The Knight in the Area

I wasn't even going to give this anime a look considering how bland the premise seemed. I knew nothing of the manga and so as far as I was concerned, this was going to be a mediocre Association Football (Soccer) anime that would just remind me how great Giant Killing is and hope like hell Japan qualifies for the World Cup in 2014 and maybe, just maybe, Giant Killing can get a second season to "cash-in" on the football mania.

However, being somewhat bored, I decided to give episode 1 a look. It was as mediocre as I feared it would be and I was ready to call it a write-off when in the dying minutes of Episode 1 something was said that caught my attention. It made me wonder what was to come and since I am impatient, I went looking for the manga. I flipped through a few chapters and soon enough something happens that made me go O.O and suddenly I could no longer dismiss "The knight in the area" as mediocre high school sports manga turned anime. The rest of this review, written when only Episode 1 is out, will be coloured by the first six chapters of the manga I ended-up reading to satisfy my curiosity over the meaning behind the statement made near the end of Episode 1. It can't be helped but in a sense I don't regret it because I think this anime is going to be good and I hate for people to miss out on a potentially good series.

The title character of the story is Kakeru Aizawa, a striker living under the shadow of his mid-fielder brother Suguru Aizawa. Suguru is the captain of U-15 Japanese National Side and is a brilliant play-maker who wears the #10 jersey. Those who know football know that in football circles, there is almost a mythic reverence for the #10 jersey, which has graced the backs of such legends as Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and other play-making midfielders both in real life and fiction (Gino, the play-maker of ETU, of the aforementioned Giant Killing wears the number 10). Suguru Aizawa is certainly a gifted play-maker, able to get past defenders of the highest quality, using paper thin openings in the defence to send the ball forward. There is only one problem, Suguru doesn't have a strikers TO send his passes to. His brother is one of the few who can keep-up with him and Suguru believes the Kakeru has the potential to be a great striker, a real "knight" in the penalty area who can convert the balls his team-mates pour all their skills into getting to him.

However, at the start of the anime, Kakeru has all but given-up as a player. He can't give-up the game entirely so he is trying his hand at being a manager and setting his dream to be be a manger and trainer to his brother. It is evident, however, that his heart is not in it and he still longs to play. Yet he finds himself in his brother's shadow in almost everything. Including in his affection for his and his brother's childhood friend Seven (aka Kana). Will he ever get out of his brother's shadow? This APPEARED to be the setup for the anime. Only it is not. Kakeru doesn't want to emerge from his brother's shadow so much as he wants to play on the same pitch as his brother like they used in primary school. Kakeru wants to keep receiving passes from his brother and his brother Suguru wants to keep sending passes to his brother, who he believes has a the skills and talent but just lacks "heart". Confidence, in short, is Kakeru's problem.

Now Kakeru does gain a new heart, one overflowing with confidence, just not in the way he or, I wager, the audience would want him to get a new heart. It is here that this manga turned anime differs from the pack. I can't say much more without spoiling the episodes to come but I can honestly say that I am looking forward to the episodes to come in a way I didn't think I would when I first looked into this anime. This is not just another story of a high school footballer struggling with confidence issues. It can't be. Not with the events that are to follow.

A Knight in the Area is an anime that shows us the epicness of soccer. The story follows the main character Kakeru Aizawa. After a tragic accident involving his brother and a truck carrying steal pipes, the accident puts a steal pipe in Kakeru's heart and sadly Kakeru's older brother Suguru Aizawa is pronouced brain dead. Kakeru how ever is able to recives his brothers last pass (his heart) and Kakeru is able to live on and return to soccer. Kakeru goes on to high school in search of the player who can help lead him to nationals and then the world cup. because every Knight need a King.

The Knights in the Area is a drama that uses soccer to keep the story progressing. This was a good thing for me as I am not much of a soccer fan. The story is centered around the middle school boy, Kakeru who must have the heart to become the "Knight in the Area", which is wish of his older brother. In a tragic turn of events Kakeru literally receives his older brother's heart and with it the resolve needed to become the player he and his brother dreamed about.

This anime wasn't anything I'd expected. There's a scene in there that made me cry and surprised me. Overall, the anime was pretty good. The storyline was interesting but I wouldn't say this anime is on top of my list. Music was so good, but not the best. Characters was amazing in there. The animation was pretty good, but like I said before, it isn't the best of all the animes I've watched. I would recommend this to someone who loves soccer though. ^^

I read this on manga but I didn't know that it was an anime so I quickly searched it up and watched it!! I non-stop cried when Suguru died even though he is a anime character. I was talking to myself and said that "Go Seven show them your awesome skills show them what you got and kick their asses in soccer!!! and it was funny when Kota said that Nana/Seven is better than him!! Storyline is great, music is kinda okay, characters are pro and animation is good too. I recommend this to those who are interested in soccer and for someone who loves to play soccer!!! (It can help you improve in soccer)

he visto Capitan tsubasa y Giant killing y ninguno de los 2 me atrapo como Area no Kishi. Un anime que muestra la evolución progresiva de un jugador de fútbol que no es un genio, ni tampoco es incapacitado técnicamente, pero con problemas que ira superando. Los tiempos de los partidos no son exagerados y la animación es acorde a lo que es, una serie de deportes. A los que les gusta el fútbol sentirán empatia por cada jugador y sus limitaciones. Excelente anime!