Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun

This anime is an anime filled with both hyperbole and realistic depictions of germophobia which I as a germophobe really appreciated seeing, since even though they're presented in their most extreme form, it's still not too far-fetched to be impossible (most of the time). If you're looking for a football anime, this isn't the one for you (even though the animation is still better than Bluelock S2). But if you're looking for a short, comedic relief which will make you consider finding a fan-translation of the manga (since there is no official english release as far as I could find) to compensate for the lack ... of a season 2, this is one of them.

Art style - very subjective category, but I myself love it. 8/10.

Animation quality - it often has still frames during football matches, but outside of them it's great. Definitely the weakest part though. 6/10.

Characters - In terms of realism a lot of the side-cast lags behind, but most are hilarious. 8/10

Story - very basic but enjoyable. 7/10

Germophobia depictions - Sometimes it's legit unrealistic, but it's mostly an extreme, yet still plausible state of germophobia and there were often elements which I loved seeing because I could relate so hard. I felt that someone understands it for the first time in my life. The next quadruple bracket contains an example which I really liked to see which is a mild spoiler so don't continue reading if you don't want to see it. 9/10

((((There is a part where Aoyama finds one particular person whose touch he for some reason, which he himself can't pinpoint, doesn't mind. I really appreciated this because it really works that way sometimes.))))

Clean Freak Aoyama-Kun on the surface is a generic show carried by a compelling concept. The story premise is about Aoyama-Kun, a excellent soccer player who is a germaphobe who absolutely hates getting dirty in any shape or form. He not only plays for the Japan National Soccer team but also plays for Fujimi High School instead of a youth club (In soccer, it's uncommon for talented players to not play in some club and be recruited.) The story not only explores Aoyama's soccer career but also his interactions with his peers trying to uncover why he's the way he is.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

Story:
I liked the ... comedic aspects of the show. I'm not a big soccer fan so maybe I would've enjoyed that aspect if I understood it more. The story was relatively simple so 6/10

Art:
The art and animation doesn't really stand out, but that's not the main focus. Another 6/10

Sound:
5/10

Characters:
While Aoyama absolutely carries this show. Some of the side characters and their interactions stood out to me. I love that there was another "clean freak" besides Aoyama, Odagiri touching Aoyama was also surprising. Most of the characters just fit certain archetypes, I think they work well together. Definitely the highlight of this show, 8/10

Enjoyment:
I enjoyed some episodes but others became background noise, 7/10

Overall: 6/10

“Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun” is what happens when a show has a writer that has problems with giving his own creation an identity.

Either I have some weird standards or the person who categorized this show as seinen has a twisted sense of humor. Apart from maybe 3 episodes everything is just flat, surface level ale rather lazily written. I would expect a seinen to at least try to have some depth. I guess I’m just naive. This show is devoid of almost all story (and what there is isn’t even Aoyama’s, you know, the titular character and the MC of the show) ale is so plot ... driven it actually hurts to watch.

Before we start I would like to explain something. I will be talking about “plot” and “story”. Many people use those terms interchangeably. I’m not one of those people, so to make sure everyone is on the same page…
I use the definitions for “plot” and “story” as Lisa Cron describes them:
“What happens in the story is the PLOT, the surface events.”
“STORY is about how the things that happen affect someone in pursuit of a difficult goal, and how that person changes internally as a result”.

First things first, this is not a sports anime. It’s a cheap teen comedy that uses sport as background. It’s not even a catalyst for anything interesting. Most of the plot concentrates on things other than sport (mostly Aoyama). Apart from maybe 2 episodes the show would lose nothing if the sport scenes were cut.

Aoyama himself gave me a lot of Sakamoto, from “Sakamoto desu ga?” (aka “Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto”) vibe. Meaning he is the embodiment of perfection, can’t do anything wrong and everyone loves him even when, objectively speaking, he acts like an ass. And yes, not reacting when someone interacts with you, not acknowledging the celebration of a goal (You can do that without touching) and being late for obligations is being an ass. On top of that Aoyama is a rather boring protagonist. His whole shtick is that he’s a germophobe that loves soccer and hates to lose. On paper it’s a solid idea that could be the catalyst for some interesting plots. Unfortunately all it does is make everyone around him give him special treatment. I suspect the fact that the whole world bends over backwards like a cheap whore for him is supposed to be comedic but it’s just annoying.

Aoyama doesn’t really have a story or anything that would even resemble an arc. He starts and ends the show the same way. He doesn't have a defined goal or motivation and his reason for joining the school is just bullshit — the team shirts are white. Eff off. Even for a “gag” that’s just idiotic. If he was a more active protagonist I would mind that he doesn’t have an arc or story. Despite that, a lot of characters around him have stories. Short, and apart from two, rather boring but at least they have some. For a show that has Aoyama’s name in the title it is surprising that the episodes where he’s absent or treated like background are much better than those where he is the center. It’s especially visible in the last 4 episodes where the writing seems to be getting more focused and actually character driven. If the whole show was on that level I think this would be a rather enjoyable and entertaining show but as it is it’s just bland.

I get that this is supposed to be (according to MAL at least) a gag humor show but a lot of time those gags butcher some pretty solid, dramatic scenes. Instead of letting the drama breathe a little and sink in we are slapped in the face with an unfunny slapstick gag. I find it hard to be entertained when a show doesn’t respect its own writing and audience. There are some really interesting plot points that unfortunately go absolutely nowhere or are resolved by a cheap, worthless joke. Why set up a solid, mature conflict if you are just going to butcher it? I just don’t get it. This is supposed to be a seinen but all the themes and subjects that would actually fit the bill are written in a very childish, almost naive way and I am surprised any sort of editor allowed it to be that way.

I honestly can’t recommend this show. It’s not a total travesty and there are those 3 episodes I enjoyed (even if they were destroyed by jokes at the end) but I just can’t stand the amateurish writing in this. The show had a lot of potential with an interesting protagonist that could have struggled to fit it. But instead it’s just a cheap comedy with a plot you saw a million times over in better shows.