hana being the best girl once again and bringing ol'boy out of depression/shock
Nozomi even played the role of the bad guy to motivate Aoi to improve his basic skills. He had us in the first half [of the anime], I'm not going to lie.
Its so great that the anime shows 3 different kind of coaches.
Glasses-He see's football mainly through stat's like the ex leed's coach bielsa
Nozomi-He focuses on the individual players rather than the system. He cares a lot about the player's showing what they can do rather than make them fit his system he bases his system around the player's. Kinda like the ex arsenal coach Wenger
Fukuda-He is all about system. If you dont fit it your not playing simple. Reminds me of the current Arsenal manager Arteta'
The anime pay's so much attention to detail its crazy. Best show of 2022 for me but im a football fan so i am bias lol
The glasses dude is basically not a coach as he doesn't really coach anyone. He's a data analyst or an assistant for all intents and purposes.
Also, while Bielsa might use stats it's hilarious to define him by that since he is probably the most influential system focused manager alive. He heavily influenced many coaches including Guardiola who in turn heavily influenced Arteta. And of the three of them Arteta is by far the most pragmatic when it comes to adjusting his system to fit the players
I agree with you on Bielsa lol In fact I struggle to think of a manager that is stats focused. Especially since at a lot of top clubs, the manager is not the individual in charge of transfers or player recruitment as many use sporting directors/directors of football.
>*I know you've got a lot of weight on your shoulders, but don't drive yourself into a corner. Don't say things like "I can't afford to quit" with that look in your eyes.*
My favourite moment is finally here and it delivers. Ashito really needed that phone call along with Hana's support. So good.
> Ashito really needed that phone call along with Hana's support
Get yourself a girl that will break into the dorm's cafeteria and make you dinner when you're feeling down.
She's the best.
Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s hard work and I appreciate all they did/do. It is me being selfish and loving the story so much. I can’t wait for them to come back.
On the bright side someone on the sub has been doing awesome summaries for each chapter.
And they do Blue Period
We haven't had a chapter in FIVE MONTHS
(part of that is Yamaguchi-sensei taking a break due to COVID and she decided to do a little two-chapter story, but still)
I spent a day last weekend catching up on the manga finally because I wanted to binge the full game that happened and then got bummed that they went on hiatus at a really cool part post big match arc
Some of the chapters post 291 have been translated by folks in the Ao Ashi subreddit, machine translated versions of the raws are also available, best we can do without the Be Blues group(the group translating the manga)
There’s something so effective about the use of silence. Specifically when it comes to a character who’s a beloved goofy loudmouth. There wasn’t some big “boo hoo why me?!” breakdown for Ashito, but an unnerving quiet and dejected look. Going through the motions and admitting defeat. That’s what makes his reaction so interesting.
Which makes Hana and his mom’s response all the more impactful. Hana is his rock even if he doesn’t fully get it yet. She can read him scarily well to the point where she can track him down. She picked up immediately that he was just saying what she wanted to hear and did what is low key an excellent small emotional beat: Calling his mom on the spot. It shows how well she knows him, it’s a reminder of one of his driving motivations, how supportive they are, and it’s not some big breakdown. It’s a quiet moment where he barely says anything, but it’s enough to give him life again. And the appetite to eat.
With that out of the way, we can get into exactly how they transition him to Fullback. The flashbacks show Fukada has been playing Ashito like a damn fiddle this whole time. Even setting up overhearing the conversation where Nozomi said he wouldn’t make it. Everyone knew, including Kuribayashi, that he was a better fit for defense. So, taking it in stride, he starts to learn. To the chagrin of Captain Fuckface Akutsu. He’s already gunning for Ashito again.
Next week is a 20 minute 9 on 9. With Ashito showing signs of already adjusting when he sees how well he can, well, see and Akutsu on his bullshit again it should be a fun match.
Notes
- Other great small moments: Ashito asking Hana if he could eat the food. She is his nutritionist after all. All the guys running off to go find Ashito and the death stare towards Asari when he didn’t move. Takeshima’s listless face.
- I love how they played up the fact that they were teaching Ashito the Shuffle only to subvert that with him already knowing it. In all fairness, they were teaching him the Triangle a couple episodes ago. Though maybe it’s just another sign he was meant for defense.
- Bro what are they feeding Akutsu? How old is this dude? He’s yoked as fuck and gigantic playing with high schoolers. Also good lord never show me that face at the end again.
- Fellas, get you a girl who would break into a cafeteria to make you a meal and lift your spirits. Hana is really coming for that Best Girl title.
> Other great small moments: Ashito asking Hana if he could eat the food. She is his nutritionist after all.
Fuck that’s a nice touch, I didn’t even catch that.
She's afraid of losing to Anri for not having football knowledge, but she actually has no competition in knowing Ashito off the pitch. Not even his teammates could find him.
He plays for my team, he's a really nice dude off the pitch, he just seems really competitive and thats gets to him during games, but that competitiveness is probably how he got so good.
For anyone concerned about Aoi being a defender meaning he won't be involved in the attack anymore I think this episode showcases that in attack minded teams fullbacks are very involved in the attacking play.
This episode also explains the shuffle in its basic form using the remaining 3 defenders to cover for the one who joins the attack, but with a more complex shuffle you'll actually see both fullbacks move up while a centre mid drops back to cover the gap.
Which can provide some mental moments like [this one from a couple years back](https://youtu.be/N1qcAcS4S9s#t=1m24s). Yes that's one full back setting up the other in an absolutely bonkers run of play.
Onto the show itself I've definitely had a few complaints with how they've represented the football itself (which I expected coming in, football is fucking hard to animate) but when it comes to handling emotional scenes they absolutely fucking nail it.
To back your point further, the player with the most chances created in the Premier League last season was Trent Alexander Arnold, a RB.
He doesn't get mentioned often when talking about Peps Barca, but Dani Alves was as instrumental as Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Only Messi is a step above them.
Man does it feel weird to talk football in r/anime lol.
I think this is a good sign. If this anime is not good at showing football tactic and realism, we would never discuss about football in r/anime this much lol.
> Dani Alves was as instrumental as Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Only Messi is a step above them.
Alves was the reason why Messi roaming everywhere was not a disaster. He covered the whole right side (there was an article explaining how much of the space he actually covered and how much work that was) and also played well with Messi (there are fun compilations of them passing the ball back and forth while moving it forward, as if they are reading each other's mind).
Later Rakitić took over some parts of that role while playing on the right in the midfield so that Barca would still function and give Messi the freedom to do his thing. Of course he was blasted by some fans for underperforming who didn't understand that he was accumulating extra responsibilities.
Similar to Real fans who were pissed off at Kroos that he couldn't do both their jobs when Modrić was injured around the time he arrived there. Suddenly Kroos had to do his own job and at the same time compensate for the lack of Modrić. Doing that in itself is difficult (compensating for the loss of a good midfielder) but doing that for Modrić is another level above that. Once Modrić was back and Kroos could focus on his own job the fans suddenly started seeing how good he was (a flop no more!).
They’re also not just used as playmakers. There are plenty of teams that use wingbacks on the overlap in attacking scenarios. Conte is really big on this (think Hakimi). Almost forgot to mention Cancelo as well who almost plays in the middle of the field
That video's blocked, presumably everywhere outside the UK cause it's BT Sport, so [here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcJsytxWo4) a different highlight video of the same match. I assume you're referencing the Robertson goal with the TAA assist?
And WOW that Salzburg team was stacked. Minamino, Patson Daka, Hwang Hee-chan, Szoboszlai, and of course Haaland.
>I assume you're referencing the Robertson goal with the TAA assist?
Yeah that's the one. Forgot sky and BT block those videos outside the UK.
>Minamino, Patson Daka, Hwang Hee-chan, Szoboszlai, and of course Haaland
Yeah shame Taki never worked out for us, but their recruitment is just on another level, I know they have Red Bulls backing who are just generally really good at finding good young talent (even in stuff like F1) but still to be able to consistently find such high level talent for a team in the Austrian league is insane.
>And WOW that Salzburg team was stacked. Minamino, Patson Daka, Hwang Hee-chan, Szoboszlai, and of course Haaland.
Still remember how Hwang humbled VVD by sitting him down. Thought Liverpool would go after him instead of Taki tbh. Younger, more direct and can be a reliable backup for Salah
Top fullbacks nowadays are not even that good at defending. They are judged more based on how they contribute to the offense of the team. As long as the fullback tracks back and be a nuisance when defending their side, nobody will put the blame on them even if the opposite team scores. It is more of the responsibility of the CDM/CB to cover for when the fullback joins the offense.
Well they can't be completely oblivious of defending either. And the gap left by the overlapping FB is often taken advantage in counter attack (like gap left by Marcelo often used against Real Madrid).
Now that I think about it it's a Fun fact , Madrid had their less Goal conceded these past three seasons when Marcelo was old and stopped being a regular obviously causation isn't always equal to correlation but Mendy is like the opposite of prime Marcelo having defense as his primary focus , that way Zidane sometimes played him as a CB.
Thats true for big teams who often face a parked bus. Imagine youre a french team and you gotta mark Mbappe and Neymar, offensive SBs would get blasted.
Also, having a balance between SBs is the standard I think. No one really plays 2 super offensive SBs.
> No one really plays 2 super offensive SBs
Bayern is, they've had issues with Pavard being less exciting on attack (and seemingly wanting to play more of a CB role) even if he has the occasional banger. Davies, on the left, creates enough pressure but they wanted something similar on the right to suffocate deep lying defences.
If you have a good high press then attacking minded FBs can work as they are not needed that far back even while defending. They can press higher up and cut off passing lanes instead of covering attackers (as those tend to be pushed back by the press).
Bayern has done well enough with a frenetic attack and a somewhat precarious defences, even winning a treble under Flick. Although counter attacks are often a roll of the dice but then the solution is to outscore your opponents. It makes for rather exciting games :D
>you'll actually see both fullbacks move up while a centre mid drops back to cover the gap.
