Area no Kishi

As a MASSIVE Football/Soccer fan I was thrilled to see that there was a Football/Soccer anime, and to my surprise it was actually very good.
- Decent Story
- It had a good OP
- It had good artwork and animation (My opinion)
- Actually followed football rules
- Most characters were enjoyable
- A good mixture of genres
- Serious when it needed to be and fun when it needed to be
Whether your a football fan - like me - or not, you should* enjoy this anime

... *You will most probably enjoy it

Esta review también está en español.

Football Chronicles, Chapter 2: Area no Kishi
Note: some football animes will be named in this review for the sake of comparison. This is, mostly, to see how the game is faced in each series. Of course, no spoilers.
Also, football as the real, english one (aka soccer), not the american one.

For a loyal follower of the world's most popular sport like me, there's nothing better than the news of a new football anime Area no Kishi/The Knight in the Area is the more recent bet... what can we expect from it? Let's see...

The story of this anime focus in Kakeru Aizawa, ... a 14 year old kid who loves football, but decided to stop playing, and become manager of his school team and in the not too distant future, be a coach (being the Japan national team his final goal). Although this seems like a very valid dream, Suguru Aizawa, Kakeru's older brother, and one of the best players under 15 in Japan, knows that Kakeru is only running away: he knows that his little brother want to play, but he's afraid of playing cause a few years ago, he injured a rival. But don't worry, Kakeru will eventually overcome his confidence issues and return to the field (I mean... come on, just look at the pic of this very page). Besides the Aisawa brothers, the third protagonist of this story is Nana "Seven" Mishima, a former teammate of Kakeru back in primary school, now returning from the United States to join the team as a manager. Seven's not only beautiful, cheerful and dedicated, she also lacks the usual tsundere traits that most females MC have in this type of anime (like Sanae in CT or Miki in HH). She's almost too perfect to be real... or rather, she's like that typical character in a romantic comedy...

There are also many players relevant to the plot, being the most important (or at least, important enough to be in the opening) Ryuichi Araki (Suguru's companion in the national team, owner of an unbelievable metabolism), Kaoru Matoba (same age as Kakeru, tiny yet skillful), Reo Kurebayashi (libidinous GK, but sadly for him, he lacks the charm and succes of Sakai in Hungry Heart xD), Makoto Hyoudo (nice and inteligent MF), Akito Horikawa (sly DF), and Kota Nakatsuka (defender with interesting offensive traits. One of the sources of humor of the series, and one of Kakeru's best friends).

Usually, spor... football animes (I can't say a lot about the sport genre in general, since I didn't watched that much outside the football realm) don't tend to explore the characters a lot, except for the traditional topics of self-improvement and friendship. That's mostly because the important stuff happens inside the field, not outside. In AnK, however, that’s not exactly the case. I'm not saying that this anime is revolutionary in terms of character development, but some serious stuff tend to happen on the personal level, being the most important characters in this matter Kakeru and Seven. This may be attractive to people who don't like football that much, yet enjoy the sport environment and some character interaction.

The animation is decent. The character design, without being ground breaking, is well done. All the characters are very different from each other, and there isn't any weird hair color, or crazy hairstyles that might disturb Yusei Fudo (someone understands the reference? My references tend to be a bit dark. Sorry n_n). The real problems are in the court. There are times (it varies by episode) that the sport is not well portrayed. Passes, shots and plays tend to be more static than they should. This is very serious, since it's a sport series... it seems that a big chunk of the budget was appointed for teen drama instead of proper gaming (oh, yes I did). Yet, this matter, although important, doesn't ruin the whole experience, or made the games unwatchable. It's just below the expected.

Sound... well, the opening, Higher Ground, is cool and everything, but, the really weird thing is... there's no ending. This may sound silly, but, in this modern day and age, in which series with only 12 ep tends to have 3 or 4 endings, I found it pretty remarkable. As for the voices, there are certainly seiyuus with lots of recent experience: Yuuko Sanpei is Kakeru (Yoko Machi in Bokurano, Selim Bradley in FMA: Brotherhood, Aphrodi in Inazuma Eleven, Sasha in Seikon no Qwaser and many others), Shizuka Itou is Seven (Hildegard in Beelzebub, Nadie in El Cazador de la Bruja, Misa Kakizaki in all the animated Mahou Sensei Negima incarnations, Darri in Gurren Laggan) and best of all, Minoru Shiraishi as Nakatsuka (Taguchi in Hen Zemi, Taniguchi and Kimidori in Haruhi Suzumiya, and obviously, Minoru Shiraishi in Lucky Star). A nice little detail is that foreigner characters speak in their own language, and subtitles appear on screen (that's when talking with someone that can't understand them. When the conversation is between foreigners, the audio is in japanese, but they're speaking in their own language. Understood?). Sadly, the intonation is terrible, with a very marked accent, being terrible obvious that the seiyu don't know crap about english xD. Rather than bad, that last thing's funny (Giant Killing did a best job is this subject, by the way).

