"The Spartan Pompadour" (スパルタリーゼント TBA) is Chapter 38 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 51st issue of Big Comic Spirits' 2015 series.
Summary[]
The chapter opens with Togashi aggressively teaching Ashito the fundamentals of the "First Touch," frustrating Ashito with his tough-love approach. Togashi insists Ashito work on the basics against a wall to improve his precision and speed. Eventually, Togashi shares his own experience: a younger Coach Fukuda once told him to master the "First Touch" through self-discovery. Inspired, Ashito gains new insight into the skill. Tachibana and Ōtomo join Ashito and Togashi for the practice, and their group training resumes with renewed motivation.
Synopsis[]
Togashi kicks the ball at Ashito's face as Ashito shows a lack of understanding even though Togashi has repeated himself a multitude of times
The chapter begins with Ashito Aoi getting hit in the face with a football by Keiji Togashi and causes his nose to bleed. Togashi tells Ashito that he has taken his own time out of his day to teach Ashito but he has not yet understood what Togashi means. He says that Ashito is dim-wit and if he still can't understand Togashi can still get his old biker gang friends and give Ashito a form of shock therapy. Ashito still doesn't understand it and he cant understand why Togashi offered to teach him if he has no patience and has no knowledge on how to teach others. Togashi yells at Ashito to get off the ground and start practicing. Ashito says that its weird for them to have Ashito only practice against a wall instead of with another person. Togashi then says that Ashito is not ready for that and he still has basic mistakes in his form which a normal player would understand at a glance yet Ashito doesn't even realize he is doing it wrong. Togashi then tells Ashito that the goal of the "First Touch," isn't just stopping the ball in place. As Ashito kicks the ball at the wall and is about to practice his First Touch, Togashi suddenly says for Ashito to pass him the ball quickly.
Ashito does so, but Togashi says that it is too slow. He then says that Receiving the Ball isnt just about the First Touch but about what comes next. As the two bicker, Ashito says for Togashi to just say what he means clearly instead of making fun of Ashito. This causes Togashi to bust out laughing. This causes Ashito to become mad and kick the ball at Togashi in order to show Ashito what he means and to surprise him as well. Ashito kicked the ball very hard and he thinks that Toagshi will be unable to receive the ball but he manages to receive it properly and then kicks the ball with such accuracy and force that it hits the pole of a nearby floodlight. Ashito is shocked by the skill and precision of Togashi but analyzes the movement Togashi did when receiving the ball. He tries to break it down but Togashi says that he wasn't trying to make fun of Ashito but it reminded him of how he was when he was younger.
Tachibana and Ōtomo appear suddenly and yell at Ashito for lying about cancelling night practices. As they see Togashi also there, they excitedly run down to practice as well.
He says that when he was younger, he mangaed to show up to the Middle School Tryouts for Esperion but when Esperion found out about Togashi's rough home like and his troublemaker personality, they refused to see Togashi's skill. However a younger Coach Tatsuya Fukuda watched Togashi practice for 15 minutes and then proceeded to tell Togashi to improve his First Touch. He proceeded to explain to Togashi the mechanics behind the First Touch but refused to elaborate when Togashi was near the answer. As Togashi demanded for Fukuda to tell him the answer, Fukuda says that if Togashi discovers the answer by himself, he will remember it for the rest of his life. Togashi says that whenever he was free, he would practice and try to understand the answer behind the First Touch and when he finally mastered it in Middle School, his skills were greatly enhanced by it which caused Esperion to notice him and have Fukuda scout Togashi.
Suddenly, Sōichirō Tachibana and Eisaku Ōtomo appear on the hill nearby and yell at Ashito for lying about cancelling the night practices. They excitedly say that he mananged to get Togashi involved as well. The two walk down to the pitch and start practicing with Togashi and Ashito.
Highlights[]
- Togashi pushes Ashito’s limits in training, emphasizing technique over brute force.
- Togashi shares how mastering the "First Touch" enhanced his own skills after guidance from Coach Fukuda.
- Ashito learns the deeper importance of receiving the ball with speed and purpose.
- Tachibana and Ōtomo rejoin the practice, energizing the group for continued improvement.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Ashito Aoi
- Keiji Togashi
- Taira Nakamura (Flashback)
- Tatsuya Fukuda (Flashback)
- Sōichirō Tachibana
- Eisaku Ōtomo
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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