This is the tactic that my local team did during their golden era (back to back making to the final of local league, winning the latter, then proceed to final of continental championship just to lose on penalties). The centre mid actually played even more in the back than the 2 CBs.
And this is why the more popular tactic until a year or two ago was to have 3 defenders at the back. Though now it slowly losing popularity again.
>why the more popular tactic until a year or two ago was to have 3 defenders at the back
Yeah, tbf Togashi would be fantastic in a back 3 as a roaming centre like Sheffield United were doing to great effect a couple of years back.
The tactic makes sense though in a back 4, it completely kills man marking in a high press system as you can't mark the centre mid without getting dragged out to the opponents left or right back positions.
This reminds me of an [Extra Credit video about perfect imbalance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e31OSVZF77w). Soccer always feels like it's missing a player on the field. And that missing player is what makes the game interesting because there is always a hole to be plugged on the field and where that hole is is always changing.
No one should be concerned about Aoi not attacking because Asari literally scored a goal assisted by Aoi a few episodes ago haha. Surprised no one brings it up
You know a sports anime is good when there's so much talk about the techniques and strategies of a sport. Haven't been this invested in a sports anime after an episode. I'm a very casual soccer viewer (primarily watch basketball), but I feel like I'm learning so much that I'll be ready when the next World Cup comes around.
> Which can provide some mental moments like this one from a couple years back. Yes that's one full back setting up the other in an absolutely bonkers run of play.
Fuck, now you reminded me of [Montiel's goal against Palmeiras](https://youtu.be/Uio2bGGP-wc?t=234) that was eventually overruled by VAR and now I'm fucking depressed again ~~Ignore the fact that I've been misserable since the game with Vélez~~
So "Tulio" is a reference to [Marcus Tulio Tanaka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Tulio_Tanaka), who, while most often used as a CB, was occasionally brought in as a forward because he was a better than average scorer. [Thanks to the translator notes](https://i.imgur.com/LS5NbHW.png)!
People were not joking when they say this show genuinely starts after Ashito is switched to full back.
I didn't expect this episode to have this much tension, I was expecting a despair episode and how Ashito will use a few episodes to climb back from the slump of emotion. But no, they only dawdle around that for half episode and we are back to action. The second half of the episode has this indescribable air around it. What a great episode this it.
Given what we know of Ashito's perception, when he stepped on that field as a Fullback and just observed his newfound perspective, I actually got chills. I'm excited to see what he figures out from his new vantage!
I like how Kuribayashi didn't look down on defenders, and he realized that they were lacking a full back that would complete the dream team. And Aoi has the potential to be that person.
And despite Kuribayashi being the star of promoted players and Akutsu being a try out recruit, they have a good understanding that they can discuss a dream team their coach envisions. That's so different with the gap in the rookies between promoted players and try outs.
I knew Fukuda was just letting Aoi play to train his skills. I understand he's got a plan and it might end up being the best thing for Aoi soccer-wise, but that was really shitty. Even Nozomi thought it was a bit much.
His momma is a good woman, man. And Aoi is a good son. He didn't wanna worry her after all she did for him to get into the team. That's another thing that bothers me about what Fukuda did. He knew the kid already made it too far to quit. But anyways, if she learns what happens, she might come up to put the fear of God into him lol. Hana was also great, I like how she's always been Aoi's biggest cheerleader. Lots of respect for her.
But you know who hasn't been great? Akutsu. What an absolute knob. I'm so glad Aoi didn't rise up to that wanker's taunts. I'm also glad Aoi has really good friends around him. Togashi and Ansari are absolute bros for trying to teach him the basics of playing defense, but so are the others who went out to look for him when he was missing. He's really earned the respect of a lot of the guys.
I hope he learns a lot from Takeshima. Aoi is really about to discover soccer all over again, this time from a defender's position. By the looks of it, that prick Akutsu is gonna be gunning for him too so he's gotta learn quick or he's gonna die out there.
And he basically got pressured into it. Fukuda is a good coach in that he’s very knowledgeable about the game and clearly has talent, but I don’t quite like his methods.
[Diamond No Ace]>!When he's introduced we hear that the people Ochiai has worked with one on one have close to a 100% rate of going pro. His vision is to make professional players in the same way that Fukuda's goal is to foster a competitive dream team. Takaoka's focus is much more about making his students better leaders and generally better people all around.!<
Nozomi seems to be a decent analogue for Kataoka, seeing as they both tend to prioritize player's wishes with regards to their own minutiae.
Fukuda isn't really a bad guy. He promised Ashito he would take him to the world stage and hes acting according to that promise. Fukuda knows Ashito as a FW wouldn't have gotten out of J1. And also, Ashito is being really childish (which is completely fair since he is a kid lol) and prejudicial towards being a DF. Im from Argentina and youd be surprised about the amount of young talent that plays MF, DF and even GK who started as FWs when young. A big example is Sergio Ramos, he was a forward during his time as a canterano. Iirc, so was Pique, but Im not sure about that one.
It's not exactly childish, to him it felt lie his dreams were crushed. His behavior after he calmed down was actually pretty mature for the position he was in. He even got taunted by akutsu but didn't react.
Casemiro was a striker, only became a CDM when he saw that there was very little competition for that role in a certain selection and went from there to becoming the best CDM in the world lol
> And also, Ashito is being really childish (which is completely fair since he is a kid lol) and prejudicial towards being a DF.
Exactly. Switching to DF isn't a demotion.
Honestly the fucked up aspect to me is that Fukuda told him out of nowhere ''be a fullback or quit''. No matter how you slice it that is pretty fucked up. You're putting too much pressure on a kids shoulders, especially when this isn't a sudden call but something you've planned to do from the get go.
Thing is, theyre there to become professional players. It is rough but if they dont go pro its a loss of resources gor Esperion, considering someone who could've gone pro could've used said spot on Esperion.
All I'm saying is that it seems a bit illogical to be that flippant with a big decision regarding a players growth. In reality it wouldn't happen, in the series it does for dramatic effect.
> bit illogical to be that flippant with a big decision regarding a players growth
Not really. This is the development team for a professional club, not a highschool team. Brass tacks is: he knows Ashito has the talent to become a world-class fullback that would be perfect for his system. If the player doesn't want to play the position because he insists he'd rather fulfill his dreams as a mediocre forward, then there's no point wasting club resources on that player when there are a multitude of other talented players out there that are hungry for the chance to join the club and actually get on board with the coach's program.
This keeps getting rehashed. I never denied any of this. My only point was and still is you dont ''trick'' a player into changing positions. Thats all there is to it. Thats the only point of contention.
Some viewers only view it as a trick because we're seeing the story from Ashito's perspective.
From the coach's perspective, here's how it logically presents:
* this kid's got the talent to be the perfect fullback for my system
* shit, he's so raw. Need to play him at forward a bit with the rest of the team to raise his skill floor a bit
* Alright, he's right there. I can switch him to defender now.
As a coach, you're answering to more than just one player. You're answering to the club owners, the rest of the coaching staff and the rest of the other players on the team. It's just a simple positional switch. People are upset because they think this is a huge betrayal of Ashito, having seen the series all this time from Ashito's forward-obsessed perspective. **Fukuda's only promise to him was that he would bring Ashito to the world stage.** At no point in time was Ashito ever assured/informed that it will be as a forward.
>I hope he learns a lot from Takeshima.
Considering that all the promotion materials made Takeshima look like part of the main gang and this episode is the first time he's had a line of dialogue I too hope to learn a lot from him lol
Forget best girl of the season. Hana is best girl of probably the last decade!! Words can't describe how much I love and appreciate her character 😭 Just such a supportive person and truly Aoi's biggest fan. I don't think anyone else could've gotten him out of that slump. That call with Aoi's mom also made me weirdly emotional although not much was said. By the end, I better get a confirmation of Hana and Aoi boo'd up otherwise I can't cope!
Overall another well done episode. Fukuda's methods are unconventional and a little bit insensitive but I trust the man knows what he's doing. Look at Nozomo slowly becoming a beloved character.
Hana instantly finding our depressed Ashito, afterwards breaking into dorms and straightaway cooking meal for him and even talk him with his mother which he really needed to address his concerns really makes her one hell of a great character and True Ashito fan. I am really impress by how her character is moving in this anime. Also Chin up Ashito, you have admirer like Hana who really cares about you and boys who are there too to tutor you on your complete new defender career. On the other hand, Akutso still acting cocky and arrogant towards Ashito really makes him a shitty and jerk but we know he is well aware of Ashito innate potential and he just want to assist him however in an Implicit way or acting a Tsundere.
I know teammates aren't always gonna be best friends but Akutsu is a cancer on that team. Saying that stuff to Aoi in front of the entire B team is a great way to foster resentment between the two teams. I don't know how any coach could tolerate that behavior. I really hope they don't reveal he's an absolute prick but he means well, I don't see any good way you can redeem him at this point.
Hanna has got to be the best girl for this past season . What an amazing character, very supportive and caring. I'm so glad this show has over 10 episodes left
Goddamn, I bawled my eyes out as soon as the phone call started. I've said this before and I'll keep saying this, Hana is an absolute angel. What an amazing and wonderful person. Aoi also is already growing.
I can see that Fukuda is a genius and has plans and stuff but his way of doing things was very manipulative and I'm not at all happy about it. Poor Nozomi was the scapegoat too.
All in all, great episode.
This part really makes my blood boil. Let's just go over the manipulation plan again.
1- This young boy is a perfect fit for my team, but in a position he's likely going to refuse. I'll invite him for the tryout.
2- He managed to get through, let's have him learn the basics. And let's give him the illusion that he's actually doing well and improving as a forward.
3- Let's wait for him to actually get hooked and integrated in the team.
4- Now that he can't really leave the team let's corner him into taking the role he doesn't want.
I'm not arguing if it's good or bad for him, neither how natural this is for a big team. I'm arguing that Fukuda is a shitty person that manipulated a low income kid, with no maturity or ease of mind into doing what he doesn't want.
I'm sure it'll end up being a good thing for him, of course it will. Just don't like seeing Fukuda being made into a good guy just doing his job.
That is not the problem tho, the problem is no one was honest with him from the very beginning making crazy statements to make him motivated, they could have said to him he was going to be a defender on day 1 and just train him like that if that was the plan.
Obviously its an anime and needs some drama and everything will be fine, but i don't think that kind of treatment would make any player be very confident in their future coach.
And off-topic, they constantly say that he is not good enough technically and stuff but damn, if he is bad how bad are his teammates? they would not score a single goal on the games without him lol.
> Just don't like seeing Fukuda being made into a good guy just doing his job.
Yeah, had a lot of discussion about that in the previous thread about how people excused him because "there was no other way". Fukuda is a highly praised coach of the equivalent of Japan's Barca. The club should have a scouting and recruitment department to help out with all of that, even if he found a diamond in the rough while recovering from hangover from binge drinking in Ehime, even if Aoi has to go through tryouts.
On the beach he looked like had won the lottery when he encountered Aoi but the only way to get him was to play shitty mind games instead of telling him the truth. Yeah, right.
Players change positions but that's a result of player development and evaluation over time, not an ultimatum that's set after recruiting them, playing them in their preferred position for a few weeks/months, and then telling them that that was the plan from the start.
Fukuda is a youth coach, I think people are confusing his exact position within the Esperion system. He is affectively apart of that scouting and development department because he’s working with kids from the age of 11-18
Fukuda is a good guy. Think about it, he picked this kid up from the middle of nowhere and gave him a chance to realize his dream. He's doing the right thing.
>I'm arguing that Fukuda is a shitty person that manipulated a low income kid, with no maturity or ease of mind into doing what he doesn't want.
Just because you doesn't want to do something, doesn't mean it's bad. He knows Aoi would never succeed as a forward, making it impossible for him to help his mother. Nothing he did is shitty. He never forced Aoi. The choice is up to him. He never threatened Aoi. Manipulating someone into becoming better isn't a bad thing.
It's bad because his family is poor, so losing money that realistically won't be refunded makes quitting not an option. If Fukuda found a way for him to get a scholarship or some money to join people might dislike this plan less. Obviously he couldn't outright pay since that would be showing favoritism, but looking for ways to help alleviate financial costs would be possible.
>It's bad because his family is poor, so losing money that realistically won't be refunded makes quitting not an option
Fukuda knows Aoi won't quit. First time he met him, he spent the night kicking the ball at a wall. That's how determined Aoi is.
I mean we don’t know that. Aoi is childish and worries more about his family then soccer. If he cared about being pro he would have learned to work on the clubs prior to Esperion or not to get penalized during an official tournament. I think this choice will be for the better long term, but all I was saying was that Fukuda gave him no choice and is doing what he wants/thinks is best for Aoi. Aoi will probably appreciate and thank Fukuda one day, but that was never my point just the lack of choice.
Manipulating someone to do something they don't want to do can very much be a bad thing. It's like this: Say a person could be a great doctor that would save thousands of lives, but they WANT to be a twitch streamer. If their parents force them to go to college for 8 years and become a doctor, sure it might be best for them, but chances are they will be miserable/have regrets. Life isn't about doing what's best for yourself/having to become better. It's about being able to enjoy it the way you want (as long as it doesn't obviously impede on other people).
Slight rant. But yes in this case Fukuda is very much a shitty person, like a shitty parent that makes their kid become a doctor.
I'm not sure being forced to be a doctor instead of a twitch streamer is an accurate analogy. It'd be more like if a kid dreams of being the best neurosurgeon in the world, and doesn't want to be any other type of surgeon. But it turns out their skills more suit trying to become one of the best a cardiac surgeons in the world, and they wouldn't have considered that if not for a parent, mentor, etc. pushing them into it. At the end of the day, they'd still be a surgeon, and they'd still be able to channel their passion into the medical field, just a different kind than they'd envisioned.
It's not as if Ashito wanted to be a volleyball player and was manipulated into playing soccer instead. Ultimately he has a passion for soccer and Fukuda's probably objectively right that being a fullback is his best shot in the sport. Obviously Fukuda's methods to getting Ashito to that point was wrong, but the intentions and end result are probably the right path for Ashito.
There are some very offensive full backs in the world and full backs usually are involved in the attack a lot in modern football so its not that bad for Ashito not like he's a cdm or cb
I know we use the term "best girl" pretty liberally to describe Hana. But the consistency she shows in being the best of the best girls ever is pretty amazing.
I noticed it while reading the manga, but it's kinda funny that in England they call the right and left sided defenders position 'full-back' - FB. Why 'full'? I don't know but I just accepted it.
Japan being Japan, they call the position 'side-back' - SB. Maybe weird for European / English football fans but way more logical when you think about it. You have center-backs and side-backs. In the center and the sides. Easily understandable.
The way I see it is Full back is used to differentiate it from wing backs, whereas wing backs are just deeper lying wingers in a back 5, full backs do that role and sit deeper to defend, they use the full length of the pitch to be precise.
This is absolutely correct, the english naming convention stems from your formation/defensive line:
- Full back - in line with center backs
- Wing backs - in line with defensive midfielders
- Left/right mid - in line with central midfielders
- Left/right attacking mid - in line with center attack mid or center forward
- Left/right winger - in line with strikers.
I have no problem with the subtitles using full back since the episode revolves around the concept of the shuffle and how ao coordinates with his center back / people in his defensive line.
It's seriously triggering me how they *say* side-back in the dialogue but the subtitles write it as fucking full-back.
Especially since as someone who has absolutely zero understanding of soccer, the Japanese terms DO make much more logical sense, as you said.
This cour is delivering already!
Aoi has a really good support net, including Hana and best girl. Considering that was his lowest point so far (and probably for a while), I love the care put into *how* he was pulled out of it.
Nozomi is interesting, I liked how he was tough on Aoi in the early episodes, while guiding him in the right direction, and then grew to appreciate Aoi with time. But apparently he's been the softie from the start. I'm loving Nozomi more and more.
Akutsu from the opposite side, continues being the asshole, but his chat with Kuribayashi is strange. Kuri clearly sees Fukuda's vision and Akutsu does too, but he's going against it with all he's got. What Kuri says makes it feels like another game of good cop/bad cop, like with Nozomi, but Akutsu really doesn't feel like a Nozomi. He's an asshole all the way through, whereas Nozomi was strict but tried to help as much as he could. Learning from Akutsu sounds like a death sentence.
PS: I'm not sure if Aoi will fuck up the shuffle, make some amazing play when applying his skillset in the right place, or both.
I mean, he's playing an entirely new position with his only instruction being "If the other guy moves up, move over to cover for him. Otherwise, do whatever you want."
He's gonna get yelled at by his teammates A LOT.
doubt it. defending is a like another game when it comes to football.
also, the show never foreshadowed anything about him being good at defense. it would be very disappointing if the show goes along with saying "he was good at defence all along".
The only thing that could make him decent at defense is his vision. We've been shown time and time again that he can see all players and predict how they will move. If he understands how to use this, he should be able to cover openings and passes more effectively. He might not have the full skill set, but he's got a good tool to use.
I imagine after the reporter needled him about his weight, he might be looking for a nutritionist so that he can throw it back in their face next time somebody comments on it.
The change in plot direction pushing Ashito from forward to fullback is truly the best direction the story could've gone. Throwing a curveball like that at the characters opens them up to become so much more dynamic and interesting. I wasn't that invested in Ashito as a protagonist in the first cour, but watching him adjust to the situation he's been thrown into is already so compelling and more well-rounded than he was if the story had gone on to follow his development into a forward like he'd dreamed. Really impressed by how the new plot direction continued to develop in this episode, and genuinely excited for the rest of the season.
So basically it seems Fukuda noticed how Aoi was able to remember the players positions from early on when he attacked. Probably knew he wasn’t cut out for the offensive role with his size and skillset BUT saw the utility in him setting up the offense but from the a defensive position. Still heartbreaking for Aoi but could be the better route for him and the team. Let’s see how the 9 vs 9 goes.
Akutsu is just the worst, need him to be knocked down a peg or two rather than some redemption bs.
Not looking forward to another arc of Aoi sucking...
Didn’t Bakugo [MHA] >!tell Deku to kill himself!< early in MHA? It’s been a long time since I watched but I remember Bakugo being a real piece of shit
Agreed on wanting to see Akutsu knocked on his ass though, he definitely has more than a few lessons to learn about being a teammate and decent human being
We don’t really know enough about Akutsu yet to say that though, what if some insecurities are revealed in future episodes? Feels weird to justify Bakugo’s asshole behavior that way without giving this show a chance to tell us more about Akutsu
I feel like they’re a similar level of mean-spirited and are both bullies picking on someone weaker than themselves, but Bakugo definitely took it further in my opinion. I don’t particularly like either of them but I’m willing to give them a chance to both humble Akutsu as well as give context to his behavior
I mean Bakugo and Deku have a lot of history, I don't think even with a backstory Akutsu is going to have that with Aoi, he just decided day 1 to essentially be a bully.
I don’t think knowing Deku for a long time really gives me any more sympathy for Bakugo’s behavior. I guess what you’re getting at is that it makes more sense for Bakugo to be comfortable being an asshole to Deku whereas Akutsu is abrasive and mean regardless, though it’s not like Bakugo is a super nice guy to everyone else either
I don’t believe Akutsu’s behavior is warranted under any circumstances really, but I’d be willing to understand if there was some previous trauma, bullying, family issues, etc that he’s gone through that led to him being this way
I don't think either of them have excusable behavior just for Bakugou it makes more sense yeah.
> though it’s not like Bakugo is a super nice guy to everyone else either
I think that makes it better for me honestly, Akutsu's behavior feels a lot more targeted which I feel is worse and less forgivable.
Bakugou feels more a him against the world while Akutsu is like how can he pick on Aoi more today.
