Anime Rework - Inazuma Eleven Orion Part One: Football Frontier Intentional Qualifiers

This is a direct continuation to the rework of the Ares season of the anime. If you haven't read that please do so before reading this https://ramblingsofenglishman.blogspot.com/2020/05/anime-rework-inazuma-eleven-ares.html. 

Following on from Inazuma Eleven Ares no Tenbin the next series Orion no Kokuin followed the protagonists of the first season as they took on the world in the Inazuma Eleven equivalent of the World Cup the Football Frontier International (FFI for short). A series brimming with potential that unfortunately was rushed and had the legs cut out from under it in what seems like a season of content. In relation to this my rework into the series doesn't take into account the series being cut, I'm looking at this at the scale

Inazuma Japan
To begin with we need to look at the team that will be involved. I've gone with a 21 team squad as while the 24 man squad was good it limited character potential and by cutting 3 I have a bit of room with work with. With that being said the team (and their squad numbers) are as follows:

Goalkeepers
1. Nishikage Seiya
13. Umihara Norika
21. Amano Masamichi

Defenders
2. Sakanoue Noboru
3. Mansaku Yuuichirou
5. Mizukamiya Seiryuu (Vice-Captain)
6. Fubuki Shirou replacement
12. Michinari Tatsumi
16. Hanasaki Taizen

Midfielders
4. Ichihoshi Hikaru
7. Teikou Captain
8. Nosaka Yuuma (Captain)
10. Inamori Astuo
4. Ichihoshi Hikaru
15. Tatsuya replacement
18. Hiura Kirina
20. Sasotsuka Eiji

Forwards
9. Haizaki Ryouhei
11. Kira Hiroto replacement
14. Kozoumaru Sasuke
17. Goujin Tetsunosuke
19. Fubuki Atsuya replacement

Coaches
Zhao Jinyun
Li Hao (Assistant Coach)
Sekiya Tomoari (Physical Trainer)

Managers
Mikado Anna
Miyano Akane

While they are not specifically listed Endou Mamoru, Kidou Yuuto and Gounenji Shuuya will all be listed as those helping to pick the squad and would help with training the team because you have the milk the nostalgia. It will also help develop some character moments with the veterans helping the new talent in a passing of the torch and help make the fight of Orion mean more. 

Another key change is that of  Michinari Tatsumi now being a defender post injury and mainly he takes the spot which would've been of Iwato Takashi in the original anime. If you read my Ares rework I noted on how I upped Michinari's role to be more of a captain and as a captain with more influence he became a character with more depth than what Iwato and I feel he could be used better in the story overall and as another captain for the squad he would provide a good pillar.  

Hissatsu Evolution 

In Inazuma Eleven Orion they had a form of an idea not really focused on. Some Hissatsu techniques got an evolution onto them for example we saw Fuujin Raijin evovled to Fuujin Raijin Ghost, Last Resort to Last Resort Σ and Fire Lemonade to Fire Lemonade Rising. I don't get why we didn't see more of this for me it represents a gimmick for this series we should've seen more of a team improving and as such the techniques they use evolve with them. This was something I wanted to see more of and will look to implement this in the rework. For clarity I'm calling it a 'Hissatsu Evolution' as it is effectively what it is. 

Story Part One: Asian Qualifiers

We begin post Football Frontier with all the main talent being gathered for the selection process. I really liked the beginning with the ceremony with Nosaka & Nishikage at the hospital ready to see Nosaka off (we will add Taizen here as well). We also get a profile of all the team and their position with the changing of Nosaka & Asuto to midfield and to introduce Ichihoshi Mitsuru as well to begin his arc. We will also keep the part about Clario Orvan scoring past the whole team he talks about how he is interested in Japan but doesn't reveal why here but says as they look to defend the FFI they will beat all in their way and challenges Japan to meet him in the finals. 