But the most important question you should be asking now is: what can we expect of Area no Kishi in the football aspect? Is close to Captain Tsubasa, with endless fields and shots that can destroy nets/fences/walls? It's like Inazuma Eleven, where super powers, time space manipulation and theme fields are the norm? Is like Giant Killing, where everything is hyper-realist, not only the game, but the people and the results too? In the reality scale, I put AnK above Hungry Heart, but under Captain Tsubasa. Why? Let's see:
At first, AnK looked like it was pretty attached to reality, with strong shots, but not that exaggerated, with occasional special effects here and there (like rays and whirlwinds), but didn't affect the game: there were only there for spectacularity. The players become tired after a while, yellow and red cards appear sometimes, and the strategies, although ridiculous at times, were feasible. However, episodes passed, and a few special techniques appeared... some of those tech were some outrageous, that certain dribbling reach the insanity levels of the legendary Aurora Faint! That move was from Stefan Levin, a CT player... and when a series have moves that remind those of Captain Tsubasa (and not a common player... the Sweden captain, for Christ sake), reality goes to hell. Another feature of AnK is that matches tend to be very spoken: the players talk, and talk, and talk... all this with the ball in play, and during the marking! (one of the toughest moments of the game, no less). Lots of series have internal monologues that takes a considerable amount of time (in CT that was fixed with huge fields xD), but in AnK the dialogues are, in fact, between the players, in simply unrealistic periods of time (and while running!). To end the football analysis, I want highlight that, just like Hungry Heart, the female football makes an important appearance. And if I said that the sport was a bit odd with the males, with the females is waaaay beyond that. Remember that the series focus on a teen who want to play in a high school team. But when the series is not centered on him, the focus shift to Nadeshiko Japan (the national fem team under 18)... and there, we meet with some girls who seem to be genetically engineered to play football. How crazy is with the lasses? Let's just say that the best player on the team doesn't even train, and yet, she's a football godess, a fem version of Tsubasa Ozora. One thing is talent, but her skills are so ridiculous that make other (male) players look cripple. The second best player? A girl so skilled that can kick, hit the crossbar, grab the ball (without touching the ground) and push it in a basket... using her heel! And all that, while using her phone... Applaud gentlemen, that's girl power.

There's one more issue I want to mention, and is that Area no Kishi, just like its football peers Captain Tsubasa J and Goal Field Hunter, has an open ending. In a very unpleasant turn of events, the final tournament doesn't finish properly, in fact, the last game we see is a quarter final match (a pretty good match, but not ending material). And like in the main story, lots of subplots remain unresolved... so, the way I see it, there are two ways: death in the oblivion... or a second season. This is only a speculation, but there's a chance that this problem get resolved.

So, despite that last thing, if football's your thing, Area no Kishi is a good choice, although there aren't matches in every episode, and the characters have some inner demons that need to be fixed, the games are fast, changing and exiting. If football is not your favorite sport, but the sport genre appeals to you, then AnK may be an interesting choice, since there is less football than in other animes, and characters have an equal (or higher) importance than the sport.

Oh, and if you are curious, chapter 1 of my Football Chronicles is Goal Field Hunter n_n.

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Crónicas futbolísticas, capitulo 2: Area no Kishi
Nota: varios animes de futbol van a ser nombrados en esta review, para comparar varias cosas. Más que nada, es para ver como encara el juego cada una. No hay ningún tipo de spoilers, y de paso aprenden un poco sobre otras series n_n.

Para un fiel seguidor del deporte más popular del mundo como yo, nunca hay noticia más grata que la de un nuevo anime de futbol. Area no Kishi/The Knight in the Area/El caballero del área es la más reciente apuesta... que es lo que se puede esperar de ella? Veamos...

La historia de este anime es sobre Kakeru Aizawa, un chico de 14 años que ama el futbol, pero que decidió dejar de jugarlo para convertirse en manager del equipo de su escuela y, en un futuro no muy lejano, ser entrenador. Aunque este parece ser un sueño muy válido, Suguru Aizawa, hermano mayor de Kakeru, y futura promesa del futbol japonés, se da cuenta de que Kakeru solo está huyendo: él sabe que su hermano quiere seguir jugando, pero quedo desecho cuando, en un partido de práctica hace unos años, con su pierna menos hábil, lesiono a un rival. Pero no se preocupen, Kakeru eventualmente superara sus problemas de confianza, y retornara al campo de forma activa (o sea, es obvio... solo miren la foto de esta pag). Aparte del los dos hermanos, el tercer protagonista principal es Nana “Seven” Mishima, antigua compañera de equipo de Kakeru en primaria, que ahora regresa de Estados Unidos para unirse al equipo como asistente de campo. Seven no solamente es hermosa, alegre y dedicada, sino que carece de los rasgos tsunderes habituales de la protagonista femenina típica de este tipo de anime (como Sanae en CT o Miki en HH). Es casi demasiado perfecta para ser real... o mejor dicho, parece un personaje de una comedia romántica.

También hay otros muchos jugadores relevantes a la trama, siendo los más importantes (o al menos, lo suficientemente importantes como para ser nombrados durante el opening) Ryuichi Araki (compañero de Suguru en las juveniles de Japón y poseedor de un metabolismo increíble), Kaoru Matoba (chico de la misma edad que Kakeru, muy hábil y de contextura pequeña), Reo Kurebayashi (arquero libidinoso, aunque, tristemente, carece del éxito de Sakai de Hungry Heart xD), Makoto Hyoudo (medio campista inteligente, aunque alegre), Akito Horikawa (defensor risueño) y Kota Nakatsuka (defensor que lucha por ganar una posición, con gran vocación ofensiva. Uno de los generadores de humor de la series, y uno de los mejores amigos de Kakeru).

Usualmente los animes depor... de futbol (no tengo autoridad como para hablar de otros anime que no sean de futbol) no tienden a explorar mucho a los personajes, excepto por los tradicionales tópicos de auto superación y amistad. Y es que lo importante ocurre dentro de las canchas, no afuera. En AnK, sin embargo, la cosa no es tan así. No voy a decir que en este anime hay una revolución y los personajes crecen, maduran y cosas así, pero realmente pasan cosas a nivel personal. Esto puede resultar atrayente para personas que no vean al futbol como un gran deporte, pero que disfruten el ambiente deportivo, el compañerismo y blabla.

La animación es decente. El diseño de personajes es correcto, no muy innovador o increíblemente detallado, pero cumple. Todos los personajes son bien distintos unos de otros, y no hay colores de pelo o peinados locos que puedan molestar a Yusei Fudo (alguien entiende la referencia? Mis referencias tienden a ser un poco oscuras… sepan disculparme n_n). Donde sí hay problemas es cuando la pelota está en juego. Hay veces (varia con el capitulo) que el deporte no está bien retratado. Los pases, los tiros, las jugadas suelen ser más estáticas de lo que deberían ser. Esto es gravísimo, dado que es una serie deportiva… pero por suerte, no pasa siempre, y no evita que se disfrute la dinámica del partido. Así que, si bien está por debajo de lo esperado.

