How to play soccer without breaking anything indoors? Futsal Boys First Impressions.
Futsal Boys, with its traditional portrayal of soccer, seems to be trying to get a spot between Free! Iwatobi Swim Club and Ace Of Diamond, albeit with futsal. Futsal is a football-based game, a variation of mini-football played on a hard court, smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-per -side football and indoor soccer.
The first four episodes make it clear how the plot will develop just like any other sports anime, the classic journey from the bottom tier to the top, but lacks something that could truly set it apart from anything you have seen before in other places such as Haikyuu!!, Kuroko’s Basketball, or Prince of Tennis.
My first reaction was positive to the energetic electro-pop opening song, “Brave Maker” by Takao Sakuma. The drawings display a mix of simple strokes with realistic structures, slight and deep shades, fluid animation style with clear movements, imaginative designs for the uniforms, and even some CGI textures in the clothing that reminded me of the style used in Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo.
After watching Tokinari Tennouji, a famed futsal athlete, play at the U-18 Futsal World Championship, our protagonist Haru Yamato decides to join the Koyo Academy futsal team to become like his idol. There, he meets Seiichiro Sakaki: the classic lone-wolf prodigy who will probably overcome his bad reputation and learn how to work with his team so they can face their rivals to win the Fresh Cup. The plot develops fluidly to appreciate how the members of their team are trying to figure out how they can work as a cohesive unit. It is clear each of them has individual talents and techniques, but they also need to work on their flaws to improve their dynamics and overcome any obstacle that may get in their way.
The anime is a commercial ad for the mobile game that tries to engage with the target audience that might be interested in playing the game once they watch the anime. Although the plot is carried on proficiently it hardly establishes anything to set it apart from any other classic sports manga nor establish a new interpretation of the road that sports enthusiasts take to fulfill their passion or follow their call in life to finally break the mold in the genre. In that sense, it seems to settle itself into a comfort zone rather than create something new. This anime, just like the game, relies on what franchises of the past have done in soccer. Therefore, I think this work focuses on newcomers unfamiliar with classic sports anime.
Overused stereotypes and archetypes manifest in the teammates of Koyo Academy as well as the rivals they face: bullies, rich kids, old acquaintances, past incidents made present, and more are all accounted for, but at least the déjà vu sensation it gives is not annoying and even pleasant at times because the use of this element is coherent with how each character manages stress according to its personality and role within the team.
One of the highlights of the show is the dynamic contrast between Haru, an optimistic character with a legit love for and dedication to the sport, and Seiichiro Sakaki’s status as natural talent, which makes them seem like rivals. Another one manifests in the relationship between Ryuu Nagumo and Taiga Amakado since they seem not to be on the same page any longer, but considering they know each other very well, they can support each other to get through thick and thin like true friends.
I love sports anime because of the positive messages they convey and the value behind the actions of characters doing what they can to achieve greatness in their passions. Regarding this topic, Futsal Boys give us clones from other franchises like a one-trick pony, but since that pony is so good in that single trick, the lack of identity makes this anime memorable for being a good time but bad if you were looking for something that could transcend as one of the best in the genre.
The anime uses every trope that the genre has to offer, including ridiculous special techniques that defy the laws of physics, which at least are unique to this material so far, and cheesy, but compelling, drama. For that matter, the anime is good enough to gain your interest in the genre and be entertained if you have nothing better to do while watching what happens with Koyo’s Academy futsal team in their journey towards the Fresh Cup. Some say imitation is the best form of flattery, and maybe I was hoping to get something more out of it but this is still good work in that regard although I would strongly recommend checking other sports anime franchises like Slam Dunk, Ahiru no Sora, or All Out!! that can offer a more diverse roster of characters.
Finally, Futsal Boys uses too many exclamation marks in its original title with no justification whatsoever considering it has nothing new to set it apart from others in the genre, unlike Re-main, which at least tried. Therefore, my suggestion is to view it if you just want to have a good time without worrying about the fact that you might have seen this somewhere else and also check out some classic soccer anime (and manga), but do not expect to obtain something different that you can get from any other franchise.
Title: Futsal Boys!!!!! (フットサルボーイズ!!!!!)
Based on: A videogame of the same name.
Produced by: Diomedéa Inc., Bandai Namco Entertainment, Good Smile Company, Live Viewing Japan, Bandai Namco Arts.
Streaming on: Funimation.
Episodes Watched: 1–4
This article is a part of AniTAY’s Winter 2022 Early Impressions series, where our authors offer their initial thoughts on the new, prominent, and exciting anime from this season!
