Well, it's over.

I've been reading Ao Ashi for about 2-3 years now, and today the last chapter was released. I wanted to wait until it was done so I could so the review of the series with everything laid out and with all the characters' arcs completed. It was a pleasure, and it is bittersweet that we won't see them anymore, but Kobayashi did a really good job in most areas. From character work to references to real games. It is something that you'll enjoy if you know nothing about football, but you'll like it even more if you have even a basic understanding of it.

~!!~

The story begins with a kid called Ashito from Ehime (which I believe the author also comes from) who is a striker and is very boastful, determined and arrogant and has trouble with his temper, although he has a good heart. Ashito is someone you are endeared to root for - not just because he is the protagonist, but because he is the second child of a single mother, and they aren't that well financially. Ashito gets scouted by Fukuda, who is the coach of Esperion Youth FC, and goes to Tokyo for the tryouts, where he meets future friends Otomo and Tachibana. Football is a dream for Ashito, as any kid of his age who plays football will dream to go pro, but he never quite forgets that he comes from a humble beginning and not spending his mother's money in vain is a sign of determination for him. One of the most touching scenes is the letter his mother sends him when he's off to Tokyo, and that's at the start of the series!

However, once he arrives at Esperion, it is obvious that there is a huge gap between him and the other students, and he is forced to throw away his previous idea of football to basically start over and to try things and positions he would never have before. Ashito (and the reader) are forced to learn from 0 with help of his friends, who are Otomo (midfielder) Tachibana (forward) and Togashi (defense). There are other players, but as they are all from scouting and from tryouts, they have a special bond other minor characters do not have. Another unforgettable character is Kuribayashi, who is Esperion's most talented player and Akutsu, who is a defender and Ashito's foil but also who triggers his development as a player. Akutsu is probably one of the best characters of the series once you see the completed picture, and while it doesn't justify (and never tries to) his treatment of a kid he barely knows (especially since as a main character we see everything from Ashito's pov) it is obvious that they are more alike than they want to admit.

Ashito as a character - with all his endearment and flaws, especially recklessness are not just on the pitch but also off the pitch, and sometimes it is frustrating and it exists since chapter 1 making him realistic, they lose the high school tournament because he cannot keep his temper under wraps. His romantic "subplot" and "love triangle" is by far the weakest part of the series (though I believe Hana and Anri are fine characters on their own) and seeing him improve as a player is him letting go of that immaturity, and how he does that is meeting people who are better than him. There's a point of no return when he meets Tripone that changes how he views the world around him. Tripone and Ren were great, and I wish we could've seen a cameo of them before the series ended, but they were great characters and while some people underestimated Ashito, they never do.

The matches are interesting -- though sometimes due to the explanations they can feel a little slow, compared to mangas like Be Blues where games were very intense and focuses more on the art rather than a narration. Yet AA focuses on the professional side and how hard it is to become a pro off the academy as Fukuda is very influenced by the European/Barca mode. Yet it never disrespects Japanese football nor wants it to be like euro football 100%. The last arc is a love letter to Japanese football and how they can take examples of other leagues and grow at it's time.

In a very similar way to the sport - not everyone is a star in the last arc, some players we grow to care for get to the bench without a chance to prove themselves. But so is in the academies. The end, as a lot of sports manga, starts at the "beginning" but we get to see the ending of the journey for Ashito to be the player he is meant to be, as Ao=Inmaturity and Ashi=thinking read. The ability to think that hasn't matured yet. This journey is about him gaining these abilities.

Thank you, a pairof2, thank you Kobayashi, goodbye Ashito.