Por el lado del sonido... a modo de curiosidad, no hay ending, algo muy raro en estos tiempos modernos donde series de 12 capítulos llegan a tener hasta tres. El opening, Higher Ground cumple. En cuanto a las voces, se trajeron a varios seiyuus con amplios curriculum, siendo Yuuko Sanpei la voz de Kakeru (Yoko Machi en Bokurano, Selim Bradley en FMA: Brotherhood, Aphrodi en Inazuma Eleven, Sasha en Seikon no Qwaser y muchos más), Shizuka Itou es Seven (Hildegard en Beelzebub, Nadie en el Cazador de la Bruja, Misa Kakizaki en todas las encarnaciones animadas de Mahou Sensei Negima, Darri en Gurren Laggan) y lo mejor de todo, Minoru Shiraishi como Nakatsuka (Taguchi en Hen Zemi, Taniguchi y Kimidori de Haruhi Suzumiya, y obviamente, Minoru Shiraishi en Lucky Star). A modo de detalle, hay que decir que los personajes extranjeros hablan en su idioma, y en pantalla aparecen subtítulos (al menos cuando hablan con alguien japonés. Cuando la charla es entre ellos, el audio esta en japonés, pero se entiende que se suponen que hablan en su idioma), lo que siempre es un punto para el realismo. Desafortunadamente, siempre tienen un acento marcadísimo, notándose a kilómetros que son japoneses hablando ingles xD. Pero bueno, más que algo malo, resulta cómico (hay que decir que esto estaba hecho un poco mejor en Giant Killing).

Pero la pregunta más importante que ustedes, deberían estar haciéndose ahora, es: que podemos esperar de Area no Kishi a nivel futbolístico? Es cercano a Captain Tsubasa, con sus canchas interminables y sus tiros destructores de redes/alambrados/paredes? Se parece a Inazuma Eleven, donde lisa y llanamente hay súper poderes, manipulación tiempo espacio y canchas temáticas? Es como Giant Killing, donde todo es híper real? En la escala realista, ubico a AnK por encima de Hungry Heart, pero por debajo de Captain Tsubasa. Por qué? Veamos:
Al principio, AnK pintaba bastante apegada a la realidad, con tiros fuertes, pero no exagerados, con algún que otro efecto especial por ahí, como rayos de luz o torbellinos, pero que no influían en el juego: estaban ahí solo por una cuestión de espectacularidad. Los jugadores se cansaban después de un tiempo, y aunque muchas de las estrategias utilizadas en algunos de los partidos lucían ridículas, eran factibles. Sin embargo, con el correr de los capítulos, empiezan a aparecer alguna que otra técnica especial, llegando a extremos en que ciertos regates recuerdan a la legendaria Aurora Feint de Stefan Levin! Dicho jugador pertenece a la selección de Suecia, en Captain Tsubasa… y cuando alguien se parece a un jugador de selección de CT, la realidad pasa a un plano secundario. Otra característica de AnK es que los partidos tienden a ser muy hablados: los jugadores hablan, y hablan y hablan... y esto, con la pelota en juego, y durante la marca! En la mayoría de las series suele haber monólogos internos de duración considerable, pero en AnK hay diálogos que de hecho son entre los jugadores, en periodos de tiempo simplemente irreales (sin contar la incomodidad del dialogo durante una corrida xD). Para terminar con el análisis futbolístico, quería marcar que, al igual que Hungry Heart, en AnK el futbol femenino hace acto de presencia. Y si dije que el futbol masculino tenía algún que otro firulete, el femenino se pasa. Al borde de lo ofensivo. Tengamos en cuenta que la serie se enfoca en un chico que quiere ser titular en su equipo de secundaria. Pero cuando la historia no está centrada en él, el foco pasa a la selección japonesa femenina de futbol (sub 18), donde hay varias chicas que parecen diseñadas genéticamente para jugar al futbol. Y lo peor de todo, la mejor de todas es una chica que ni siquiera entrena! Una cosa es el talento, pero sus habilidades son tan ridículas que hacen que los demás parezcan minusválidos. Y la segunda mejor? Una chica con la capacidad de patear y que todos sus tiros se claven en el ángulo, al mismo tiempo que habla por teléfono… y cuando se aburre, hace que el balón impacte en el travesaño, rebote, y sin que toque el piso, lo empuja con el taco al canasto de las pelotas! Aplaudan señores, ese es el poder femenino! xD

El problema final que quisiera mencionar de Area no Kishi es que, al igual que sus compañeros de género Captain Tsubasa J y Goal Field Hunter, la serie termina muy abierta. De forma muy triste, el torneo final no se resuelve, de hecho, la serie concluye en el comienzo de un partido de semifinales (siendo el de cuartos de final un partido interesante, pero no muy distinto de los anteriores… o sea, ni siquiera se calentaron en poner un partido final súper épico a modo de cierre). Ninguno de las historias secundarias llega a resolverse, lo que nos puede llevar a dos cosas: muerte en el olvido… o segunda temporada.

A pesar de esto último, si el futbol es lo tuyo, Area no Kishi es una buena elección (porque tampoco es que haya tanto de donde elegir), aunque no haya partidos en todos los capítulos, y los jugadores tengan algún que otro demonio interno que arreglar, los partidos son vertiginosos, cambiantes y emocionantes. Si el futbol no es tu deporte favorito, pero el género deportivo te atrae, entonces AnK puede ser una buena opción, dado que no hay tanto futbol como en otros animes, y los personajes tienen una importancia igual (o mayor) a la del deporte.

