Since I've already got a review to hand, here's my thoughts on Aoki Densetsu Shoot.
As is my usual approach to any new series, I applied my three-episode rule. If, after three episodes, I have even a hint of interest, I'll continue watching. This is a very generous rule, but it allows me to give a series a second chance if it's a slow starter.
Following three episodes of ADS, I've given up on it. It's just
that bad.The series, in and of itself, had potential. The hero, Tanaka, used to be one of three friends in a junior high school that were renowned as excellent footballers for their age - they were almost legendary. Now that they've moved on to high school, Tanaka's the only one who still wants to play. His wish is to get them back to playing again, while at the same time earning the praise of Kubo, the star player in his new school and his idol.
Three episodes in, he's already done that. And frankly, I didn't care.
In fact, what could have been a well-developed plot point (the division of the friends, and the personal and family troubles the other two have to overcome to be able to play again) was resolved in two episodes, with very little fanfare, involvement or mystique. It was almost as if the writer went, "Oh, yeah, and they started playing again too."
At the beginning of episode three, Tanaka gets told by Kubo that he's not good enough to be on the field. By the end of the episode, Kubo's praising Tanaka and telling him he'll be a great weapon. And neither event particularly bothered me - I usually get really involved in any anime I watch, but my exact reaction to Kubo putting Tanaka down was:
"Oh. His dreams have been shot down in flames. ...oh well."
The characters are all very generic, and have no outstanding appeal that really grabs you and makes you empathise with them. Frankly, they bored me.
Of course, all this could be forgiven if the sport action were watchable - it'd at least provide some entertainment between the dross. Unfortunately, it made me cringe horribly - they tried way too hard to make it dramatic (that legendarily OTT series Dragonball Z has tamer animation for action scenes half the time), and the dialogue was awful.
"That kid... he's trying to score straight from the kick-off?!"
No shit Sherlock. I think you'll find every team would like to get an early goal. There aren't really any other aims than to score when you've got the ball at the beginning of the match, y'know?
(Just to clarify; that wasn't a 'shooting right from the kick-off' moment. He received the ball, and ran towards the opposition's goal, provoking that reaction.
What?!)More actual dialogue:
"I'll stop him. He's easy, he's- He ran down the outside! I have to catch him! I'll force him out, and- He centred the ball! What?!"
"Slide-tackle!"
"Long shot!"
"Direct kick!"
"Centre!"
Dear god... This is football, not a fighting anime. You don't need to call out names for each of your 'attacks'
I know it's easy to be an armchair fan and all, but those footballers didn't give me the impression they were semi-finalists the season before - I'd be amazed if they even scored a goal, with the ineptitude their dialogue revealed.
Credit has to be given to Kubo, though. I've never seen a player kick the ball along the floor with so much backspin that a pool player'd be jealous. I mean it flew forward about 10ft, stopped, and came back to Kubo's foot faster than it left it - and the players acknowledged it as deliberate in the same over-dramatic way as everything else in the series.
"He put backspin on it?!
*gasp* *shock* *horror* *three instant replays*" (I
really wish I was exaggerating that...)
The animation style was the only positive the series could have claimed, in that it was very reminiscent of classic series such as Ranma and Maison Ikkoku, but they somehow even manage to overdo that and ruin the nostalgia it might have induced.
What I saw of the series was painfully bad - it really didn't have anything going for it, and frankly I'd rather slit my wrists in the bathtub than watch any more of it.
3/10