Ao ashi is a football manga about a suburban kid who goes to Tokyo to become a pro. The kid’s name is Aoi Ashito.

Story (7)
As you see, the plot sounds nothing original. But the presentation is fresh.
The kid is good but not overpowered.
Instead of shonen logic of “genius son of genius father” or “power of friendship” Ashito grows by practising football/soccer.
He is consistent, stubborn, a little slow to learn but hardworking.

Most football manga like in Inazuma XI, Captain Tsubasa and Days are pretty unrealistic. They are good, but aimed at kids.
This however is VERY realistic. We learn about football— training in Rondo, Passing>dribbling, vision is important, the role of CB vs FB,etc.
If you like football this is a must read!!


Art (8)
Art is clean, easy on the eyes. In sports manga it is very important for reader to SEE how the ball travelled and how the players moved. This is amazing in Ao Ashi. And the kids design looks good too.


Characters (8)
This is the most important part of any manga. The kid— Aoi is likeable, has a poor family so we root for him. BUT he is a selfish Forward. Doesn’t like to pass initially, so I didn’t like that part. But that makes it more realistic.
The team camaraderie is on point. Good friends, just friends, jealous guys, wise coach, and a girl too. All characters are written well.


Enjoyment (9)
Very very enjoyable. I read 120 chapters in just 3 days. Pace is good. And story is unpredictable at times, which keeps it fresh.


Overall (8)
I highly recommend Ao Ashi to everyone!! If you are looking for a sports manga in high school setting, you’ll love it. It’s quite similar to Giant Kiling, which is amazing too.
Go try this out and tell me if you liked it😄

Thank you for reading.