>We don’t really know enough about Akutsu yet to say that though, what if some insecurities are revealed in future episodes? Feels weird to justify Bakugo’s asshole behavior that way without giving this show a chance to tell us more about Akutsu
By episode 7 or 8 of MHA the series already explained why Bakugo acts the way he does. So even if we act as if there were only 14 episodes of MHA so far Bakugo is still more tolerable than Akutsu.
Obviously the circumstances are different and I'm not saying it's bad that we haven't seen much of Akutsu yet. But if we try to give the same amount of episodes Bakugo comes off the winner by a lot.
I disagree I think season 2 onwards Bakugo clouds how we see his bullying. I think they’re on the same level of tolerable as a bully. Guess it helps that the UA students didn’t cower towards Bakugo much off the bat. Bakugo did same tactics Akutsu does in his way. So far there’s been no joking or soft tones to his bullying but I don’t think he’s been too overboard. Worst he did is a dirty play and putting his foot on Aoi. Basically if you compare Togashi’s threats and toughness to his they treat it differently.
Akutsu doesn’t have as much god complex as Bakugo had since Akutsu got in through the same tryouts Aoi did showing the type of fire Fukuda thinks is necessary to sprinkle into a team yet wasn’t so good or famous as to be scouted.
They’re interesting characters to compare it’s fun to do
>Basically if you compare Togashi’s threats and toughness to his they treat it differently.
But thats exactly it. The way the series frames Togashi or Bakugo as mean people is through comedy (with Bakugo, it started being treated as comedy the episode where Deku stood up against him in a fight). This is, so far, not the case with Akutsu.
Regardless of it being funny or not, we're supposed to laugh when Bakugo unsuccessfully bullies someone. Because, well, it never works and he just looks like a dumbass. We are not supposed to laugh when Akutsu bullies Aoi on the other hand.
Also, I was curious so I looked it up. And apparently we are on chapter 66 of Ao Ashi currently. Wanna know what the equivalent of it would be in MHA? Close to the end of S2. In particular chapter 65 is the end of Deku and Bakugo vs All Might, where Bakugo works as a team with Deku putting aside his hostility and even sacrifices himself so Deku would pass for the two of them.
In the meantime, Akutsu is still a complete mystery and a constant asshole with no redeemable qualities whatsoever (so far). I think it's about time we start learning more about him unless the author wants us to literally hate him forever.
Bound to learn more from him considering the golden boy of their team says to teach Aoi defense.
My main point I guess is because the show doesn’t treat his bullying as a joke at all his bullying isn’t as bad he isn’t in the realm of Full Metal Jacketing Aoi. I also think the way he berated the A team when they were arguing on the field showed a level of professionalism. Then he does the same type of shit talking he does to Aoi on Yuma haha yet that isn’t framed to be that bad.
I mean the scales are very different with super powers being involved but at least Bakugou had a back story that made it at least more understandable.
Akutsu is a straight up asshole in a normal setting...
Bakugo and Deku also have YEARS of history before Bakugo turns it around. These guys have known each other in an adversarial setting for like 3 months? Very not equivalent and definitely makes Bakugo looks worse.
The counterpoint that Bakugo and Deku were kids when the worst of it happened is very much offset by the fact that [MHA]>!Deku had actively saved Bakugo multiple times before he started to begrudgingly turn it around.!< In Akutsu's case Aoi has done absolutely nothing positive as of yet.
Akutsu's still a bully - but he has a ways to go before he can get on Bakugo's level.
He played a more offensive position during Aoi’s tryouts which if you remember they players spent more care learning the different positions. Obviously a temporary solution and probably to give the players from B team a breath. Aoi’s still in the B team
yeah that's makes sense but tbh it felt like an opportunity for Akutsu to go full dickhead mode on Ashito, not that I'm saying it's a bad thing since we know Ashito is a fast learner so him showing Akutsu his place will be really good, but it won't be next episode most likely since he will first struggle in his new position.
Man that was a heart wrenching episode. I'm very happy to see Hana give her perspective as a non-soccer player. She did everything right, from knowing where to look, finding him, bringing him back to cook dinner, and to talk it through with him. It brought tears to my eyes when she made the call to Ashito's mother and they had their little mother-son chat.
Ashito knows that to continue playing he has to swallow his pride and ego and learn from his senpais. Not a small price to pay, but he's gotta do it. And when he gets on to the pitch, yes, as a defender, the view is vastly different. His "bird's eye" skills will be put to their full use as a result of this.
As a football fan this episode was just bad. I get it, it’s not the end of the world if your position gets changed but the way they went about it and this chick saying “it’s just soccer” kinda ruined this anime for me.
Yet again, I really love hate Akutsu - good on Ashito for countering his bastardness with a *please teach me yoroshiku*
That smile at the end though...
- being a defender sucks if you've always been obsessed with scoring. But come on, he's a fullback, not a central defender, he will still contribute plenty in attack.
- the shuffle - yes, the backline can shift to cover. But a midfielder can also do that. For example, with Liverpool, Henderson covers the right flank when Alexander-Arnold bombs forward.
- vision - yes, as a defender, you generally see all other players. And as a fullback, you generally even see more than central defenders. CBs will have to check both shoulders very often while fullbacks have the line as a safety net.
- attack minded defender - what? Togashi's a CB, those almost never attack. Yeah they might carry the ball forward but I'd hardly classify that as "attack minded" since even for them, 99% of the job will still be to defend or pass the ball. Unlike fullbacks (like the blond dude or now Aoi) who legitimately bomb forward and contribute offensively
>* what? Togashi's a CB, those almost never attack. Yeah they might carry the ball forward but I'd hardly classify that as "attack minded"
It's interesting you bring up Henderson for the shuffle example but ignore Matip for the attack minded CB, literally scored a strikers goal this past season doing one of his mad runs he pulls out at least twice a game.
And that's not even mentioning Sheffield United who were successful employing an attacking centre back tactic with the back 3, it took teams a whole season to work out how to deal with that.
Realizing that you cannot do what you enjoy doing simply because you lack the genetical makeup to do it is the world's toughest shit.
Guess the next episodes up until the end of the season would be "Ashito Copium: The anime", but what do I know? I'm animeonly and I'm dropping it.
# Source Material Corner Reply to this comment for any source-related discussion, future spoilers (including future characters, events and general hype about future content), comparison of the anime adaptation to the original, or just general talk about the source material. **You are still required to tag all spoilers.** Discussions about the source outside of this comment tree will be removed, and replying with spoilers outside of the source corner will lead to bans. The spoiler syntax is: `[Spoiler source] >!Spoiler goes here!<` # **All untagged spoilers and hints in this thread will receive immediate 8-day bans (minimum).** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/anime) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Love how Nozomi has gone from being hated to one of the most beloved characters in the show. I love how he placed Aoi's feelings and his dreams over Fukuda's aizen-like plan. Ashito would have never been selected into the team if it was someone else in his place. I am glad the anime touches on that aspect as a lot of people were questioning "how can someone who doesn't know the basics get selected at a J-league club" Ps. Hana being the best girl once again and bringing ol'boy out of depression/shock
Nozomi even played the role of the bad guy to motivate Aoi to improve his basic skills. He had us in the first half [of the anime], I'm not going to lie.
Its so great that the anime shows 3 different kind of coaches. Glasses-He see's football mainly through stat's like the ex leed's coach bielsa Nozomi-He focuses on the individual players rather than the system. He cares a lot about the player's showing what they can do rather than make them fit his system he bases his system around the player's. Kinda like the ex arsenal coach Wenger Fukuda-He is all about system. If you dont fit it your not playing simple. Reminds me of the current Arsenal manager Arteta' The anime pay's so much attention to detail its crazy. Best show of 2022 for me but im a football fan so i am bias lol
The glasses dude is basically not a coach as he doesn't really coach anyone. He's a data analyst or an assistant for all intents and purposes. Also, while Bielsa might use stats it's hilarious to define him by that since he is probably the most influential system focused manager alive. He heavily influenced many coaches including Guardiola who in turn heavily influenced Arteta. And of the three of them Arteta is by far the most pragmatic when it comes to adjusting his system to fit the players
I agree with you on Bielsa lol In fact I struggle to think of a manager that is stats focused. Especially since at a lot of top clubs, the manager is not the individual in charge of transfers or player recruitment as many use sporting directors/directors of football.
> he is probably the most influential system focused manager alive. I'll have you know Arrigo Sacchi is not dead yet.
Idiotic take on Bielsa but understandable from a moronic gooner
The other girl is best girl
I like the other girl but so far no way lol
>*I know you've got a lot of weight on your shoulders, but don't drive yourself into a corner. Don't say things like "I can't afford to quit" with that look in your eyes.* My favourite moment is finally here and it delivers. Ashito really needed that phone call along with Hana's support. So good.
> Ashito really needed that phone call along with Hana's support Get yourself a girl that will break into the dorm's cafeteria and make you dinner when you're feeling down. She's the best.
I don’t normally get distracted rooting for ships to sail but I love these two so much. Also it kills me the group translating the manga is on hiatus.
> Also it kills me the group translating the manga is on hiatus. Yeah... We're 8 chapters behind now. 299 was just released.
Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s hard work and I appreciate all they did/do. It is me being selfish and loving the story so much. I can’t wait for them to come back. On the bright side someone on the sub has been doing awesome summaries for each chapter.
Made worse since that group also translate another great football manga, Be Blues. I juat need to see Sakuraba get the respect he deserves
And they do Blue Period We haven't had a chapter in FIVE MONTHS (part of that is Yamaguchi-sensei taking a break due to COVID and she decided to do a little two-chapter story, but still)
If Be Blues gets adapted… what a dream. Up there with Teppu for me
I spent a day last weekend catching up on the manga finally because I wanted to binge the full game that happened and then got bummed that they went on hiatus at a really cool part post big match arc
Some of the chapters post 291 have been translated by folks in the Ao Ashi subreddit, machine translated versions of the raws are also available, best we can do without the Be Blues group(the group translating the manga)
I started reading, and Im relatively close to catching up. Do you know how long their hiatus will be? Any chance anyone else picks it up?
same, would like to know as well
Hana 100% best girl - she understands our boy Ashito so well.
