Ashito Aoi’s journey from a raw talent in Ehime to a member of Tokyo City Esperion’s elite A Team has been a long one. After more than four years, Ao Ashi Season 2 is finally arriving, and the first episode is set to stream worldwide in just days. The season picks up exactly where the first one ended, with Ashito now facing a level of competition that will test everything he has learned. Here is everything viewers need to know about the release date, exact streaming times for every major region, and a detailed look back at the Season 1 finale.
Season 2 Episode 1 Release Date and Exact Streaming Times for Every Major Region
Episode 1 of Season 2 is titled “Starting Line” and is scheduled to release on Sunday, October 4, 2026. The episode will air on NHK Educational TV in Japan at 5:00 PM JST and will stream internationally on Crunchyroll shortly after.
The exact streaming time depends on your location. Crunchyroll typically makes new episodes available on the same day as the Japanese broadcast. Here are the expected release times for key regions:
- USA (Eastern Time): Sunday, October 4 at 4:00 AM EDT
- USA (Pacific Time): Sunday, October 4 at 1:00 AM PDT
- Canada (Eastern Time): Sunday, October 4 at 4:00 AM EDT
- United Kingdom (BST): Sunday, October 4 at 9:00 AM BST
- Ireland (IST): Sunday, October 4 at 9:00 AM IST
- Portugal (WEST): Sunday, October 4 at 9:00 AM WEST
- Ghana (GMT): Sunday, October 4 at 8:00 AM GMT
- Germany (CEST): Sunday, October 4 at 10:00 AM CEST
- France (CEST): Sunday, October 4 at 10:00 AM CEST
- Spain (CEST): Sunday, October 4 at 10:00 AM CEST
- Italy (CEST): Sunday, October 4 at 10:00 AM CEST
- Poland (CEST): Sunday, October 4 at 10:00 AM CEST
- India (IST): Sunday, October 4 at 1:30 PM IST
- Japan (JST): Sunday, October 4 at 5:00 PM JST
- South Korea (KST): Sunday, October 4 at 5:00 PM KST
- Australia (AEST): Sunday, October 4 at 6:00 PM AEST
- New Zealand (NZST): Sunday, October 4 at 8:00 PM NZST
These times are based on the standard simulcast schedule and may shift slightly depending on the platform’s processing.
Where to Watch Season 2 Episode 1 Online
Crunchyroll is the exclusive streaming home for Ao Ashi Season 2 internationally, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and most of Europe. The platform confirmed the simulcast during Anime Expo 2026 and will carry the series worldwide as it airs in Japan. The first season of Ao Ashi is also available on Crunchyroll, as well as on Netflix and JioHotstar in select regions. An English dub for Season 2 has not been announced at this time, though Crunchyroll produced one for Season 1 shortly after its original run.
Season 1 Finale Detailed Recap: What Happened in Episode 24
The final episode of Season 1, titled “From Now,” aired on September 24, 2022, and delivered one of the most satisfying conclusions in recent sports anime. The match between Tokyo City Esperion Youth B Team and Tokyo Musashino Youth FC was the central event, and it ended with a decisive 4-2 victory for Esperion.
The turning point came through Ashito’s “bird’s-eye view” ability. His aerial awareness allowed him to break down Musashino’s famously solid defense and score the equalizing goal. From that moment, Esperion gained momentum, while Musashino’s players struggled to adapt to Ashito’s flexible and unpredictable style of play. Kaneda, Musashino’s key player, had trained for an entire year specifically for this match, but his efforts fell apart as Esperion took full control. The second half was a strain on everyone, but Esperion’s persistence paid off, and the victory secured promotions for Ashito and several of his teammates to the A Team.
The episode also delivered a major personal moment. After the match, Ashito chose to take a walk outside in the rain instead of celebrating with the rest of the team. Hana Ichijo caught up with him, and the two shared a moment that fans had been waiting for since the beginning of the series. Hana hugged Ashito and then kissed him on the forehead, a scene that manga readers had anticipated for a long time. The moment carried extra weight because Hana had once held feelings for Tatsuya Fukuda, but her support had shifted entirely to Ashito as the next generation’s standout player.
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How Each Key Character’s Story Progressed in the Season 1 Finale
Ashito Aoi ended Season 1 on the highest note of his young career. After starting the series as a talented but undisciplined forward, he had fully transformed into a capable full-back who could read the game better than almost anyone on the pitch. His promotion to the A Team was the reward for months of struggle, training, and adaptation. The finale made it clear that his “start line” had just begun.
Hana Ichijo had one of the most meaningful arcs of the finale. Her childhood admiration for Fukuda had been a source of confusion for her throughout the series, but in Episode 24, she finally let go of that past attachment and chose to support Ashito as his fan. The forehead kiss was her way of passing on all the support she had carried from her traumatic past.
Tatsuya Fukuda, Ashito’s coach and the man who first saw his potential, spent the finale watching from the sidelines. His role in the episode was more about validation than action. Ashito’s performance proved that Fukuda’s decision to recruit him from Ehime was correct.
Soichiro Tachibana, Eisaku Otomo, Keiji Togashi, Kanpei Kuroda, Jun Martis Asari, Yuma Motoki, and Ryuichi Takeshima all celebrated their promotions alongside Ashito. Each of them had fought through the B Team ranks and earned their place in the A Team. Their shared journey from the bottom to the top was the heart of Season 1’s final arc.
Nagisa Akutsu, Haruhisa Kuribayashi, Taira Nakamura, Yoichi Kiriki, Eita Takasugi, Kenta Yoshitsune, and Enshin Akiyama are the A Team players who will now become Ashito’s new teammates and rivals in Season 2. The main visual for Season 2 places Ashito at the center of this group, highlighting that his real challenge is just beginning.
New Staff and Cast Changes for Season 2
Season 2 brings a significant production change. The animation is now handled by TMS Entertainment, taking over from Production I.G, which produced the first season. Kazuki Yokoyama takes over as director, replacing Akira Sato. Masahiro Yokotani returns for series composition, Manabu Nakatake returns as character designer alongside new designers Asami Taguchi and Junko Yamanaka, and Masaru Yokoyama returns as composer.
The opening theme, “Fortress Defense” by 10-FEET, and the ending theme, “Triangle” by Ai Higuchi, were both written specifically for the anime. 10-FEET are known to anime fans for performing the ending theme of The First Slam Dunk, while Ai Higuchi contributed the ending theme for Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 2.
Returning voice cast members include Kouki Osuzu as Ashito Aoi, Tatsumaru Tachibana as Eisaku Otomo, Seiichiro Yamashita as Soichiro Tachibana, Taku Yashiro as Keiji Togashi, Shun Horie as Kanpei Kuroda, Wataru Kato as Jun Martis Asari, Junya Enoki as Yuma Motoki, Kentaro Kumagai as Ryuichi Takeshima, Shunsuke Takeuchi as Nagisa Akutsu, Yuichiro Umehara as Haruhisa Kuribayashi, Kensho Ono as Taira Nakamura, Kouki Uchiyama as Yoichi Kiriki, Makoto Furukawa as Eita Takasugi, Kazuyuki Okitsu as Kenta Yoshitsune, Hiromichi Tezuka as Enshin Akiyama, Maki Kawase as Hana Ichijo, Reina Ueda as Anri Kaido, Chikahiro Kobayashi as Tatsuya Fukuda, and Hiroki Yasumoto as Nozomi Date.
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