Inazuma fans, assemble!! ┌⁠(⁠★⁠ｏ⁠☆⁠)⁠┘

for my ina11 fans ヾ⁠(⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠*⁠)⁠ﾉ

[inazuma-eleven-randomness]

Let’s talk about

“Shindou Takuto/ Riccardo Di Rigo”

〘Who is he?〙

Shindou Takuto (Riccardo Di Rigo in EU) is one of the main characters in Inazuma Eleven GO.

He's introduced as Raimon's football captain in the GO saga. He starts off with a serious demanour, emotional, frustasted due to the new regulations thanks to SEED (Fifth Sector). As a MD, he's the team's strategist, showing his intelillence and ability to lead the team in a way no other could. Thanks to Tenma (Arion) he rebels agaisnt SEED and starts the rebolution with Tenma, Samguk, Kirino and Shinsuke, later making the whole team follow them.

Gif de 0zrockbitway

〘A missundertood character〙

Not gonna lie, I hated this character when I first watched GO. I found him frustating and irrationaly angry with Tenma all the time. Always crying, not letting Tenma help the team. But the older I got, the more I loved him.

Shindou is a great character overall. His anger and frustations where very valid and showed how much he cared about the team. Sure, Tenma wanted to play football, but Shindou was putting the team before his own passion. He didn't want Raimon to close as a pusnishment for not following SEED's orders. It's amazing how the series captures his anger and sadness with the situation. Out of everyone in the team he's the only one that externalise the most his emotions and that's amazing. I love seeing passionate character that not only show positive emotions (like Endou or Tenma), but more realistic reactions like anger, frustation, sadness, annoyance...

The people that call him a crybaby really don't understand his position and should have a double-check.

〘The importance of balance〙

I might be cancelled for this, but Shindou is Raimon's best captain. Yes, over Endou.

Don't get me wrong, I love Endou, but there's something about Shindou that makes him special: his balance.

As I mentioned earlier, he's the character that externalise the most different emotions, from anger to excitement. But he's also a great tactitian, showing how intelligent he's as a player and as a character in general. He's like a Endou mix with Kidou.

He's a smart character that leads the team with realistic expectations.

His struggle about his own perception, what really ment being a captain was amazing. Developed a character that seemed ruthless and broke him to show how great he is. He also knew not everyone would follow him to rebel, he had only 4 players on his side and still lead them to the first victory agaisnt SEED. He also learns about balance while plaing in Chrono Stone. Nobunaga was really a match made in heaven for Shindou. This season also shows more of his determination to save the football. The fact that he was the only Chrono Storm player in the second match of Ragnarok, the captain and lead to the only win in the tournament showed us once again how Shindou manages to analise and come with the best strategies. He brings the best of the team. In Galaxy, he was the realest character. I found Tenma's constant positive actitude annoying and forced, Tsurugi was just...there. But Shindou? The only one that represented us: anger, frustation and annoyance. The way he taught lessons to Ibuki was refressing, he did not showed with the power of friendship, but through actions. Showing the importance of teamwork once again.

〘Ruined by plot〙

Eventhough he's arguably the best character in the whole series, he still was a lil bit ruined.

Not having him as a captain again in Season 2 was a mistake for me. Ruined the opportunity to have a captain different from the emotional support one. Tenma is not a good captain, and as said in Galaxy, I also agree that being captain holds Tenma back.

True that Tenma is an emotional support, but Shindou just leds the team better. He has a very natural leader aura and personality

And eventhough I still loved him in Galaxy, his character was ruined to favor the new ones and was pushed aside (even if he's supossed to be in the main trio).

〘Final thoughts〙

Shindou is one the best Inazuma chatacter with the best development.

The best Raimon captain in the series for me. Showing the importance of passion, motivation with intelligence and realness only the _Virtuoso_ could. A character that struggled seeing his own value as a captain. A character that no matter what, he will always bring the best of the team for the victory.

I love him <3

[inazuma-eleven-randomness]

Let's talk about

❝Aki Kino/Silvia Woods❞

〘Who is she?〙

Aki Kino (Silvia Woods in EU) is one of the most relevant female characters during Endo's saga and has a minor role in Tenma's.

She was Endo's only friend back in highschool when they started their seconds year, and was the only one that helped Endo found the football club.

Later, we meet two of her friends she had back in EEUU, Ichinose (Erik) and Domo (Bobby), whom she used to play with.

Lastly, she's introduced as Tenma's family.

〘Why is she so important?〙

The real question is: was she irrelevant? Short answer: no.

What is more, I think she's one of the most imporat characters in the first saga.

Thanks to her Endo founded the club. Sure, she wasn't a player, but she brought emotional support when was needed and stayed with Endo till the end.

She wasn't a pasive manager, though. As shown in the first episodes and in the movie, Aki was very strict with the players, especially those who lost all their passion and were too lazy to practice with the captain. She also cared about the players’ problems and was willing to prepare them food to boost their energy.

Let’s not forget when she, Haruna and Natsumi stole Zeus’ water (better shown in the game) to help the team, showing her determination to help when needed.

〘Underrated character ruined by romance〙

In the first games we explore her as a individual: she has her motives, her emotions, her feelings. She cares about her friends and teammates, willing to do anything to help them, showcasing her strong but soft personality (a balance between Natsumi and Haruna).

However, in the second game she losses her importance. Well, the three managers lose it due to new characters being introduced. And here comes the main problem: the romance.

It's an open secret that Aki has feelings for Endo, and that's lovely, I actually ship it. In the first games (better done in the anime) she dind't rely too much in them, witch is fine, we need more female leads whose motivation isn't only romance!!

The problem is that in the second game she becomes a jelousy/second option character for Endo with Toko in the scene. Eventhough it's said that she hasn't romantic feelings for him, we can see her (Natsumi too) silently fighting for Endo's attention.

This got worse in the last season with Fuyuka being the new interest for Endo. The only good thing they did was returning her backstory with Ichinose and Domo, sadly, there were just a few chapters.

〘INEGo! dissapointment 〙

When I saw Aki as Tenma's distant familiar I was happy.

Firstly because I thought she was with Endo. Yes, I'm angry that they developed her character around him, but if you had given me a romance between this two I expect them to be together.

But no! He ended marriying the girl that wanted him to close the football and was sure he was going to lose (at least at the beginnig).

At least she has Ichinose, but he's abroad.

She just eneded up losing. First, her individuality, and lastly, her happiness. Aki is only used to care about the main character. The only good thing about this is that Tenma actually sees her as a mentor and searches for her advice when needed.

Also, they could have introduced her to the rebellion. Given her persona it would make so much sense, but not even that!

〘Final thoughts〙

She was introduced as an important female character and was an emotional support during the beginning to the team (mostly Endo).

But the way she was treated as the time passed was sad. (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)

Her character could have given so much more in the later seasons! (⁠´⁠°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥⁠ω⁠°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥⁠｀⁠)

[inazuma-eleven-randomness]

Just a little space for the ones that love inazuma (⁠｢⁠`⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠)⁠｢