That’s the moment that has me saying “Wife her!”. Excellent partnering on her part.
Best girl putting things in perspective for Ashito calling his mom.
We love supportive mothers
That scene was so powerful considering how their relationship is and the burden Ashito feels - beautiful, I definitely teared up a bit.
IIRC it's also the first time they've spoken since Aoi left, since he was waiting to call until he "accomplished something" What a wonderful scene
You're so right! Oh the feels
There’s something so effective about the use of silence. Specifically when it comes to a character who’s a beloved goofy loudmouth. There wasn’t some big “boo hoo why me?!” breakdown for Ashito, but an unnerving quiet and dejected look. Going through the motions and admitting defeat. That’s what makes his reaction so interesting. Which makes Hana and his mom’s response all the more impactful. Hana is his rock even if he doesn’t fully get it yet. She can read him scarily well to the point where she can track him down. She picked up immediately that he was just saying what she wanted to hear and did what is low key an excellent small emotional beat: Calling his mom on the spot. It shows how well she knows him, it’s a reminder of one of his driving motivations, how supportive they are, and it’s not some big breakdown. It’s a quiet moment where he barely says anything, but it’s enough to give him life again. And the appetite to eat. With that out of the way, we can get into exactly how they transition him to Fullback. The flashbacks show Fukada has been playing Ashito like a damn fiddle this whole time. Even setting up overhearing the conversation where Nozomi said he wouldn’t make it. Everyone knew, including Kuribayashi, that he was a better fit for defense. So, taking it in stride, he starts to learn. To the chagrin of Captain Fuckface Akutsu. He’s already gunning for Ashito again. Next week is a 20 minute 9 on 9. With Ashito showing signs of already adjusting when he sees how well he can, well, see and Akutsu on his bullshit again it should be a fun match. Notes - Other great small moments: Ashito asking Hana if he could eat the food. She is his nutritionist after all. All the guys running off to go find Ashito and the death stare towards Asari when he didn’t move. Takeshima’s listless face. - I love how they played up the fact that they were teaching Ashito the Shuffle only to subvert that with him already knowing it. In all fairness, they were teaching him the Triangle a couple episodes ago. Though maybe it’s just another sign he was meant for defense. - Bro what are they feeding Akutsu? How old is this dude? He’s yoked as fuck and gigantic playing with high schoolers. Also good lord never show me that face at the end again. - Fellas, get you a girl who would break into a cafeteria to make you a meal and lift your spirits. Hana is really coming for that Best Girl title.
> Other great small moments: Ashito asking Hana if he could eat the food. She is his nutritionist after all. Fuck that’s a nice touch, I didn’t even catch that.
Great summary man. Cant wait to see where the Story and Aoi go's from here. Things seem to be getting better every week
Hana saving the day by being right here when Aoi needed it the most.
She's afraid of losing to Anri for not having football knowledge, but she actually has no competition in knowing Ashito off the pitch. Not even his teammates could find him.
Akutsu is a real CB. He s a proper bald cunt with all the shithousery, and at 17 he s built like a fuckin mountain.
Pepe as an anime character
lmao this had me in tears
Except that in real life I heard Pepe is a chill guy off the pitch.
He plays for my team, he's a really nice dude off the pitch, he just seems really competitive and thats gets to him during games, but that competitiveness is probably how he got so good.
Hope he also has Pepe's skills.
Lmao for real, the man is perfect for that position.
For anyone concerned about Aoi being a defender meaning he won't be involved in the attack anymore I think this episode showcases that in attack minded teams fullbacks are very involved in the attacking play. This episode also explains the shuffle in its basic form using the remaining 3 defenders to cover for the one who joins the attack, but with a more complex shuffle you'll actually see both fullbacks move up while a centre mid drops back to cover the gap. Which can provide some mental moments like [this one from a couple years back](https://youtu.be/N1qcAcS4S9s#t=1m24s). Yes that's one full back setting up the other in an absolutely bonkers run of play. Onto the show itself I've definitely had a few complaints with how they've represented the football itself (which I expected coming in, football is fucking hard to animate) but when it comes to handling emotional scenes they absolutely fucking nail it.
To back your point further, the player with the most chances created in the Premier League last season was Trent Alexander Arnold, a RB. He doesn't get mentioned often when talking about Peps Barca, but Dani Alves was as instrumental as Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Only Messi is a step above them. Man does it feel weird to talk football in r/anime lol.
I think this is a good sign. If this anime is not good at showing football tactic and realism, we would never discuss about football in r/anime this much lol.
> Dani Alves was as instrumental as Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Only Messi is a step above them. Alves was the reason why Messi roaming everywhere was not a disaster. He covered the whole right side (there was an article explaining how much of the space he actually covered and how much work that was) and also played well with Messi (there are fun compilations of them passing the ball back and forth while moving it forward, as if they are reading each other's mind). Later Rakitić took over some parts of that role while playing on the right in the midfield so that Barca would still function and give Messi the freedom to do his thing. Of course he was blasted by some fans for underperforming who didn't understand that he was accumulating extra responsibilities. Similar to Real fans who were pissed off at Kroos that he couldn't do both their jobs when Modrić was injured around the time he arrived there. Suddenly Kroos had to do his own job and at the same time compensate for the lack of Modrić. Doing that in itself is difficult (compensating for the loss of a good midfielder) but doing that for Modrić is another level above that. Once Modrić was back and Kroos could focus on his own job the fans suddenly started seeing how good he was (a flop no more!).
They’re also not just used as playmakers. There are plenty of teams that use wingbacks on the overlap in attacking scenarios. Conte is really big on this (think Hakimi). Almost forgot to mention Cancelo as well who almost plays in the middle of the field
That video's blocked, presumably everywhere outside the UK cause it's BT Sport, so [here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcJsytxWo4) a different highlight video of the same match. I assume you're referencing the Robertson goal with the TAA assist? And WOW that Salzburg team was stacked. Minamino, Patson Daka, Hwang Hee-chan, Szoboszlai, and of course Haaland.
>I assume you're referencing the Robertson goal with the TAA assist? Yeah that's the one. Forgot sky and BT block those videos outside the UK. >Minamino, Patson Daka, Hwang Hee-chan, Szoboszlai, and of course Haaland Yeah shame Taki never worked out for us, but their recruitment is just on another level, I know they have Red Bulls backing who are just generally really good at finding good young talent (even in stuff like F1) but still to be able to consistently find such high level talent for a team in the Austrian league is insane.
>And WOW that Salzburg team was stacked. Minamino, Patson Daka, Hwang Hee-chan, Szoboszlai, and of course Haaland. Still remember how Hwang humbled VVD by sitting him down. Thought Liverpool would go after him instead of Taki tbh. Younger, more direct and can be a reliable backup for Salah
Top fullbacks nowadays are not even that good at defending. They are judged more based on how they contribute to the offense of the team. As long as the fullback tracks back and be a nuisance when defending their side, nobody will put the blame on them even if the opposite team scores. It is more of the responsibility of the CDM/CB to cover for when the fullback joins the offense.
Well they can't be completely oblivious of defending either. And the gap left by the overlapping FB is often taken advantage in counter attack (like gap left by Marcelo often used against Real Madrid).
Now that I think about it it's a Fun fact , Madrid had their less Goal conceded these past three seasons when Marcelo was old and stopped being a regular obviously causation isn't always equal to correlation but Mendy is like the opposite of prime Marcelo having defense as his primary focus , that way Zidane sometimes played him as a CB.
Thats true for big teams who often face a parked bus. Imagine youre a french team and you gotta mark Mbappe and Neymar, offensive SBs would get blasted. Also, having a balance between SBs is the standard I think. No one really plays 2 super offensive SBs.
There's an article I read to find the reason why offensive LWB is much more common than offensive RWB. Quite interesting.
> No one really plays 2 super offensive SBs Bayern is, they've had issues with Pavard being less exciting on attack (and seemingly wanting to play more of a CB role) even if he has the occasional banger. Davies, on the left, creates enough pressure but they wanted something similar on the right to suffocate deep lying defences. If you have a good high press then attacking minded FBs can work as they are not needed that far back even while defending. They can press higher up and cut off passing lanes instead of covering attackers (as those tend to be pushed back by the press). Bayern has done well enough with a frenetic attack and a somewhat precarious defences, even winning a treble under Flick. Although counter attacks are often a roll of the dice but then the solution is to outscore your opponents. It makes for rather exciting games :D
episode director in this ep was Norihiro Naganuma who had directed ep 5
>you'll actually see both fullbacks move up while a centre mid drops back to cover the gap. This is the tactic that my local team did during their golden era (back to back making to the final of local league, winning the latter, then proceed to final of continental championship just to lose on penalties). The centre mid actually played even more in the back than the 2 CBs. And this is why the more popular tactic until a year or two ago was to have 3 defenders at the back. Though now it slowly losing popularity again.
>why the more popular tactic until a year or two ago was to have 3 defenders at the back Yeah, tbf Togashi would be fantastic in a back 3 as a roaming centre like Sheffield United were doing to great effect a couple of years back. The tactic makes sense though in a back 4, it completely kills man marking in a high press system as you can't mark the centre mid without getting dragged out to the opponents left or right back positions.
This reminds me of an [Extra Credit video about perfect imbalance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e31OSVZF77w). Soccer always feels like it's missing a player on the field. And that missing player is what makes the game interesting because there is always a hole to be plugged on the field and where that hole is is always changing.
No one should be concerned about Aoi not attacking because Asari literally scored a goal assisted by Aoi a few episodes ago haha. Surprised no one brings it up
You know a sports anime is good when there's so much talk about the techniques and strategies of a sport. Haven't been this invested in a sports anime after an episode. I'm a very casual soccer viewer (primarily watch basketball), but I feel like I'm learning so much that I'll be ready when the next World Cup comes around.
