Ao Ashi Season 2: Renewed or Cancelled? + Release Date Predictions
Ao Ashi Season 2, has it kicked off?
Sports anime offer a sense of realism compared to other over-the-top genres like isekai and shonen. Portrayals of teams and players achieving a single goal while competing with adversaries often bring out some amazing stories.
While sports in itself is a vast category with multiple representations, Football outrightly stands out as the most popular game in the world.
Series like Days, Be Blues! Ao Ni Nare and Blue Lock are the gold standards of Football animes, and Spring 2022 was privy to another such series as the anime adaption of Yūgo Kobayash s’ manga series, Ao Ashi hit the small screens.
The story follows a third-year middle school student, Ashito Aoi, who carries the hopes of his team due to his self-centered style of play.
He dreams of becoming the world’s greatest forward, and due to such high aspiration, Ashito comes off as a very selfish player.
Ashito is the sole stalwart pushing his group through a significant secondary school preliminary competition.
Nonetheless, their success streak is brief as an adversary makes Ashito blows up and act viciously, bringing about his expulsion from the remainder of the game.
The teams feel the repercussion of Ashito s’ absence as they are eliminated from the tournament. Ashito is distraught about the loss but is soon approached by a youth team coach named Tatsuya Fukuda.
Despite Ashito s’ negligence and self-awareness, Fukuda notices his talents and believes in his high potential.
He invites Ashito to Tokyo for trials and thus begins a life-changing journey in the teenager’s career who could probably change Japanese football.
Ao Ashi Season one was generally received with positive reviews and was highly acclaimed by critics. But fans are now wondering if and when there will be a second installment.
To find the answer, keep scrolling as we bring you all the latest news and updates on Ao Ashi Season 2.
Ao Ashi is rated 8.2/10 and ranked #284 with 173k members on MyAnimeList
WHAT IS THE AO ASHI SEASON 2 RELEASE DATE?
Ao Ashi Season one aired from 9th April 2022 to 24th September 2022 for 24 episodes.
As of writing, there is an update from studio Production I.G. on the renewal of Ao Ashi Season 2.
| SEASON | RELEASE DATE |
| Ao Ashi Season 1 | 9th April 2022 |
| Ao Ashi Season 2 | Yet to be Announced |
Production studios consider various commercial and financial metrics before announcing a renewal.
As mentioned earlier, Ao Ashi Season one had an overwhelming reception despite sports not being a massively popular genre.
Ao Ashi was also the top-rated sports anime of Spring 2022 and was regularly featured in the Top 10 of Crunchyroll’s popular anime list.
Financially, the anime broadcast gave a huge boost to the sales of the Ao Ashi manga in Japan.
In just Spring 2022, the manga series made the Oricon Top 10 manga list for April (#10 with 231k copies sold), May (#7 with 267k copies sold), and June 2022 (#5 with 429k copies sold).
Looking at the reviews, ratings, and financial figures, Production I.G. will undoubtedly renew for Ao Ashi Season 2 however, the availability of a studio will be a crucial factor.
Currently, Studio Production I.G has listed two projects( FLCL:Shoegaze and Heavenly Delision) for 2023 and another one(Kaiju No.8) for 2024.
The release schedule looks packed, but the popularity of Ao Ashi could eventually be key for the studio to announce the renewal earlier. Hence, we can expect Ao Ashi Season 2 trailer and Ao Ashi Season 2 release date by Spring 2024.
AO ASHI MANGA CATCHUP
Ao Ashi manga is written and illustrated by Yūgo Kobayashi. It began serialization in Weekly Big Comic Spirits on 5th January 2015.
The manga has been collected into 31 volumes, with the latest issue released on 28th February 2023.
Ao Ashi manga is rated 8.6/10 and ranked #80 with 22k members on MyAnimeList
As of February 2023, the manga has sold over 17 million copies for volumes 1-31, including digital.
AO ASHI SEASON 2 PLOT
In the finale of Ao Ashi season 1, “From Now,” kicks off with Ao s’ perfect run, which tricks Musashino’s defenders allowing him to play a perfect pass.
Ashito receives the ball and makes another run from the goal attracting two opposition players, which makes the forward free, but Ohtomo only hits the crossbar.
