Area no Kishi

[Buffalobiian]

Alternative Titles:
The Knight in the Area
エリアの騎士

Story synopsis:

“The Knight in the Area” has 27 volumes released to date and depicts a riveting story about Aizawa Kakeru (Sanpei Yuuko), his talented older brother Suguru (Fukuyama Jun), and his childhood friend Mishima Nana (Itou Shizuka). Their story starts in middle school, where Kakeru loses confidence as a striker and resigns to being the team manager and secretly practicing at night. However, his brother Suguru — captain of the team and a gifted midfielder on Japan’s U-15 team — believes Kakeru has untapped potential and dreams of sending him the last pass for a game-winning goal on the World Cup stage. Their fates forever change when they get caught up in a car accident.
-randomc

The story centers around Aizawa Kakeru, the younger brother of the Kamakura School soccer team captain Suguru. While Suguru is so talented in soccer that he has been made part of Japan's national under-15 team, Kakeru is so weak at the sport that he is nicknamed "Mr. No Goal." Kakeru's life changes however, after a tragic accident.
-anidb

Oyatsu - episode 01

[Idealistic]

Watched the first ep my throughts were definitely something along the lines of the older bro getting a career ending injury and then Kakeru would decide to play again. Decided to read the synopsis.... and I was close I guess.

I'm a fan of soccer too so I will definitely be following this one. So far so good.

[MFauli]

Watched it. Enjoyed it. Will keep watching.

Except for those two out-of-place slapstick-scenes with Kouta, the show features an all around nice quality. Likeable characters and solid plot. Really liked the leg-animations during the close-up in the 1-on-1 fight in the park. Though I was surprised that Kakeru changed his heart that fast. Thought he was keeping his manager status for a number of episodes before he makes a grand entrance onto the soccer field.

And I really want to know why his left leg is so weak. From how he avoided using it in ep 1, it almost seemed as if it isn´t a physical, but psychological problem. Maybe a promise to never use his left leg?

Anyway, good new anime show. Btw. we don´t know yet if a second season of Giant Killing is coming, do we?

[Buffalobiian]

And I really want to know why his left leg is so weak. From how he avoided using it in ep 1, it almost seemed as if it isn´t a physical, but psychological problem. Maybe a promise to never use his left leg?

I think it would be a psychological problem after a physical injury has healed up.

Think of a goal keeper avoiding extreme lower-left dives after having dived into a head injury that way before.

PS: just noticed the OP picture features Kakeru shooting with is left foot. He is probably a lefty to begin with.

[Dark Dragon]

This anime took the Cross Games approach and covered a lot of introduction materials really quickly. This episode was the entire first volume, but I'm sure they can always insert scenes back in if needed.

I have to say i much prefer this realistic approach to sport anime, rather than crap like Prince of Tennis. The animation is pretty solid and the pacing seems well planned, great first episode.

[MFauli]

Hm, I wouldn´t be so quick with calling this anime "realistic" (Unless you know the manga). Giant Killing still feels a lot more realistic than this episode, with both Kakeru´s and his brother´s phenomenal abilities. And Prince of Tennis really only got bad when they overdid the whole special move-concept towards the end.

[Dark Dragon]

Well, it's more "realistic" than anime with pure fantasy special moves. It's not like Giant Killing, but it's definitely pretty good as far as sport anime go.

[gos27]

I love soccer and I will be definitely watching more of this. In relation to Kakeru not using his left foot, it's definitely an injury he got some time ago. Great ep, really enjoyed it.

[Buffalobiian]

AnimeUltima - Episode 02


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Nana's super cute, and is half the reason I'm watching this show. She's even versed in soccer so isn't the odd love-interest who cheers from the grand stand neither.

Btw, I think I see boobs:





As much as I enjoyed everything up till now, I cringed at the last segments. "Don't give me this shit!". You've set it all up for a dream duo on the world stage and everything. Don't you DARE take one of them out of commission now. If it's temporary, I can swallow it. But with the preview showing Kakeru "leaving"...fuuuuu

[MFauli]

Man, what an ending. These random horrible accidents in anime stories always get me.

