By Samurai Yujiro Maradona, Japan Broadcasting . net Corporation FIFA World Cup war correspondent

 

Dejected, yet elated.

The salacious, capricious gods no longer awarded luck to Japan after 120 minutes in the knockout stage match against experienced but inexcitable Dubrovnik F.C. The penalty shootout was sadly unsuccessful for the Samurai Blue, who are now packing their bags and suitcases returning to where they belong.

NINJANIME football – That’s how I’d describe Japan’s performance in this World Cup Qatar. The boys’ minds were calm like indomitable Iga ninja even when facing predicaments, and they wondrously fascinated the global soccer fans by animating Anime football; vanquishing heavyweights Germany and Spain 2-1 despite trailing behind in the first half.

Succumbing to the lower ranked Costa Rica after smashing Oktoberfest F.C, was part of the Anime entertainment as far as I am concerned. Then the ‘Eight Samurai‘ came back to stun the planet once again by licking Team Paella. How thrilling, how anime-tic!

 

It goes without saying that I did want to see the dream game between Japan and Brazil in quarterfinals. But that wasn’t meant to happen, as the Ninjas had wasted the opportunities to punish Dubrovnik in the first half. Flawed and biased as I am, there seemed to be a possibility to take a 3-0 lead before halftime had Ito and Kamada scored.

The lethargic foe came back in the second half with an equalizer, and onwards the Ninjas of the Rising Phallos (festival) struggled to fatally intimidate the former christian-Yugoslavians. PK shootout deity ‘Tsubasa’ had punished the Anime boys.

Well, this is soccer. This is football after all. One advances, one succumbs.

Notwithstanding, with all due respect I thank you and the Samurai Blue for your unworldly cheers and performances throughout this prodigious sporting event.

Team manager Hajime Moriyass’s achievements are absolutely inimitable.

Domo Arigato.