I didn't watch it because for a few reasons (keep in mind I am NOT insulting the show since I haven't actually watched it). One, I have no personal interest in soccer/football. Two, I generally don't like sports-related anime. Three, it's based on an ongoing manga so I assumed the anime would have some generic open-ended ending. And four, the premise sounds like the usual underdog story that I've seen countless of times before.

Now that being said, if you did like it, could you please tell me why you liked it? Also, is the underdog-team premise as formulaic as it sounds or no? If it is formulaic, what is it about the execution that you think makes the show stand out from other similar sports anime?

>>2411
Like you I don't like sports in real life, but I usually like sports related anime as they tend to be done well. Have you seen a few?

I don't consider the anime particularly predictable or formulaic, even though the premise isn't the most original thing in the world.

>>2417
I actually do like sports (with some exceptions) and even like to watch actual games on tv when I have the time but I do not like sports anime/movies. As far as sports shounen goes, I've seen/read Prince of Tennis, Hajime no Ippo, Major, Eyeshield 21, and several others so I don't think I'm making a completely uninformed judgement. One reason why I dislike most sports anime is that they’re just so damn formulaic. Time and time again, it’s just a repeat of common elements like getting injured at the critical moment, being down many points in the last quarter/period/whatever, a team/player who’s really specialized in a single aspect, the elite privileged team, training arc, etc. I can't really blame them for doing so since some of these are just inherent aspects of sports but when combined with a lack of focus, dragged out stories that go on for 200+ episodes, it just becomes really really tiresome.

Another reason why I dislike sports anime is that most of them completely throw out realism for the sake of making it more "entertaining" for the average person. While I understand that this is necessary to a certain extent, when I see shit like tennis players with retarded grips or underdog teams with crappy players suddenly beating elite players because of the POWER OF MOTIVATION, shit just becomes aggravating.

To date, the best sports related anime/manga I’ve ever read is Ping Pong which manages to overcome the aforementioned pitfalls of the genre by having a clear focus and concise story.

>>2419
Oh and plus, no sports anime/manga can match the intensity of watching (live) your favourite team/player in sudden death overtime during the finals/playoffs.

I watched it and liked it, but I mostly gave up trying to discuss anime here. If it was called Giant K-On I might have brought it up.

>>2419
Giant Killing is actually about managerial tactics, and is fairly realistic. I can see how a lot of people would go in expecting what you described only to come out being hugely disappointed. The games are only secondary, and thus not the most exciting.

>>2419
>or underdog teams with crappy players suddenly beating elite players because of the POWER OF MOTIVATION
I just want to say that that's actually a reality in the game of football, and especially in competitive leagues like the EPL. The psychology of the players is extremely important to how they play.

>>2421
>If it was called Giant K-On I might have brought it up.

Maybe it would have done better than the actual K-ON thread with 19 replies on page 9.

>>2422
Oh yes, I certainly do admit that "cinderalla stories" do happen in even in professional leagues for any sports. I really should have put that comment more in the overdone aspect part of my post.

>>2423
Unlikely even with the name change. In fact I think I remember making a thread about it on the old board. Certainly not the reception of say — Dragon Crisis.

>>2429
What a tragedy.

>>2437

5 star post right there.

>>2437
In a way, yes. It's hard to make an argument that Dragon Crisis is a better show than Giant Killing, and yet these are the shows that people tend to watch.