We will also get introduced to our managers Mikado Anna & Miyano Akane. Remember how Akane was build up all season in Ares with her connection to Haizaki and then was just done? I want to bring her in here to work with Haizaki more, she has become more invested in football and wants to make up for the lost time she had with her friend. Same with Anna and Nosaka it seemed to cut more of this out with a lot of stuff from Orion. Apparently Asuto and Norika is a thing people and while I am not a shipping person it would be nice for each main protagonist to have a confidant they can rely on and while I ain't shipping I expect to move Norika into a more prominent role in Asuto's story. While Mansaku and Hiura remain his best friends he can only really speak to Norika on certain things.

Before the match Asuto, Haizaki, Kirina, Mansaku and Eiji meet with Mutekigahara Fujimaru who will get into his identity later. In similar fashion to the original anime he get physical with them in a football battle and then disappears confusing the players in questions.

The first match with the South Korean International Team Red Bison is the next point we go to.

Match No.1: Inazuma Japan vs. Red Bison
Inazuma Japan Team as follows (4-4-2)
Nishikage
Mansaku - Mizukamiya (c) - Shirou Replacement - Sakanoue
Teikou Captain - Asuto - Eiji - Kirina
Haizaki - Kozoumaru

All Inazuma Japan teams will go from left side to right so as an example Mansaku here is the left full back. The game begins with Red Bison being the more physical of the two teams bu the five who encountered Mutekigahara are able to find a way through as they did in the original game. The initial change is to remove Last Resort it will be used later just not now instead Inazuma Japan take a 1-0 lead thanks to Kozoumaru and him using Hidaruma Bakunetsudan because it's a stronger move than Fire Tornado and it seems to be forgotten as a move in Orion. This is what gets Kozoumaru targeted in place of Gounenji and with him getting injured via the cheating of the Orion three for Red Bison (Baek Lee and Park). With no Kidou the one noticing the Orion issues to begin with will fall to Mizukamiya and the Tekikou captain. I've split the role in two as these are characters I feel that would easily identify what is going on the quickest (and Nosaka also isn't here) and thus will start to think through what they can do.

The rest of the match will play out pretty much how it did with the score being 2-1. In this match I would debut Artemis Ring for Nishikage. I didn't like the idea the can only use it with Nosaka it limits Nishikage and as the number one keeper in the series here I don't want to unnecessarily limit him. The attack of the Red Bison captain will also remain I found this a really cool part of the match and was really looking to help set up Orion as a threat. Stuff like this got dropped the later the series went on but I want to see it more we really only got depth to the tactics and reasons for the behaviour of the Disciples of Orion. The win comes from Penguin the God & Devil done by accident as it is normally.

Final Result: 

Inazuma Japan: 2 (Kozoumaru x1, Haizaki & Hiroto Replacement x1)
Red Bison: 1 (Baek Shi-Woo)

I want to touch on Li Yuchen and Kimura Yousuke

Post match we see Kozoumaru is still in pain and the next day it is found out that he has left to heal his injuries, he won't be at the games going forward for the next little while. We will pick up his story later. We will also keep the same conversation with Haizaki and the Hiroto replacement to develop them as a strike partnership.

This is where we get our first look at Shinjou Takuma who leads men to take away Baek Shi-Woo after the failure saying he will join the other let down of their team.

The night after the game is the first time we have a conversation with Asuto and Norika, Asuto will be playing as the most attacking of the midfield (and mainly as a number 10 or Central Attacking Midfielder in the teams main formation of 5-3-2) for most games as the teams creative outlet a prime Mesut Özil or a current day Kevin De Bryne in this season changing from his goal scoring ways of Ares. To reflect this he provided the two assists in the match against Red Bison. Anyway they talk about how excited they are Norika to get out and play and Asuto saying how the teams they face are stronger but he's glad he can do it with his friends. We see Ichihoshi was listening into their conversation and remarks how he knows what he has to do to end Inzauma Japan's chances and we see his mark of Orion to close that episode and cut to my personal favourite end credits song in the entire series (a refresher should you need it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb3TIdCYYAI).

