Replacing Representatives!? The Toughest Challengers!! (代表交代⁉最強の挑戦者たち‼, Daihyō kōtai!? Saikyō no chōsen-sha-tachi‼) is the 76th episode of the Inazuma Eleven series.
Summary
After their two games, Inazuma Japan has had a good idea of what the world level is like. In order to proceed to the world tournament, they'll need to develop new techniques. Meanwhile, Midorikawa is frustrated when he realizes that everyone else is improving their power and he isn't, but Hiroto encourages him. However, Inazuma Japan has to overcome another challenge, in the form of Neo Japan - a team made of players from Raimon's various rival schools and old enemies - lead by Coach Hitomiko. Neo Japan wants a game, and if they win, they'll replace Inazuma Japan as Japan's representatives.
Plot
Midorikawa training at night alone.
As the episode starts, it first shows Midorikawa, exhausted, practicing alone at the night. He has flashbacks from when Tsunami Jousuke was able to use The Typhoon and score a goal against Big Waves and when Utsunomiya Toramaru made a goal against Desert Lion using Tiger Drive. Due to the improvement of the team, Midorikawa felt that he had to improve also. He tried yet again to shoot shooting but failed and got angry at himself.
The next day, Kidou Yuuto explains to the team that they need to create new hissatsu techniques for their final preliminary match.
He then states that Kazemaru Ichirouta should learn and master a hissatsu technique because when Kazemaru passed by Tsunami in the selection match, he caused a strong wind. Afterwards, he also asks Fubuki Shirou and Hijikata Raiden to do a combination shoot hissatsu technique. Kidou explained that, with Fubuki's speed and Hijikata's stable body balance, a combination hissatsu technique would be a powerful weapon. Fubuki and Hijikata were encouraged to do so. Midorikawa ate his bread silently watching the team happily talking about creating hissatsu techniques. Tsunami declared that he and Kabeyama should try a combination hissatsu also, and Kidou agreed. Kogure Yuuya snickers that he can't expect that much from this combination, referring to how happy Tsunami is while Kabeyama is worried. Finally, Endou announces that they should start practicing, and everybody happily agreed. Midorikawa placed down his bread thought for a while.
Kazemaru training for a new hissatsu.
Hijikata and Fubuki try creating a shoot hissatsu technique but encounter problems. Fudou is annoyed by Kidou's plan to arrange combination hissatsu, saying "So what about combination hissatsu techniques". Then it is shown that Midorikawa tried to get the ball from Toramaru but fails. Toramaru passes the ball to Tobitaka who failed to intercept it and the ball bounces off to Otonashi Haruna, almost hitting her in the face. Tobitaka then fixes his hair and Megane says that he shouldn't fix his hair all the time.
Kogure plays a prank on Hijikata.
Kiyama Hiroto sees Midorikawa fatigued and worries about him. The scene shifts to Kazemaru creating his hissatsu technique, then to Tsunami and Kabeyama, who are also practicing. After practice, the team is eating at the cafeteria. Kabeyama attempts to finish his food while ignoring Tsunami, but Tsunami encourages him to eat more for the hissatsu effort, causing Kabeyama to lose his appetite. Kogure added spicy sauce to Hijikata's food, making everyone laugh. Midorikawa was about to eat but lost the will to do so; Kiyama asks if he can sit beside Midorikawa. At nighttime, Endou sees both Midorikawa and Kiyama practicing. Midorikawa states that he was weak and he should not have been chosen. Kiyama tells Midorikawa that he was overextending himself and a flashback of Aliea Gakuen members playing soccer appears in Midorikawa's mind. Kiyama encourages Midorikawa to play his own strong soccer and the two continued practicing.
During practice the next day, Midorikawa was able to get the ball from Toramaru, claiming that he will play and show his soccer. Fubuki and Hijikata continue practicing their shoot hissatsu, while Kazemaru is also practicing his hissatsu. Tobitaka's unfinished hissatsu develops further as well.
The next day, Neo Japan comes and asks to have a match against Inazuma Japan to get the representative seat, surprising everyone. Kudou Michiya agrees to this and the two teams have a match. Kidou admits to Gouenji, "Who would've thought we'd play against Coach Hitomiko like this". Hiroto looks at his "sister" wondering what she is thinking. While conversing, Kidou and Gouenji's notice that Desarm is now a midfielder... Hitomiko remembers her flashback at Sun Garden, especially Desarm's expression when he pleads for her to help him participate in the FFI after he was not invited for the Japan nationals selection match.
Meanwhile, Inazuma Japan is having trouble against Neo Japan's surprisingly tight defense. Toramaru sees an opening and passes it to Fubuki who used Wolf Legend, only to have it stopped by Drill Smasher V2. Then Saginuma uses Illusion Ball Kai to get past Kidou. Hijikata uses Super Shikofumi but is blown away by Dash Storm V2. Everyone is shocked that the members of Neo Japan were using the other members' original techniques. Arata then uses Gungnir V2 and gets past Seigi no Tekken G3. Neo Japan leads one point against Inazuma Japan.
Hissatsu used
- [SH] The Typhoon (Flashback)
- [SH] Tiger Drive (Flashback)
- [SH] Wolf Legend
- [GK] Drill Smasher V2
- [OF] Illusion Ball 改
- [DF] Super Shikofumi
- [OF] Dash Storm V2
- [SH] Gungnir V2
- [GK] Seigi no Tekken G3
Trivia
- It appears that Kabeyama has finished ten plates of noodles in this episode.
Proverb
- [Kidou Yuuto] Once we've decided to do it, let's do it with all we've got!
- [Kiyama Hiroto] Have some confidence in your own soccer.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||