Futsal Boys!!!!!: Release Date, Visuals and Updates

An anime about futsal??!! 

Many would wonder why this is interesting, it’s a sports anime, and there have been many football anime over the years, right?

Well, there is a definite difference between the two, which we will discuss later in this article.

What is even more intriguing is that Futsal Boys is a part of a multimedia project!

Since the announced anime is a part of it, let’s see when it is releasing.

1. Release Date

Futsal Boys!!!!! was announced to have an anime last year by the production team. The anime is expected to release sometime in late 2020 or early 2021.

A new multimedia project consisting of games x anime x app is releasing! The latest information will be revealed on this Twitter account and website. Stay tuned!

English Translation, Twitter Translate

Since the anime collaborates between real futsal games and the game application, the release date could be postponed to mid-2021. 

Let’s read ahead to know what this project exactly is.

2. Theory Section

What does a multimedia project have to do with real matches? Why does it have the power to postpone the anime schedule??

Let’s look into the details of this upcoming anime to see what will influence the making of ‘Futsal Boys.’ 

I. About the Project

Futsal Boys is a multimedia project by Bandai Namco Arts, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Diomedea. 

This project will include an anime, a mobile application, and real futsal matches to be played between the cast members.

This isn’t the first time that an anime was a part of a multimedia project. Hypnosis Mic Division Rap Battle and Idoly Pride are both products of these projects. 

The futsal matches between the voice cast will affect the story of the anime and the game app.

Since the revelation of the project, there have been many practice matches between the ‘high school teams.’ The last one was conducted in July 2020.

『フットサルボーイズ!!!!!』 皇花山学園キャストメンバーメッセージ
Futsal Boys!!!!!

It’s due to this new and fresh idea that the schedule of the anime is not fixed. But it is implied that the anime is ready to be broadcasted in Winter 2020, if not later.

II. Futsal: The Sport

Futsal is a variant of football, similar to soccer but played indoors. 

Futsal is a ball sport played on a hard court, smaller than a football pitch. It has similarities to five-a-side football (played with half the members of a team).

The game is played between two teams, with five players on each side, including the goalkeeper.

The game, rules, and balls all favor ball control and passing in small spaces. The rules of football won’t apply in futsal, as the game’s lines and boundaries are different.

Even though there have been many anime about football like Hungry Heart, Captain Tsubasa, Inazuma eleven, etc.; there haven’t been any anime or manga about futsal in these years.

The game was introduced slightly in Whistle!, where the characters play the game for two episodes. 

The episode emphasizes the differences between the two sports.

III. Will Futsal Boys be Well-Received?

Many people love sports, especially football, so anime based on sports are considerably more popular than other genre. 

With many anime classics like Captain Tsubasa, anime-only fans would at least give the anime a try.

With the rise of interest in sports due to Haikyu, Kuroko’s Basketball, and to some extent Free, sport is a genre that will never fail to gain attention.

Futsal seems to be a new sport for many, but it is widely known in many countries and also has International FIFA competitions.

Will the anime be able to deliver this promise to the fans? Let’s start with the visuals.

3. Key Visuals

The official website of Futsal Boys released character designs for the new anime. 

The character design for every team is designed by a different designer. Tomomi then adapted these designs into the final artwork. 

Futsal Boys!!!!! updates of upcoming season
Key Visual | Source: Official Website
Fatsal Boys!!!!! Updates on upcoming season
Visual | Source: Official Website
Futsal Boys!!!!! updates of upcoming season
Haru | Source: Official website
Futsal Boys!!!!! updates of upcoming season
Seiichiro | Source: Official Website
Futsal Boys!!!!! updates of upcoming season
Toi | Source: Official Website
Futsal Boys!!!!! updates of upcoming season
Tsubaki | Source: Official Website
Futsal Boys!!!!! updates of upcoming season
Ryu | Source: Official Website
Futsal Boys!!!!! Updates on upcoming season
Taiga | Source: Official Website

4. Trailers & Teasers

A teaser and PVs introducing the voice cast for different school teams were revealed.

