Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun

We were expecting a football animation. Instead, we received a comedy with some interesting and funny moments.

Aoyama is a soccer star that suffers from a cleaning complex. He hates being touched. He needs to see everything clean. He needs to cook his food. How can a person like this be the center of the attention and one of the youth soccer stars from Japan?

In the beginning, I was waiting to see a sports anime and football matches every time. After some episodes, the football became irrelevant. The story focus on the events full of jokes and actions from the football squad and all the ... persons related to it. The jokes aren't bad, sometimes are silly but are executed smartly. However, there are few moments dull.

The characters are standard as we can expect from this kind of comedy. Aoyama is another guy that is good in everything that he does and sometimes is annoying. Also, he needs to clean everything. His friends are the ones that carry all the responsibility of the comedy. Without them, Aoyama could sink in boredom. Let's thank the other characters for the jokes. Ayoma has lots of admirers, including a person that loves him. The plot mixes everything, football, manga, a love triangle, fights, challenges and maybe some stupid actions. You will laugh at the situations. You will laugh after seeing some epic moments, but after some hours you will forget the fun and will focus on other things.

This kind of animation is fun for the first time, but you aren't going to repeat it.

The art and the music are standard. Do not expect too much from it. It was created to fill the time. At least the art isn't like the ending of the anime.

The sound isn't a big thing. It is standard, and the OST isn't that amazing but does the job, same for the OP and ED.

Finally, yes you will laugh but nothing more. The show isn't a great comedy but has some fresh, hilarious moments. Do not hope to see a competitor for Captain Tsubasa because it isn't. Expect to spend some minutes laughing at the situations, but that's all.

If you are a freak (kidding) that loves sports anime, this won't be the right anime for you. If you are a soccer fan, you will get disappointed and will say "what a waste of time."

"Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun" is kinda strange show. My experience with sport shows is I had two categories: the competitive and serious one such as Haikyuu and then the non competitive (or just not focused on the competitions) comedic one such as Yuri!!! on Ice. Yes, Yuri!!! on Ice does have the main character enter a competition but the anime doesn't really focus on the competition. It focuses on the characters. Back to Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun, it doesn't fit in those two types I'm familiar with. This show was weird because it focus on comedy half of the time.

Being a comedic show with sort of plot ... progression with end game objective, the story becomes fragmented with the episodes dedicated to 2 character spotlights. The show doesn't just focus on Aoyama and his sport team. We do the coach, manager, a mangaka, a basketball girl (yes, we had an episode on basketball instead of soccer), and a fellow germaphobe student. Since comedy is binary, you will have some episodes which give you laughter or not. I had my favorite characters, the manager/stalker who loves Aoyama and the judo guy.

Since I'm not good with names and didn't bother with checking it for the review, the characters in this show might be hard to remember for those who aren't good with names like me. You will remember their quirks.

That's pretty much the strength of the show's comedy: the wacky characters and their interactions. For sports, the show does up its animation during its few intense soccer matches. It doesn't feature as much if you wanted soccer.

The weakness of the show for me is it ends with a weak bang. It doesn't really entice me for a second season. It was like a one trick pony ice cream that you just wanted to taste first time and won't go back. It's a shame because I loved the show when I saw the first few episodes.

6/10 for me in rating this show. I wish it went out with a bang or have some plot objective but being a comedic show, it might have killed its sport element. With a cast huge, you can barely remember all of them. You will be sure to have some favorites.

(Spoiler Warning)

If you're looking for a traditional soccer anime, you'll be very disappointed. Putting that aside, if you're looking for a short-running show with some comedic moments, you may find enjoyment in Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun.

Aoyama's perfect character is very boring to me, he doesn't have any conflict or any sort of progression in the twelve episode season. He doesn't have any motive to join Fujimi High School's underdog soccer team besides that the jerseys are white. Aoyama has a legion of followers, both male and female, that see him as an idol. Their "Clean, clean Aoyama!" chants get annoying very quick. Aoyama's only interesting character ... trait is that he's a germaphobe. He won't eat food prepared by other people, he rarely allows people to touch him. One of Aoyama's underdeveloped traits is that he's a gamer, and he acts very differently in-game while in-person.

Most of the side characters are dull and they are only used for comic relief. Most of the jokes that are from the side characters are used time and time again. There's just not enough time to develop the side characters to be multi-dimensional. Most of the other people on the soccer team are given one trait, or just there. Bottom line, they're mostly forgettable. I'll give the show some slack because there are only twelve episodes. Only occasionally are the side characters successful in their comedic attempts, and I find it most often with Gotou's interactions with the other characters. The times when Aoyama interacts with the other germaphobe makes for some interesting dialogue.

The times when Fujimi High is playing soccer is very predictable, and with Aoyama only actually trying in the final five minutes, the result can always be known. The most interesting episodes in this show are the times when Aoyama & crew are put into a unique situation outside of school, or when the side characters get the spotlight.

Unfortunately, some of the most interesting characters are the ones only seen in one or two episodes. The Ozaki-centered episode is by far the most interesting, with his attempts to make an interesting manga based on Aoyama's actions in school. Umeya's episode with Gouto is also one of the better ones.

The OST is nothing special, its generic j-rock that you can find in most animes. The animation is clean and fluid. The animation style used while Aoyama is gaming is a nice change of pace. The outro animation also has a unique style. Passable.

All in all, Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun seems rushed, poorly planned, and executed inadequately. Aoyama's singular trait is boring, and most of the gaffs of the side characters are overused. The show's strongest strength is when they do succeed at comedy, and it's seldom used side characters. There are better shows for you to watch.