Anyway, I wonder who the alien is. It´s not Suguru, too much height difference. I *hope* it isn´t the girl, because that´d be too generic, too predictable. And as far as I saw it, the alien-guy was bigger than her anyway. EDIT: Read posting above. Ugh. Well, I hope thos aren´t tits :/

My personal wat-moment of this episode: When the little sister entered Suguru´s room and saw him in front of the sunrise. Ugh, I almost expected her to blush, starting some awesomely weird incest-subplot lol.

Still an enjoyable anime, though I hope the manage to make future episodes more interesting. Was pretty run-of-the-mill as far as the story went.

[animus]

I wasn't expecting that all that much. I expected him to transfer to another school or head to high school. I figured that's what Kakeru meant by "last time we played on the same team." and that his brother was going to be his rival or something.

[Marik]

[HorribleSubs] The Knight in the Area - 03

1080p: Torrent | DDL
720p: Torrent | DDL
480p: Torrent | DDL

[MFauli]

WTF

I didn´t read the manga or watch last episode´s preview. Didn´t expect the outcome of the accident to be THAT horrible. wow.

Edit: Wait, a heart transplantation? And he got better that fast? Oookay. And lol, the slap in th face was cringeworthy. Another lol: So what, Suguru´s heart gives him a power upgrade or what?!

Edit 2: Okay, LOL. I guess this anime isn´t about ordinary soccer, after all.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't mind that Suguru is living on through Kakeru. I don't mind that Kakeru will play soccer again because he wants to do it partly on his brother's behalf.

I DO mind that they're making this transplant look like a Kakeru-Suguru fusion, and that people will fall for Kakeru because he is Suguru v1.5.

I had always wanted Kakeru to shine in his own right. I wasn't entirely sure if Seven liked Suguru over Kakeru all this time or not. She may have approached him behind the building before she left Japan for romantic reasons, or because Kakeru was busy trying to absorb the news by running.

Even in present-day, I wasn't sure if she was talked more with Kakeru because he needed "help".

Still.. Suguru-faced Kakeru just pisses me off.

[Dark Dragon]

That entire last scene didn't exist in the manga, it's all anime original. I really hope they refrain from doing more of this, but i doubt that'll be the case.

[Ryllharu]

I think I would be happier if it had been a lung transplant. Even if they are brothers, I find it hard to believe that it would go so miraculously successful that strenuous exercise was okayed by his physicians.

I suppose the interesting conflict will be as Seven becomes more open about her affections, Kakeru will always have to wonder if it was really him that she liked first. That seems to be the case, mostly because of the special request she made to not tell Kakeru of her eminent departure, but now both of them will be conflicted after what that psychiatrist said to Seven. That psychiatrist is kind of a bitch for doing that.

[Idealistic]

I DO mind that they're making this transplant look like a Kakeru-Suguru fusion, and that people will fall for Kakeru because he is Suguru v1.5.

Yeah.... This is the one thing that really bothers me right now. It's kind of lame.

[fireheart]

I DO mind that they're making this transplant look like a Kakeru-Suguru fusion, and that people will fall for Kakeru because he is Suguru v1.5.

With or without the transplant he'd still be treated as a Suguru v1.5 or at least compared to him considering how big Suguru was within soccer.

But the good thing is that Kakerus position and the title of the show points at him not taking Sugurus position but returning as a striker as the captain requested.

[MFauli]

That´s really the only positive, yeah. But I will strongly agree with Buffalo and Ryllharu: If the show starts putting more than just some focus on the romance between Kakeru and Seven, it could easily lead to some truly cringeworthy scenes, or should I say, extreme phony behaviour on Seven´s part. The worst case scenario I´m picturing in my mind is something like her saying: "You know, Kakeru ... I´ve never been able to decide between Suguru and you. I ... always liked both of you the same. But now ... it´s like both of you have become one. So let me tell you without further hesitation: I love you!"

Uggggh!!! >_<

If it´s true that the last scene was anime-exclusive, then maybe there´s hope and we won´t have to bare more of these fusion-style happenings. But ... I´m not that optimistic.

[David75]

I'm wondering if this show really is about soccer...
Not that I would mind, but It isn't that clear yet.