Anime has been produced by Japan for over 40 years as a form of entertainment and as a way to share their culture with the rest of the world. Through this one-of-a-kind artwork and storytelling, many have become fans of Anime. From the amazing and detailed animation down to the fascinating storyline, it’s no wonder it has caught the interest of people of all ages. The genres of Shonen, Slice of Life, and Romance give viewers a different impression of how they would react and feel while watching an Anime or reading a manga.
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One genre that emerged in the last 20 years or so and has risen to popularity would be the Sports Genre. Some of the anime series like Captain Tsubasa, Slam Dunk, Hajime no Ippo, and Major may be considered OGs in this genre, but other series like Kuroko no Basuke, Eyeshield 21, and Haikyuu!! made the genre popular with both young and adult fans alike.
Today, we’re gonna talk about two Sports Anime that made 2022 exciting for fans around the world. We are talking about Ao Ashi as well as Blue Lock and they have one thing in common: Soccer. These two juggernauts are the most sought-after Soccer Anime at the moment. But like me, you might also be wondering which Soccer Anime is better – Ao Ashi or Blue Lock. Perhaps we’ll find out at the end of this article.
AO ASHI VERSUS BLUE LOCK!!
Ao Ashi Is all about what?
First, let’s talk about Ao Ashi. It is a Seinen Sports Manga series based on the concept of Naohiko Ueno which was written and illustrated by Yuugo Kobayashi. Then, starting in 2015, the serialization began in Shogakukan’s seinen manga magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits. The news about the studio and the first PV was first released in October 2021. Now we know that Production I.G, also known for creating several well-known anime series, original video animations, and movies made the anime television series adaptation from the manga with the identical title. The television series aired from April 2022 to September 2022, which spanned up to twenty-four episodes. It also has a spin-off manga titled “Ao Ashi: Brother Foot”, which is solely dedicated to the main protagonist’s brother, Shun. But for now, we will skip the spin-off and save it for later so that we can focus more on the main story.
The story plot is set in a spotlight on our main protagonist, our homie, Ashito Aoi, a teenage boy with exceptional soccer skills. He has a jolly personality, a great physique, and average height with curly hair and brown eyes. He is a third-year middle school student at a middle school in a remote prefecture called Ehime. Like any other player, he aspires to be the best in the sport and be called the world’s greatest forward so he can prove himself to be worthy of having a profession in soccer.
Ashito is known for his unpredictable moves, self-centered playing style, and heavily focusing on scoring. He is also seen as the only spotlight player on his team because of his great talent that he has but unfortunately, during an important match for his school, their opposing team successfully made Ashito angry. He then violently acted which resulted in him being ejected from the rest of the game. Without Ahito, who is considered to be the star player of their team, they were quickly kicked out of the competition. When he witnessed what happened to his team, he felt hopeless as a football player and was ready to give up.
When all hope seemed to be lost, Tatsuya Fukuda, a youth squad mentor who saw potential in him approached Ashito. Fukuda then invited Ahito for tryouts in Tokyo, a place unfamiliar to him but full of talents he has not yet seen before. Our boy now needs to step up and bring his A-game to prove himself and potentially secure a life-altering opportunity in a professional calling as a football player.
Blue Lock is all about what?
Next off, we have Blue Lock. Also stylized as BLUELOCK is a Shonen manga series illustrated by Yusuke Nomura and written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro. Then, it was serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in August 2018. Eight Bit is the name of the studio that made the Anime television series adaptation with an identical title which started airing in October 2022 with the series still ongoing as of the date of writing. Popular Anime series like Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei, Infinite Stratos, and That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime are some notable series that the studio also produced. It also has a spin-off manga titled “Blue Lock – Episode Nagi”, which focuses on Seishiro Nagi. It started serialization in June 2022 in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. We would also be skipping this one, for now, to give the spotlight to the main story. If Blue Lock piques your interest, you’ll definitely love to the read facts about this series that you didn’t know!