With this it is Norika that Ichihoshi targets in place of Endou seeing her as the emotional pillar of the main creative force of Inazuma Japan  through the same method as he does in the anime but it's the Tekikou captain that stops it when he tries to confront Ichihoshi who feigns ignorance and Norika brushes it off with him so it has to be dropped. However, Mizukamiya was also watching the two of them speak saying whatever is happening, the attack on the South Korean captain and now this it is connected but others will look to throw it under the rug they need to find others they can trust. The two end of speaking to Nishikage and Taizen asking them to keep a look out on Ichihoshi as he is trying to cause havoc as seen by him trying to create tension between Haizaki and a Hiroto replacement.

We finally get the first mention of Last Resort a move it took Gouenji years to do and even then even he admits it was a fluke, we see a clip of him using the move in a team meeting and he says passing it to Inazuma Japan but not to one person a move like this needs to have 3 people but he isn't sure who yet and will let them know who when the time is right.

I also want to use this time for Haizaki and Akane as we show the failure of Penguin the God and Devil and the two getting frustrated. While Akane doesn't know much about football she is concerned about Haizaki, the mentions about how he is jealous of the Hiroto replacement who he views as a stronger forward but she reaffirms that while he might be better in that regard Haizaki can look to be better in other regards. Post this we get some training and focus on the Seishou players in the squad training on one of the outside grounds where Kidou and Haizaki were seen in the anime. They are practising together with Haizaki saying they have to get better and if Penguin the God & Devil is failing they need other ways to evolve and need to go further with Death Zone.

As for Mutekigahara Fujimaru he will meet with Asuto, Kirina, Michinari, and the replacements for the Fubuki brothers where he once again dominates them and this is where Kirina exposes that Mutekigahara Fujimaru is a fake name and will expose the truth behind him next time they meet.

And now it's time for the match with Australia 

Match No.2: Inazuma Japan vs. Shining Satans
Inazuma Japan Team as follows (4-4-2)
Norika
Shirou Replacement- Mizukamiya (c) - Taizen - Michinari
Teikou Captain - Asuto - Ichihoshi - Kirina
Haizaki - Hiroto Replacement

A few changes to our line up here. While Zhao values Nishikage as his number one keeper he feels this match will be more suited to Norika, Australia prove a more agile threat to the physical South Korea and as such puts here in goal. Using the presence to the most physical defender in Taizen to make them expend more energy trying to get through.

For Shining Satans their characters are mostly the same but I want to switch the names of Sar Gatans and Beelze Bub so with this the main characters of the team are the captain Satan Gaul and the other main three are named after the Dukes of Hell (Lucifer, Astaroth and Beelzebub).

We will keep the same tactics of Australia with the ball going invisible and the team as well to move into a 2-0 lead with Time Trance as they do once Asuto helps find a way through their tricks the first goal is scored by the Tekikou Captain scoring using Maximum Circus. I've chosen Maximum Circus to score here because I don't get the point of bringing a move in only for it to fail. Maximum Circus only scored in an open next if we are bringing a move in we should see it be effective at least once otherwise what is the point (Also Justice for Fudou).

This match also allows us to see Ichihoshi in action as the seal of Orion in the Japan team trying to help Australia and does with the mirror in the boot which Haizaki sees but cannot stop Satan scoring his hat-trick to take a 3-1 lead. It's here the main players on the team put 2 and 2 together and get it is Ichihoshi due to his suspicious plays. Zhao rejects Mizukamiya's appeal to remove him from the team because of the same excuse he gives in the anime. Before the second half starts the replacement for Shirou speak to Mizukamiya and the Tekikou Captain about what to do with Ichihoshi and he has an idea while Zhao's hands are tied they are not bound by the same thing and goes to speak to the Hiroto replacement and Haizaki and asks that Shirou speaks to his brother they need to eliminate Ichihoshi.

