“Blue Lock” is a Japanese manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura. The series has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since 2018. It follows the story of a high school soccer player named Isagi Yoichi, who is chosen to take part in a squid game-like football boot camp known as “Blue Lock.” If you succeed you will become one of the chosen eleven who gets to play for Japan at the international level and if you fail, then you are barred from playing any level of competitive football ever. In short, its like squid games if squid games revolved around football.
One of the things that set “Blue Lock” apart from other sports manga is its unique take on the sport of football. In the series, football is portrayed as a high-stakes, intense, and physically demanding sport. The matches are fast-paced, and the tension and excitement are palpable as the characters struggle to overcome their opponents and reach their goals. This not only makes the story thrilling and engaging, but it also provides a fresh and exciting perspective on the sport.
The story has an over-arching narrative focused on the loss of Japan’s national team in the FIFA world cup. Blue Lock is the system invented by Jinpachi Ego who aims to create a star-studded team from Japan’s best and brightest players. Putting them in such risky positions to see how they adapt to situations in order to unlock their latent abilities and hopefully bring about skills the players themselves didn’t know they had within themselves.
Why Start Now?
The manga was a success and was picked up to become an anime and the first season is almost at an end. With Studio 8bit and Tetsuaki Watanabe at the helm, they have an experienced director with other well-rounded sports anime such as Haikyuu under their belt. Blue Lock was bound to become an anime favorite.
The anime is almost at an end for those who would love to binge-watch the series and for those of you who can’t stop there. The manga itself is much further ahead of the anime and should be able to keep most readers busy for some time as well. While some might believe that Blue Lock is only made for football fans, they might be missing out on something special. Blue Lock not only caters to fans of Football but will also pull in anyone who enjoys watching thrillers. As the young footballers in this show not only fight to win but also fight to keep themselves in the team, clawing and fighting not only the other team but also fighting their own teammates if needed and willing to cheat and steal as if their life depended on it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Blue Lock” is a unique and thrilling sports manga that has something for everyone. With its compelling story, well-developed characters, dynamic artwork, and inspiring themes, it is a must-watch for fans of sports manga and for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted and emotionally engaging story. Whether you’re a fan of football or not, Blue Lock is a must-watch for this anime season and might become some watchers’ favorite anime of the year as well.
One of the best Anime airing currently.