Image: Kobayashi Yugo, Shogakukan / „Ao Ashi Season 2" Produktionskomitee
AMBot | 09/02/2026 | Reading Time: 4 Min.
The main PV for the first cour of the soccer anime "Ao Ashi Season 2" has been released. The new trailer focuses on the moment when Ashito Aoi and his teammates, after their promotion to the A-team, first encounter the level of the Premier League: The young talents are visibly challenged by the class of their opponents, must confront their own weaknesses, and learn that their talent alone is no longer enough on this stage.
The clip begins with the ending theme "Triangle" by singer-songwriter Higuchi Ai. Already in the opening scenes, the promoted members of the A-team face established forces like Akutsu, Kuribayashi, and Kiriki, who embody high expectations. In the second half, the driving opener "Fortress Defense" by the Japanese rock band 10-FEET takes over. Among others, Kuribayashi is seen directly addressing Ashito, as well as other characters running across the field with frustration, jealousy, inner conflicts, and impatience. With the PV, excerpts of both theme songs were also released for the first time; both pieces were written specifically for the series.
The involved musicians commented on their contributions. 10-FEET's singer and guitarist TAKUMA explained that he came to love "Ao Ashi" through the manga and is proud to contribute the opener. Drummer KOUICHI, who himself played soccer during his school days, described the song as energetic and close to a live performance; bassist NAOKI hopes that the music will also introduce new listeners to the band. Higuchi Ai, whose previous anime work includes the ending theme for "Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2," described "Triangle" as a song for all those who do not want to give up despite constantly new hurdles: No matter how high one climbs, there is always another level where one starts from the bottom – it is exactly this mix of pain and joy that fascinated her about the world of "Ao Ashi."
The first cour of "Ao Ashi Season 2" comprises twelve of the total planned 24 episodes and starts on October 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM Japanese time on the NHK E-TV channel. In parallel, the series will be available via the streaming service Crunchyroll from October 2026. The first season has been rerun on Japanese television since April 2026. The second season is being produced by Studio TMS Entertainment; the first season was still by Production I.G. Direction is by Kazuki Yokoyama, series composition by Masahiro Yokotani, and music by Masaru Yokoyama. Returning from the first season include Kouki Osuzu as Ashito Aoi, Shunsuke Takeuchi as Akutsu, Yuichiro Umehara as Kuribayashi, and Koki Uchiyama as Kiriki.
The source material is by Kobayashi Yugo and was serialized from 2015 in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine; the story concluded with the 40th collected volume in August 2025. According to the publisher, the total circulation exceeds 25 million copies. The story follows Ashito Aoi from Ehime Prefecture, who is discovered by coach Fukuda Tatsuya, brought to Tokyo, and accepted into the youth division of the J-League club Esperion – with the goal of one day becoming a professional. The first anime season aired from April to September 2022 on Japanese television.
The clip begins with the ending theme "Triangle" by singer-songwriter Higuchi Ai. Already in the opening scenes, the promoted members of the A-team face established forces like Akutsu, Kuribayashi, and Kiriki, who embody high expectations. In the second half, the driving opener "Fortress Defense" by the Japanese rock band 10-FEET takes over. Among others, Kuribayashi is seen directly addressing Ashito, as well as other characters running across the field with frustration, jealousy, inner conflicts, and impatience. With the PV, excerpts of both theme songs were also released for the first time; both pieces were written specifically for the series.
The involved musicians commented on their contributions. 10-FEET's singer and guitarist TAKUMA explained that he came to love "Ao Ashi" through the manga and is proud to contribute the opener. Drummer KOUICHI, who himself played soccer during his school days, described the song as energetic and close to a live performance; bassist NAOKI hopes that the music will also introduce new listeners to the band. Higuchi Ai, whose previous anime work includes the ending theme for "Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2," described "Triangle" as a song for all those who do not want to give up despite constantly new hurdles: No matter how high one climbs, there is always another level where one starts from the bottom – it is exactly this mix of pain and joy that fascinated her about the world of "Ao Ashi."
The first cour of "Ao Ashi Season 2" comprises twelve of the total planned 24 episodes and starts on October 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM Japanese time on the NHK E-TV channel. In parallel, the series will be available via the streaming service Crunchyroll from October 2026. The first season has been rerun on Japanese television since April 2026. The second season is being produced by Studio TMS Entertainment; the first season was still by Production I.G. Direction is by Kazuki Yokoyama, series composition by Masahiro Yokotani, and music by Masaru Yokoyama. Returning from the first season include Kouki Osuzu as Ashito Aoi, Shunsuke Takeuchi as Akutsu, Yuichiro Umehara as Kuribayashi, and Koki Uchiyama as Kiriki.
The source material is by Kobayashi Yugo and was serialized from 2015 in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine; the story concluded with the 40th collected volume in August 2025. According to the publisher, the total circulation exceeds 25 million copies. The story follows Ashito Aoi from Ehime Prefecture, who is discovered by coach Fukuda Tatsuya, brought to Tokyo, and accepted into the youth division of the J-League club Esperion – with the goal of one day becoming a professional. The first anime season aired from April to September 2022 on Japanese television.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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