Inazuma Eleven: Orion no Kokuin | Here are My Thoughts

Lack of Fillers/Slice-of-Life/Actual Interaction Between the Characters

One of the main issues I have with Ares is their blatant soccer formula that makes every match in there monotone. In Orion, however, I can say that it isn't a glaring problem anymore. In fact, the matches are very engaging and thrilling. There's a rise, a fall, and moments when I am genuinely frustrated that Inazuma Japan is struggling. To make things more interesting, most of the matches are rigged. Sportsmanship doesn't exist in the FFI as everyone is out there sabotaging everyone's chances.

However, just like Ares Orion once again fell into the no-filler trap. There's barely any trace of fillers or anything that strays a bit from the main plot. I know that Orion probably wants to cut to the chase, but is it really realistic that Inazuma Japan thought of nothing but the tournament 24/7 without a break? They are human, they have a life outside of soccer. Why can't they explore it? Sure, they have that episode when Asuto and Hikaru got lost in the forest, those weird practice sessions the team had to put up with, and those random flashbacks of the amusement park, but that's basically it. You don't see the characters interact with one another in ways outside of the soccer matches. Everything's about the tournament, but not their personal lives. Or at least let me see them bond during practice. Because of this, I couldn't connect with the characters in an emotional level and therefore barely cared about their struggles which is a problem since the main point of having rigged matches is to feel bad for the victims and get mad at the bad guys.

SIDE NOTE

Here's some context. In the OG Inazuma Eleven, especially during the FFI Arc, there were a lot of slice of life moments that at times stray away from the main event in order to build character relationships. Sometimes they would have some sort of camp out, other times they would help a teammate out. There would be episodes focused on training as I get to see the characters--in the words of Endou "become stronger and stronger". There was even a simple scene where Kidou and Gouenji were waiting outside a candy store talking about Endou. That alone was really simple yet impactful relationship building as I get to see them do ordinary things and talk about each other not as teammates but as friends.

In other words, OG IE has a good balance between slice of life and main story. Orion does not.

END OF SIDE NOTE

Oh yeah, any opportunity regarding the characters' side-life or them increasing their bond are either completely ignored or basically thrown out the window. Remember that small fun fact about Iwato and Ichihoshi being pen pals? Shame their friendship's never explored. How about Iwato, Hiroto (the gray-headed one), and Aphrodi at the amusement park? Apparently their friendship never grew from that. How about Haizaki and Akane? Thrown out of the window. Nosaka and Anna? Nah. Maybe that little snippet about Froy and his childhood friend? Not only they never demonstrated the effects of their relationship, but they barely even talked! Oh I know! How about interactions between the players and the managers, especially Ootani? Sorry, but that never happened. In fact, the show acted as if Ootani never existed (no one ever thanked her for her hard work).

Now that I think about it, the Fubuki twins were rarely in the same scene together. The irony.

So in the end, I'll never get to see the team grow as a team in an emotional level other than bare-bones training and soccer matches. Yay I guess?