Episode 4

Everyone's Reactions

It's actually pretty rare for your own teammates to be so overwhelmingly strong that it brings out a sense of despair. We're used to seeing tough opponents, but getting crushed by the sheer level of our own team feels fresh. I loved watching Ashito figure out the L-shaped pass on his own after Akutsu's coaching—it gave me that "aha, it clicked!" moment. Plus, it was fun to see him start moving again after getting scolded by Coach Fukuda. The scene where Kurihayama's play completely swept everyone away was shocking; he looked like a player from another dimension. But seeing Ashito get fired up again after feeling his opponent's passion really showed off his incredible mental strength. Next episode, it seems like Kurihayama will notice something "off" in the last five minutes. I'm dying to know what it is! True to the title, this feels like an episode where they'll really use their heads. Someone mentioned that the CG usage was great, and I totally agree—it felt so realistic that it even made me want to watch actual soccer matches. When the words "Premier League" came up, I instantly felt like we were in a completely different league.