Ah, y si sienten curiosidad, el capítulo 1 de mis crónicas futbolísticas es Goal Field Hunter n_n

Among the new animes this season, Area No Kishi ranked top in my 'must watch list' simply because i love soccer. I was hoping for a soccer anime with no superpower involved and upon hearing about Area No Kishi, i was excited. After watching the first episode, i am not disappointed with it but i am expecting more.

Story(8)
For the story i am giving it a 8 because of both the potential development of the protagonist, Kakeru, as a player as well as his development in terms of romantic relationship with Seven. First episode was quite promising for me, and i certainly am looking forward to ... the upcoming storyline.

Art(8) & Sound(7)
The art looks bright and refreshing. The soccer actions were also well animated. I like the voice actors for the characters as they were compatible and refreshing to the ears.

Character(8)
I am loving the characters for this anime. Kakeru is like any other protagonist in shonen animes: kind, understanding and have the most potential in whatever they are good at. Despite it being a common trait among other shonen characters, i like how it works well in this anime. His brother, suguru, is a cool soccer talent which reminds me of rukawa in slam dunk. Seven adds a nice flavour to the story as she will most likely be the center of a potential romantic relationship.

Overall, this anime has a fair share of both comedic moments and soccer actions. I look forward to future episodes and hope it can meet the expectations i am having for it.

Area no Kishi, The Knight in the Area.

Note: Football will be referred to as "soccer" for familiarity's sake.

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Story (7)

The story starts off with two brothers, one slightly older and significantly better at soccer. At first, it seemed like the story would revolve on the younger brother trying to catch up with his older brother. In a way, that was the case-- but I can't go in-depth without spoiling the anime. However, this anime involved a sports anime cliche.. losing the "main" tournament and winning (not necessarily in this case) the next. I would also like to note that this anime had a lot ... of loose ends. Although it is worth mentioning that the anime did not finish off the manga.

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Art (8)

Overall, really good. The skill moves looked extremely realistic. Also, there wasn't a fire trailing the ball.. so that was good.

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Sound (8)

There isn't really a lot you can screw up with concerning this anime's sound. Thought that the sound mixing of the characters with the crowd was for the most part, on point.

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Character (9)

Definitely thought that the character development for the main characters were executed really well. The characters each fit a "stereotype" for a soccer player and we really got to see them grow. Also, the background development and the flashbacks were a fine touch. Usually these things would be another cliche, but the flashbacks really did justify the actions of the main characters.

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Enjoyment (8)

Bottom-line: If you enjoy soccer, you'll enjoy this anime. It's simply that "underdog" story that we can all relate to.

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Overall: 8/10
Definitely for soccer fans.. but the anime starts at a basic enough point that those who do not know the sport would not be alienated by the anime.

Another Sports anime added to my fave sports anime list !!!!!! It seems i won't see cool special moves like in Eyeshield 21/Prince of Tennis and other sports anime. Anyway on to the story--- Area no Kishi is a soccer anime about Kakeru Aizawa who is the younger brother of Suguru Aizawa. He is the team captain of the soccer club, star player, and popular with the girls : ) Later on we meet Kakeru's chldhood friend Nana Mishima( Seven) who transferred to their school from America.( love interests of Kakeru and possible Suguru : 0 ) She also ... played soccer with them when they were kids. Suguru believes Kakeru has potential as a Soccer player( this is my guess-- Maybe to surpass his brother Suguru : 0. I am excited to see future episodes of Area no Kishi. I give this anime a 10

--The review contains spoilers--

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).

Area no Kishi is an entertaining series about football/soccer, but certain limitations hold it back from being an exceptional sports anime overall.

The story here is decent but it's probably the same sort that's standard in most sport anime: A main character, Aizawa Kakeru in this case, wants to get better at his chosen sport and make it to the championship finals with his school team. Problem is, there isn't much else to make it stand out in any particular way. While some of the early football matches on show can be pretty exciting, they tend to get a bit predictable after you've seen a few, ... until new skills and feints become available to the players. It's an advantage that the main football team plays attacking football and has a coach who changes their tactics depending on the opponent they're facing. On the negative side, players can sometimes look stupid when dribbling and spend far too much time talking during games. Certain aspects of the story such as close-to-supernatural stuff and medical conditions, when explained, are hard to believe and must be taken with a pinch of salt.

Well-developed characters are perhaps not the most important priority in a shounen/sport anime such as this. The main character Aizawa Kakeru is likeable enough but could have done with a bit more meat to the bones of his personality. His older brother, Aizawa Suguru, is a more intriguing character with his inner demons regarding the pressure of being one of the most famous Japanese youth players, as well as having a large circle of interesting acquaintances, but doesn't get enough screen time. Mishima Nana, the childhood friend who's set up as a potential love interest for Kakeru, also plays football herself as well as serving as the manager of Kakeru's team; a minority of the episodes are centred around her career and female teammates rather than Kakeru's, and they actually help prevent the story from becoming too stale. There are several other footballers who have moments where they shine in matches but unfortunately, they don't really get any focus on their personal lives.

The animation in this series is okay. Character faces are rather plain while some expressions are used excessively; Kakeru is especially guilty of looking shocked or amazed far too often. Football matches themselves tend to take shortcuts such as having several still-shots of players performing dribbles around others, and beams of light used to show the movement of players or the ball. It's more visually impressive during the parts of matches when you actually see players running and the ball zipping around the pitch in real-time.

The voice acting is mostly fine, except for a few adult characters who for some reason sound weird. You also get Japanese VAs who are required to say some of their lines in English and the variable degrees of success are expected. The OP song is energetic and suits the tone of the series, and although there's a limited range of background music, it's used quite effectively. The ED theme, well, the anime doesn't even have one; the next episode preview follows straight on from the end of each episode.