(I should note at this point I've gotten fed up of typing replacement and Tekikou Captain and will now be using the names of the players they are replacing and TC for the Tekikou Captain)

We begin the second half with substitutions Taizen & Kirina off and Atsuya & Eiji on for a 3-4-3 formation. Asuto notices the strange conversations happening around the pitch, TC talking to Hiroto and Haizaki and Mizukamiya to the Fubuki brothers the 'let's play our best attitude seems gone. The three forwards talk about how interesting it is they have been given the mission of 'Destroy Ichihoshi' and get to work right away kicking the ball into him making it look like passes looking to hurt him, while some of the team don't get what is happening others on the bench such as Tatsuya, Taizen and Amano understand. These actions divide the team those that only see football as a game and others that are putting pieces together and that something is happening behind the scenes.

Asuto doesn't understand but can sees there's a plan against Ichihoshi he wants to just play football he helps Ichihoshi up how pretends he doesn't know what is happening as Asuto then puts himself in the way of the ball being kicked at him later in the match as he does, he still doesn't get it when Luci Fanos comes on.

Luci this time targets Michinari. Not only is it his first game back he is also shaken for confidence at this point in the game he's the reason they shipped a goal due to a defensive error of his and that's who Luci targets and cuts with the boot blade. Carrying on Michinari realises he can't stop him but knows how. Luring Luci into a trap by dragging him out wide and kicking the ball into the blade sticking it and allowing Shirou to use the Snow Angel freezing Luci and Atsuya to kick the ball shattering the blade taking him out.

For here Japan moves up and gets on offence. Atsuya gets goal number 2 with his technique and we are back to 3-2. Here is where Norika gets her shine, to stop Time Trance here this is where she learns Majin the Wave to stop it. I have to say she is the third choice keeper so I wanted to give her a shine here stopping what is essentially the best striker Japan faces in Asian qualifying. She punts the ball straight up field to Haizaki to make it 3-3 with the new Death Zone move they practised as the Australian team and Ichihoshi all get in the way. While it is pretty much Death Crusher Zone I would like to call it Beyond Death Zone just because I like that name. Taking the place of Kidou putting Ichihoshi back on the ground is TC this time.

To get the win we finally give Michinari some time to shine with a new block move against Satan as he begins to accept his role and as such stops Australia at a crucial moment clears to ball to Asuto who sets up for Penguin the God & Devil to score and Inazuma Japan take it 4-3

Final Result:

Inazuma Japan: 4 (TC x1, Atsuya x1, Haizaki, Mizukamiya & Eiji x1 & Haizaki & Hiroto x1)
Shining Satans: 3 (Satan Gaul x3)

Post match Ichihoshi tries to set up TC as doping but the box is gone from the players bad and as such not action is taken, he puts two and two together and remembers Mizukamiya left the field quickly as the match ended halting his plan here, if he is to achieve his goal then he needs to get rid of the man who currently is captain.

We see Shinjou again repeating the same thing he said to Baek to Satan as he's taken away

Next up for Japan is Uzbekistan and the team begins training the methods odd but they progress with them, suddenly after training a loud crash is heard and a few players rush to the scene to find Mizukamiya down on the ground in pain holding his ankle, he mentions on how he apparatus on the floor nearly fell on him but he avoided it only to be hit with a pipe on the ankle hurting him (the attacker is Ichihoshi but Mizukamiya did not see him), this injury is thankfully not serious but the swelling on the ankle of Mizukamiya means he will be out of the next match a real blow to the team to be without it's main leader.

