The sports genre isn't particularly rare in anime, but it's rather surprising how high of a standard there is in the genre. Sports anime tend to develop their characters extensively and provide a stunning amount of depth to them, to the point where it's hard not to cheer for the characters or at least find them likeable in some shape or form. As long as there's good characters, established motivations and a feeling of tension in the story (it doesn't even have to be about them winning a tournament), a truly great sports anime isn't hard to make.
Now, this is the trick ultimately. Since the sports genre is so reliant on being character centric and character driven, if the characters are unremarkable, their stories exaggerated, their struggles unrelateable and their personalities bland, then you end up with a boring, mediocre and completely average show.
This is exactly what is wrong with Area no Kishi and the show's ultimate crime. There is absolutely nothing exceptional about the show, and there's nothing bad about the show.
The story is to be expected from a sports anime, and especially similar to Cross Game and Touch. Main character loses someone dear to him, has a passion for the sport he isn't being honest about and has a love interest who acts as both a counterpart and a role model of sorts (not to mention romantic interest).
This isn't a bad thing, but Area no Kishi fails because of how human Cross Game and Touch were, while it on the other hand doesn't care about making the viewer care for the characters. They feel as mere archetypes and do not move past them, they spend more times playing sports than practicing for games or interacting for one another and there is a lack of heart throughout the show.
In fact, this is why the first few episodes are much better than the rest of the show; they resemble the first few episodes of the previously mentioned series too much, sure, but there was an attempt, however small it is, at being human, and that effort is not present in the rest of the show.
And hell, I know that sports series all require suspension of disbelief to whatever extent, but for whatever reason I couldn't help but point out in the back of my head that there is no way in the lowest pits of hell someone can be on a national team, youth or otherwise, and manage to conceal their identity for so long. Honestly, I'm not even sure why that twist was even put, literally anything would've made sense other than...that.
The artwork and the animation quality are standard and aren't bad, but aren't good either. The coloring is boring and dull to look at, and the matches don't look different from the few slice of life moments present throughout the show.
It's a boring, uninteresting and dull show that is completely average in every single way. I can only recommend this if you really like the sports genre and have nothing better on your hand (which simply isn't true, you're bound to have something better available to watch).