The fact that the anime doesn't portray football (or soccer) as realistically as one might expect isn't much of a problem; the football matches on display are usually excellent (as long as shortcuts with the animation are kept to a minimum), and they make up a big portion of this anime. Admittedly, the anime could be vastly improved by adding more twists and turns to the story outside of matches, greater character development and a better use of comedy. Is Area no Kishi an enjoyable series and one that's worth watching? I'd say yes, especially if you're a fan of the sport.

Upon seeing that one of the new anime out was a football anime I rushed to watch it. Football anime have been good to me in the past with the likes of Whistle! And Hungry Heart: Wild Striker so I came into this with high expectations.

Those expectations were shot to pieces. The anime’s football scenes are dull compared to the series’ I mentioned earlier and the anime’s overriding theme – which becomes obvious within the first few episodes – is poorly executed and shoved in the watcher’s face in nearly every episode.

Additionally the plot gives the feeling that in another 10, or so, ... episodes it won’t matter because all it seems to be there for is to boost the main character’s football skills and make the other characters react.

The final nail in the coffin, for me, is that there is not much sense of actual team spirit which is normally one of the best parts of a football/sports anime. By this I mean there isn’t really a sense of a goal for the team beyond winning and that nearly all of the team could be replaced with stickmen and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

Having said all of that, parts of the story are well done and one or two of the characters are surprisingly complex. If you have run out of other good football anime or want to try something with an original plot then this may be the anime for you but otherwise you’re better off staying away.

Story. (6/10)
Based on the popular soccer manga by, Kibayashi Shin and Tsukiyama Kaya; The Knight in the Area (Area no Kishi) tells the story of a young boy named, Aizawa Kakeru, whose potential is only exceeded by his self doubt. Kakeru must endure misfortune early on in the story, misfortune that only makes him stronger as a person and rekindles his love for the game. The story kicks off when Kakeru joins the Enoshima High School Soccer Club, in which he meets the rest of the cast, whom all share common goals. A sub-plot of the series follows, Mishima Nana (Seven), a childhood friend ... of Kakeru, who plays on Japan's Women's National Football Team (Nadeshiko Japan). To be honest, the story isn't something I haven't seen before, yet it manages to keep my attention. The way the story is told doesn't sit well with me, looking at it as a critic, I would have changed many things. For what it was, it was fine. The pacing was a slow and fast at the same time, and matches weren't all too exciting, a serious downfall. I feel a lot could have been done but wasn't. I think more episodes would have aided the series immensly.

Art. (8/10)
The anime adaptation is brought to you by, Shin-Ei Animation (Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan) and directed by Ogura Hirofumi (Black Butler II, Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman). I liked the art style. It suited the series really well. Character designs were good and for the most part, they were distinct from each other. My biggest complaint would be the animation during matches, in which still frames are utilized more than usual and transitions are a bit sluggish. The series is consistent throughout, with little to no lapse in animation quality.

Sound. (8/10)
Let's begin with the opening theme, "Higher Ground" by S.R.S. As the only opening theme of the series I have to say that I liked it a lot. It's truly a good tune, and gives you a good vibe before the start of the show. The series surprisingly didn't have an ending theme, which is a bit dissapointing. I don't know whether is was a personal choice or due to budget issues, nonetheless it was odd to not see one. Now, moving onto the background music of the series. I found most the tracks suitable, if not perfect, to the situations in which they were played. I hardly ever had a bother with the music. I watched the series in the original Japanese dub, and in my opinion it was very good. I felt the voices all matched the characters well, and the voice actors did a great job portraying the various situations throughout the show.

Character. (7/10)
As the main character of the series, Aizawa Kakeru is expected to receive the best development, I don't believe that's the case in this series. I believe his development as a character went stagnant once his personal ordeals were dealt with. His development as a player was extremely dissapointing to me. Other than overcoming a past trauma, some old habits, and learning a fancy trick, he didn't develop much as an overall player. Mishima Nana was the main female character of the series. She is a manager for the Enoshima High Soccer Club, as well as a member of Nadeshiko Japan. She develops slowly, though personal struggles, and a friendly rivalry with Murasaki Mai, a member of Nadeshiko Japan and love interst for Kakeru. Seven and Kakeru share a long and strong bond, and one can't help but get the feeling that they like each other. Their relationship is frustrating, to say the least. Araki Ryuuichi, Enoshima High's ace midfielder, was my personal favorite. Araki is an already proven elite player, and it's showed by the way he conducts himself in matches and by how he strives to make not only himself better but all those around him as well. The rest of the supporting cast is delightful as well, with a variety of personalites and skill sets. I only wish they could have received more screen time and personal episodes.

Enjoyment. (7/10)
As a passionate fan of soccer, I have to say I didn't enjoy this series as much as I thought I would. I was very excited once I heard the announcement of the anime. I suppose my expectations were too high to begin with, but overall I was just disappointed. I ended up liking the series more for its characters rather than the story and soccer matches, which wasn't my intention.

Overall. (7/10)
It's a series that I'm glad I watched, but I don't think I'd watch it again; unless it has a DVD release with an English dub, which is highly unlikely. I think I would have enjoyed the show more if it had only lasted longer. The art and soundtrack were the highlight of the series. Story and character delvelopment were lacking. Overall, I would still recommend the series, just don't expect to be blown away.

Area no kishi ,this is actually the first soccer anime i ever saw
very good and enjoyable,although i have no idea how to actually play soccer,
this anime can be decribed as a "soap oprea" in my oppinion ,just because there is very cliché ,almost imposible parts that hapen(like the drastic weight gain/loss of a player) in their everyday life,the soccer seems more realistic then the actual stoyline's plot.it is a good anime overall ,a bit slow but it feals oddly nostalgic to a time where you realy want somthing and your working twords it,it is a semi-relatable aime with some decent subplots,and teis about teamwork and ... love , rating (sofar) 8/10

WOW a football anime after al long time. And looking pretty good. Watched 4 episodes till now so some thoughts:

Story [9/10]: Any sports anime is definitely interesting to watch. Adrenaline rush !! The story has started off well. Till now we get to see the warm as well as cold interactions between Kakeru and his older brother Suguru and a startling twist. After finishing the first episode I thought that most likely we are going to get to see rivalry on the football field between two brothers. But interestingly ep 03-04 gave a surprising twist. How things progress with Kakeru now that he has found ... that his brother is no longer there with him will be interesting. I am sure there will be a lot of character development in the coming episodes. Till now the pace of the story is just right. Sorry I am not saying much since little advancement has been made in the story. Also I dont want to give too many spoilers (one I gave just now.)