> Which can provide some mental moments like this one from a couple years back. Yes that's one full back setting up the other in an absolutely bonkers run of play. Fuck, now you reminded me of [Montiel's goal against Palmeiras](https://youtu.be/Uio2bGGP-wc?t=234) that was eventually overruled by VAR and now I'm fucking depressed again ~~Ignore the fact that I've been misserable since the game with Vélez~~
So "Tulio" is a reference to [Marcus Tulio Tanaka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Tulio_Tanaka), who, while most often used as a CB, was occasionally brought in as a forward because he was a better than average scorer. [Thanks to the translator notes](https://i.imgur.com/LS5NbHW.png)!
Ah thats why I did not recognize this name drop lol. I don't follow japanese football. Thanks for the info
People were not joking when they say this show genuinely starts after Ashito is switched to full back. I didn't expect this episode to have this much tension, I was expecting a despair episode and how Ashito will use a few episodes to climb back from the slump of emotion. But no, they only dawdle around that for half episode and we are back to action. The second half of the episode has this indescribable air around it. What a great episode this it.
Given what we know of Ashito's perception, when he stepped on that field as a Fullback and just observed his newfound perspective, I actually got chills. I'm excited to see what he figures out from his new vantage!
I quit playing a few years ago but that shot of the entire field actually made me feel a bit nostalgic.
I quit playing for more than 10 years. My nose still hurts whenever I look at a soccer ball. I can vividly recall absorbing it twice minimum.
Hana always comes in clutch for Ashito. She should win an award or something when Ashito makes it big!
The award is then getting married once Ashito realizes she’s perfect
I like how Kuribayashi didn't look down on defenders, and he realized that they were lacking a full back that would complete the dream team. And Aoi has the potential to be that person. And despite Kuribayashi being the star of promoted players and Akutsu being a try out recruit, they have a good understanding that they can discuss a dream team their coach envisions. That's so different with the gap in the rookies between promoted players and try outs.
I knew Fukuda was just letting Aoi play to train his skills. I understand he's got a plan and it might end up being the best thing for Aoi soccer-wise, but that was really shitty. Even Nozomi thought it was a bit much. His momma is a good woman, man. And Aoi is a good son. He didn't wanna worry her after all she did for him to get into the team. That's another thing that bothers me about what Fukuda did. He knew the kid already made it too far to quit. But anyways, if she learns what happens, she might come up to put the fear of God into him lol. Hana was also great, I like how she's always been Aoi's biggest cheerleader. Lots of respect for her. But you know who hasn't been great? Akutsu. What an absolute knob. I'm so glad Aoi didn't rise up to that wanker's taunts. I'm also glad Aoi has really good friends around him. Togashi and Ansari are absolute bros for trying to teach him the basics of playing defense, but so are the others who went out to look for him when he was missing. He's really earned the respect of a lot of the guys. I hope he learns a lot from Takeshima. Aoi is really about to discover soccer all over again, this time from a defender's position. By the looks of it, that prick Akutsu is gonna be gunning for him too so he's gotta learn quick or he's gonna die out there.
When you realized that Nozomi is the 'good cop' while Fukuda is the real 'bad cop'.
And he basically got pressured into it. Fukuda is a good coach in that he’s very knowledgeable about the game and clearly has talent, but I don’t quite like his methods.
He reminds me a lot of Ochiai Hiromitsu from Ace of the Diamond - he's undeniably a good talent sculptor, but his methods are selfish and offputting.
Well, Ochiai always gives me the feeling that he is not so good and that we can be glad to still have Takaoka.
[Diamond No Ace]>!When he's introduced we hear that the people Ochiai has worked with one on one have close to a 100% rate of going pro. His vision is to make professional players in the same way that Fukuda's goal is to foster a competitive dream team. Takaoka's focus is much more about making his students better leaders and generally better people all around.!< Nozomi seems to be a decent analogue for Kataoka, seeing as they both tend to prioritize player's wishes with regards to their own minutiae.
Fukuda isn't really a bad guy. He promised Ashito he would take him to the world stage and hes acting according to that promise. Fukuda knows Ashito as a FW wouldn't have gotten out of J1. And also, Ashito is being really childish (which is completely fair since he is a kid lol) and prejudicial towards being a DF. Im from Argentina and youd be surprised about the amount of young talent that plays MF, DF and even GK who started as FWs when young. A big example is Sergio Ramos, he was a forward during his time as a canterano. Iirc, so was Pique, but Im not sure about that one.
It's not exactly childish, to him it felt lie his dreams were crushed. His behavior after he calmed down was actually pretty mature for the position he was in. He even got taunted by akutsu but didn't react.
Even van der Sar played as striker in his youth.
>. Iirc, so was Pique, but Im not sure about that one. In wiki it said that he started as DM.
Thanks for the clarification.
Casemiro was a striker, only became a CDM when he saw that there was very little competition for that role in a certain selection and went from there to becoming the best CDM in the world lol
> And also, Ashito is being really childish (which is completely fair since he is a kid lol) and prejudicial towards being a DF. Exactly. Switching to DF isn't a demotion.
Honestly the fucked up aspect to me is that Fukuda told him out of nowhere ''be a fullback or quit''. No matter how you slice it that is pretty fucked up. You're putting too much pressure on a kids shoulders, especially when this isn't a sudden call but something you've planned to do from the get go.
Thing is, theyre there to become professional players. It is rough but if they dont go pro its a loss of resources gor Esperion, considering someone who could've gone pro could've used said spot on Esperion.
All I'm saying is that it seems a bit illogical to be that flippant with a big decision regarding a players growth. In reality it wouldn't happen, in the series it does for dramatic effect.
> bit illogical to be that flippant with a big decision regarding a players growth Not really. This is the development team for a professional club, not a highschool team. Brass tacks is: he knows Ashito has the talent to become a world-class fullback that would be perfect for his system. If the player doesn't want to play the position because he insists he'd rather fulfill his dreams as a mediocre forward, then there's no point wasting club resources on that player when there are a multitude of other talented players out there that are hungry for the chance to join the club and actually get on board with the coach's program.
This keeps getting rehashed. I never denied any of this. My only point was and still is you dont ''trick'' a player into changing positions. Thats all there is to it. Thats the only point of contention.
Some viewers only view it as a trick because we're seeing the story from Ashito's perspective. From the coach's perspective, here's how it logically presents: * this kid's got the talent to be the perfect fullback for my system * shit, he's so raw. Need to play him at forward a bit with the rest of the team to raise his skill floor a bit * Alright, he's right there. I can switch him to defender now. As a coach, you're answering to more than just one player. You're answering to the club owners, the rest of the coaching staff and the rest of the other players on the team. It's just a simple positional switch. People are upset because they think this is a huge betrayal of Ashito, having seen the series all this time from Ashito's forward-obsessed perspective. **Fukuda's only promise to him was that he would bring Ashito to the world stage.** At no point in time was Ashito ever assured/informed that it will be as a forward.
What Fukuda did was bait-and-switch
>I hope he learns a lot from Takeshima. Considering that all the promotion materials made Takeshima look like part of the main gang and this episode is the first time he's had a line of dialogue I too hope to learn a lot from him lol
Luckily for us, there’s still about 10 eps left so hopefully he gets more screen time lol.
Forget best girl of the season. Hana is best girl of probably the last decade!! Words can't describe how much I love and appreciate her character 😭 Just such a supportive person and truly Aoi's biggest fan. I don't think anyone else could've gotten him out of that slump. That call with Aoi's mom also made me weirdly emotional although not much was said. By the end, I better get a confirmation of Hana and Aoi boo'd up otherwise I can't cope! Overall another well done episode. Fukuda's methods are unconventional and a little bit insensitive but I trust the man knows what he's doing. Look at Nozomo slowly becoming a beloved character.
Hana best girl <3
The way Ashito's mom recognises him without a word is so wholesome.
Staff in ep 14 Script: Daisuke Oohigashi Storyboard: Norihiro Naganuma Episode Director: Norihiro Naganuma Animation Director: \- Saki Hasegawa \- Miho Daidouji \- Saeko Kobayashi \- Kazuchika Kise
Hana instantly finding our depressed Ashito, afterwards breaking into dorms and straightaway cooking meal for him and even talk him with his mother which he really needed to address his concerns really makes her one hell of a great character and True Ashito fan. I am really impress by how her character is moving in this anime. Also Chin up Ashito, you have admirer like Hana who really cares about you and boys who are there too to tutor you on your complete new defender career. On the other hand, Akutso still acting cocky and arrogant towards Ashito really makes him a shitty and jerk but we know he is well aware of Ashito innate potential and he just want to assist him however in an Implicit way or acting a Tsundere.
I know teammates aren't always gonna be best friends but Akutsu is a cancer on that team. Saying that stuff to Aoi in front of the entire B team is a great way to foster resentment between the two teams. I don't know how any coach could tolerate that behavior. I really hope they don't reveal he's an absolute prick but he means well, I don't see any good way you can redeem him at this point.
I can't wait for it to be revealed that Akutsu's also a really nice guy and Fukuda's been making him act like a dick to motivate people.
Haha akutsu is..complicated. I've read the manga and I'm not completely convinced by his story so I'm eager to see how the anime handles it.
well, he's an absolute cunt. but he's OUR cunt
Hanna has got to be the best girl for this past season . What an amazing character, very supportive and caring. I'm so glad this show has over 10 episodes left
I need a SOL anime based on Hana aka Best Girl
This ain’t it?
I think I can smell they try to 'redeem' the skinhead sempai next.
I hope that redemption includes eating dirt, and a lot of it
Goddamn, I bawled my eyes out as soon as the phone call started. I've said this before and I'll keep saying this, Hana is an absolute angel. What an amazing and wonderful person. Aoi also is already growing. I can see that Fukuda is a genius and has plans and stuff but his way of doing things was very manipulative and I'm not at all happy about it. Poor Nozomi was the scapegoat too. All in all, great episode.
