Despite what has got to be some of the better writing Inazuma Eleven has seen its many seasons, Inazuma Eleven Go: Galaxy seems to have the most negative reception among the Inazuma Eleven community. There are a couple reasons I think this may be the case; mainly that most of the cast that we got to know in Go and Chrono Stone are put on the backburner. Despite the lackluster community reception, it is, in fact, probably my favorite installment of the Go series, and my second favorite overall. So I'd like to talk about it a little here, and maybe convince some Ina11 fans who are hesitating to give it a shot :)

The vibe is much more adjacent to that of Chrono Stone than any of the other series in terms of the sci-fi elements, but the plot is in the form of a tournament arc similar to the previous seasons like in Holy Road or FFI, where each match is an intense battle between the leads and a team with some special gimmick. Theoretically there is a lot to say about the plot of this season, but I don't want to give spoilers about what Galaxy is really about because it was a complete (pleasant) surprise for me when I first watched it, so I will just leave it at this. I will say though, the themes in this season are a lot heavier than the previous ones, and the showrunners did a great job in creating all the different opponents to reflect the high stakes. It felt like a lot of care was put into discussing the severity of the situation and the issues at hand; there were discussions about mortality, genocide, social division, and even what seemed like a parallel to Japan's perpetual conflict between tradition and post-Edo modernization. They are tackled in a digestible, but not careless way, with a surprising amount of nuance. Or at least as nuanced as you'd expect from a kids' soccer anime, plus a bit more maybe.

This season also introduces a new mechanic, Soul, and bans Avatars/Avatar Armed, which I really had no problem with because I was not a big fan of those tbh (animations so long and repetitive with no real impact like a hisstatsu would have). Souls is whatever; it isn't really a huge deal, and is probably "underutilized." The good news is that this season has lots of really awesome hissatsu shoots which is the important thing, right ;)

Like all of Inazuma Eleven, Galaxy is very character heavy, with the creators introducing an entirely new cast (all of whom have never played soccer before). I was a bit apprehensive of this at first, along with the main trio Tenma, Shindou, and Tsurugi, but honestly I think it was really refreshing and fun. To put it simply, the writers did not disappoint. Frankly, it is not really believable that people who have never touched soccer before can get really good so fast, but I am a sucker for the application of different areas of interest into soccer no matter how cheesy it may be. For example, Sakura's flexibility and good reflexes from her rhythmic gymnastics experience made her a really apt midfielder. The cast is really lovable and they all have their moments where they sparkle. Matatagi probably had my favorite character arc of the season, and the development of not only his character but also his relationship with the team (and Tenma especially) was so good and incredibly satisfying to watch. It is no exaggeration to say that his emotional catharsis really shook me to the core. We have Zanakurou, who is implied to be Zanark's (from Chrono Stone) ancestor. I really got a kick out of him because he has a lot of similar mannerisms to Zanark in an infinitely more polite way, and while never explicitly mentioned, Tenma seems to notice this a few times. Other characters have shockingly relatable stories, like Sakura and Manabe, or sympathetic ones like Tetsukado and Morimura. One thing I would like to say is that the characters from the previous seasons, mainly Shindou and Tsurugi, kind of get put on the backburner in terms of character arc/development, but Tsurugi and Tenma's rivalry/bromance thing really makes a comeback for the season finale, and Shindou's situationship with Ibuki was really, really entertaining to witness.

And of course, we have Tenma. He is brilliant, no doubt the highlight of the season. Tenma just sparkles so much as a character; his unending kindness, undying passion, unwavering belief in his friends, and perpetual love of soccer is really exemplified in Galaxy. Watching Tenma just radiating positivity and persevering throughout the 43 episodes really did a number on a girl as she was fighting through the end of her term--everything will work out somehow, right?

Some of my favorite character relationships and dynamics of this season are between Shindou and Ibuki (enemies to ~~lovers~~ rivals/friends), Kusaka and Morimura (confession ON THE FIELD!!!!!), and of course Matatagi and Tenma. My point is that even though we have a fresh batch of new characters, they are (unsurprisingly) well written and integrate into the team/series well. They really make Galaxy worth watching.

As for the more technical stuff like music and animation, it is about what you can expect from an Inazuma Eleven anime. The openings, endings, and OSTs are all extreme bangers that should come with a warning before they're played--something like "WILL BE STUCK IN YOUR HEAD FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE." The animation and designs are also great-- the colors are wonderful and bright and there are lots of super unique character designs as well as environment designs to really get you immersed in the different atmospheres present throughout the series.

Ultimately, Inazuma Eleven Go: Galaxy should not be slept on!! It's really great as a sequel to the Inazuma Eleven series, or just as a stand-alone. The new cast allows for more freedom in writing, and made this season something refreshing and different compared to the previous two Go seasons. Overall, a really fun and whimsy experience with enough emotional depth to keep you invested all the way to the end.