I know we have like so many blogs but I decided to throw our cornplating of the anime in a separate blog because I neither want to spam the main tag or the @soccerpunching blog.
This is something I started posting in bsky but stopped. I'll continue here without promise of consistency.
Feel free to block this account! Our interactive account is @soccerpunching so if you want to throw an ask, throw it there!!
This blog is 16+ since I would unlikely talk about imagines and fanfics in here.
By cornplating we mean:
#cinematic cornplate - frame/lighting/sfx details and analysis
#literary cornplate - character/action/choices details and analysis
#nothingburger plate - observation that has no story or art significance that I just want to point out (may be nothingburgers that I have fun pointing out)
Tags I will use for every series:
inae1 - all football frontier ss
inae2 - all aliea arc ss
inae3 - all ffi ss
inae4 - all ina11 go ss
inae5 - all chrono stone ss
inae6 - all galaxy ss
inae7 - all ares ss
inae8 - all orion ss
all victory road ss will have the spoiler tags
Below is a code we will use to tag every episode it follows "ie s0e000" :
the most heartbreaking scene that i always notice when i rewatch is this part especially in episode 2. because haruna/celia was watching kidou/jude leave and look back BUT HE DID NOT LOOK HER WAY AT ALL. HE WAS LOOKING AT ENDOU/MARK
at the start of this scene, people in the bench focused in teikoku/royal so haruna has started watching since the time kidou walked out the school (or even before)
that's when kidou looks back and had a brief speech about endou who was directly opposite where he stands.
the blue circle on the 2nd image is where endou was while haruna is at the red circle
the lingering look she had his way, way longer than aki's/silvia's gaze, probably waiting if he so much as acknowledges her. what if she thinks he doesn't remember her anymore. i know she was waiting for him to look at her just even once. this is heartbreaking.
I'm a tad bit obsessed with the way natsumi is introduced. The dazzling light for being smart. Her being right inside the frame of the window.
Even better shown in the third screenshot where she would look like a framed picture of a principal in their office, or in her case, the chairperson's.
Which is amazing because they framed her like that while saying her words are just like the chairman's. So the viewers should also consider her like the school's chairperson... right when they're showing how she would look visually.
And they in fact had those frames in this office btw. Look at the far left of this last image...
adding mei / @wmiescieinazumy's tags because he added so much amazing details:
#OHHHHHHHHHHH YES!!!!! #in the first screenshot her pose even kinda looks like she could be a portrait. the straight back and gently tilted chin; #eyes directly on the viewer; hair flowing down her back and shoulders #a "picture-perfect" girl heh see what i did there- #and her being there and her positioning already tells us that she's very important #also it's fun how she's on the right side of the principal while staring from her pov; but from endou's pov its fuyukai in this position
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, MEI!!!! ALSO, PICTURE PERFECT THAT IS SO REAL
#and we start the scene with focusing on director and fuyukai and then they both fade into the background after natsumi speaks #endou doesn't even realize her importance until the director reprimands his tone and tells him exactly how influential natsumi is here
it's funny you mention this because in film study the composition technique they used here is called frame within frame. which is mostly used by film makers to show a character's psychology or importance. you're so right about how the others faded in the background at her introduction as if we finally got to both the focal character in this scene and the dominating subject of it (because she's the one who gave the stakes to the main character) which is done so well... it's so rich in film language!!
#i also like that she's looking out the window at the school she helps run and at the soccer field she later ends up observing- #-during the match #she's so cool <3
actually im going to make a similar analysis when she's finally shown looking at the teikoku vs raimon match BUT REAL!!! EXACTLY!!!! her frame in this scene also shows the limits of her worldview... that only became wider when she finally decided to go to the raimon club herself since that's the first we won't see her framed by either the offices' windows or her limo's windows!!!! this is a warning for you and everyone to get ready for my Natsumi window motif!!!!!! as well as its connection with summer that i mentioned in this Four seasons manager post before!!!
I'm a tad bit obsessed with the way natsumi is introduced. The dazzling light for being smart. Her being right inside the frame of the window.
Even better shown in the third screenshot where she would look like a framed picture of a principal in their office, or in her case, the chairperson's.