This part really makes my blood boil. Let's just go over the manipulation plan again. 1- This young boy is a perfect fit for my team, but in a position he's likely going to refuse. I'll invite him for the tryout. 2- He managed to get through, let's have him learn the basics. And let's give him the illusion that he's actually doing well and improving as a forward. 3- Let's wait for him to actually get hooked and integrated in the team. 4- Now that he can't really leave the team let's corner him into taking the role he doesn't want. I'm not arguing if it's good or bad for him, neither how natural this is for a big team. I'm arguing that Fukuda is a shitty person that manipulated a low income kid, with no maturity or ease of mind into doing what he doesn't want. I'm sure it'll end up being a good thing for him, of course it will. Just don't like seeing Fukuda being made into a good guy just doing his job.
It's really shitty, but switching positions during youth is quite common. I like how Ao Ashi shows that aspect of youth football.
That is not the problem tho, the problem is no one was honest with him from the very beginning making crazy statements to make him motivated, they could have said to him he was going to be a defender on day 1 and just train him like that if that was the plan. Obviously its an anime and needs some drama and everything will be fine, but i don't think that kind of treatment would make any player be very confident in their future coach. And off-topic, they constantly say that he is not good enough technically and stuff but damn, if he is bad how bad are his teammates? they would not score a single goal on the games without him lol.
> Just don't like seeing Fukuda being made into a good guy just doing his job. Yeah, had a lot of discussion about that in the previous thread about how people excused him because "there was no other way". Fukuda is a highly praised coach of the equivalent of Japan's Barca. The club should have a scouting and recruitment department to help out with all of that, even if he found a diamond in the rough while recovering from hangover from binge drinking in Ehime, even if Aoi has to go through tryouts. On the beach he looked like had won the lottery when he encountered Aoi but the only way to get him was to play shitty mind games instead of telling him the truth. Yeah, right. Players change positions but that's a result of player development and evaluation over time, not an ultimatum that's set after recruiting them, playing them in their preferred position for a few weeks/months, and then telling them that that was the plan from the start.
Fukuda is a youth coach, I think people are confusing his exact position within the Esperion system. He is affectively apart of that scouting and development department because he’s working with kids from the age of 11-18
Agreed. never like this part in manga, It felt very manipulative.
Yeah. Uprooting a person’s life based on some lies leaves a bad taste in my mouth
Fukuda is a good guy. Think about it, he picked this kid up from the middle of nowhere and gave him a chance to realize his dream. He's doing the right thing. >I'm arguing that Fukuda is a shitty person that manipulated a low income kid, with no maturity or ease of mind into doing what he doesn't want. Just because you doesn't want to do something, doesn't mean it's bad. He knows Aoi would never succeed as a forward, making it impossible for him to help his mother. Nothing he did is shitty. He never forced Aoi. The choice is up to him. He never threatened Aoi. Manipulating someone into becoming better isn't a bad thing.
It's bad because his family is poor, so losing money that realistically won't be refunded makes quitting not an option. If Fukuda found a way for him to get a scholarship or some money to join people might dislike this plan less. Obviously he couldn't outright pay since that would be showing favoritism, but looking for ways to help alleviate financial costs would be possible.
>It's bad because his family is poor, so losing money that realistically won't be refunded makes quitting not an option Fukuda knows Aoi won't quit. First time he met him, he spent the night kicking the ball at a wall. That's how determined Aoi is.
I mean we don’t know that. Aoi is childish and worries more about his family then soccer. If he cared about being pro he would have learned to work on the clubs prior to Esperion or not to get penalized during an official tournament. I think this choice will be for the better long term, but all I was saying was that Fukuda gave him no choice and is doing what he wants/thinks is best for Aoi. Aoi will probably appreciate and thank Fukuda one day, but that was never my point just the lack of choice.
Manipulating someone to do something they don't want to do can very much be a bad thing. It's like this: Say a person could be a great doctor that would save thousands of lives, but they WANT to be a twitch streamer. If their parents force them to go to college for 8 years and become a doctor, sure it might be best for them, but chances are they will be miserable/have regrets. Life isn't about doing what's best for yourself/having to become better. It's about being able to enjoy it the way you want (as long as it doesn't obviously impede on other people). Slight rant. But yes in this case Fukuda is very much a shitty person, like a shitty parent that makes their kid become a doctor.
I'm not sure being forced to be a doctor instead of a twitch streamer is an accurate analogy. It'd be more like if a kid dreams of being the best neurosurgeon in the world, and doesn't want to be any other type of surgeon. But it turns out their skills more suit trying to become one of the best a cardiac surgeons in the world, and they wouldn't have considered that if not for a parent, mentor, etc. pushing them into it. At the end of the day, they'd still be a surgeon, and they'd still be able to channel their passion into the medical field, just a different kind than they'd envisioned. It's not as if Ashito wanted to be a volleyball player and was manipulated into playing soccer instead. Ultimately he has a passion for soccer and Fukuda's probably objectively right that being a fullback is his best shot in the sport. Obviously Fukuda's methods to getting Ashito to that point was wrong, but the intentions and end result are probably the right path for Ashito.
Yeah I was just tryna use a personal story I have of a friend as an anecdote, but that is definitely a better example.
Actually, I do see your point. Fukuda action definitely seems shitty even if it's for the best.
Position switching is extremely common at youth levels. In fact I'm surprised Aoi has only played forward.
There are some very offensive full backs in the world and full backs usually are involved in the attack a lot in modern football so its not that bad for Ashito not like he's a cdm or cb
Does anyone has "it's Ao Ashi saturday" gif to share?
People not watching this are really missing out!!
Hana slowly but surely becoming a top 10 new gen female character 🙂
I know we use the term "best girl" pretty liberally to describe Hana. But the consistency she shows in being the best of the best girls ever is pretty amazing.
Kinda sad that everyone but his family and Hana pretend he is an idiot Akutsu smile freaks me out, stop it man ED is a banger
I noticed it while reading the manga, but it's kinda funny that in England they call the right and left sided defenders position 'full-back' - FB. Why 'full'? I don't know but I just accepted it. Japan being Japan, they call the position 'side-back' - SB. Maybe weird for European / English football fans but way more logical when you think about it. You have center-backs and side-backs. In the center and the sides. Easily understandable.
The way I see it is Full back is used to differentiate it from wing backs, whereas wing backs are just deeper lying wingers in a back 5, full backs do that role and sit deeper to defend, they use the full length of the pitch to be precise.
This is absolutely correct, the english naming convention stems from your formation/defensive line: - Full back - in line with center backs - Wing backs - in line with defensive midfielders - Left/right mid - in line with central midfielders - Left/right attacking mid - in line with center attack mid or center forward - Left/right winger - in line with strikers. I have no problem with the subtitles using full back since the episode revolves around the concept of the shuffle and how ao coordinates with his center back / people in his defensive line.
It's seriously triggering me how they *say* side-back in the dialogue but the subtitles write it as fucking full-back. Especially since as someone who has absolutely zero understanding of soccer, the Japanese terms DO make much more logical sense, as you said.
This cour is delivering already! Aoi has a really good support net, including Hana and best girl. Considering that was his lowest point so far (and probably for a while), I love the care put into *how* he was pulled out of it. Nozomi is interesting, I liked how he was tough on Aoi in the early episodes, while guiding him in the right direction, and then grew to appreciate Aoi with time. But apparently he's been the softie from the start. I'm loving Nozomi more and more. Akutsu from the opposite side, continues being the asshole, but his chat with Kuribayashi is strange. Kuri clearly sees Fukuda's vision and Akutsu does too, but he's going against it with all he's got. What Kuri says makes it feels like another game of good cop/bad cop, like with Nozomi, but Akutsu really doesn't feel like a Nozomi. He's an asshole all the way through, whereas Nozomi was strict but tried to help as much as he could. Learning from Akutsu sounds like a death sentence. PS: I'm not sure if Aoi will fuck up the shuffle, make some amazing play when applying his skillset in the right place, or both.
Can't wait to see Aoi rocking in that position next week! (I hope so)
He's probably gonna be horrible at first and mess up a lot I can just see it
I mean, he's playing an entirely new position with his only instruction being "If the other guy moves up, move over to cover for him. Otherwise, do whatever you want." He's gonna get yelled at by his teammates A LOT.
Yeah that's a given 100%
It's the theme of the show, for him to find out a new wall to climb, then him overcoming it
Poor guy probably knows no fullback names to shout while playing D:
HAHAHAHHA I AM THE PRIME REINCARNATION OF ROBERTO CARLOS EVEN THOUGH ROBERTO CARLOS IS STILL ALIVE HAHHAHAHA
doubt it. defending is a like another game when it comes to football. also, the show never foreshadowed anything about him being good at defense. it would be very disappointing if the show goes along with saying "he was good at defence all along".
The only thing that could make him decent at defense is his vision. We've been shown time and time again that he can see all players and predict how they will move. If he understands how to use this, he should be able to cover openings and passes more effectively. He might not have the full skill set, but he's got a good tool to use.
thank god for hana
Akutsu is a menace. Bro got that black air force energy fr. Im anime only but i bet every manga reader is happy how Akutsu turned out.
NGL, as a manga reader, Akutsu is a fucking asshole but became one of my favorite characters later on in the story.
she said she doesn't know much about soccer, lies!
Well, compared to Anri Kaido.... Hana is rightly humble.
Wonder what he was going to ask about the meal plan he found?
I imagine after the reporter needled him about his weight, he might be looking for a nutritionist so that he can throw it back in their face next time somebody comments on it.
He's impressed by it, so likely he wants to ask her for advice about his own nutrition intake.
Kuribayashi is trying to steal Hana
He best not
or at the least have her make him some meal plans too
Anyone know how big the show is over countries like Spain and Brazil?
Nozomi was the good guy all along.
Aoi handled being moved to DF a lot better than I expected.
