It makes no difference how old you are or whether you are a girl or a boy! You must have good memories of watching Captain Tsubasa’s fascinating anime! However, we want to introduce you to a soccer anime that is very different from Captain Tsubasa and your notion of football in this article! So, keep reading!
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Introduction
This anime is based on Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s manga of the same name, written, and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura. Blue Lock is produced by Studio 8bit, and the first episode was released in October 2020, with the most recent episode released in March 2023. This anime’s release is yet to be completed, and just the first season, consisting of 24 episodes of 24 minutes each, has been aired! “Blue Lock” has been one of the most exciting anime series of the past year, and it would be a pity to miss it!
Story
Blue Lock’s story revolves around the main character, Yoichi Isagi, a high school student who aspires to be the world’s best striker. Isagi is a member of his school’s soccer team, which loses a crucial competition, missing the chance to join the national team. Following this defeat, he receives an invitation to participate in a program called Blue Lock.
The story of the anime takes place in modern Japan when Japanese soccer has struggled to make significant progress. As a result, Ego Jinpachi, a football coach, persuaded the Japan Soccer Federation to begin an experimental initiative called Blue Lock. The goal is to find the best striker for Japan’s national team.
Ego has a different attitude and believes that the Japanese national team must develop a revolutionary striker to compete in the World Cup. By initiating this project and gathering 300 of Japan’s greatest strikers under the age of eighteen, he aims to identify and develop the world’s best striker among them. Finally, only one striker will win, adding an interesting twist to the plot!
Special Conditions
The Blue Lock project is not like a summer camp where people get together to have fun. That is far from the case! Blue Lock has a very competitive atmosphere. Participants in this program, like characters in a game, are unable to leave or return home. They do not die if they are removed from Blue Lock, but they will never be able to join the national soccer team. So, they must say goodbye to soccer forever, which is close to death for someone who adores the game!
The strict rules of these competitions extend to food, accommodation, and even sleep. For example, if participants achieve better rankings in competitions and score goals, only then can they enjoy a good meaty meal and have a comfortable bed. Moreover, not only do Ego’s beliefs clash with Japanese culture, but his views on soccer differ from those of people worldwide. Instead of focusing solely on success in team play and teamwork, he prioritizes individuality and individual abilities. Thus, everything revolves around the star footballer, and everyone else in the game plays a supporting role and ultimately must exit.
Main Character
Isagi appears to be an ordinary footballer at first, but in the first episode, we discover a dark or monster aspect within him that evolves as the story progresses. Isagi frequently struggles with doubt and hesitation about destroying other players, but despite Ego’s provocation, Isagi has no choice but to embrace competition and surpass other players. He is motivated by his determination to achieve his goal.
On the other hand, unlike other main characters in other stories who are usually extraordinarily talented, Isagi in the Blue Lock anime is not. As the story unfolds, we see his gradual growth, not just physically! Isagi’s strength lies in his analytical and predictive abilities, which can be a key factor in his progress.
Main Theme
People always think of football as an eleven-player sport in which a team cannot thrive without the cooperation of its members. In other sports anime, like Haikyuu or Slam Dunk, we see teams working together to achieve success, exemplifying the famous saying, “All for one and one for all!” Blue Lock, on the other hand, takes the typical sports anime plot, which concentrates on camaraderie and teamwork, and gives it a new spin. In this work, we observe that, in addition to solidarity and friendship, players are sometimes required to betray one another to achieve their goals.
Blue Lock has a unique approach to football, concentrating on each player’s strengths and weaknesses. Players engage in battle royale-style competitions, eliminating one another until only one remains. Furthermore, Blue Lock shows football as a strategic game rather than just a physical and three-dimensional intelligence game, diving into the players’ strategic and spatial intelligence.
Graphics and Visual Effects
We could criticize Blue Lock based on its animation and graphics. Unlike other works in the sports genre, where movements are quite fluid in each episode, this anime takes you by surprise by using 3D animation, particularly when switching from computer-generated images to old-school 2D animation and vice versa. Despite this, Blue Lock compensates with sturdy frames. It also makes use of strong frames and keyframes to express action without requiring too much movement. Blue Lock employs visual metaphors and symbols in this manner, increasing animation and preventing a sense of repetition in soccer matches. Additionally, Blue Lock’s opening and ending are visually stunning and complemented by lovely music.
Conclusion
Finally, if you’re seeking a novel and thrilling story in the sports genre, Blue Lock is an excellent pick. It provides sports fans with an interesting and unforgettable experience. Don’t miss out on watching this anime!
The good news is that the second season of this anime has been confirmed! In addition, a movie adaptation named “Blue Lock — Episode Nagi” based on a spin-off manga of the same name is in the works, focusing on the character Nagi Seishiro and his life before entering the world of football. This work’s teaser has been recently published and has sparked a lot of attention!
What do you think? Would you rather watch Blue Lock or another football-themed anime?
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