Aoashi


is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi and based on a concept by Naohiko Ueno. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly [Big Comic Spirits] from January 2015 to June 2025, with its chapters collected in 40 volumes. The series involves youth football player Ashito Aoi and his journey and experiences in the Tokyo Esperion youth academy.
An anime television series adaptation produced by Production I.G aired from April to September 2022. A second season produced by TMS Entertainment is set to premiere in 2026.
By January 2025, the manga had over 23 million copies in circulation. In 2020, the manga won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the general category.

Synopsis

Aoashi tells the story of young Ashito Aoi in his third year at Ehime City Middle School and his meeting with football coach Tatsuya Fukuda. Ashito, although talented, is a difficult boy, but Fukuda believes in him and invites him to join his own team. Ashito could well change the face of Japanese football.

Characters

Tokyo Esperion

;Ashito Aoi
;Eisaku Ohtomo
;Sōichirō Tachibana
;Keiji Togashi
;Kanpei Kuroda
;Jun Martis Asari
;Yūma Motoki
;Ryūichi Takeshima
;Tatsuya Fukuda
;Nagisa Akutsu
;Haruhisa Kuribayashi
;Taira Nakamura
;Yōichi Kiriki
;Eita Takasugi
;Kenta Yoshitsune
;Nozomi Date

Supporting characters

;Hana Ichijō
;Anri Kaidō
;Aoi Kaneko
;Noriko Aoi
;Shun Aoi

Tokyo Musashino

;Akinori Kaneda
;Junnosuke Nakano
;Chiaki Mutō
;Kōji Satake
;Miyako Tachibana

Media

Manga

Aoashi is written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi, and based on an original concept by Naohiko Ueno. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Big Comic Spirits from January 5, 2015, to June 23, 2025. Shogakukan collected its chapters in 40 volumes, released from April 30, 2015, to August 29, 2025. An alternate edition for younger audiences, called, began publication on March 17, 2022; this edition, published under the Shōnen Sunday Comics imprint, features furigana and a full-color guide written by former Kawasaki Frontale player Kengo Nakamura. As of June 16, 2023, 31 volumes of the Junior-ban edition have been published.
The series is licensed in Southeast Asia by Shogakukan Asia. On May 26, 2025, Titan Comics announced that they had licensed the series for English publication beginning in May 2026. The series will be released in 3-in-1 omnibus volumes.

Spin-offs

A spin-off manga series by Kobayashi, titled Aoashi Brotherfoot, was serialized for five chapters in Weekly Big Comic Spirits from July 12 to August 23, 2021. Its chapters were collected in a single volume, released on August 30, 2021. In November 2025, it was announced that the series is set to resume in April 2026.
A two-part spin-off manga by Kobayashi, titled Aoashi Midnight Diner was published in Big Comic Original from May 20 to June 5, 2024. The first part was included in the main series' 36th volume, released on June 28, 2024.

Volumes

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced in May 2021. The series is produced by Production I.G and directed by Akira Satō, with scripts written by Masahiro Yokotani, and character designs by Manabu Nakatake, Toshie Kawamura, Asuka Yamaguchi, and Saki Hasegawa, with Nakatake and Yamaguchi also serving as chief animation directors. Masaru Yokoyama composed the series' music. It aired from April 9 to September 24, 2022, on NHK Educational TV. The first opening theme song is "Mushin Hakusū" by Alexandros, while the first ending theme song is "Blue Diary" by Rinne. The second opening theme song is "Presence" by Superfly, while the second ending theme song is "Color Lily no Koibumi" by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai.
On April 30, 2025, a second season was announced. It will be produced by TMS Entertainment and is set to premiere in 2026.
Crunchyroll streamed the series outside of Asia. On April 11, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered on April 23. Disney Platform Distribution licensed the series in Southeast Asia.

Episodes

Reception

Manga

By April 2020, the manga had over 4.5 million copies in circulation, including digital versions; over 10 million copies in circulation, including digital versions, by February 2022; over 12 million copies in circulation by June 2022; over 15 million copies in circulation by August 2022; over 17 million copies in circulation by February 2023; over 18 million copies in circulation by May 2023; over 20 million copies in circulation by April 2024; over 21 million copies in circulation by September 2024; and over 23 million copies in circulation by January 2025.
Aoashi was nominated for the 10th Manga Taishō awards in 2017, and ranked fourth with 60 points. In 2020, along with Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, the manga won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the general category. The series ranked 20th on the 2022 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine.
In March 2023, the manga was recommended by Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta.

Anime

Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network reviewed the complete anime series: She was critical of the first half for Ashito's interactions with the adults being made up of "cryptic statements and ultimatums" instead of actual coaching, the one-dimensional supporting players and the scarce character designs but was positive towards Ashito's motivation and the potential development for him and the rest of the cast. While critical of the lack of coaching, a better "balance between development and gameplay" and Hana's character going into "stereotypical territory", Silverman praised the second half for Ashito and his friends going through "strong character growth", the payoff to "baffling plot choices" from the previous half and a "solid finale", concluding that "Aoashi has its issues, but it still ends on a particularly strong note, with Ashito lacing up and taking the field with the big boys. It's a good show when all is said and done, and we can only hope that someone licenses the manga or decides to animate more so that we can find out what happens next." Silverman placed Aoashi at number four on her top 5 best anime list of 2022, calling it "an addictive experience, with everything dialed up almost as high as it can go without making it feel like a parody of itself. It's frustrating, it's intense, and I desperately hope we get another season."