Luckily, a rebound allows Ashito to score and gives the lead to his team. A smooth play by Esperion through a transitional play made the score 4-2.
Later that evening, seeing the excellent performance, Fukuda promoted Togashi, Kuroda, and Ohtomo to the first team.
Ashito encounters Hana, who hugs him unknowingly and tries to run away, but due to the rain, they take shelter. Hana tells Ashito how he reminds her of coach Fukuda, who she used to like as a child.
Due to his injuries, Fukuda s’ career was cut short, which broke Hana but seeing Ashito play, rekindles those memories.
The episode ends with Hana kissing Ashito on the forehead as he runs away again.
Ao Ashi season one ended in Chapter 117 of the manga, which means Ao Ashi season 2 will begin by adapting Volume 12: Chapter 118.
Ao Ashi Season 2 characters will see a start of a new chapter in the Tokyo Metropolitan Association. Confronted with an undefeated enemy, Ashito was questioning himself, and Tachibana was losing certainty.
However, now that the enemy is overturned by Ashito scoring an objective and showing what he can do as a playmaker and he has been elevated to Esperion A!
Joining Ashito in Group An are Ootomo, Kuroda, and Togashi. That’s what Ashito trusts on the off chance he can gain appreciation here; he’ll get an agreement endorsed with the top group immediately.
Nonetheless, Ashito is cautioned that he wants to sharpen his assumptions for the A-Association from the start.
While Ashito has enormous dreams, the Esperion A group is known as the “strongest” for an explanation, and he battles consistently!
In any case, Togashi, Ootomo, and Kuroda are likewise battling. It is everything they can do to stay aware of the great degree of Group A. Ashito can make some meaningful difference in the assault, yet his protection is loaded with openings…
Even though Ashito is stunned by the stunning level of the opposition, he isn’t overwhelmed. He gives him all to keep up because of his persistent effort, Ashito, in the end, procures a spot on the seat in Esperion A’s next round of the Chief Association contest.
RECOMMENDED:MIX Season 2: Release Date Confirmed + Teaser Visual Revealed
AO ASHI CAST, CHARACTER, AND CREW
Ao Ashi is directed by Akira Sato with series composition by Masahiro Yokotani. Characters are designed by Asuka Yamaguchi, Manabu Nakatake, Saki Hasegawa, and Toshie Kawamura.
Music is composed by Masaru Yokoyama, while Shoji Hata serves as the sound director.
You can find the list of Ao Ashi Season characters and voice cast below:
| CHARACTERS | VOICED BY |
| Yūma Motoki | Junya Enoki |
| Ryūichi Takeshima | Kentarō Kumagai |
| Ashito Aoi | Kouki Ohsuzu |
| Sōichirō Tachibana | Seiichirō Yamashita |
| Kanpei Kuroda | Shun Horie |
| Keiji Togashi | Taku Yashiro |
| Eisaku Ōtomo | Tatsumaru Tachibana |
| Martis Jun Asari | Wataru Katō |
| Tatsuya Fukuda | Chikahiro Kobayashi |
| Aki Tsukishima | Daisuke Sakaguchi |
| Nozomi Date | Hiroki Yasumoto |
| Kenta Yoshitsune | Kazuyuki Okitsu |
| Miyako Tachibana | Kei Shindou |
| Taira Nakamura | Kensho Ono |
| Junnosuke Nakano | Kōtarō Nishiyama |
| Yōichi Kiriki | Kouki Uchiyama |
| Hana Ichijō | Maki Kawase |
| Eita Takasugi | Makoto Furukawa |
| Noriko Aoi | Mie Sonozaki |
| Aoi Kaneko | Mikako Komatsu |
| Anri Kaidō | Reina Ueda |
| Nagisa Akutsu | Shunsuke Takeuchi |
| Akinori Kaneda | Takuya Eguchi |
| Kōji Satake | Tomoaki Maeno |
| Shun Aoi | Yoshiki Nakajima |
| Haruhisa Kuribayashi | Yuichiro Umehara |
| Chiaki Mutō | Yūki Ono |
CONCLUSION
While an early kick-off is not expected, Ao Ashi Season 2 is on the cards for renewal.
