Review by Frank Plowright
Ashito Aoi was spotted by Fukuda Tatsuya, the manager of Tokyo Esperion as an immensely gifted footballer, but with a hot temper. The first three volumes were combined in English, detailing his journey through trials to becoming one of the few players deemed promising enough to be offered a junior contract.
The first volume showed Yugo Kobayashi putting a hell of lot work into a believable world, seen through the training procedures, and that continues here. Prolonged sections on techniques such as stopping a ball’s movement feature, and Kobayashi has impressively created a full 36 player squad with individual portraits of each player on the bonus pages. When they appear over the course of the book, their different personalities are evident.
As this volume begins Ashito is about to take part in his first youth team match. It’s already been established that he has exceptional awareness, and in a sequence setting the scene for the volume Kobayashi highlights that combined with other skills, but also focuses on what Ashito lacks. A thirty minute match plays out over five chapters with the focus on Ashito, yet with running background on the importance of team tactics. It reveals Kobayashi himself as either a skilled analytical observer, or receiving good advice from tacticians, apparent throughout the collection. There’s a case to be made that Kobayashi dives so deep into technicalities that it’ll put off anyone without an interest in football, but they’re unlikely to be drawn to Ao Ashi in the first place.
There’s a melodramatic approach to character moments, exaggerated by the art, but they provide the suspense and drama feeding a teenage audience identifying with Ashito. When not exaggerating, Kobayashi has a nice line in character illustration, delivering a great sense of feeling, the apex being two portraits of a pair of girls avoiding each other at a bus stop. A change this time is Kobayashi drawing more realistic football as Ashito steps up a grade. Excitement is delivered whether a match is competitive or in training, complemented by small tactical diagrams when needed.
They are needed, because this story is about progress. The first collection established how Ashito’s awareness was exceptional, but here it’s pointed out that was only in connection with his part in a game and didn’t extend to other players on the team.
Outside the pure football, Ashito’s relationship with Hana continues to develop and the visual metaphor of the flying birds is explained. It’s the football that counts, though, and keen younger players can learn so much from Kobayashi’s diligence and get a great story besides. In 2026, though, fans of the England men’s football team will find a razor sharp analysis of why the team lost a World Cup semi-final they were leading. Kobayashi ends with a killer cliffhanger to head into the third combined volume.
