Aoashi

Aoashi
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi and based on a concept by Naohiko Ueno. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits since January 2015. The series involves youth football player Ashito Aoi and his journey and experiences in the Tokyo Esperion youth academy.
An anime television series adaptation produced by Production I.G aired from April to September 2022.
By May 2023, the manga had over 18 million copies in circulation. In 2020, the manga won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the general category.
Synopsis
Aoashi tells the story of young Ashito Aoi in his third year at Ehime City Middle School and his meeting with football coach Tatsuya Fukuda. Ashito, although talented, is a difficult boy, but Fukuda believes in him and invites him to join his own team. Ashito could well change the face of Japanese football.
Characters
Tokyo Esperion
Ashito joined Team Esperion from the Ehime Prefecture after impressing Coach Fukuda with his vision, dedication and commitment to improving. Initially, he played as a forward, but Fukuda converts him into a left back much to his chagrin.
A central midfielder for Esperion's B Team and Ashito's first friend at Esperion.
A centre-forward for Esperion's B Team and friend of Ashito. He was a former player for Tokyo Musashino.
A centre-back for Esperion's B Team and Ashito's roommate.
An Esperion academy graduate and central midfielder for Esperion's B Team.
An Esperion academy graduate and full-back for Esperion's B Team.
An Esperion academy graduate and forward who recently got promoted to Esperion's A Team.
An Esperion academy graduate and centre-back for Esperion's B Team.
The head coach of Tokyo Esperion Youth Team A and former footballer.
A centre-back for Esperion's A Team. He tends to be Ashito's harshest critic.
The playmaker for Esperion's A Team.
The head coach of Esperion's B Team.
Supporting characters
Fukuda's younger step-sister and nutritionist. She doesn't understand football, but she declares herself as Ashito's biggest fan.
The heiress of one of Tokyo Esperion's sponsors. She has substantial football knowledge and hopes to be a manager one day. She also develops a crush on Ashito.
Ashito and Shun's mother. She is initially against Ashito joining Tokyo Esperion due to lack of funds.
Ashito's older brother and former footballer.
Tokyo Musashino
A former trialist at Tokyo Esperion seeking revenge against Ashito.
Another former trialist at Tokyo Esperion who makes friends with Ashito at the trial.
The head coach of Tokyo Musashino.
Sōichirō's younger sister.
Media
Manga
Aoashi is written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi, and based on an original concept by Naohiko Ueno. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Big Comic Spirits since January 5, 2015. Shogakukan has compiled its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was published on April 30, 2015. As of September 28, 2023, 33 volumes have been published. An alternate tankōbon edition for younger audiences, called , began publication on March 17, 2022; this edition, published under Shōnen Sunday Comics imprint, features furigana and full-color guide written by former Kawasaki Frontale player Kengo Nakamura; as of June 16, 2023, 31 volumes of the Junior-ban edition have been published. The series is licensed in Southeast Asia by Shogakukan Asia.
A spin-off manga series, also written and illustrated by Kobayashi, titled , was serialized for five chapters in Weekly Big Comic Spirits from July 12 to August 23, 2021. Its chapters were collected in a single tankōbon volume, released on August 30, 2021.
Volumes
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced in May 2021. The series is produced by Production I.G and directed by Akira Satō, with scripts written by Masahiro Yokotani, and character designs by Manabu Nakatake, Toshie Kawamura, Asuka Yamaguchi, and Saki Hasegawa, with Nakatake and Yamaguchi also serving as chief animation directors. Masaru Yokoyama composed the series' music. It aired from April 9 to September 24, 2022, on NHK Educational TV. The first opening theme song is "Mushin Hakusū" by Alexandros, while the first ending theme song is "Blue Diary" by Rinne. The second opening theme song is "Presence" by Superfly, while the second ending theme song is "Color Lily no Koibumi" by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai. Crunchyroll has licensed the series outside of Asia. Disney Platform Distribution licensed the series in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. They began streaming the series in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand from May 4, 2022; Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore from June 8, 2022.
On April 11, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered on April 23.
Episodes
Reception
Aoashi was nominated for the 10th Manga Taishō awards in 2017, and ranked fourth with 60 points. In 2020, along with Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, the manga won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the general category. The series ranked 20th on the 2022 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine.
By April 2020, the manga had over 4.5 million copies in circulation, including digital versions; over 10 million copies in circulation, including digital versions, by February 2022; over 12 million copies in circulation by June 2022; over 15 million copies in circulation by August 2022; over 17 million copies in circulation by February 2023; and over 18 million copies in circulation by May 2023.
In March 2023, the manga was recommended by Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta.
See also
Fermat no Ryōri, another manga series by the same author
Notes
References
External links
Anime series based on manga
Association football in anime and manga
Crunchyroll anime
NHK original programming
Production I.G
Seinen manga
Shogakukan manga
Television shows set in Ehime Prefecture
Television shows set in Tokyo
Winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga