Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
kingdom_45
A Realistic Sports Anime That Gets Football Right
I just finished Ao Ashi, and honestly, I’m really glad I gave this anime a chance.
What stood out to me the most was how realistic the football feels. Unlike some sports anime where the focus is mainly on flashy abilities and unrealistic plays, Ao Ashi puts a lot of attention on positioning, tactics, teamwork, decision-making, mistakes, and actually understanding the game. It made me feel like I was watching young players genuinely learning how to play football at a higher level.
The character development is another big strength. Ashito’s growth feels earned, and I really enjoyed watching him slowly understand his own strengths and weaknesses. The supporting characters also have their own personalities, struggles, and ambitions, which ma…
Read at the sourceSkyBlue1012
A SPORTS ANIME THAT IS EASY TO DIGEST AND BINGE-WATCH, THANKS TO ITS CLIFFHANGERS AND STORYTELLING THAT CONSTANTLY MAKE YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
The character development is well done. Even the side characters have their own stories instead of feeling like one-dimensional NPCs. I love the final scene in the rain. Even though romance isn't necessary for the show, as a subplot, it isn't distracting and adds to the overall entertainment.
There isn't much technical football analysis here. It's not very informative or educational if you're looking for something that focuses more on the technical aspects of playing soccer.
Ao Ashito is the only one in the series with that supernatural orange Sharingan crap, which makes me laugh a little.
Warning: the MC is a very loud person. I hon…
Read at the sourceRavenzhoo
Wow, this anime is really good... a long watchlist I’d saved and neglected I finally finished it today... Hmm, mixed feelings after watching it: there’s happiness but it’s split up... some parts make me really happy, some happy but reluctantly, some happy yet curious... and other mixed emotions... feels like there’s a brawl in my chest right now.
This story reminded me of an anime I actually watched a few months ago, but the action and mentality brought Sawamura from Diamond no Ace back to mind the determination, the actions, the mentality, the naivety... I think Sawamura and Ashita aren’t that different in that regard. Whenever I talk about this kind of mentality it sticks. There are other anime with the same vibe many actually but let’s stick to those two or this will go on forever haha…
Read at the sourceoricon89
Ao Ashi understands this better than most sports anime. The matches feel earned — not because the protagonist bulldozes through every opponent, but because every step forward comes after genuine struggle. The losses sting. The wins feel real. Neither is handed out cheaply.
What makes this series stand out is how it treats defeat. Losing here isn't filler or cheap drama — it carries weight, teaches something, and moves the story forward with purpose. Same with the victories: satisfying without feeling undeserved.
The growth arc is quietly addictive. Each training session, each tactical realization, each team conflict builds toward something. The momentum never feels manufactured — it feels inevitable, the way real progress does when someone is genuinely improving.
For anyone who's ever f…
Read at the sourcesmol_minnies
This got too long to keep in notes so i moved it here. Anyways, 4 main points I disliked about Ao Ashi:
1-The first half was painful to get through, I was watching in 1.5x speed and skipping practically half the episodes. The MC was so unbearable to watch. Every tine he opened his mouth, it was just to spew some chunni BS. His nonsense screaming dialed down a LOT after getting a much needed reality check. That was ofc in the latter half which made it a decent enough watch.
2-This show relies heavily on suspension of disbelief, cuz ain't no way in hell Aoi should've made it into Esperion (especially since the anime is trying to do a realistic depiction of the cutthroat world of football). They literally had to teach him the basics that even the grade schooler members of the club know.
3-It'…
Read at the sourceSlic_K
Ao Ashi really caught me off guard with its unique interpretation of sports anime, particularly regarding soccer. A bulk of sports anime can easily be divided by flashy series of highlights or the old tried and true underdog becomes the best type of story. While Ao Ashi does start with Ashito having a dream of being that type of player, he quickly moves down a more unconventional path. Over the span of 24 episodes, Ashito's character development is directed towards mastering a role that is often regarded as second or ancillary in anime, which provides a unique feel to the story overall.
What I loved about the show was its focus on effort and progress rather than results. It dives so deep into the mindset of the players and coaches. We are shown a very real and practical strategic and ment…
Read at the sourcefien012
A new fresh for me. Ao Ashi focuses on character's thoughts instead of showing smooth animation, with someone this will make them bored, but with me anime clearly presented the improvement of characters mindsets when playing, changing of playstyles, making them understand each other and play better.
Art style really fit, detailed on every character's emotion, movement. Every character have their flaws, no one perfect, everyone still need to training, practicing, and learning through matches. I especially like ability of main character: Aoi. His wide-vision and memorize skills making him not just attacking but controlling everything on the match.
Beside, BGM plays an vital role, it maybe not too fire but enough to make me feel the excitement when it come to climax of every goals or every…
Read at the sourceElias1808
I've rarely been as enthusiastic about a work as I am about AoAshi. You get strong character development, good characters, exciting gameplay, moments where you can imagine romance, etc. From episode 1 on, the world of the main character is built so thoroughly that you can grasp their behavior, goals, and later situations incredibly well. A strong recommendation for any soccer/sports anime fan.What I think might be a bit difficult at first is the tactical aspect of AoAshi, which already plays a central role in AoAshi, which is different in Blue Lock, for example. You have to get used to the MC's style, but if you like him, he works perfectly in this setting.
Read at the sourceLimon7875
Among many sports anime, I would tag Ao Ashi as a hidden gem. While it hasn’t gained the same level of popularity as giants like Haikyuu!! or Blue Lock, it offers a thoughtful and engaging take on football.
The story follows a high school boy with a strong passion for becoming a striker. One day, he receives an unexpected letter from a top youth football club in Tokyo. However, instead of praise, the coach bluntly calls him a “failed striker.” From there, the story shifts from a typical underdog tale to something deeper—focusing on personal growth and the tactical aspects of football.
I really like the main character, and the supporting characters are also well-developed and organized into the story naturally. The animation is smooth, the sound design is solid, and the art style suits th…
Read at the source--Horus--
As a football fan I have to say that as the episodes went on I liked the anime more and more. A very interesting story, with twists and turns and a lot of football, not to mention a little romantic background story during the anime which makes it even more addictive if possible. As a long time football fan I have to say that I found it a masterpiece, because before watching Ao ashi I watched Blue Lock and, although both have football as the main theme, they are very different. Ao ashi gives a lot of information that those who enjoy football will surely appreciate, such as tactical explanations, techniques and so on. For my taste an anime you can't miss whether you like football or not.
Read at the sourcezidanepiz
Sports anime can be rather distinct in how they use the aspects of sports in the narrative. Haikyuu & Kuroko no Basket uses the action, excitement, and in-depth analysis of the relevant sport in their narrative, whereas series like Ping Pong and One Out use the theme of a single game to bring out essential subjects like psychology and coming of age.
Aoashi belongs in the later group, and this is the greatest football anime can provide. As a regular follower of club football, this anime seems like it was created for me. Though not everything was as I had hoped, like some unrealistic yet popular troupes like supernatural vision, sudden power-ups with talk no jutsu, and forced clutch moments, this is by far superior to other football anime like Blue Lock, Days & Giant Killing. The relationsh…
Read at the sourceleanricardo
Probably one of the best football anime i've ever watched before, the hyper realism is really on point, to a brazilian like me that grow up with football since i was born, this type of realism + the mix of feelings before, between and after the matches, the training/development of the team and characters made me feel nostalgic.
The story itself cannot be unique, because the dream to become a professional player live in every person that loves football.
The animation is not a very important thing, but if i have to give a rating to the animation probably 6/10.
If you like football, i recommend this anime.
If you like "soccer", i dont know if you will like
Read at the sourcekuriikata
9/10 THIS IS GREAT. If you know football, learning, have played or you even have professionally TRIED OUT for being an ACADEMY ATHLETE. I assure you this anime is fantastic, frustating and REALISTIC. This is the most realistic football anime i’ve ever seen (excluding the crow’s vision)
I’m writing this review just to quote the dumbass that hate on this anime for 0 REASON AT ALL. I quote “If you're from a country where football is popular, you probably know more than the protagonist of this show.”
BROTHER HAVE YOU TRIED TO PLAY IN YOUTH ACADEMY? NOT every ACADEMY is top 10 INT ACADEMY like ajax, barca or arsenal.
ACADEMY is where YOU LEARN. The SENIOR team is where you have to SHOW/UTILIZE what you’ve LEARN according to the coach ROLE/GAMEPLAN. The MC of this anime is from a countryside…
Read at the sourceAmandaBejtusi19
I started watching Ao Ashi after getting into Blue Lock and Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun. My kids are on a local football team, and I wanted to understand their perspective and feelings better. I never really did sports as a kid, but I played basketball in school and was pretty decent at it — though I only played during P.E. and didn’t have matches or training.
As a parent, I sometimes worry about my kids losing interest in the things they love. They’re so passionate about football, and I want to support them however I can. Watching *Ao Ashi* gave me so much insight — not just into football, but into how to understand their struggles and how to actually help them when they’re feeling stuck.
This anime helped me connect with my kids in a way I hadn’t before. Now I watch them during their tra…
Read at the sourceladderboi123
So Aoashi is the complete opposite of Blue Lock and I like it with better animation and character development. The romance aspect is good and the idea of a selfish player turning into a team based one. Blue lock is just unrealistic where people fire shots from 40 meters at full power and it manages to go in every single time or the can pull acrobatic shit after just 5 minutes of so called thinking and awakening. This aired nearly 2 cours before Blue Lock and is so much better but isn't getting a second season. While some of you all will say that anime is not supposed to be realistic and blah blah blah but even if it isn't realistic you need basic character character development for it to be good. Like in solo leveling, leveling up is not character development, hard work and letting the off…
Read at the sourcemmm56311555
Good anime story wise.In 19 episode there is a head kick which is the only funny moment in this anime.
I gave it a 10 because putting pieces together overall this anime is like a chess trainer so you can learn a lot
Art style is very modern
Characters are okay
Series is for learners not for amusement seakers
It seems i need at least 105 words for this review so exclude things that arent interesant to you me personally think that there is Blue Lock too to be watched,it's completely(100%) different than this anime so you can try that there is only one lesson there though and that is to be fast fast if you wanna be successfull playing football
Read at the sourcerealanimelover
I watched Blue Lock a couple of months back and I thought it stood alone as a great soccer/football (however you wanna call it) anime. I was wrong, Ao Ashi is a severely underrated anime that adds realism and a better story than Blue Lock. While I still do think Blue Lock is a bit better than Ao Ashi, I believe that Ao Ashi has potential to become a much better anime because of its character development and public views of what soccer is.
Aoi Ashito, the protagonist of the show, is similar to Haikyu's Hinata in the sense that they are always excited for a new challenge and never get disappointed when playing against a player stronger than them. The very likable protagonist develops more maturely as he starts to understand the basics of soccer while having a specific trait that makes him d…
Read at the sourcelordhaji
"Ao Ashi" tells an engaging story with compelling characters who feel extraordinarily genuine. At first, Ashito's character may irritate you, but his astonishing improvement in just one cour is nothing short of impressive.
One of the most impressive qualities of the series is its realism. The interactions between people, how players progress at a grassroot level and the complexities of football matches are all remarkably genuine. Because of its attention to detail, you will become thoroughly involved in the story's setting.
And let's speak about Tatsuya (coach) mentioned how he idolizes Jose Mourinho. It's difficult not to notice the resemblance between their actions and coaching style.
Aoi Ashi is NOT your typical nekketsu sports anime. DONT SLEEP ON THIS
Read at the sourceHirakoKun
This is my first review .It's been a long time since i saw an good sport anime, there have been some but not like this.This anime brings back the feelings Haikyuu gave me a few years back,that feeling of hard work and people trying to get to know each other so they can play better and win.No superpowers or anything like that ,just plain old football with a little bit of anime plot.I wish to see a season 2 of this one and fast .This deserver many seasons.The animation was good,just what i expected from an sport anime,maybe even better.I think if you liked Haikyuu or Diamond no Ace you should give this anime a chance.
Read at the sourceRaijin_-_
Ao Ashi stands tall as a captivating football anime that not only celebrates the sport but also delivers a compelling narrative filled with passion, camaraderie, and personal growth. As a football enthusiast, I found myself thoroughly immersed in the world of "Ao Ashi," enjoying every moment of its exhilarating gameplay and heartfelt storytelling.
I must admit that I may be somewhat biased, given my deep love for football. However, even accounting for this bias, the show unquestionably earns its place as a standout in the realm of sports anime. The series' ability to capture the essence of football and translate it into captivating animation is truly commendable.
From the outset, the anime draws viewers into the intense world of high school football, where dreams are forged and challenge…
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