The story plot starts when Japan was eliminated from 16th place during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which caught the attention of the Japan Football Union. Soon after, they started a program wherein they would scout high school players who would train in preparation for the 2022 World Cup. Then, they hired an enigmatic coach named Ego Jinpachi, who designed a new training regimen: to put 300 young forwards in a prison-like environment and put them to rigorous training to produce the “World’s Greatest Egotist Striker.” Those who will fail the training will never again be permitted to represent any Japanese team. This project would soon be called Blue Lock.
The high school soccer team of Yoichi Isagi was seconds away from qualifying for the nationals if only he had scored a goal. Instead, he chose to give the ball to his teammate, costing him the opportunity to win. Isagi, who was enraged, perplexed, and dissatisfied, thought that the result would turn the other way had he not given the ball to his teammate. An invitation from the Japan Football Union was waiting for Isagi when he arrived home. After a grueling and thorough selection procedure, he was chosen as one of the three hundred young strikers for the contentious Blue Lock project. Isagi decided to set aside his moral principles because he felt obligated to succeed even if it involved destroying the dreams and aspirations of the other 299 young contenders.
If you are interested in watching Blue Lock, you might also want to check out our Blue Lock Filler List!
What dissimilarities do these two anime series have?
As we all know, Ao Ashi, as well as Blue Lock, have one topic in common, they both focus on the sport of Soccer. However, we are also able to observe some differences between the two series from their plots. Ao Ashi begins cheerfully and lightheartedly, while Blue Lock is dark and intense right from the start. Although Ao Ashi made an effort to show the kind of rivalry that is seen in Blue Lock, it still wasn’t as intense and as competitive compared to Blue Lock. Ao Ashi’s strong point is that the show was able to show a more realistic side. Still, both shows have their fan bases because of their differences.
Both television series also take a different approach when it comes to soccer and how to improve at the sport. Ao Ashi portrays how a team of beginners develops their soccer skills as one and how they will one day introduce to the world how the Japanese play soccer. In comparison, Blue Lock centers on a striker battle royale to find the player who will elevate Japanese soccer to new heights. Ao Ashi trains in a school setting, while Blue Lock takes place in a facility designed to develop the striker for the Japanese soccer team. Their training environments are also very different from each other. The stories also begin at different points in their lives; Isagi begins his adventure in his first year of high school, whereas Ashito begins his adventure during his first year of middle school.
Characters
The protagonists of these two series share a lot in common, in addition to the fact that soccer is a major theme. Whilst Ashito is positive, outgoing, and direct, Isagi is reflective, quiet, and melancholy. As such, their personalities are very different from each other. Their uniqueness is what makes them special. The utilization of special moves in soccer anime has given rise to some memes, but not in this case. They are experts at understanding the field as a whole and working on their skills. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the approach is the same. Ashito was able to think quickly on his feet and had mastered the art of contemplating the field from the start. Isagi eventually gained the ability to detect the field, and he used his instincts rather than planning the next move.
Conclusion
So, which soccer anime is better? To be honest, It’s difficult to choose between these two since each anime series features a different cast of people in a different setting. While having soccer as their shared subject, Blue Lock and Ao Ashi’s storylines and characters are distinct from each other. It all comes down to the personal preferences of the viewers.
It is also difficult to predict which series is better given the differences between them and the same sport. Ao Ashi wins based on sales figures because it was the first one to be released. But if we compare their popularity, Blue Lock wins since this series gained more followers in a shorter time. Don’t get me wrong, Ao Ashi also has a lot of promise and is favored by many of its supporters. Ao Ashi has finished airing while Blue Lock is currently ongoing. Both of their manga are not yet finished, so the real contest would begin following the conclusion of both series.
In my opinion, if you enjoy a dramatic, action-packed sports anime, then you’ll enjoy Blue Lock. Ao Ashi, on the other hand, is the show for you if you’re someone who prefers a more realistic picture of what soccer is and if you enjoy watching how each character’s personality develops.
