Reviews

Nov 1, 2024
Mixed Feelings
Preliminary (3/14 eps)
Okay, after watching and completing this MS PowerPoint-sponsored soccer anime, I have concluded that if you've never watched the anime before, this animation (if I could call it that) seems pretty decent. However, as a veteran sports anime watcher, you will notice the lazy techniques the studio used to tell the story. The stills are the majority of the animation, with 80% PNG still imagery and 20% 'Actual' animation.

The 1st season had some problems already like the bad CGI animation that lacked fluidity, and looked unnatural, unfortunately for us, they recycled them in this season 2 if you pay attention. However, at least in the 1st season, this anime had actual animation because, at one point, it was truly an anime. Believe it or not. Even if it used sketchy CGI. Season 2 takes those shortcuts to the next level, we're now left with PNGs from the Manga, Freeze frames, PowerPoint slides masquerading as animation, and speed lines attempting to depict movement that doesn’t even exist. It’s so bad that a random, untrained, uncertified, and unprofessional video editor on TikTok (or whatever platform you use to watch videos) could easily produce better animation than this glorified PowerPoint presentation. The manga’s artwork is far superior to watching this season, It feels as if the studio simply scanned the manga panels, converted them into PNG images, and lazily moved them around on a soccer pitch background and called it "Animation". The character designs in this season are also highly inconsistent, with noticeable variations in quality throughout the show, (Especially the 3D models they use in some scenes) leading to an extremely disjointed viewing experience. The studio behind this was either trying to save money or time. Since sports are physical constant animation is mandatory. Unfortunately, the entire season will maintain the PNGLock quality.

The positives though is that the anime's storyline is still very well written 8/10 the drama, the soccer, the conflicting personalities and the EGO. The atmosphere especially in the actual U-20 Match increases the already boiling tensions and the characters have to overcome their own personal demons and trauma to make their play great. if the anime was well animated as the last episodes were done we wouldn't be having the PNGLock conversation. The anime for returning watchers is disappointing animation-wise and we have to finish what we started.. but as for new watchers, they'll probably not notice or will notice the cheap animation but it's a good watch if u can ignore the lazy animation. Anime production in 2024 should be easier than ever, with advancements in AI, free software alternatives, and easy access to skilled freelancers on social media. There is no excuse for this level of incompetence. The studio should have done better than an animated audiobook, that's my argument.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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