Anime and soccer have a few things in common: they are adored all over the world, they have significant cultural effects, they can both unite and polarize. Therefore, whenever these two cultural phenomenon collide, it is almost the world is going to combust out of sheer force. In the past few years after Japan’s humiliating loss at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, blowing a two-goal lead to Belgium in the final moments, two polarizing soccer animes have emerged to lead the audience down two extreme paths. Today, we take a look at Aoashi, Blue Lock, and Japan’s national soccer team.One Piece cards encapsulate treasured moments from the anime. Collect and cherish these cards, each a window into the captivating world of pirates, friendship, and epic journeys.
Japan, soccer and anime
Before we take a look at the modern era, it has to be clearly stated that Japan has a rich soccer history. It was first introduced into the country by the British in the 1870s, with the first-ever Japanese football game taking place in 1888. The national team was founded in 1930 and achieved its first Olympic victory only six years afterwards.
In terms of culture, no soccer fans have not heard of Captain Tsubasa, a revolutionary manga that popularized soccer not only throughout the nation, but also Asia and the world. The first issue was published in 1981, and many professional footballers, active and retired, have cited the manga to be their childhood inspiration to start playing soccer. Championship-winning soccer players like Zinedine Zidane, Francesco Totti, Fernando Torris, and national hero Hidetoshi Nakata were all motivated to follow Captain Tsubasa’s path as children, a feat they would all ended up achieving.
Animes like Giant Killing, Hungry Heart: Wild Striker, The Knight in the Area, Days, as well as Inazuma Eleven are some of the most famous soccer animes to have ever been published. That was until 2022, where two animes providing two completely different perspectives become relevant among the new generation of Japanese: Aoashi and Blue Lock.
There’s no I in Team (but there’s a me in it.)
One might be left wondering how polarizing can an anime be, and that is honestly not a bad question to ask. Here is the main theme of the two animes.
Aoashi: There’s no I in Team…
Aoashi is your classic ‘teamwork is the dreamwork’ anime, where the overconfident protagonist had to swallow his pride and learn how to be part of a team. Throughout the anime, the protagonist matures and starts to contribute to his team’s success, earning respect from his peers, but also cementing the team’s status as a promising team. It depicts an idealistic situation where everyone’s individuality is watered down for the common good, a notion apparent in many Asian nations.
Blue Lock: …but there’s a me in it.
If Aoashi teaches young people about teamwork, Blue Lock deconstructs that notion entirely. Blue Lock revolves around a competition among young soccer players for a spot in the Japanese national team. Sounds normal? The catch is that only one person, the best and most talented, will be chosen. This concept throws out of the window every ounce of camaraderie or friendship and boosts to the max the ‘survival of the fittest’ theme. You can feel it throughout the anime that every character has little to no empathy towards one another and sees them as threats or inconveniences.
How does this affect the national team?
While most soccer fans would laugh at the possibility that animations will have any real-world effect, it is not entirely out of the question. The younger generations will grow up with either of these two soccer animes, and those who grow up to become soccer players might be influenced by it the same way Zidane or Totti was. It might have a direct effect on how the Japanese national team recruit players or develop a tactic.
Can Japan become a major soccer superpower?
The effects of anime on the national team has already been felt; the 2022 World Cup saw huge results for the Japanese as they famously beat world champions like Germany and Spain. They advanced to the knockouts as the winner of a relatively strong group, but bowed out of the tournament after losing to the eventual bronze medalist Croatia.
As of writing, the Japanese national soccer team is highly ranked; their placement at 17th position cements them as Asia’s soccer royalty that can compete with almost anyone in the world.
Japan in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup
Like a Thai Casino, the AFC Asian Cup is filled with opportunities and chances to win big prizes. As the competition’s most successful team, Japan looks forward to extending the gap between them and the rest of Asia; their four golds and one silver might not be the best in terms of quantity, even so, they sit comfortably in the top four.
In the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Japan and its East Asian neighbour South Korea are seen as the two favorites. Japan is drawn into Group D with Vietnam, Iraq, and Indonesia and expected to dominate the group. While the path towards the final is marred with difficulties both in terms of opposition teams and the Qatari heat, if there is any country that can do it, it will be Japan.
Here is Japan’s program in the group stage; they start the campaign with a match against Vietnam on January 14, then against Iraq on January 19, and wrap up the group stage with a show-down against Indonesia on January 24.
From then on, should they advance all the way to the final, they will play in the Round of 16 between January 28 and 31, the Quarter-finals on February 2 or 3, and the Semi-finals on February 6 or 7. The final will be played on February 10 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, the venue which saw Lionel Messi became a world champion in 2022.