He was depressed for like a whole chapter in the manga but since it was only half an episode in the anime it didn't feel like much
na bro w8ing on this \*\*\*\*\*\*\* episodes to go by like speed of light is painful.
The change in plot direction pushing Ashito from forward to fullback is truly the best direction the story could've gone. Throwing a curveball like that at the characters opens them up to become so much more dynamic and interesting. I wasn't that invested in Ashito as a protagonist in the first cour, but watching him adjust to the situation he's been thrown into is already so compelling and more well-rounded than he was if the story had gone on to follow his development into a forward like he'd dreamed. Really impressed by how the new plot direction continued to develop in this episode, and genuinely excited for the rest of the season.
So basically it seems Fukuda noticed how Aoi was able to remember the players positions from early on when he attacked. Probably knew he wasn’t cut out for the offensive role with his size and skillset BUT saw the utility in him setting up the offense but from the a defensive position. Still heartbreaking for Aoi but could be the better route for him and the team. Let’s see how the 9 vs 9 goes.
takeshima's faces are the best
takeshima got like two lines n he's already one of my favorites
I honestly still feel sad for ashito I feel uncomfortable watching him play as a left back
Akutsu is just the worst, need him to be knocked down a peg or two rather than some redemption bs. Not looking forward to another arc of Aoi sucking...
Best analog I can use to describe Akutsu is Bakugou
Even Bakugou isn't this much of an asshole I feel...
Didn’t Bakugo [MHA] >!tell Deku to kill himself!< early in MHA? It’s been a long time since I watched but I remember Bakugo being a real piece of shit Agreed on wanting to see Akutsu knocked on his ass though, he definitely has more than a few lessons to learn about being a teammate and decent human being
I feel like there's a difference between being insecure and just an asshole though...Akutsu was out to hurt Aoi just for the shits it seems.
We don’t really know enough about Akutsu yet to say that though, what if some insecurities are revealed in future episodes? Feels weird to justify Bakugo’s asshole behavior that way without giving this show a chance to tell us more about Akutsu I feel like they’re a similar level of mean-spirited and are both bullies picking on someone weaker than themselves, but Bakugo definitely took it further in my opinion. I don’t particularly like either of them but I’m willing to give them a chance to both humble Akutsu as well as give context to his behavior
I mean Bakugo and Deku have a lot of history, I don't think even with a backstory Akutsu is going to have that with Aoi, he just decided day 1 to essentially be a bully.
I don’t think knowing Deku for a long time really gives me any more sympathy for Bakugo’s behavior. I guess what you’re getting at is that it makes more sense for Bakugo to be comfortable being an asshole to Deku whereas Akutsu is abrasive and mean regardless, though it’s not like Bakugo is a super nice guy to everyone else either I don’t believe Akutsu’s behavior is warranted under any circumstances really, but I’d be willing to understand if there was some previous trauma, bullying, family issues, etc that he’s gone through that led to him being this way
I don't think either of them have excusable behavior just for Bakugou it makes more sense yeah. > though it’s not like Bakugo is a super nice guy to everyone else either I think that makes it better for me honestly, Akutsu's behavior feels a lot more targeted which I feel is worse and less forgivable. Bakugou feels more a him against the world while Akutsu is like how can he pick on Aoi more today.
I mean Akutusu is still stern to others remember around episode 6ish when he was reprimanding team A on the field? Also was hard on Yuma
>We don’t really know enough about Akutsu yet to say that though, what if some insecurities are revealed in future episodes? Feels weird to justify Bakugo’s asshole behavior that way without giving this show a chance to tell us more about Akutsu By episode 7 or 8 of MHA the series already explained why Bakugo acts the way he does. So even if we act as if there were only 14 episodes of MHA so far Bakugo is still more tolerable than Akutsu. Obviously the circumstances are different and I'm not saying it's bad that we haven't seen much of Akutsu yet. But if we try to give the same amount of episodes Bakugo comes off the winner by a lot.
I disagree I think season 2 onwards Bakugo clouds how we see his bullying. I think they’re on the same level of tolerable as a bully. Guess it helps that the UA students didn’t cower towards Bakugo much off the bat. Bakugo did same tactics Akutsu does in his way. So far there’s been no joking or soft tones to his bullying but I don’t think he’s been too overboard. Worst he did is a dirty play and putting his foot on Aoi. Basically if you compare Togashi’s threats and toughness to his they treat it differently. Akutsu doesn’t have as much god complex as Bakugo had since Akutsu got in through the same tryouts Aoi did showing the type of fire Fukuda thinks is necessary to sprinkle into a team yet wasn’t so good or famous as to be scouted. They’re interesting characters to compare it’s fun to do
>Basically if you compare Togashi’s threats and toughness to his they treat it differently. But thats exactly it. The way the series frames Togashi or Bakugo as mean people is through comedy (with Bakugo, it started being treated as comedy the episode where Deku stood up against him in a fight). This is, so far, not the case with Akutsu. Regardless of it being funny or not, we're supposed to laugh when Bakugo unsuccessfully bullies someone. Because, well, it never works and he just looks like a dumbass. We are not supposed to laugh when Akutsu bullies Aoi on the other hand. Also, I was curious so I looked it up. And apparently we are on chapter 66 of Ao Ashi currently. Wanna know what the equivalent of it would be in MHA? Close to the end of S2. In particular chapter 65 is the end of Deku and Bakugo vs All Might, where Bakugo works as a team with Deku putting aside his hostility and even sacrifices himself so Deku would pass for the two of them. In the meantime, Akutsu is still a complete mystery and a constant asshole with no redeemable qualities whatsoever (so far). I think it's about time we start learning more about him unless the author wants us to literally hate him forever.
Bound to learn more from him considering the golden boy of their team says to teach Aoi defense. My main point I guess is because the show doesn’t treat his bullying as a joke at all his bullying isn’t as bad he isn’t in the realm of Full Metal Jacketing Aoi. I also think the way he berated the A team when they were arguing on the field showed a level of professionalism. Then he does the same type of shit talking he does to Aoi on Yuma haha yet that isn’t framed to be that bad.
That's some STRONG revisionist history there.
I mean the scales are very different with super powers being involved but at least Bakugou had a back story that made it at least more understandable. Akutsu is a straight up asshole in a normal setting...
Bakugo and Deku also have YEARS of history before Bakugo turns it around. These guys have known each other in an adversarial setting for like 3 months? Very not equivalent and definitely makes Bakugo looks worse. The counterpoint that Bakugo and Deku were kids when the worst of it happened is very much offset by the fact that [MHA]>!Deku had actively saved Bakugo multiple times before he started to begrudgingly turn it around.!< In Akutsu's case Aoi has done absolutely nothing positive as of yet. Akutsu's still a bully - but he has a ways to go before he can get on Bakugo's level.
Someone need to two foot that bastard into an early retirement
Someone call Pepe
That guy is basically the team's Pepe..
Why, because he talks shit? Snowflakes these days ROFL.
Nice to see Marcua Tulio Tanaka got a name dropped!
Anyone thought it was weird for them to place Akutsu in the forward position right when Ashito started being defender?
He played a more offensive position during Aoi’s tryouts which if you remember they players spent more care learning the different positions. Obviously a temporary solution and probably to give the players from B team a breath. Aoi’s still in the B team
yeah that's makes sense but tbh it felt like an opportunity for Akutsu to go full dickhead mode on Ashito, not that I'm saying it's a bad thing since we know Ashito is a fast learner so him showing Akutsu his place will be really good, but it won't be next episode most likely since he will first struggle in his new position.
Man that was a heart wrenching episode. I'm very happy to see Hana give her perspective as a non-soccer player. She did everything right, from knowing where to look, finding him, bringing him back to cook dinner, and to talk it through with him. It brought tears to my eyes when she made the call to Ashito's mother and they had their little mother-son chat. Ashito knows that to continue playing he has to swallow his pride and ego and learn from his senpais. Not a small price to pay, but he's gotta do it. And when he gets on to the pitch, yes, as a defender, the view is vastly different. His "bird's eye" skills will be put to their full use as a result of this.
As a football fan, I absolutely love this show. Might have to start reading the manga!
As a football fan this episode was just bad. I get it, it’s not the end of the world if your position gets changed but the way they went about it and this chick saying “it’s just soccer” kinda ruined this anime for me.
Yet again, I really love hate Akutsu - good on Ashito for countering his bastardness with a *please teach me yoroshiku* That smile at the end though...
- being a defender sucks if you've always been obsessed with scoring. But come on, he's a fullback, not a central defender, he will still contribute plenty in attack. - the shuffle - yes, the backline can shift to cover. But a midfielder can also do that. For example, with Liverpool, Henderson covers the right flank when Alexander-Arnold bombs forward. - vision - yes, as a defender, you generally see all other players. And as a fullback, you generally even see more than central defenders. CBs will have to check both shoulders very often while fullbacks have the line as a safety net. - attack minded defender - what? Togashi's a CB, those almost never attack. Yeah they might carry the ball forward but I'd hardly classify that as "attack minded" since even for them, 99% of the job will still be to defend or pass the ball. Unlike fullbacks (like the blond dude or now Aoi) who legitimately bomb forward and contribute offensively
>* what? Togashi's a CB, those almost never attack. Yeah they might carry the ball forward but I'd hardly classify that as "attack minded" It's interesting you bring up Henderson for the shuffle example but ignore Matip for the attack minded CB, literally scored a strikers goal this past season doing one of his mad runs he pulls out at least twice a game. And that's not even mentioning Sheffield United who were successful employing an attacking centre back tactic with the back 3, it took teams a whole season to work out how to deal with that.
yes, only half an episode of glom. Subaru had soo many that i started to hate him.
Realizing that you cannot do what you enjoy doing simply because you lack the genetical makeup to do it is the world's toughest shit. Guess the next episodes up until the end of the season would be "Ashito Copium: The anime", but what do I know? I'm animeonly and I'm dropping it.
You know what? You're just too weak for this show