Art [10/10]: Art is good. Football passes, dribbling animation-wise were clearly seen (ofcourse in slow motion- but then again its good since we get to learn most about all those cool moves) in the first episode. Movements are clear.

Sound [9/10]: No complaints again. All voice actors have done there job well. The background music just at the beginning sounded really nice.

Character [10/10]: Again the character personalities as shown in the first episode are no different from the generic characters in any sports anime. They are pleasant. Again how Kakeru performs during the entire course of the series will be the key. Suguru's character of that f a strict yet kind older brother is well displayed in the first couple of episodes.

Enjoyment and Overall[10/10]: Enjoyed every episode till now. Recommended watch *thumbs up*

When I first watched anime based on sport I was consumed by it.
I've start to watch different types of sport anime and get more unique types of feelings after watching it.

This time soccer anime it is my first time encountered it and watch till end. I have zero knowledge about soccer etc. Don't even watch real soccer in TV , but in sport anime I'm looking for special stuff.
Just simply looking at persons who like to train their body and don't give up , make friends and keep fighting for the team , this few things give me shivers on my entire body.

Watching this anime ... sometimes it was similar to Kuroko no Basket , in the way of words they was saying in anime .At first few episodes it was boring and hard for me to watch but then KA-Boom ! and can't stop willing to watch more and more . Story was made brilliant it was not a lazy type but the more you watch you get sucked instantly. I enjoyed a lot the characters , the anime would me more popular if they could recruit famous Seiyū just few more.

I'm disappointment in one Seiyū role , I'm myself surprised that there is a male Seiyū that I did not like it. Well to tell you the truth I was disgusted by hearing his voice in anime and this character is Leonardo Silva. I'm definitely don't want to hear this Seiyū in other anime.
In other way the character that changed the point of few this anime was Araki , if not him anime would be dull and 'outworn'.


Once again I've encountered a anime that at beginning was boring but on last episode I was screaming ; Where is more ??
Why they end it on this time ?!
I'm definitely looking forward to see season 2 if they are willing to make it.

I watched this as a for the most part as non-biased as possible. I'm neither a super fan of football or sports anime, it's more a side genre for me. So bear with me as I'm not always keen on the rules of football. I will for the most part be comparing this to Eyeshield 21. Despite it being the wrong kind of football, it is a good example of how the genre should work imo.

Story:
This was something that really got to me. I really couldn't get into the story because of how bland it was, yet I still find ... myself watching it. It's a fairly average supernatural power anime with a lot of forced narrative. It doesn't add anything to the sports genre.
The nature of kakeru's skill/power is a little absurd for how serious the rest of the show tries to be and instantly telegraphs the rest of the plot of the show. "Oh no! they seem to be in a tight spot" and kakeru's uncounterable, slumbering powers get accidentally awoken/discovered instantly turning around any game. They tire this out pretty quickly.
The romance in the show is pretty straight forward thus far, and when another female is introduced guess who's the third part of the football love triangle!
I never felt that they were a bunch of losers to begin with and this is where I feel the anime falls flat. You can say they've never won the representative tourney as much as you want, but they never looked nor felt utterly dejected despite be talented.

Art:
I think the art style is just fine. It all plays a little hectic though it goes back and forth between jokingly stylized and serious tone depending on the character. I'd prefer if they took it to the absurd level of Eyeshield 21 personally.
The aggressive/skilled characters are more sharp while the nice are softer.

Sound:
Nothing seems out of place a few things are a little overused in some spots but I can ignore that.

Character:
The minor characters are unique and probably the best part of the show. It's probably what keeps me watching. They do develop but never given a big enough spotlight to truly shine outside of the first few episodes and occasional spots between kakeru and nana

Enjoyment:
I always have a hard time with this section of a review because enjoyment is a part of the overall experience and as such I can't enjoy this outside of judging the entire series because of the lead characters.
I enjoy the series for it's teaching capabilities, but not much more. It fleshes out rules nicely for those who aren't very familiar with them.
What I couldn't stand was the amount of talking in the series, especially in the middle of a game. The rest of the game is going on around them and the stop and monologue for SO long.

Overall:
I can't recommend it as a general anime fan, you really have to ignore a lot to get around some of the weaker points. As a person who's not familiar with soccer it does an okay job of helping me understand the game and a bit of the strategy. Don't want to believe the direction that this anime takes after every episode.

It feels like it wants to be like Eyeshield 21 but it falls short of cloning it, th energy of the show never really builds and can only seem to hit a plateau and be instantly die afterward. Nothing every feels at stake because of how the story is built, the solutions are never out of left field or last ditch. Wait for kakeru seems to turn the game around always come out ahead it feels.

Area no Kishi is a sports anime about soccer. It is an average show, sometimes episodes are entertaining and sometimes they are boring too. Nothing really outstanding but it also has nothing to make it a bad show. Area no Kishi is about our young siblings Kakeru Aizawa and Suguru Aizawa. Suguru Aizawa is the older brother and is an upcoming football star. At age 15 he is already heralded as japan's savior, he also one of japan's U-15 (under 15) representatives. Kakeru, the otouto, on the other hand lacks motivation and eventually quits playing after a game accident involving him and someone getting injured. ... Instead he aims to be a top football manager. Nana Mishima a.k.a "Seven" is our third protagonist, she is a female football who played in the same team as the Aizawa brothers when they were still young, she eventually moved to America. Suguru and Kakeru trains hard to be a great player and club manager respectively. However, Suguru, being the old brother, knows Kakeru's potential and he wanted Kakeru to someday play with him as national representatives. A "Road Accident" however will change things, which will kick-start the real story of Area no Kishi.

