I decided to watch one of the sports anime I have on my to-watch list and I didn't expect to feel nostalgic. It's not because I've watched the anime before, but the setting and some of the characters were also from another anime I watched many years ago.
The anime I recently finished watching is called Shoot! Goal to the Future.
NOTE: All the photos are screenshots from the anime
The anime was set in Kakegawa High School in Shizuoka which is also the same school as in the anime released in the 90s called Aoki Densetsu Shoot!.
The photo in the club room. They were the characters from Aoki Densetsu Shoot. <3
In Aoki Densetsu Shoot, Kakegawa High School won the nationals, however, several years following their win, the school's soccer club's downfall started. They even find it hard to win the qualifiers and mostly lose during the first game.
This series of losses continued many years later in the current anime Shoot! Goal to the Future.
Tsuji Hideto (the boy with the blue hair) was considered a genius striker alongside his partner Kokubo Kohei (the boy with blond hair) when they were in elementary school. However, when Kokubo's family decided to leave for England, Hideto faced a lot of struggles making him quit and hate soccer.
Despite despising the sport he once adored, soccer somehow always finds a way back to him. He got into conflict with some soccer club members which made them do a PK match.
In addition, the new coach Kamiya Atsushi (he was the former vice-captain and then captain in the anime, Aoki Densetsu Shoot) came to change the club. He saw potential in Tsuji and passively convinced him back to the sport.
Now, how will Tsuji's and Coach Kamiya's additions to the soccer club affect it? Find out by watching Shoot! Goal to the Future.
VIDEO SOURCE
Above is a short trailer of the anime... and part of it was from Aoki Densetsu Shoot! Ahhh... Kubo-senpai T_T
OK... Shoot! Goal to the Future is another interesting soccer anime. The story has a different impact on me though, because I love Aoki Densetsu Shoot. That anime made me cry a lot, so watching Shoot! brought back all the feels I experienced back then.
Since they're related, I must say Shoot! is more of a drama-slash-sports anime more than anything. It focused on the characters' relationship and development which can be cringe at times, but still worth the watch.
Seeing this older version of Toshihiko makes me sentimental. His interaction with Tsuji reminded me of the time when Kubo-senpai asked Toshihiko the question, サッカー好きか (Do you like soccer?).
Actually, my heartache when I remember Kubo-senpai is coming back. hahahuhu I just love that character so much.
Toshihiko and Kazuhiro with Coach Kamiya...
Kazuhiro is still very cute! I hope to see Shiraishi to complete the first-year trio back then. Coach Kamiya was their senpai alongside Kubo.
Sorry, I've been talking more about Aoki Densetsu Shoot characters... hahah It's just nostalgic seeing them again as adults.
It's the same feeling when I watched Inazuma Eleven Go with Endo Mamoru as their coach... or when I watched MIX : Meisei Story as it reminded me of Touch.
Anyway, Shoot! Goal to the Future was fun and exciting to watch. (and super nostalgic for me). It could be a little cringe because of the drama, but the games were amusing. I got to see the legendary left leg again.
If you're into soccer anime, then you should give this one a shot, too. However, I suggest you also watch Aoki Densetsu Shoot because you'd get to appreciate the episodes of Shoot! even more. It's not necessary, but it will add to your understanding of this anime. ^^
Thanks a lot for reading and see you around! (^^,)/