"A (Part 2)" (A(2) TBA) is Chapter 41 of the Ao Ashi series, written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi and based on a concept by Naohiko Ueno. This chapter was published in the 3rd issue of Big Comic Spirits' 2016 series.
Summary[]
The chapter opens with Ashito reading up on the Esperion Youth A Team's impressive records. At practice, Captain Kenta Yoshitsune introduces the A Team to the B Team in a stumbling manner. Coach Fukuda, aiming to foster unity, announces that both teams will practice together. However, Nagisa Akutsu’s hostile glare at Ashito sets a tense atmosphere. Fukuda announces an unexpected scrimmage, with 11 B Team players facing 21 A Team players, and prohibits backward passes. During the game, the B Team struggles against the A Team’s overwhelming coordination, quickly losing 2-0. Fukuda then flips the lineups, giving the B Team the numerical advantage, yet they remain outplayed due to the A Team’s cohesive play. Akutsu taunts Ashito, reinforcing the gap in skill.
Synopsis[]
The chapter begins with Ashito Aoi reading up on the Esperion Youth's A Team league records from the previous year and how they have been dominating Japan's Youth Football scene. Later at practice, Captain of the A Team, Kenta Yoshitsune, formally introduces the A Team to the B Team but end up trailing on most of his sentences. Eisaku Ōtomo speaks up and asks Yoshitsune to repeat himself. Meanwhile, Sōichirō Tachibana elbows Ashito and lets him know that Yoshitsune was the lead goalscorer in the Premier League last year. Coach Tatsuya Fukuda interrupts and and says that since both the A and B Teams are now introduced, he wants both teams to start practicing together to remove any barriers between the two and hopes both teams will push each other to improve. He ends his introductory statement by stressing to both teams to be nice to each other. Nagisa Akutsu seems to have other ideas as he scarily glares at Ashito during the entire speech.
The B Team gets blitzkrieged by the A Team's numbers and passes back to the GK to calm things down and reset. However, to their shock, Coach Fukuda says that back passes are now forbidden to prevent them from running away
As Ashito realizes that most of the Youth Graduates like Kanpei Kuroda and Yui Masuko seem over the moon, he remembers Kuroda's words that being trained under Coach Fukuda was one of their dreams. Ashito realizes that the upcoming practice. He thinks that since they are so early on in the season, it will be more of a spartan training to test everyone's stamina. Coach Fukuda subverts this expectation by suddenly announcing a scrimmage between the A and B Teams. However, he has imposed a special rule, the scrimmage will be 11 players from the B Team versus 21 players from the A Team.
Akutsu boasts that the A Team will always be able to play "proper football" no matter their numbers and tells Ashito to stop looking at him .
The scene cuts to mid-scrimmage where Ōtomo has the ball, as he gets rushed by 3 players, he panics and passes backwards to Masuko. Masuko is also pressured by two players instantly and passes to the Goalkeeper, Kengo Myōjin. Fukuda calls out to the B Team forbidding backwards passes so they cannot run away. Some time later, Ashito has the ball and is triple teamed by Kyō Shimura, Makoto Shimizu, and Eita Takasugi. As he tries to keep the ball away, Tōji Kobayakawa suddenly appears and steals the ball and passes to Kunitaka Matsunaga. Matsunaga takes the ball and scores. (SCORE 1-0 A TEAM) Ashito is furious at the unfair lineups and turns to see Coach Fukuda laughing on the sidelines. As the A Team scores one more time to make it 2-0, Fukuda calls out for everyone to switch the lineups. (SCORE 2-0 A TEAM) The B Team will have 21 players and the A Team will only have 11 players. Ashito thinks that Coach Fukuda is playing around and not taking the determination of the B Team members to practice seriously.
Coach Nozomi Date restarts the match and Tachibana tells Ashito to overwhelm the A Team with sheer numbers. As Ashito drives up the field with the ball, as he tries to find a passing course, he finds that all routes are dead. As Tachibana tries to position himself to receive, Akutsu steals the ball from Ashito and the A Team passes the ball quickly down the field to Yōichi Kiriki. Kiriki passes the ball to Yoshitsune who scores on his first touch which leaves the B Team in shock. (SCORE 3-0 A TEAM) Akutsu snidely tells Ashito that no matter the numbers of the A Team is at, they will always be able to play proper football. The chapter ends with Akutusu telling Ashito to stop glancing at him.
Highlights[]
- Captain Kenta Yoshitsune, last year’s Premier League top scorer, introduces the A Team.
- Fukuda initiates A and B Team joint practices, aiming to unify the teams.
- A scrimmage with 21 A Team players vs. 11 B Team players exposes the B Team's weaknesses.
- Ashito's frustration grows as even with 21 players, the B Team fails to break through the A Team’s coordinated defense.
- Akutsu derides Ashito, emphasizing that skill trumps numbers in competitive play.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Tatsuya Fukuda
- Ashito Aoi
- Keiji Togashi (Background)
- Kanji Nikaidō (Background) (Debut)
- Tōji Kobayakawa (Background)
- Kenta Yoshitsune (Name Reveal)
- Kyō Shimura (Background)
- Nagisa Akutsu
- Masanori Baba (Background)
- Eisaku Ōtomo
- Kanpei Kuroda (Background)
- Sōichirō Tachibana
- Aki Tsukishima (Background)
- Nozomi Date (Background)
- Daigo Benzen (Background)
- Katsuyori Isshiki (Background)
- Ayuta Shima (Background)
- Yui Masuko (Background)
- Katsuyori Isshiki (Background) (Debut)
- Ryūichi Takeshima (Background)
- Taira Nakamura (Background)
- Wataru Kameyama (Background)
- Yūma Motoki (Background)
- Yutaka Yamada (Background) (Debut)
- Makoto Shimizu (Background)
- Kunitaka Matsunaga (Background)
- Kengo Myōjin (Background)
- Yōichi Kiriki (Background)
Chapter Notes[]
Trivia[]
TBA
References[]
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| Chapters | 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 45 • 46 | Volumes | 3 • 4 • 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episodes | 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 | Seasons | 1 |
| Chapters | 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 | Volumes | 2 |
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