Clean Freak Aoyama-Kun! If you enjoy watching comedic anime with a good plot and sharp character development, then this anime is for you. Clean Freak! Aoyama-Kun is a comedy anime that has 12 episodes and just one season. The plot revolves around Aoyama, a talented football player. When it comes to football, the right word to describe Aoyama is “GENIUS.” He is the kind of football player that other players are jealous of and what makes them even more jealous is that he is wanted by professional scouts. Everyone wants to be liked by Aoyama. He even has fans who cheer for him in every match. That’s a bit too much, don’t you think?😂A high schooler having a big fan base? Well, it adds to the comedy. Despite that Aoyama is a football genius, he has one major flaw; he is obsessed with cleanliness.
Aoyama has mysophobia, an extreme fear of germs. Have you ever or lived with someone with OCD? This character has a severe case of OCD. He doesn't like to be touched, not to talk of being hugged. You know that thing footballers do when they score goals and celebrate my hugging their teammates? He doesn't do that. He wears gloves to do almost everything. Every day, after school, he stays back to clean the team’s dressing room, bathroom and toilet. As it that is not alone, he also cleans the classroom like their is no tomorrow as if he would not last a minute being in a messy place. Anything about physical contact, count Aoyama out.
At the beginning of the anime when the plot starts to unfold, I asked myself this question, “how is someone with a severe case of OCD able to play football?” Football is a game of contact. You have to touch, tackle and engage in physical battles with your opponents. Well, this is completely different for Aoyama. Whenever he scores a goal, he doesn't celebrate with his teammates. They try to jump on him or at least shake him, but he always avoids them, which is always comedic. When Aoyama scores a goal, they all jump to meet him as if he'll catch them, but they'll fall on the floor. Funny part is that they know this will happen every time, but they continue to do it.
You'd think Aoyama is proud or maybe he doesn't care about football that much. I mean, if you really care about football, you would put your heart and soul into it, not worrying about whether your clothes get dirty or not, right? Well, after watching more episodes, I realized that Aoyama cares about football just like everyone else on his team. It is not his fault that he has mysophobia. Despite this, he still comes to training, cleans the football and makes sure everything is sparkling. As the plot progresses, Aoyama experiences a character development. He transformed from a person who hated physical contact to a person who wanted it. Aoyama lived all his life avoiding handshakes, hugs and the slightest contact. One would think that he truly doesn't want them, but feel down, he feels like doing them.
Interestingly, Aoyama is comfortable around Mio Odagiri. You see, Mio Odagiri is a tall and cute basketball player who is popular in Fujimi High School. Somehow, Aoyama lets Odagiri hold hands with him–something he wouldn't do with anyone. Did I mention that Aoyama doesn't eat out and he also doesn't eat what anyone cooks? Well, he starts to experience the beauty of physical touch with Odagiri (holding hands, walking together, and eating together.)
The anime also emphasizes the importance of teamwork. There were scenes where a football player at Fujimi High School would feel down, and other players would motivate them to get back up. In summary, this anime is pretty good. You'll enjoy watching it, and while it might not be the kind of anime you'd rewatch multiple times, it's definitely worth a watch. The anime won't make you laugh so hard you crack your ribs, but yes, it will surely make you break into soft laughter.
Have you seen this anime? What is your take on it?
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Thanks for reading.