Ao Ashi
アオアシ
A grounded soccer anime following Ashito Aoi, a boy from Omishima in Ehime, as he joins an elite Tokyo youth club.
Synopsis
Third-year middle-schooler Ashito Aoi has played soccer in Omishima, Ehime alongside his older brother. A hothead who keeps getting sent off in local matches, his future seems uncertain — until Tatsuya Fukuda, coach of J1 League youth side "Tokyo City Esperion U-18," scouts him for a Tokyo trial. There, Ashito converts from forward to defender and begins showing a new kind of talent: a player who moves the pitch with vision and thought. Based on Yugo Kobayashi & Naohiko Ueno's grounded soccer manga (Big Comic Spirits, ongoing), adapted to anime by Production I.G in 24 episodes on NHK General (April–September 2022).
Why visit the real-life locations
Visit the real-life "holy grounds": Omishima (Imabari, Ehime) where Ashito grew up; Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu, which inspired Tokyo City Esperion's home ground (FC Tokyo's actual stadium); and the Kodaira / Chofu area where the dormitory and training ground are modelled after FC Tokyo's real youth facilities. World Cup season is the perfect time to walk the stages of Ashito's dream.
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