Match No.3: Inazuma Japan vs. Eternal Dancers
Inazuma Japan Team as follows (3-4-3)
Nishikage
Mansaku -Taizen - Michinari
Tatsuya - Asuto - Ichihoshi - TC
Haizaki - Hiroto - Atsuya

With no captain and the effects of the Australian match still in effect the team is in disarray. The team is split between those who just want to play football and the others putting the dots together behind the scenes that something is up and Ichihoshi is someone behind it. The team is really split in two without a big leader to unite them someone who can see both sides. While Mizukamiya didn't trust Ichihoshi he was still able to get the full team behind one goal we see Eternal Dancers take advantage of the fractious relationship in the squad. They are 2-0 down at half time with Dost Gales scoring the goals he did in the anime the only change being that the second Requiem Dust breaks Artemis Ring. At half time the team looks down and out. All in time for the return of Nosaka.

His presence alone seems to lift spirits of a fractured team and immediately concerns Ichihoshi as just like that Inazuma Japan are back to it. The second half begins with Nosaka coming on for Tatsuya and dominating proceedings running through the team as he does in the anime and he scores the first goal for Inazuma Japan with Kings Lance. I think he should return with his signature move and we can see his new move. I'm switching the goals of Nosaka and Penguin the God & Devil around. I think it would be better for Nosaka to come back and score the first goal to really show the impact he has in the team and then assist the second. I have to be honest I don't remember Nosaka scoring again in the anime so we will revisit it as and when.

Next we have Nishikage's moment to shine here, as part of the Hissatsu Evolution idea here and have Artemis Ring evolve to Artemis Rings to stop Requiem Dust evolving the move because Nosaka is back. We aren't including the idea he can only use it if Nosaka is on the field. A stupid idea that would end up limiting my number one keeper.

The rest of the match pretty much follows the same structure. Grid Omega 2.0 as Nosaka asked the team practised to roll the ball in an Asuto getting his first goal with Shining Bird for a 4-2 win for Inazuma Japan.

Final Result: 

Inazuma Japan: 4 (Nosaka x2, Haizaki & Hiroto x1 & Asuto x1)
Eternal Dancers: 2 (Dost Gales x2)

Post match we see Dost Gales and Onakhon Ims talk about how they have lost their way seeing Shinjou looking on they look to Inazuma Japan hoping they'll be the one's to stop this happening again. Once again Ichihoshi tries and fails to set up someone as doping this time Nosaka in which he is fulled again when it's revealed as a box of chocolate giving him the slip.

Here we can finally get the conversation on what is going on with Ichihoshi through a team meeting with Zhao and Kidou who he asked to gather the information needed. This will cover the need to fund his brothers surgery and seeing the team saying while his actions he have taken are not good they understand the need as he clearly is playing football from a place of pain. They think but cannot come up with a solution here. I am disregarding the pen pal part of the story because Iwato isn't in my squad and as well as this it added nothing. I honestly thought it'd lead to some sort of combo move between Iwato and Ichihoshi but it didn't

At the same time of the meeting we see Ichihoshi speaking to 'Girikanan' (the old man one) he says that time after to get rid of Inazuma Japan and his brothers future hangs in the balance he says they can no longer tolerate his failure he gets one more chance all the other seals that have had to be retrained he gets one more chance to take out their bus with the button presented (yes we are still going with the bus going kaboom option) to really set up the worry in him, can he actually do this to his teammates?

Zhao talks to the team about Orion and that Ichihoshi is indeed with them and Kidou reveals his backstory here having being looking into it. No pen pal for fuck sake it can be revealed someone else feels Ichihoshi is being controlled against what he really want and we can see why. 'Girikanan' makes his first appearance the head of Orion talking about how he needs to act for Orion and that is the only way to save his brother, we can really see here Ichihoshi weight up the pros and cons, batting his repressed love for football with what he feels is a duty to the Orion Foundation, he debates that his brother wouldn't care as long as he was happy but he feels guilty they set a path together but he doesn't want to leave him behind. We see Ichihoshi more shaky around everyone while they don't trust him the main players see he is more odd and even worried knowing they will have to act in the next game to help him.