The show revolves around football matches, training and some few other things (Typical sports anime). Some character development (w/c is essential to sports animes) here and there. There are a lot of characters (another obvious thing for sports anime specially football ones). The show alternates it's focus between the Enoshima FC (the main protagonist team) and the Nadeshiko Japan (Japan's National Female Team).

One good thing about Area no Kishi is that it sticks to reality, it never had those special-makes-no-sense-but-looks-cool moves that most Sports anime today possess which i kinda liked. I don't really know a lot of football (I'm a hardcore basketball man like Sakuragi) but i learned some things from the show, some strategies and basic stuff from the sport are shown (though i'd really like more in-depth stuff.) The show also kinda made me wanted to play soccer for a bit. Besides the typical sports anime elements, the jokes (comedy is also an essential for successful sports titles) are at most times not really that funny which makes it a bit less entertaining sometimes. The art is okay, though sometimes it looks bad. Nothing special about the music, it kinda lacked music if you asked me. Overall, it's an average anime, there will be no real sense of completion in watching this anime since nothing really happened big in the ending (sort of needs a season 2). If you love soccer, or sports in general then give it a try.

My Personal Rating:7/10

The Sports genre is a genre I like very much because of the fact that it is always driven by it's characters and each and every character have some depth and the main protagonist usually has a lot of depth. Area no Kishi does this but in a completely average way, and in this specific case it is about a sport that I personally find very exhillirating, and they somehow made it completely bland.

Firstly there is the premise of the show where the main character Kikeru was a football player, but being in his brothers shadow made him quit the sport and become the manager ... of the team instead. Eventually Kikeru goes through a ltragic event that brings his passion for the game back. I personally reallty like the premise of the anime but in my opinion the show didn't explore the story the right way and is why I give it a 7, because it most definitely had promise, but personally didn't capitalise on the promising premise.

Let me talk about the main characters Kakeru, Kakeru's brother Suguru and finally the Love interest Nana. Firstly there is the main protagonist Kakeru who I personally really liked and was most definitely the highlight of this show, but I feel like they missed out on some of the opportunties when it came to his character. Next we have Suguru who I also really like and I felt like his character was the best in the show at least from what I watched since I could only watch the first 5 episodes before I was bored. Finally we have Nana, and I am usually up for romance in any genre but this time it just felt wrong, something was off I don't know how to explain it, but I am pretty sure it is because I did not enjoy this character in the slightest and is where this show starts to lose points. Firstly her character isn't really developed from what I have seen, which is a problem since she is the main female protagonist of the show, and then the fact that I have literally seen no flaw in this character as of yet she is completely perfect and hence completely unrelatable and in this specific genre I expect good characters that do make mistakes, this character is amazing at football(soccer), she is also kind and there for everything Kakeru needs, I assume she is also smart since she knows all the technical details about football as well, she has literally shown no flaws as of yet, and I knew I had to drop it when I noticed that I was literally skipping episodes because she was in the whole episode.

Let me put this out there I like football and therefore do tend to judge this a bit more stricter than other sports anime out there.

The art and sound was really nothing special.

And as you can guess I didn't enjoy this show thanks to Nana, I might of been able to if she wasn't integral to the story of this show, but she is, so that's that

5/10

Since I am a huge fan of football I started watching this anime.

My ratings and opinions are as follows:

Story (8/10)
I think the story was a bit heartwarming, bit bitter and sour and a bit of sweet.
If only Kakeru was not so stubborn and dense, which made the story feel like a drag race at starting of the anime I would have given 1 point more.

The players just can't accept any different player than Suguru and keep on thinking all the time about him which also felt too reluctant to accept Kakeru (Only those who has seen the anime will understand what I ... mean). I would have given 1 more point if there was not this drawback.

Art (9/10)
The animation is very good, like how they draw lines of balls where to pass and character graphics and effects were nice.

Sound (8/10)
The starting song sucks. I didn't like it, well it's at the end my own opinion.
The art and sound while playing football made most of the anime good.

Character (3/10)
The whole time story felt a bit gloomy because of Suguru but later it developed to become better.
The only character I hate is Nana. She might look cute but don't be deceived she is a really overpowered character in this anime. Nana is awesome in playing football, overly manipulative, overly conscious of surroundings and of how people think about her and she knows how to use that to her help.
The anime didn't highlight this cunning side of her even though she shows it openly throughout the anime series.

Enjoyment (7/10)
Seeing the ways they play football was indeed enjoyable. Kakeru's secret character is also somewhat enjoyable.

Overall (6/10) FAIR

Area no Kishi is very similar to Cross Game. Slight spoilers ahead, but these happen in the first few episodes.

Both Cross Game and Area no Kishi feature the death of a loved one that both the male lead and female lead feel devastated by. The repercussions of this person's death reverberate through the series and propel the main characters to pursue their respective sports because the loved one's dream was for them to become the greatest.

However, the two series diverge eventually, and Area no Kishi definitely branches in a better direction. The Knight in the Area is definitely more of a character-centric series rather than ... a super sports-focused one, and they focus on many characters rather than just the main couple's relationship like in Cross Game. Rather than have highly detailed football plays, you're going to have more emotional monologues than actual strategy being told in games. Most of the time, the players showcase their ball skills rather than have a coach tell an overarching strategy. This can be fine if the individual showdowns are exciting and the characters are good enough to stand on their own. They're not. While I do complain when sports shows only focus on a limited amount of team members on a show just about football, at the same time, Area no Kishi has the exact opposite problem. There are too many characters that get screen time. There are multiple subs for each position and even multiple conductor-type players. As such, not a single character gets too much development and they're all still not beyond their generic archetypes in episode 13.