『フットサルボーイズ!!!!!』皇花山学園選手紹介PV
Futsal Boys!!!!! PV
『フットサルボーイズ!!!!!』アニメーションPV
Futsal Boys!!!!! Teaser

The team PVs don’t show any animation in particular but show the character designs and the voice cast for each team member.

The teaser, on the other hand, shows the complete animation with upbeat music in the background.

The video starts by showing the equipment used in futsal, which is pretty similar to football.

There are some training montage scenes as the boys get ready for tournaments, which is the case on all sports anime.

Now that we have seen everything, what exactly is the anime about?

5. Expected Plot

It has been more than ten years since futsal became a worldwide boom. 

Many star players were born in Japan, and everyone from children to adults have been enthusiastic about this sport. 

When watching the final of the U-18 World Cup, Haru Yamato is attracted by the play of Tokinari Tenoji. 

Tenoji is one of the players to represent Japan globally. Haru starts playing Futsal with a wish to become a player like him. 

He meets a group of friends at the Koyo Academy’s Futsal club that he joins, then starts playing to achieve his dream.

6. Music and Animation 

I. Animation Quality

Diomedea has worked on a basketball anime, Ahiru no Sora. Still, the animation for it was considered lackluster by the fans.

But the PV of Futsal Boys seems different. The character animation is detailed, the art and visuals are very appealing, and the color palette is fitting for a sports anime.

The anime seems to be focused on the sport and not on the slice-of-life part, which is usually the case for a non-mainstream sports anime.

II. Theme Songs

R.O.N will be making the music for this anime. 

He has produced music for sports-related anime like Kuroko’s Basketball and Prince of Stride which were well-liked by the audience.

Fans hope for a similar heart pumping soundtrack for Futsal Boys.

7. Fan Expectations

2020 seems to be the year of sports anime, never-seen-before sports to be precise. 

Taiso Samurai, Iwa Kakeru, and Burning Kabaddi are some of the new anime about to release this year. Futsal Boys is just another name added to the roster.

Futsal was never shown in any other mainstream anime or manga, so it’s a completely new sport for the audience.

Futsal Boys is an original anime with no previous source material, so the fans are curious to know how the story will progress.

https://twitter.com/Futbol4UandMe/status/1219275690736082947

Though the PV has caused unrest amongst few fans for ‘not showing enough details of the sport,’ there would be new information released within a few months. Let’s have patience!

With shows like Haikyu, Run with the Wind, Stars Align, fans think that the bar for a sports anime has risen really high, and Futsal Boys will have a lot of pressure during its release.

Others are curious about how the real futsal matches, and consequently, the anime results will work together. 

This approach is new and unique, and fans feel like they are trying to be different from other shonen sports.

8. Cast & Staff

The following are the cast and staff members for Futsal Boys:

I. Staff

PositionStaffFamous Works
StudioDiomedeaHanda-kun, Ahiru no Sora
Original StoryMao Marita
Character DesignTomomi IshikawaPERSONA 5 the Animation, Convenience Store Boy Friends 
MusicR.O.NDorohedoro, Kuroko’s Basketball

II. Cast

CharacterVoice ActorFamous Works
HaruRyota Takara
SeiichiroShuto Ishimori
ToiKohei YoshiwaraGuild Soldier (BOFURI)
TsubakiRyotaro Yamaguchi
RyuKazuki FurutaRicky (Carole & Tuesday)
TaigaYasunao SakaiKita (Mix: Meisei Story), multiple roles (Inuyashiki: Last Hero)

9. About Futsal Boys!!!!!

Futsal has skyrocketed in global popularity in ten years.

Protagonist Haru Yamato watches the U-18 world cup championship and is inspired by a Japanese player named Tokinari Tenōji. 

He joins the Koyo Academy High School’s futsal team to become a player like Tenōji.

There, he finds friends, and together they face their rivals.

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