We also get a part to TC and Zhao. TC has realised with Nosaka back he can see his appearances will become less if he doesn't change, Zhao says he expects this and says he should look to operate as a wing back, truth be told he wants to use a 3-5-2 formation and TC would work well as a wing back. While unsure TC agrees to try it in the next game. Truth be told with the abundance of midfielders in the squad this is where I wanted to move the team once we got everyone back in the team so I feel this is the best game to implement it.

Match No.4: Inazuma Japan vs. Arab no Hinotori Gundan
Inazuma Japan Team as follows (3-5-2)

Nishikage
Sakanoue - Taizen - Shirou
TC - Kirina
Nosaka - Asuto - Ichihoshi
Haizaki - Hiroto

Please note in this formation where TC and Kirina are listed are for the wing backs.

Probably my favourite match of the Orion series I went into this knowing this match was the one that would get the least amount of changes, I think the story of this match are all around it works well from Nosaka putting a stop to the destroy the bus plan to the Seels on the Saudi Arabian side turning on Ichihoshi and his turn from Mitsuru to Hikaru. As a result I only want to put in a few minor changes.

For starters we need to switch the role of Kazamaru who fakes injury and we will do it with Taizen (Shirou will just remain with his replacement) they will be subbed off for Mansaku and Michinari. Michinari uses the block move he learned against Australia and Mansaku used Spark Wind to move the ball up field and we will have Haizaki score by himself with Perfect Penguin followed by a quick second goal by Hiroto with The Explosion and then they can implement the plan to 'save' Ichihoshi as the match goes in the anime. This was just a preference for me as I think it would be smarter to work on this with a 2 goal lead to be in a comfortable position.

The rest of the game is kept pretty much the same from here, I would like to add TC getting a block Hissatsu here to reflect his new role. I've always wanted a Penguin block move so TC getting on here will work, we can tall it 'March of the Penguins' as they trample over the opponent and TC gets the ball.

So with Ichihoshi going from Mitsuru to Hikaru we will keep it the same but this time Ichihoshi will score a normal goal to show all aspects of his game running through Arab no Hinotori Gundan and slotting the ball home. Inazuma Japan are in the final in a easy game, this is something different as well how many others time have you seen a protagonist team win by 3 goals in Inazuma Eleven and it is nice to break the mould.

Final Result: 

Inazuma Japan: 3 (Haizaki x1, Hiroto x1 & Ichihoshi x1)
Arab no Hinotori Gundan: 0

Now he is Hikaru we see Ichihoshi bond with his team more and as such we have ended all issue in the team when it comes to seals within them and shares the information he knows about Orion, while a seal they don't reveal all the ins and outs even to one as highly regarded as he was. He does inform them that any seals that fail in their mission are taken away to where he doesn't know only it is done by Shinjou Takuma. When asked why he wasn't gotten rid of he responds that Orion have one final trump card in Asian qualifying if all else fails. China is a team that is all under Orion's control. 

We then move onto the build up for the China match. During the first team briefing is where the identity of Mutekigahara Fujimaru is revealed by Kirna as a close friend of Li Hao remarking how he had seen the two in conversation on previous days and wants to know why Fujimaru is here. It is revealed as Fujimaru makes his appearance by Li Hao that Fujimaru is his best friend and was working alongside him to get more and more information on the Chinese team and help train Inazuma Japan and help them get better without fully revealing his hand. Li Hao reveals why he never became a Seal of Orion being a homeless child in China they ended up taking him and other children to train them into these football machines but Li Hao escaped meeting Zhao by chance who was trying to uncover the wrongdoings of Orion but his evidence was destroyed and he was being run out of China his reputation in his own country in tatters he and Li Hao has a mutual goal and escaped to Japan out of Orion's sight for the moment and wiped their history. For Li Hao however, to end Orion he had to make a sacrifice and his sister Li Yuchen was left behind and is now the ace of the Chinese team and he has no doubt she has been watching all of their games relentlessly in order to defeat Japan. 