Animation does not do this show any favors. Have fun watching slideshow decks and as many crappy animation-saving techniques to cut costs, because there are virtually no good choreographed shots. It's just white/blue backgrounds on top of low-cost movement loops. When a player outplays someone, the shot is very fast, and doesn't feel like they're actually doing something amazing. There's just not enough smooth movement to make the football interesting.


I don't too much care for the main character, Kakeru, much, but the amount of character development he goes through, in the beginning, makes up for his lame personality later on. The character dynamics with his brother are quite realistic, and the internal turmoil and drama he goes through at the time are also good. The beginning arc certainly makes Kakeru a good character, and Mishima is no different.

The romance is honestly the only remotely good thing about this show. Kakeru and Mishima are the only two characters that get enough screen time to be actually relevant characters, and the relationship isn't an afterthought. Mishima isn't joined at the hip with Kakeru and isn't completely dependent on him, either. She's a better football player than he is at many times, but also has Kakeru's moral support since day one. Mishima goes out and tries to go pro in football herself and Kakeru's the one that has to catch up to wear the blue uniform with her. Unlike Aoba in Cross Game, Mishima's desire to play her sport shines through. While Aoba chooses to give up that opportunity to better Kou's chances at Koushien, Mishima grabs it and tries to become the best that she can be, which I think tells all the difference you need to know between the two characters. The interactions between Kakeru and Mishima are better than most romance shows, but it's pretty clear that romance is only a subplot rather than the main theme of the show. It's one of the types of shows where it's pretty clear that they're a couple, but they only reveal their feelings at the very end (I checked, and chapter 495 of the manga is when this shit happens). A shame that romance, of all things, was the only redeemable thing about the show.

The lack of details in the games, too many characters diluting the focus, romance not being a bigger theme, and lastly, the animation truly breaks this show.

If you are like me and love sports animes this is the show for you. I've been looking for a new sports based anime show and I found this one. The show has a great story and the characters are well made. This series has great character progression and some of them are very funny. I found myself almost falling out of my chair in laughter at times. After watching all the episodes out so far im still hungry for more and can't wait for the next one. If you want a show with lots of funny conversations, well made and enjoyable actionpacked soccer matches ... and very well made characters don't hesitate to give this anime a shot.

The Knight in the Area! If you are looking for a sporty anime this is a great one to get into. I actually don't enjoy soccer or watching it in real life because honestly it is quite boring. The story is very unique, no spoilers! This anime is all about friendship, winning and of course soccer.

Reasons to watch
-a ton of characters to like
-nice story with a loveable protagonist
-humor
-if you like team oriented anime
-girls are cute!

Reasons not to watch
... -you hate soccer with a passion
-you are a hater

Overall very solid sporty anime. I'll give it a 9/10. Hope there is a season two.

Disappointing. Area no kishi starts as an interesting new take on high school soccer with formidable expectations. And with 37 episodes to go, you expect them to be quite fulfilled.
Sadly, not.

First things first : the art and animation are a few years back ! Nothing awful, but nothing remarkable anyhow. Even the greatest moments are below 2016-17 standards, especially after seeing the intensity of some pearls like Haikyū vs Shiratorizawa. The overall art feels like the nineties, when sports anime were still cheap and relying only on the contagious rage to win of the main protagonists. You'll even notice a drop in quality after half ... the show, when some characters change from one scene to another. Fortunately, the seiyū do a great job, enough to compensate for that little annoyance.
And the story is rather good ! It starts with one, immediately goes to two, then three, then it becomes everyone else story. The pathos is surprisingly light, the characters are interesting and everything seems to go well, despite the slow rhythm.

Up to this point, it's okay.

The problem is... multiple !

First : even with 37 episodes, the show starts slow and ends up slugish ! The starting ambitions are being cruhed along the way for no reason - storywise. One reason could be that they aimed for a 70-100+ show from the beginning, but couldn't do it.
And there comes the second problem...

Second : the main protagonist is being sucked up by the show's background. In its seinen take, Area no kishi gives a lot of importance to the surroundings of the main protagonist. Excepting the family and the pathos that goes with the inner tragedy from which the story is built upon, which is a clever move, we expect progression. Sadly, we only get dilution. To the point the main protagonist gets too little screen time for a presupposed hero (Daiya no A anyone?), and his performances barely improve, naturally putting him on the sidelines.

Frustrating and, most of all, pointless. Ambitions that fall short are never a good sign.

And it doesn't stop there.
When you're in the second half and you have already noticed the very few comedy routines being reused poorly, there come two episodes of fan service ! Two beach-themed filler-like useless episodes! And suddenly, the 37-run you thought might be too quick for your taste becomes a real drag. Because you know it won't go anywhere, despite its promises, because everything that you thought was slowed in a way to build a great atmosphere and deeply likeable characters ends up being treated with little to no regard, almost clumsiness.

Third : the music is lame ! The action comes with sounds (I think they call it music) that will
remind the oldest of you of arcade gaming! Yeah! That ridiculous! Compared to more recent works, it just doesn't stand the comparison. That's all the obvious I can state.

So, what is Area no kishi?
It's a fair high school soccer show (with almost no school part), even if disappointing. Remember the feel of Ginga e Kick-Off, extract the quality of the art and the animation, add world ambitions but stick to your short-sighted "ginga" and, base story aside, you've got it. It's one of the last sport shows produced with disregard for the genre I guess. Before very strong scores pulled up even the weakest shows, before they decided to try stuff with direction and episode's construction (not the bad half of Area no kishi by the way), before they put enough money in it, maybe.

Fair as it is, it still feels wasted. But don't get me wrong: there are numerous reasons to enjoy it anyway!

I just don't feel like pointing them out.

That's how disappointment works.