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"* Based on a sports manga written by Kaneshiro Muneyuki and drawn by Nomura Yuusuke.

After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan's team struggles to regroup. But what's missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match...and to do so, they've gathered 300 of Japan's best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team...and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?

Source: Kodansha"

Genre(s): Sports, Shounen, Death Game

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Real fun, this. So, we have the usual shounen sports tropes of victory, friendship and teamwork, but strip out the friendship and teamwork. Though this is technically a huge tournament arc, it feels much more like a death game series with 'losers dropping out', 'there's no rule against that dirty play, is there?' , and my favorite: armband number rankings! Totally absurd, but the sale is strong. Essentially L is administering the program and is playing no favorites, supposedly to the last man standing. There has already been the teasing of outside forces/characters' involvement as the program is outwardly controversial, so the story has room to broaden as it goes.

This is your typical 'how will they survive this situation' style show, but based on soccer adjacent activities that serve as the 'death games'. The animation and pacing are great, and I have no complaints about the copious trash talk, either. Strong recommend if you enjoy 'only results matter, here' style series.