Among the many new anime releasing in 2022, we have Ao Ashi – the awaited sports anime which has been airing since this April. We are going to list out the main characters of Ao Ashi. Like all sports anime that bring us back to the passion of youth and remind us of the true importance of sportsmanship, Ao Ashi has well-written characters that make up the amazing Tokyo Esperion FC’s Youth Football Team. Without their quirks and traits, the story would not be as enjoyable to watch as it is now. This article shall introduce you to the main characters of Ao Ashi, who make the plot what it is.
The anime title is in reference to the main character, Ashito Aoi, who is a boy who dreams of becoming a great footballer one day. However, a certain incident causes the elimination of his middle school team from the tournament – leaving him devastated and traumatized. Fortune is on his side, though, as he catches the interest of Tatsuya Fukuda – the coach of the J Youth League team, and he gets to chase his dream again.
Main Characters of Ao Ashi:
1. Ashito Aoi
Ashita Aoi is the main character of Ao Ashi, and the title is in reference to his name. Ashito is a great football player, but he can be difficult to handle, given his stubbornness. Nevertheless, he truly loves the game and decides to improve on his setbacks and knowledge about football. He has the drive to be better, which is why we end up sympathizing with him as the main character as well. The voice actor who plays Ashito is Kouki Osuzu.
2. Tatsuya Fukuda
Tatsuya Fukuda is the reliable coach of Tokyo City Esperion’s FC’s Youth Football Team. The character is voiced by Chikahiro Kobayashi and has a great eye for potential in young people as he is the one who recruits our main character Ashito. Tatsuya is talented just as well as our football team. He joined the J-League’s Tokyo City Esperion FC at the young age of 18 and also got recruited overseas in a Spanish team, La Liga, just at the age of 23. Tatsuya is a great coach and, during his footballer days, used to play as a midfielder.
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3. Hana Ichijo
Hana Ichijo is a football enthusiast and also a first-year student, along with our main character, Ashito. She helps out with the team often and formerly was also a big fan of Tatsuya – who becomes her brother in her early life. She also aspires to be a doctor someday, and her talent shows in the meal plan, she makes regularly for Tokyo City Esperion FC’s Youth Team. The character is voiced by Maki Kawase.
4. Eisaku Otomo
Eisaku Otomo is the middle fielder of the Tokyo City Esperion Youth Football team. Eisaku is voiced by Tatsumaru Tachibana and has a childish personality. He plays the part of the mental MVP in the game with his unwavering calmness and determination when in a game. Eisaku is particularly shown to be easily irritated by other teammates who tease him – especially Jun.
5. Souichirou Tachibana
Souichirou Tachibana plays the forward (Ashito’s former position) in the Tokyo City Esperion FC’s Youth Team and is the diligent character of the team. He is an extremely skilled player who used to play for a powerhouse Tokoyama Musashino Kekkodan Junior Youth; however, he chooses to leave the team and join Esperion Fc’s Youth Team as he felt like there was no growth where he formerly was. He has a strong sense of responsibility and adds seriousness to the team. Souichiro is voiced by Seiichiro Yamashita.
6. Keiji Togashi
Keiji Togashi is a former gangster with traditional Yankee-style hair. He has a short temper and is shown to be quite troublesome and uncooperative in the beginning. Despite his personality issues, the boy means well and accepts his mistakes for the sake of becoming a better footballer. Keiji is voiced by Taku Yashiro.
7. Kanpei Kuroda
Kanpei Kuroda is voiced by Shun Horie and is a midfielder promoted by Esperion Junior Youth. Kanpei has a calm play style, and he is a practical kind of guy whose main aim is to become a professional player. He gets along well with Takeshima due to his views, and both of them together with Togashi due to their different opinions on soccer.
8. Jun Asari Marchis
Jun Asari Marchis, voiced by Kato Wataru, is a member promoted by the Esperion Japan Youth as well. He plays fullback and has great attacking skills. Jun comes off as a brat because he has everything – looks, skills, and a great background – which often leads him to be arrogant. Initially, he is the person who plays the bully of our main character Ashito, whose skills are lacking in comparison to Jun.
9. Yuuma Motoki
Yuuma Motoki is another player promoted by Esperion Japan Youth and also plays as a forward in the team. He is a skilled football player who has enough skills to become a first-team regular. Yuuma is a second-year and is voiced by Junya Enoki.
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10. Ryuichi Takeshima
Ryuichi Takeshima is voiced by Kentaro Kumagai and is a first-year promoted from Esperion Junior Youth as well. His specialty is defense – something rare when it comes to the Esperion Team, who have an attack-based soccer style. Ryuichi is a close friend to Yuuma and has a one-sided grudge against Otomo.
11. Haruhisa Kuribayashi
Haruhisa Kuribayashi is a teammate who plays as a midfielder on Esperion Senior Team. He is voiced by Yuichiro Umehara and is considered a prodigy when it comes to football as he made his professional debut at just the age of 16. Haruhisa can be hard to read as he seems to be someone with only football in his mind. It is his main priority in life.
12. Nagisa Akutsu
Nagisa Akutsu is the center back and captain of Tokyo City Esperion Youth. Just like his role as a defender, Nagisa has a straightforward and coarse personality – which is not the best when it comes to being a captain. Hence, his thoughts and opinions often cause little clashes between his teammates. Nagisa also seems to have a problem with Ashito due to his lack of skills which puts him through the hardest treatment. He is voiced by Shunsuke Takeuchi.
Also Read: Aoashi Episode 5 Release Date: Ashito Has Been Accepted To Tokyo Esperion Youth Academy