Match No.5: Inazuma Japan vs. Soccer Zatsugidan

Inazuma Japan Team as follows (3-5-2)

Nishikage
Mizukamiya - Taizen - Michinari
TC - Kirina
Nosaka - Asuto - Ichihoshi
Haizaki - Hiroto

As feared Li Yuchen is a remorseless player who knows all  and can dominate and dictate the game a violent and calculated player Li Hao laments on how she has changed so much. Penguin the God & Devil is stopped easily and Japan are in shock as not only does their best move fail but China take a quick 2-0 lead Yuchen scoring with Tenkuu Hayabusadan and combining with captain Zhou Xing to score with Tenhou Chiretsu this time the move takes a real toll on Nishikage physically and even Artemis Rings couldn't stop it. Yuchen predicted this Nishikage isn't the most physical of players and aims a Tenkuu Hayabusadan not to score but directly into Nishikage injuring him. Zhao panicked turns to his bench and brings on Amano for his debut. China attack again and sensing they can end Japan they used Tenhou Chiretsu against Amano, it's do or die here and Amano springs a new Hissatsu 'The Barrier' (think The Wall but for goalkeepers), the physical presence of Amano being key to keeping the ball out. 

This change is made because I really dislike The Asura and its application. Inazuma Japan effectively beat the strongest Asian team with 9 outfield players as The Asura needed Nisikage and Saginuma right there to pull the move off it just did not make sense. Anyway, moan about The Asura over it is half time and it is 11 vs 11 and we take a change in formation to 3-4-3 with TC coming off for Goujin his debut. 

Second half will begin where we insert the Goujin story we get to see what his development has and I'd do this the same as the series did and capped off with Fire Lemonade RISING it is an amazing moment and set Goujin up to be the real trump card with a powerful shot but that got ruined a match in, I think the best way to mitigate Goujin is when he gets the shot away it is over for the goalkeeper but he isn't the most technical and can easily be dispossessed hence why he doesn't play as much as you would think. The one minor change to this would be for Kirina to get the assist following a new dribble Hissatsu based on his detective gimmick from the series. I was convinced he was going to end up with something like that so I will put it here I want it before the main Football Frontier International and I need to sub him off now for what I need so it goes here. 

Ok so onto that sub Kirina off we are going 3-3-4 take the bull by the horns all out attack and probably the only time I will ever use this formation. So with Kirina coming off this is the perfect time to reintroduce Kozoumaru but the skinny taller Kozoumaru (same backstory). I think this is a good point to reintroduce him and he now works better with the team and I want the team in full force heading for the proper tournament. We will take this to 2-2 with Over Cyclone, while Kozoumaru said he wished he could've done Last Resort he just couldn't but it happy with what he did and it his own way saying he now wishes to become his own player even more. 

Now is time to introduce The General. This quickly became my favourite Hissatsu Tactic I love the way it combines the strength of Ichihoshi's tactical analysis and Nosaka' playmaking and game dictating plays to influence the way the team plays as such a playmaking central midfield partnership should. This will build up to Haizaki and the debut of Shark The Deep and Inazuma Japan Advance the score 3-2. 

Final Result:

Inazuma Japan: 3 (Goujin x1, Kozoumaru x1 & Haizaki x1)

Soccer Zatsugidan: 0 (Li Yuchen x1 & Li Yuchen & Zhou Xing x1)

As Japan Celebrates it is Orion looking to makes moves by taking the Chinese team away but cannot find Li Yuchen she is missing, it turns out Li Hao has taken her away to escape, while the rest of the team will end up being assimilated back into Orion's way Li Hao would be dammed if he lost his sister again and playing Japan opened their eyes he will look after her in Japan's bases of operation away from where Orion could get them they wouldn't risk a break in it would be too suspicious. 

This is when I will introduce Bernard Girikanan getting rid of his butler for all of his failures letting Ichihoshi slip through the net will have more lasting damage then he knows and of course all the failures of the teams to stop Inazuma Japan it leaves Orion's takeover weakened with the only other teams with no Disciples of Orion in Spain and France have gone through. He remarks that he can fixed that but all the money and resources going into fixing the losses from the qualifiers is costly and it is now time for Gustav Nikolsky to 'take a break' which he meekly agrees to. 

As Japan celebrate at the training facility they are interrupted by a live broadcast from the Orion Foundation which gives them their first look at Bernard Girikanan who announces a sudden change due to the Orion foundation and the demand for it they can open the FFI to more team around the world and one of them is China, the team feel deflated but Asuto brings them back up on how they will just beat them again and this time other teams must be against Orion. It is agreed if it is just them or other teams also stand against Orion they will win the FFI.

Here is where we get all the players returning to their old teams to say goodbye before they depart for Russia saying farewell to family and friends we also put the part of Shinjou speaking to Asuto about helping track down his dad here as well to keep that plot point going. Here we will also get Ichihoshi speaking to Froy to give our introduction to the Russian captain who says it doesn't matter the name Ichihoshi goes by he looks forward to seeing him again

 

One final addition is a secret meeting between Nosaka, Nishikage, Tekikou Captain, Haizaki, Hiroto, Tatsuya, Atsuya, Shirou Mizukamiya and Ichihoshi about how Orion's tactics have gotten more and more aggressive and they will have to make sure they can fight back if needed all players will need to do this and will be something to look into training once they get to Russia.

We end this part of the rework with the plane over to Russia it sets up that Asuto, Nosaka and Haizaki as those inheriting Last Resort by Gouenji as he believes they are the three that can do it and to Japan the fate of Football as they know it rests in their hands. 

We will wrap up this part of the story here. I do wish to do over Inazuma Japan as a team a bit more but I feel I've covered a lot of ground here and splitting this up into two parts with the Qualifiers and Actual Tournament gives me more room to think about how I want the full FFI to go as this will probably vary the most from the actual anime as this part of the series was really effected by cuts and a rushed ending which I will be changing drastically from what is seen to begin with. With that in mind I will leave that for now and instead more onto the more tactical approach of Inazuma Japan. 

Team Overview
I want to use this part here to go over how I would have Inazuma Japan specifically go out an play. One of the great difficulties is how many players are used and I have tried to spread them out the team in order to avoid the cluster of forwards that Orion ended up having. My main formation to go with was the 3-5-2 formation as with this we have 3 slots for defenders at a minimum and can also use any extra midfielders as wing back or have those as defenders so it helps even things out. I want to bring up the formation used for the China game in order to go over how Inazuma Japan plays as you can see from the image below this is the rough formation set up for Inazuma Japan and how they will likely play going forward in matches. 

As you can see Taizen plays in the middle of the three at the back. As the biggest of the defenders he isn't doing to be as mobile as the others so if the wing backs are higher up the pitch you'd want the more mobile to cover ground plus if you face a team they plays a more route one style of play Taizen's physicality to hold off strikers is a strength. 

Ichihoshi Hikaru plays a little deeper than his partner in midfield which is mainly Nosaka. I have him in regard as a mixture of a deep lying playmaker and a box to box midfielder as Ichihoshi is listed as this 2 player miracle player that can do it all in both a technical and analytical sense he reminds me of the great Santi Cazorla in this role as the one making the midfield tick from defence to attack where as Nosaka is the one verbalising his plans. 

Asuto as number 10 is the final one I want to speak on. As the central attacking midfielder here isn't the main point but where he is can act to be a secondary (I guess in case tertiary) striker. The main crux of having Asuto play this role is I can have him rack up the assists for the team it allows it to be a good move for the team and as well we can work it in the show as the emotional link and who binds the team together as its morale pillar, show don't tell on this. 

This will be part one of at least two parts on the Orion anime rework. I felt it best to wrap this part up here as the next part will effectively be me writing an entire new show which will probably take more time unfortunately and ask such I feel it best to end this part here. Inazuma Japan have qualified and the world awaits, but what that world looks like and how Orion will interfere with it we will leave until next time.