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"First Touch" (ファーストタッチ Fāsuto Tacchi) is Episode 1 of the Ao Ashi anime TV series, an adaptation of the Ao Ashi manga series and directed by Akira Satō. This episode is Episode 1 in Season 1, which aired in 2022.
Summary[]
After a violent outburst at one of his middle school team's final football matches, aspiring player, Ashito Aoi, reflects and puts his skills to the test when a top youth team coach approaches him and invites him to the Tokyo City Esperion tryouts.
Synopsis[]
A boy named Ashito Aoi shoots the ball past two Baishinji Middle School defenders and scores a hattrick, leveling the score to 4-4. If Ashito’s team Futami Middle School wins they are in the semis of the prelims. The assistant coach of Futami mentioned that Ashito’s play is rough and he doesn't care about positioning or formations. However, Ashito controls the field, so the Baishinji goalkeeper, an old acquaintance from Ashito’s childhood walks up to Ashito commenting on his untied shoes. He starts to mock him, recalling how Ashito’s selfishness got him ostracized from their elementary school team. Aoi’s history of being a “ball hog” resurfaces, and his frustration grows when the goalkeeper taunts his teammates, calling them “Idiots” and “Monkeys”. Ashito headbutts the goalkeeper, which gets him red-carded and sent off. In the stands sits Ashito’s mother, Noriko Aoi, who is shocked while another spectator Tatsuya Fukuda chuckles to himself.
After the match, Ashito's mother scolds him for giving up her time to watch him. The coach informs Ashito that Coach Kijima from Dogo High School had come to watch the game for a recommendation to their school. However, Ashito was not considered as he was deemed a “mentally immature” player. It is revealed that they lost the match 4-6 after Ashito was sent off.
Fukuda at the beach is on the phone talking to a girl named Hana Ichijō about his trip to Ehime. Hana mentions that he is ignoring the team schedule, which Fukuda downplays when suddenly Ashito approaches running. Fukuda hangs up, mentioning that he has some work to do. Fukuda tells Ashito that he is impressed that he has been running for over two hours when Ashito suddenly passes out in his arms.
Ashito dreams, recounting his first introduction with his Futami teammates, where he tells them he only wants to score and that he is a “reincarnation” of Ronaldo and Mark van Basten. The teammates start to laugh at his arrogance and ego, but welcome him with open arms to the team.
After waking up Ashito sees Fukuda kicking the ball against the beach wall with impressive technique. Impressed by his ball control, Fukuda tutors him. Fukuda tells Ashito if he had this level of control of his first touch he would have scored three more goals in the game.
The Futami coach informs Shun Aoi (Ashito's older brother) that Ashito is missing, but his mother trying to get ready for work seems more worried about her missing pouch. All of Ashito’s teammates are out looking for him even after the headbutt incident. They are highly grateful to Ashito, they only started to win games because of him. Noriko says to let him be, she took time out of her day job to watch him, only for him to get involved in violence. Shun can’t understand why Ashito would hurt someone, as Noriko opens the door to leave for work she sees the Baishinji goalkeeper with his parents.
Cutting back to Ashito and Fukuda now late at night, Ashito is struggling to learn Fukuda's technique. Fukuda commented on Ashito’s lack of skill and that he wouldn’t make it to the hotel’s check-in time. Fukuda thinks to himself that he expected too much from Ashito and that he probably wouldn't make it. Before leaving Fukuda wants to ask Ashito a question and draws up the play which lead to the last goal in the sand, wanting to understand what Ashito was thinking of at that moment. Ashito gets frustrated, as he is not interested in answering his questions and only wants to keep practicing the technique.
Back at the Aoi’s household, the goalkeeper apologizes to Noriko and Shun, revealing that when his insults about Ashito’s teammates didn’t seem to work, he started to insult Noriko. Making fun of Ashito’s financial situation, insinuating Noriko is a prostitute. The goalkeeper formally apologizes to Shun and Noriko.
Back at the beach, Ashito is visualizing to Fukuda his thoughts during the play, and what he saw going into extreme detail about the entire field. Ashito tries to show Fukuda how the last goal wasn’t a coincidence but rather it was a play to which every player in the team contributed. Fukuda seems rather excited and tells Ashito to go home, whilst he is going to lie down for some time. Fukuda is amazed that Ashito was able to remember every single position of all 22 players on the pitch.
Fukuda wakes up at the beach in the morning only to find Ashito still practicing the technique, surprised that he has been going all night. Ashito notices Fukuda and tells him he got the hang of it, as he collapses on the sand. Fukuda finally introduces himself to Ashtio, as the youth coach of Tokyo Esperion FC. Fukuda has an ambition to have the world in the palm of his hand with a team he put together. This team will crush all the top teams, Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Milan. Fukuda invites Ashito to the entrance exams for Tokyo Esperion in 10 days in Tokyo.
A couple of days later Ashito is practicing on the school grounds when two classmates Nanami Shiina and Sawa Tamano start to talk to him. Mentioning that Ashito has been practicing there in recent days. Sawa wondered about the missed recommendation to Dogo High School. Ashito responded that it doesn't matter as he will be able to play football wherever he goes. His teammates show up and invite him to play with them, whilst playing they remark that he has gotten better. While playing Ashito remembers back to the day of the match when he got back home. Telling his mother about the invitation to the entrance exam, which Noriko declines. Noriko mentions the financial situation, they don’t have the money, and he is also too young to travel alone to Tokyo.
A little bit later Ashito’s teammate Hikaru Kogure tells Ashito that it was unfortunate that the recommendation fell through but now they can go to the same high school and continue playing football together. Shun appears at the school to pick Ashito up.
Whilst walking home Shun tells Ashito more about Fukuda, that he was an ex-midfielder for the Japanese national team, and that he even played in La Liga in Spain. Fukuda apparently suffered an injury which ended his playing career. Shun hands Ashito an envelope filled with money, Shun tells Ashito to go to the entrance exams.
Highlights[]
TBA
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Ashito Aoi (Debut) (Name Reveal)
- Tatsuya Fukuda (Debut) (Name Reveal)
- Baishinji Middle School Goalkeeper (Debut)
- Nanami Shiina (Debut)
- Sawa Tamano (Debut)
- Futami Middle School Coach (Debut)
- Futami Middle School Assistant Coach (Debut)
- Hikaru Kogure (Debut)
- Noriko Aoi (Debut) (Name Reveal)
- Shun Aoi (Debut) (Name Reveal)
Episode Notes[]
Anime & Manga Differences[]
TBA
Trivia[]
TBA
OSTs Used[]
TBA
References[]
[]
| Chapters | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 | Volumes | 1 • 2 • 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episodes | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 | Seasons | 1 |
| Chapters | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 | Volumes | 1 |
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