Inazuma Eleven: Reloaded - Soccer no Henkaku

IE Reloaded feels like a very flimsy foundation to build this new series on.

With the story wanting to get rid of the alien orphaned anime boys powered by a magical space rock, it retcons all of that and sets up to go down the route of seperating everyone to raise up Japan's skill level as a whole rather than assembling a ragtag team of really good players.

Initially, this could come off as an interesting idea, the possibilities that can be born out of implanting an already established character into a completely new circle and using them as springboards to build the new ones that ... can be just as memorable, but if we go off the one ones introduced in this special alone, that isn't really a reassuring thing.

The Barcelona Orbs were pretty underwhelming as antagonists, comparing them to other world class teams like the ones from Inazuma Eleven's 3rd arc, none of them came off as charismatic or likable, it's hard to imagine they'll amount to anything much other than buff bad guys who look down on the weak japs, if only they hinted at some kind of nuance like they did with Ogre Academy, it would make this episode feel like so much better of a set-up, a team to look forward to seeing even possibly 50 episodes down the line.

The animation for the series has never been one of its high points, but it has always nailed the way the special attacks look, the level of effects animation and weight behind the motion is undeniably one of the biggest appeals to the franchise, sadly, seeing how it has changed them is upsetting. Other than the Fire Tornado looking fine, old moves like The Wall and Majin the Hand feel like they've degraded, especially the latter: what was a move where Endou summons this vividly drawn muscular demon by putting his hand on his heart has been changed to a move where he can just conjure up this vaguely shaped blue and yellow figure that barely moves.

I still have hopes for the series and where it wants to go, but honestly, it has yet to convince me that it'll turn out good.

I have a lot of mixed feelings especially negative because this changes completely of how Inazuma Eleven truly is from its original series and this alternate timeline and Outer Code.

Just as what AK25 said, "IE Reloaded feels like a very flimsy foundation to build this new series on." I also think that this is very flimsy of how they made this new foundation including the 6 specials from Outer Code.

It's similar to what Steins;Gate/ Steins;Gate 0 did but they both were canonicity but this isn't and this new timeline will lead into Ares and then Orion so I'm not sure if this will give ... out the same level of hype that Inazuma Eleven gave back then.

Since we are missing out on the whole Aliea Arc and the World Tournament Arc, who knows how the other characters will affect the story especially Eisei Academy and the Foster Children including the Chairman's son who was dead in the original but is alive and totally different from the flashback we heard from the Chairman. I'll just have to see once I start watching Ares then Orion.

I also have hopes for the series and where it wants to go, but it has me having mixed feelings that it won't turn out as good.

(Also you notice I didn't say anything about the Go series, in general, the last 2 seasons [Being Chrono Stone and Galaxy] are game adaption so that series kinda died out and really didn't have the drive as Inazuma Eleven did since the first season was the only manga adapted and the plot wasn't as hype as the original so there's really nothing to talk about the Go series but it did won the 2011 Animage's Anime Grand Prix Award so Pog.)