Eyeshield 21/Fridge


 * Fridge Logic: After all the talk of how Deimon and Oujou would face each other in the Christmas Bowl, it's only possible for one team to make it even if they both made it to the regional final before the Christmas Bowl.
 * The Deimon and Seibu Christmas Bowl matchup is the same way.
 * Also, how did Kurita's face scars magically disappear?
 * In the Deimon/Dokubari game, the Scorpions tried to watch the linemens' fingers to see if they were leaning on them in preparation for a run, which would cause blood to gather in them and turn them red (Hiruma tricked them). But... don't the linemen (and in fact all the players except the quarterbacks) all wear gloves?
 * For a series that glorifies black person genes so much, only one person in America's pentagram is black.


 * Fridge Brilliance:
 * A-gon and Un-sui are total opposites.
 * The student body of Taiyou is obsessed with ancient Egyptian culture to the point that they actually seem to worship the sun god Ra. Taiyou students are also avid surfers and beachgoers with deep tans -- people who really appreciate the sun.
 * How did Honjou manage to instantly recognize Monta when he only saw him once... ten years ago ...for a split second? He looked like a monkey as a kid, and he looks like a monkey now. That's how.
 * Shin, after analyzing his statement “I don't think anyone really cares about me” and cross-referencing it with the rest of the plot, is not just the typical socially-awkward stoic guy. He's actually clinically depressed, and severely at that. Depressed people feel chronically separated from everything and everyone, and paranoid about everyone's motives for their actions towards them, such as thinking people won't approach you because of inherent flaws, instead of because you appear quiet or antisocial. Other symptoms of depression are 1. a lack of motivation to do anything, 2. a near nonexistent ability to feel acknowledgement/empathy and 3. on the other side of the scale of No. 1, an intense motivation to be the very best, in every possible way, in an effort to feel that they are appreciated by others. Shin exhibits all three, although the first is replaced by 3 early on.
 * In middle school, Shin had no particular desire to do much of anything. He joined football pretty much as an afterthought because Sakuraba was excited about it. The recruiter is likely making a shotgun approach to garnering membership, but Shin wouldn't see it this way, instead getting a sense of lacking since he was noticed after Sakuraba. This lacking spurred him into working so obsessively, so he could catch up.
 * Also notice how this is Sakuraba's point of view. When Sakuraba remembers this, Shin is always there because Shin is his best friend. (seen here) Now, look at the exact same time from Shin's memory. First thing you should notice is how much attention Shin is getting from the class. He's being made to talk about himself (not something he's comfortable with) and he messes it up, so he's getting paid close attention to, but it is not positive attention at all. Second thing is at the bottom of the page. He remembers himself looking at the football table, being genuinely interested, yet the recruiters, who would normally be all over that, have shunned him in favor of Sakuraba, who stands off to the side and isn't interacting/showing outward interest in the sport at all. These are his feelings of being the odd man out.
 * So, when we think about it, ALL of Shin's behavior takes on a new meaning. Like the iconic scene where Shin trains on the outside of a restaraunt. The scene is funny, yes, but it also shows a lot when taken into this new context. People with depression have a tendency to punish themselves mercilessly. He goes to the party, because he was invited, but he doesn't feel comfortable/accepted, so he quickly leaves. He doesn't eat, saying he's already had what he's allowed. He doesn't see that he's done well enough to warrant a reward, in fact, he goes to train instead. He feels that he's so far below the caliber of everyone else that instead of a reward, he has to punish himself with more work in a futile attempt to catch up. Shin never had an obsession with training, he does it because he thinks he has to in order to even get close to everyone else. (This is exacerbated wildly when he meets Sena, the one person who he can't catch up to in reality, instead of only in his mind.)
 * Another thing is how he talks 'to' Sakuraba, and really just his speaking habits in general. He almost never speaks unless spoken to, and when he does, it's without empathy. Shin never responds with 'you'. He remains objective, indicating an emotional wall. Not only is he honest with the truth, he's downright brutal with it, not considering to lessen the blow just because Sakuraba is his best friend. He's doing precisely what he's been asked to do, because he's worried of being called out on it if he dares to do otherwise.
 * This does, however, improve over the course of the series, as he starts to open up to other people and feel needed as part of the team. Here, he talks to Sakuraba, unsolicited and using the word 'you'. This same thing happens with Sena: First he was 'Eyeshield 21', then he was 'Kobayakawa Sena', and now he has further shortened it to 'you'.
 * And as a final point, perhaps controversial, the Spear/Trident Tackles are indicative of a lack of empathy. They're clearly excruciatingly painful, since Shin refuses to let himself pull punches (so to speak), and as he appears to be aiming for the softer parts of the body at full throttle. He never seems to feel bad about it, much less apologize.


 * Fridge Horror: When Heinrich Schultz is rattling off the statistics of the different Japanese players, Gaou is mentioned as averaging "3.17" sacks per game. Seems good... until you remember that Gaou generally breaks the bones of whoever he hits. Most teams carry three quarterbacks on their roster, meaning that Gaou averages three crippling injuries per game. Holy shit.