Which is amazing because they framed her like that while saying her words are just like the chairman's. So the viewers should also consider her like the school's chairperson... right when they're showing how she would look visually.
And they in fact had those frames in this office btw. Look at the far left of this last image...
Original bsky post dated June 22, 2025 || Addition to this post
Funny thing about the endou/mark and gouenji/axel first meeting is that had gouenji not stop in his walk to watch them play he wouldn't have been able to see what was going to happen and they wouldn't have met before he was introduced in the class.
They also made it so that gouenji heard about teikoku/royal directly from endou so he probably wouldn't also bother watching the practice match had endou not been trying to recruit him around after he saw his kick in the first place. Which then could have ended raimon right after that match.
Which means that this entire ride started because gouenji was yearning soccer and was watching kids and endou train/play.
I love how the shot of them seeming to be uninterested with playing soccer is the one where 4 out of 6 of them are in fact wearing the kit. Not even 3, 4! And I'll understand if it's just the first years because you can say they're just abiding by politeness culture. But nope... Someoka/Kevin, Shourin/Tim, Shishido/Sam, and Kurimatsu/Tod all are wearing theirs already!!
And then someoka (already in gear) brought that up specifically then we learned that they were currently in fact waiting for the field to be available. Someoka specially was hoping they can at least play today. I know the first movie have more on this but this alone is just so 🥹 (someoka fake idgafer i saw you wearing the kit!!!!)
That's why endou/mark knew 😌
But also duh. That's why they all panicked when the club could possibly be banned
On the subject of destroying schools after a soccer club was disbanded:
Although i did say that I didn't like how they were trying to cut down ray's / kageyama's crimes in the series after the first trilogy (especially retconning it in everyday+), I still fully believe that kageyama only challenges/accept challenges from schools that couldn't even make teikoku sweat in practice or friendly matches. Like, if you manage to make them run a little you're safe. That or if your team has a spy working for him.
Another on that end. It still bewildered me how when it comes to spies, kidokawa / kirkwood seemed to be untouchable??? Like. Also in the inago series they also didn't have a seed (although they did have aphrodi there which means they can deploy coaches there whenever but they did not have a seed). What about this school that makes it untouchable to the dark soccer forces
Edit: sousuke may have been a seed in kidokawa. although his dialogues become more convincing if he wasn't. i may need to watch that episode again if I can ☝️ (likely not soon since im finishing watching s1-s3 first)
I'm never not thinking about this shot of Kidou / Jude in front of the teikoku bus? Van? Truck i guess. that immediately made me think of kageyama / ray because of the two white lines. Which speaks of the destruction and cruelty that the truck did all being him. And the rising shot from kidou to show kageyama's actual face. Like this show is so violently on your face with their messages and of what's going on in the most amazing way possible. This isn't even subtle.
And kageyama laugh over the haunting theme?? chef's kiss
[Video description: Kidou, wearing the teikoku kit, stands in front of the Teikoku truck that is emitting strong white headlights that showed kidou in darkness against the light on his back. He has his arms folded on his chest. The shot rises to show the white lines in front of the truck are getting thicker. After the shot passes kidou's person, it shows how gargantuan and intimidating the teikoku truck is. With the teikoku flag beside it. Kageyama's face overlaps the shot. He shows a sinister grin. His round glasses reflects light. The shot fades to black as kageyama laughs evilly. End of video description.]
starting this off with the first opening song (Tachiagariiyo) from this bsky post
I really love how they showed kidou in the first OP song right when they mentioned the worn-out samurai dialogue. Because old samurai stories were usually about a gray character who wouldn't hesitate in killing or have a history in killing and violence who is now a person bettering himself. They were action shows that were stories of self reflection and redemption. A journey to become the hero that they were always meant to be. So putting kidou here in the opening song really was an amazing way to show us what to expect about the character.
Not to mention, the way his cape billows on the wind personally has like a hero pose to me much like superman. So, that's even more awesome.
The next lyrics basically says yeah man don't judge a book by its cover.
And also at some point in the episodes at the nationals kidou will be shown wearing his raimon kit instead of the teikoku one for this shot.
Another thing to remember in the nationals arc is that these three shots will also be updated to add the other characters that will appear which was one of the things I looked forward to whenever i rewatch because who skips the opening songs? Not me!!!
