Aoashi

Aoashi (アオアシ) 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 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 April 2024, the manga had over 20 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.

Tokyo Esperion

 * Ashito Aoi (青井 葦人)
 * Ashito joined Team Esperion from the Ehime Prefecture after impressing Coach Fukuda with his vision, dedication and commitment to improving. At the beginning, he played as a forward, but Fukuda converts him into a left back much to his chagrin.
 * Ashito joined Team Esperion from the Ehime Prefecture after impressing Coach Fukuda with his vision, dedication and commitment to improving. At the beginning, he played as a forward, but Fukuda converts him into a left back much to his chagrin.


 * Eisaku Ohtomo (大友 栄作)
 * A central midfielder for Esperion's B Team and Ashito's first friend at Esperion.
 * A central midfielder for Esperion's B Team and Ashito's first friend at Esperion.


 * Sōichirō Tachibana (橘 総一朗)
 * A centre-forward for Esperion's B Team and friend of Ashito. He was a former player for Tokyo Musashino.
 * A centre-forward for Esperion's B Team and friend of Ashito. He was a former player for Tokyo Musashino.


 * Keiji Togashi (冨樫 慶司)
 * A centre-back for Esperion's B Team and Ashito's roommate.
 * A centre-back for Esperion's B Team and Ashito's roommate.


 * Kanpei Kuroda (黒田 勘平)
 * An Esperion academy graduate and central midfielder for Esperion's B Team.
 * An Esperion academy graduate and central midfielder for Esperion's B Team.


 * Jun Martis Asari (朝利 マーチス 淳)
 * An Esperion academy graduate and full-back for Esperion's B Team.
 * An Esperion academy graduate and full-back for Esperion's B Team.


 * Yūma Motoki (本木 遊馬)
 * An Esperion academy graduate and forward who recently got promoted to Esperion's A Team.
 * An Esperion academy graduate and forward who recently got promoted to Esperion's A Team.


 * Ryūichi Takeshima (竹島 龍一)
 * An Esperion academy graduate and centre-back for Esperion's B Team.
 * An Esperion academy graduate and centre-back for Esperion's B Team.


 * Tatsuya Fukuda (福田 達也)
 * The head coach of Tokyo Esperion Youth Team A and former footballer.
 * The head coach of Tokyo Esperion Youth Team A and former footballer.


 * Nagisa Akutsu (阿久津 渚)
 * A centre-back for Esperion's A Team. He tends to be Ashito's harshest critic.
 * A centre-back for Esperion's A Team. He tends to be Ashito's harshest critic.


 * Haruhisa Kuribayashi (栗林 晴久)
 * The playmaker for Esperion's A Team.
 * The playmaker for Esperion's A Team.


 * Taira Nakamura (中村 平)


 * Yōichi Kiriki (桐木 曜一)


 * Eita Takasugi (高杉 榮太)


 * Kenta Yoshitsune (義経 健太)


 * Nozomi Date (伊達 望)
 * The head coach of Esperion's B Team.
 * The head coach of Esperion's B Team.

Supporting characters

 * Hana Ichijō (一条 花)
 * Fukuda's younger step-sister and nutritionist. She doesn't understand football, but she declares herself as Ashito's biggest fan.
 * Fukuda's younger step-sister and nutritionist. She doesn't understand football, but she declares herself as Ashito's biggest fan.


 * Anri Kaidō (海堂 杏里)
 * 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.
 * 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.


 * Aoi Kaneko (金子 葵)


 * Noriko Aoi (青井 紀子)
 * Ashito and Shun's mother. She is initially against Ashito joining Tokyo Esperion due to lack of funds.
 * Ashito and Shun's mother. She is initially against Ashito joining Tokyo Esperion due to lack of funds.


 * Shun Aoi (青井 瞬)
 * Ashito's older brother and former footballer.
 * Ashito's older brother and former footballer.

Tokyo Musashino

 * Akinori Kaneda (金田 晃教)
 * A former trialist at Tokyo Esperion seeking revenge against Ashito.
 * A former trialist at Tokyo Esperion seeking revenge against Ashito.


 * Junnosuke Nakano (中野 淳之介)
 * Another former trialist at Tokyo Esperion who makes friends with Ashito at the trial.
 * Another former trialist at Tokyo Esperion who makes friends with Ashito at the trial.


 * Chiaki Mutō (武藤 千秋)


 * Kōji Satake (佐竹 晃司)
 * The head coach of Tokyo Musashino.
 * The head coach of Tokyo Musashino.


 * Miyako Tachibana (橘 都)
 * Sōichirō's younger sister.
 * Sōichirō's younger sister.

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 volumes. The first volume was published on April 30, 2015. As of March 29, 2024, 35 volumes have been published. An alternate tankōbon edition for younger audiences, called Aoashi Junior-ban (アオアシ ジュニア版), 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 by Kobayashi, titled Aoashi Brotherfoot (アオアシ ブラザーフット), was serialized for five chapters in Weekly Big Comic Spirits from July 12 to August 23, 2021. Its chapters were collected in a single volume, released on August 30, 2021.

A two-part spin-off manga by Kobayashi, titled Aoashi Midnight Diner (アオアシ ミッドナイト・ダイナー) was published in Big Comic Original from May 20 to June 5, 2024. The first part will be included in the main series' 36th volume, set to be released on June 28, 2024.

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. On April 11, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered on April 23. Disney Platform Distribution licensed the series in Southeast Asia.

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; over 18 million copies in circulation by May 2023; and over 20 million copies in circulation by April 2024.

In March 2023, the manga was recommended by Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta.