Inazuma Eleven Anime Concept Part Three: The Path To Glory Concludes
Hello and welcome back to the final part of a trilogy going over a concept for a series of Inazuma Eleven, set roughly around 10-15 past GO Galaxy. The plot is based around a company called XGen wanting to control football in Japan through players under their control going to teams all over the country to spread their values as the teams best players, if all the best players in Japan regardless of team and nationality are part of XGen they can get control. The only thing standing in their way now is Raimon and their team. For the two parts covering the characters and the story so far please see the below links.
Part One: Story, Main Character & First Episode Concepts: https://ramblingsofenglishman.blogspot.com/2021/12/inazuma-eleven-anime-concept-part-one.html
Part Two: The Path To Glory Begins: https://ramblingsofenglishman.blogspot.com/2021/12/inazuma-eleven-anime-concept-part-two.html
For ease of use the following names are used for characters:
Ace - Raimon's Striker who is part of XGen
Manager - Raimon's Manager
Naito - Raimon's Right Back who's was originally rejected by XGen
TekM - The manager of Teikoku Gakuen
TC - The captain of Teikoku Gakuen
Our story last left off with Raimon find out that Dynamic Gakuen their next opponent is a team full of XGen followers which shocked them. That shock turned to confusion when they see footage of Dynamic.
An over the top team in large parts full of different nationalities Dynamic Gakuen and the core of their team take inspiration from my favourite Dragon Ball Z villains, The Ginyu Force. The over the top posing the sheer audacity of everything they do and how they act despite being so powerful. I love the showmanship of the Ginyu Force and wanted something like them in the series. The team would also have 3 players from Thailand which are like Cooler's Armoured Squadron more posing but on their own. The team is highlighted by two young wingers again taking inspiration from one of my favourite wrestling tag teams, both are from Japan and are inspired by the in ring work of The Golden Lovers. Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega when teaming move in such unison it's almost hypnotic the chemistry is among the greatest of the tag teams and as such their seemingly telepathic relationship would be replicated on the wing. The final member would also be Japanese but they are more of a utility player not one to be seen post this game.
This match is going to give us some focus on Zeke, Auba & Lacca. Zeke mainly because he sees how Dynamic act and it's not so different to him, resolving only one person can be the star of the show and it will be him. Auba & Lacca mainly want to prove they are a better combination then the Golden Lovers and have been falling behind when it comes to goal contributions. Above all else they are the third years, they know another shot at saving football doesn't come before they graduate and they know they need to improve to help the team. The passion for football is back not just because they want to play but they need to save it.
For the first time in the series Captain receives communication from his friend that is currently in England (he's gonna be referred to as CapF). He talks about how it was good to see him playing football so freely and that the team looks good, he wishes him luck and wishes he could be back there with them but Raimon not only carries on his hope but the hope of the world. The team get back knowing that they aren't fighting for Japan alone but above all else they aren't the only people fighting this fight.
Onto the match with Dynamic. At first Raimon are completely overwhelmed due to the actions of the 5 Ginyu Force members (for reference, Ginyu the captain is a forward, Recoome is a goalkeeper, Burter is a centre back, Jeice is a central midfielder and Guldo is a right back). They are over the top but powerful, their ways confuse Raimon and with Zeke trying to match them and failing. 3-0 down at half time through 2 from a Ibushi & Omega combo shot 'Cross Slash' as I found this to be the best suited name from the Golden Lovers move-set that sounds like an Inazuma Eleven shot & one from Ginyu, anytime that Raimon look to counter attack they are taken out with a Knuckleball Special move in which Burter throws Jeice and intercepts the ball. The XGen leader is seen watching the game with AceF laughing saying he said he didn't need him. Raimon are confused and at sea not sure what to do but that's when.
New Raimon Team Member: CapF - Centre Back
CapF is here surprisingly and wouldn't you believe it he was registered to play before the game but the Manager didn't tell the team. This delights the Captain as his friend is back. One of the previous seasons best performers for Raimon he is a leader at the back and someone who above all else has experience of playing in two different countries. While off the field he is welcoming and friendly but in the field a mentality monster giving his all to win, while some may see him as demanding he comes from him caring deeply to see his teammates reach the level he knows they can. He starts by saying they are paying too much attention to how the team works and not playing how Raimon can. By focusing on the opposition alone they cannot grow, they cannot win. The team seems confused but he says he will show them.
The second half starts like the first until Dynamic get through on goal here is when CapF unleashes his new Hisstasu 'Tower of London' which effectively works like The Wall did but instead goes a bit more seemingly imprisoning the opponent and a reference to his time in England. This show the team what he meant by focusing on his football and his play he grew not worrying how someone else was acting. This sets ups the team to come back into it. The ball keep heading up the field and gets to Auba he says regardless of how Ibushi & Omega play him and Lacca have their own style regardless of other and that is what they strive towards, they use a new combo shot called 'MultiBall' (clue is in the name to how it works) to make it 3-1. While it's a goal back it is more of a shock and Dynamic refocus. The Captain thinks and hearing on CapF's words from half time comes up with a strategy this team acts the way they do to confuse but it's a front they can create their own confusion. The team starting running around the field all (except for GK) passing strangely and swapping positions creating Hissatsu Tactic 'Land of Confusion'. It leads to Captain & CapF being up front with the ball and they have a combo shot called 'Homecoming' (I have no idea how this would look I just have the name) 3-2. It shocks Dynamic as well as the XGen leader and AceF leaves saying call him when he actually wants to bother taking Raimon out. Raimon eventually take the lead 4-3 with Ace & Captain using 'New Beginnings' and Protagonist with Maximum Circus. In the closing seconds of the game Ginyu manages to break free of his marker and closes in on goal when he is stopped by Zeke. Saying nobody takes this stage from him everyone cheers for him he uses a new move 'Encore' which basically would just send the opponent endlessly running on a loop until Zeke takes the ball he kicks it long to Auba & Lacca who beat the marking of the Golden Lovers to score with MitliBall again. Raimon win 5-3 and advance to the quarter finals.
The end of the game most of Dynamic carry themselves off dramatically yelling 'woe is me' and other such phrases but the Golden Lovers. They felt the team wasn't being true to themselves it might be due to how the way forward operated almost hypnotically to some making them act strange for their benefit, the more wild the person the more memorable they were and if people remember XGen players they'll keep praising and ignoring all XGen do. They wish Raimon the best going forward and if they bring and end to XGen it will set not just them free of this evil machine and rid football of their money and influence but future generations will be free from them as well.
Post this game we see the Protagonist watching highlights of the other games from the Round of 16 where he is watching Hakuren win. He notices something one of the midfield players for Hakuren has jet black hair covering his face being regarded as one of XGen's brightest prospects and the movements of the player looking familiar, he flashes back to playing with BF when they were younger and him doing the exact same movements. He quickly calls BF who denies playing, while he is up north he isn't as Hakuren, the call ends and we see BF is in a Hakuren uniform. The shock of BF and him actually playing isn't suppose to be a shock for the audience but for Protagonist that his friend has lied to him for this long for XGen. The audience is in on it just waiting for the Protagonist to catch up, BF has been shifty since episode one saying he couldn't transfer school and that his current one doesn't have a football team. He is hiding why he has done this which we will reveal later. As for now this was the final conversation the two have.
Before we move onto the three final matches of this concept I just wanted to talk over the inspiration for the main three characters of each team. We obviously will get to matches with BF and AceF but we have one other player (who will be named CapR) to go over. I'm using a concept that GO tried to do or I thought was doing which wasn't fully executed which was to have direct parallels between Raimon's main players and a key player from opposition teams. Comparison on the attitude and roles in their team can be made for Tenma & Taiyou, Tsurugi & Hakuryuu as well as Shindou & Kishibe. They are the main protagonist, the ace striker and the captain with someone how acts in their way on the other side. If I don't go into detail for some of these players this is the crux of how I see them.
As Raimon train ready for their next game Protagonist goes to pass the ball long to Ace but it is intercepted by TC, he has a favour to ask. Briefing the team on their next opponents it is the same team that knocked them out last year at the exact same stage. TC says it isn't a coincidence to this but their captain CapR has changed. The constant exposure to XGen's ways has grained his love for football and his more of an emotionless machine. But that's not all as CapR is a good friend of TC or was until XGen got their hands on him and polluted his mind making him think that TC forgot about him while building Teikoku when they were cutting his contact off from CapR (think of CapR as the Saïx to TC's Axel) and asks Raimon no pleads with them to get his friend back. But he isn't the only issue, they also have one of the poster boys of XGen to contend with, a heartthrob and someone how can captivate an entire audience with his words in fact many site him as the reason they join XGen and all action box to box midfielder he is heavily inspired by Hiroshi Tanahashi (who will be referred to as Tana from now on). When TC says many see him as a God of football Naito punches the desk and leaves as TC continues to go over the team, we get some flashbacks to his trial exam for XGen which he didn't get picked as XGen only chose Tana despite Naito being better, again choosing someone they feel more marketable, he holds a deep anger and resentment towards Tana because he feels because of him he was overlooked and rejected until he found Raimon and wants revenge. When asked if he's ok later he brushes it off as normal playing it cool. TC also concludes that the team also works with a back 3 all Americans all large physical players with face paint much like the three members of Demolition and are tough to get past due to their rough plays.
Sometime after training we see Ace walking some when a football is fired at him he counters it and fires it back from where it came and it was from AceF. They share a brief conversation where AceF congratulates Ace for once his actions actually have XGen's attention, when Ace asks him what he wants he just came to say good work with Raimon the more they win and if they somehow manage to get through their next few games he will look even better when he crushes them. Ace questions why he's like this now and well AceF is looking after his own interests, if he is the one that beats Raimon he's XGen's hero and gets all he wants or if by some impossible miracle Raimon win well he has the talent to recover, he will be the poster power of something else the Ace striker of whoever the next person to throw money at him is. When Ace questions where is love of football went and AceF just says it's still there but love for football doesn't make him a star, when Ace says he changed AceF retorts no he just realised he needed to wake himself up to the world and if they face each other on the field he will end all their hopes of crushing XGen, AceF agrees while they are bad to him they are a necessary evil and for every failure Raimon cause for them the better he looks. The two part ways with Ace saddened by the change of his former football loving friend.
The next match against CapR's team begins with CapR looking and acting the part of a soulless machine dictating his teams movement with blunt and direct commands. While this is going on Naito is acting unlike his usual self more like how he use to be a fiery individual but lacks the grace and quality he normally does and is easily schooled by Tana who laughs saying anyone who cannot be themselves is doomed to fail but he will save them. Raimon go in 2-0 down at the break with Naito frustrated with Tana scoring and CapR scoring with his shoot move 'Killer Whale' which acts a lot like Shark the Deep but it's a Killer Whale. It's here he tells the story about Tana which the protagonist says if he is stuck in the past he can't show how he's grown. You can't act how people want you to be Naito is a valued member of the team because of who he is not who he feels he needs to be. The second half begins and Naito is back to his normal self, Tana gets the ball and runs towards him and Naito uses a new move which we will call 'Take a Break' it's a hypnotic like move which makes the opponent fall asleep. Naito finally gets one over Tana and continues to as Tana cannot work out how to beat Naito which frustrates CapR he orders the Demolition three to move up more which causes the game to open and Raimon to get back into it. During the game CapR and Captain collide over the ball several times where the captain tries to reason with him but he refuses the final confrontations the captain says he doesn't want this soulless player fighting him now he wants the person who beat him. This seems to get through to CapR but not fully they'll need to beat him for that. In the end Raimon win 3-2 and CapR collapses back first onto the ground laughing he thanks the Captain for helping him see sense and bringing him back to his senses, the Captain asked what he means by that but says he will reveal more later that's when he spots TC in the crowd and says he has to do something else beforehand.
We can get a scene with CapR and TC where CapR makes amends he says that he was manipulated, brainwashed even by XGen to think that TC has abandoned him which he knows he wouldn't do they preyed on his weakness but now he feels free from XGen and wants to help bring them down completely. The next day the Raimon team gather as well as CapR and TC. CapR reveals that XGen prays on a players weaknesses to get them to play for them and once they are in a position to they will for lack of a better term hypnotise them, sucker them in for tests and exploit their fears for themselves, XGen illegally looks to boost their players to the top focusing on their fears and manipulating them turning them into what they need, Tana appears and agrees that all he wanted was to inspire people with his football and they turned him into some sort of false idol, Raimon has his thanks as they beat that out of him. Unfortunately this revelation and the testimonies of many platers won't be enough to take XGen down they hold too much sway and power. The only way to take them out would be for Raimon to take the Path to Glory and win it all. Raimon agrees but the three other players in the room agree the help they say others around the football world they have helped save would be more willing to help. By working together to take down XGen.
The next team that Raimon will face is Hakuren. The team itself has 3 key players as well as an American winger paring with face paint like LOD to go with our Demolition defenders (you see what I'm doing for America here), a striker from Qatar, their captain a defender from England who is brothers with the English striker from the team with the Triplets and the final one their key player the player with the jet black hair covering his face. While watching Hakuren matches and seeing that final player mentioned the Protagonist pulls his phone out to message BF but doesn't, he sees this player and wants to believe his friend in all he's said since his first day at Raimon he's not longer playing football, he is up north in a place that doesn't have a football club and well Hakuren is up north but no he isn't playing let alone be a puppet for XGen. Later that night Protagonist gets a call from BF, it's a tension filled call as BF doesn't know what to say knowing he's facing Protagonist soon and the Protagonist is putting that together himself he just wishes Raimon luck in their next match to which the Protagonist says 'yeah', there's a silence in the air before BF hangs up. This is the last time these two talk before the match. Training for Raimon is good they are all fired up except for Protagonist, he's worried and lost in his own thoughts which Ace tries to pick him up which he thinks works but the Protagonist puts on a brave face.
Match day comes and the teams line up in the tunnel. The Protagonist and the player with the face full of Jet Black hair are side by side, the later flicks his hair up and confirms what the audience knew but what the Protagonist hope wasn't true that he is standing next to BF, his friend who said he moved to a school with not football club, with no intention to play his standing next to him a puppet of XGen and the ace of one of their main teams. There's an awkward silence the screen isolated the two like they are the only ones in the room, Protagonist just simply asks 'why'? BF responds he was falling behind when it came to playing with Protagonist he knew he needed to get away or he would fall away forever just be known as a worse version of him, XGen helped him realises how he plays better, stronger, faster and more deadly then ever but still he covered his face as he didn't want his friend to see how far he fell, XGen may use underhanded methods but not all of them work, he's here because he wants it and he knows that now seeing Protagonist again, he doesn't need to hide his face he will win here for his football whatever that looks like now and for whoever wants it. When the Protagonist goes to ask why he betrayed football and sold out his dreams the captain of Hakuren comes over puts his arm around BF and starts waxing lyrical about XGen how they made him and his brother better players.
The game vs. Hakuren begins and the Protagonist is distant not feeling it rocked by the revelations of BF. The team works around BF the way he played has evolved and he starts scoring and Hakuren get a 3-0 lead thanks to BF and his Hissatsu Shoot 'The Void'. At this point at half time Ace kicks a football at Protagonist shocking the team. We are running parallels to Gouenji doing this to Endou against Teikoku and Tsurugi telling Tenma if he doesn't play seriously he should leave. Ace says that regardless on how is on the other side of the field they have to fight for what they believe in, family, former teammates or long standing friends it shouldn't matter they need to win to save them from themselves.
The second half starts and the Protagonist starts trying but BF gets through on goal again and uses The Void but GK pulls out a new move I'm thinking it's some kind of sonic wave like Banshee which stops the ball in it's tracks which I'm tentatively calling Sonic Boom. This inspires Protagonist he begins running through and manages to beat BF using Trapeze Vault before going through and using a new shot changing away from the Circus gimmick this one I'll take another note from the Orion rework and use 'Ray of Hope' as the name to signify what he has been to the fight against XGen. Raimon get back in it and go onto win 4-3 and they are into the final.
Our next scene would be between Protagonist & BF at the riverbank where we saw them in the first episode. They reconcile their friendship here with BF apologising about the lies he told under the influence of XGen he wasn't fully under their control so he felt embarrassed hoped he could hide it away from the world but to Protagonist most of all. The Protagonist says it is all good now, they will stop XGen for him and players all over Japan, this journey has allowed him to face so many good players but he just wishes they weren't under XGen so that's what he is aiming for.
We are now on the way to the final and the confrontation with the face of XGen in AceF so Raimon are training heavily. That's when they are joined by BF, he says he has a surprise a way of apologising. That is when he is joined by CapR, Tana, Ibushi, Omega, KidoCB, The Triplets and the majority of the Teikoku squad led by TC, TVC & TGK (with the manager and coach) who have come together much like how Kakumei Senbatsu Team was formed in the GO game. BF says if they can't play the game to get rid of XGen and their testimonies won't mean anything the best thing they can do is work together to make Raimon. I have nothing in terms of the game here but it is just a nice way of showing how the people Raimon have helped save for lack of a better term want to and can repay them.
We have another scene with Ace & AceF before the final. AceF is condescending as ever congratulating Ace getting to the final it will be nice to play against him finally after training together and when Ace falls he will have all the power he wants. Ace looks at his friend and asks what have XGen done to him to which AceF responds that all they did was open his eyes to what he can become and all he needs to do it crush Raimon, Ace says he will get his friend back and save him when what XGen have poisoned his mind with.
Our final team is centred around AceF, the killer striker and face of XGen, he is joined up front by a striker from Argentina and another two facepainted midfielders from America this time we are going with a Powers of Pain inspired look in my mind. The play and the team while the final boss they aren't all this super powered elite team, they do have some not so top players as you'd expect (I mean why weren't half of Zeus, Genesis and Outei Tsukinomiya in their Inazuma Japan squad after being super teams and two of them finalists in their Football Frontier) but still the revolve around their captain, their main striker, their ace in AceF he dictates play. Personally I don't like forwards as captains, their back to to their teams most of the time they cannot influence but AceF sees all behind him without needing to turn he is that good at telling the play behind him and dictating what needs to happen to get the ball and move it up the pitch to him to score, a supreme talent that while in a squad of quality stands out as one of the best in the world.
As the match begins AceF laughs and says to give Raimon the lead and as such his team backs off as Ace scores giving Raimon a 1-0 lead. Then however AceF shows up his immense power leading his team to destroy and take apart Raimon toying with them as he scores 3 goals with his shot 'Meteor Shower' and his Argentinian striker partner to get the fourth they lead 4-1 at the break. I need one of those comeback scenes here, the Shindou ignoring doctors orders and somehow getting to the stadium type. The start of the second half AceF looks to fire a shot it's so powerful it floors the Raimon team in a massive dust cloud but when that clears it is seen that Protagonist managed to keep the ball out but he is down, the whole team is. At this point we can cut to people in the crowd those Raimon have faced that cheer for them to stand up, the whole crowd begins to cheer for them people all over the world do as they get back up they stand they fight, against all hope they start to fight back what previously stopped them they get right back up from and keep going, to the shock of AceF they pull a goal back through Ray of Hope and it stands at 4-2 early in the second half.
Raimon begin their fight back they are flowing as XGen's leader begins to threat the teams battle it out and bit by bit it's 4-4. Much like Aphrodi AceF collapses onto the ground when he is yelled at by Ace to stand up and fight, not for XGen but for his football. This finally gets through to AceF he stands up and smiles turns around to his team and tell them they can still win not for anyone else but themselves as the XGen leader starts to shout his final team and he is losing his grip on them. As the minutes tick down Raimon go for one last attack we get one last new shooting move from the Protagonist, Ace & Captain called 'Trifecta' a revamped version of Inazuma Break it heads straight to the goal beating the keeper and then AceF tries to fight it countering with his own shooting move but to no avail the goal goes in, Raimon win the Path to Glory 5-4 in the final.
As the team celebrates Ace helps AceF back up to his feet. For the first time in the series AceF apologises, he was so desperate to succeed that XGen took advantage of it, he wanted to be like Ace but where he went for selfish power Ace had it right to work with the people on the pitch which he can strive towards now with a clear conscience. Raimon get their medals and we have the trophy celebration as the captain lifts the trophy. After the ceremony the Manager is given the chance to speak to the world on winning. He says the players deserve the credit they have grown so much and fought for what they believed in they believed the best football can be played without XGen influence and match by match they have proven it, the footballing world doesn't need XGen and the crowd agrees within minutes clubs are calling XGen cancelling sponsorships and the XGen leader gets a mysterious call which says he is out and he collapses to the ground.
We re-join Raimon a few days later at the school ground where they have a presentation of the trophy, we see the team gather and they are told with the testimonies of the players they faced XGen is being closed and their leader has been sent to prison, he went willingly which confused the Manager. The team showcase the trophy and when the school chairman gives the microphone to the Captain to speak he gives to the Protagonist, if it wasn't for him this wouldn't happen so he should speak. While nervous at first he looks back at his teammates who nod and he begins to speak, to his peers and those key rival players in the crowd as well saying he just wanted to play football, not the type governed by underhanded decisions and manipulation just two teams wanting to prove they were the better and he did, through anything XGen did the passion for football shone through now he has not just a team but knows of strong players elsewhere and they all work towards on goal. To play football.
We end of this season right here. I say this season because I do have ambitions to draft out a season following a Football Frontier International at some point but I need to work out the full plot. I have the teams and match path but need to put it all together. Overall this has been a fun concept on my mind for over a year I'm glad to finally be able to put it to note and have it posted for record sake. While I recognize I didn't really give most players a lot of screen time and growth at least for Raimon as a whole I've tried to focus on the growth of the team through it's main players while giving some shine to others, the main ones who lacked big moments would probably reappear next season for me to write some wrongs. I can't promise a Part Four anytime soon (considering I work all these first three parts over the space of two weeks I need time to refresh) but there's still story to be told as these characters go and take on the world. But for now the tale of this fictional Raimon team is over but the tale of a new Inazuma Japan is yet to begin.
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