They added Megane & Domon such a long time after they joined though...
You would think they're probably just aura farming in this shot (they are) but it was a very good way to show each of the characters' personalities which I will tell in the reblog because I can only share 10 images in one tumblr post.
I'll talk about the character poses from that long wide from right to left. Starting with the people from the right side to the left:
Kageno / Jim who wanted nothing more but to assert his existence lets the sunset hug his body. Also mirroring the confidence he'll gain in his mini arc in episode 14.
Max who started the sport to appease his boredom but is now enjoying the time of his life (even with the torture) has a loose posture. Carefree and seems to be enjoying himself tbh.
Someoka / Kevin has always took this soccer business seriously. More seriously than any character, I'd argue. He looks at tomorrow and everyday with respectful eyes, but unlike gouenji his entire body is taken by this light despite the folded arms. This is the world that someoka wanted to embrace fully but meticulously.
Kurimatsu / Tod sits timidly yet playfully in the back. Leaning (looking) forward, having fun, but in the background anyway. And he sits like a kid with innocence because as we know he's the show's established "asker" along with the other first years. They always got what's going on wrong so someone else can explain it (or for the purpose of showing off another character which ina11 does a lot)
gouenji / axel looks at this sunset seriously and as if knowing exactly what to expect. Despite being the biggest and the closest in distance forward in the shot (ace striker ref), hes the only one who is entirely hiding a side of himself from the light. I'd argue handa's left arm isn't actually hidden entirely from it. Which could just be the animators wanting him to look cool. Or could be a hint to his passive nature and how his motivation in like 2/3s of the first trilogy in playing soccer is for another person. Not for him. But the light does reach him. Because within his heart what he really wants is to just play soccer freely (I talked about this in this long bsky thread). This could be the half heartedness in disguise.
Shourin / Timmy and Kabeyama / Jack are shown as a set and they are pretty close in the show. It's also because they're each other's opposite in not just physical and they showed us this by showing the contrast to their expression here as well (kabe smiles while shourin frowns). Personality-wise, kabe is the scaredy cat timid huge character while shourin is the martial arts courageous expert. In fact he wasn't as scared of occult as the other first years were. He's always raring to go and take initiative and never afraid to call out his seniors when he thinks they're being hypocritical or making excuses.
I really love how much sucked in this entire thing kazemaru / nathan is for a guy who's just initially helping out. He already felt that this was the world that would challenge him just look at how that guy's leaning forward with a smug smile. Locked tf in. Not to mention hes one of the four people who was sitting at the most front!! Come on, this isn't even subtle!!
Funnily, I have nothing to say about handa / steve because there's nothing much going on here. Which is funny to say because he really is Mr. Normal (i love him sm never change handa)
Endou / Mark embracing all that with a smile. Nothing much to say here too. That sums up endou. But standing up on the concrete stairs instead of the grass, huh. You never want things easy for you.
At least Shishido / Sam is sitting down. Just look at him. Nothing else also to say but hes sitting half conservatively.
starting this off with the first opening song (Tachiagariiyo) from this bsky post from June 18, 2025
I really love how they showed kidou in the first OP song right when they mentioned the worn-out samurai dialogue. Because old samurai stories were usually about a gray character who wouldn't hesitate in killing or have a history in killing and violence who is now a person bettering himself. They were action shows that were stories of self reflection and redemption. A journey to become the hero that they were always meant to be. So putting kidou here in the opening song really was an amazing way to show us what to expect about the character.
Not to mention, the way his cape billows on the wind personally has like a hero pose to me much like superman. So, that's even more awesome.
The next lyrics basically says yeah man don't judge a book by its cover.
And also at some point in the episodes at the nationals kidou will be shown wearing his raimon kit instead of the teikoku one for this shot.
Another thing to remember in the nationals arc is that these three shots will also be updated to add the other characters that will appear which was one of the things I looked forward to whenever i rewatch because who skips the opening songs? Not me!!!
They added Megane & Domon such a long time after they joined though...
You would think they're probably just aura farming in this shot (they are) but it was a very good way to show each of the characters' personalities which I will tell in the reblog because I can only share 10 images in one tumblr post.
