Blue Lock: The Real Football Anime?

"In the world of football, it is possible to produce elite goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders. However, the same cannot be said of strikers."

The anime will start with this powerful dialogue. Sports is one of the most successful genres in anime. When you search on the internet and look for the ratings of each sports anime that you found, you will notice that most of them have high ratings.

From the success of Slam Dunk in the field of basketball or the thrilling American Football anime, Eyeshield 21, to the exciting volleyball game of Haikyuu. Of course, there are others, but I can't mention all of them because it may take this article longer. But the point is, Sports Anime is the most successful genre, and you should watch them.

And for the past few weeks, I've been binge-reading soccer manga entitled Blue Lock. And I'm surprised that a few days ago, an anime adaptation of it has been announced. It's exciting to hear this kind of news because it will be the best football anime in history. The only notable football anime right now is Inazuma Eleven, and to be honest; it's not that impressive because its animation and story style is meant for a younger audience. That's why Blue Lock is something you need to look forward to in the future.

Blue Lock

Blue Lock is a manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and has existed since 2018. Right now, it has more than 100 chapters in the manga, and it's getting more exciting. I don't know why I didn't notice it earlier. It's new yet not that far from Haikyuu, and I can find resemblances to Kuroko no Basket, which is super good too, by the way. It looks like a football version of Kuroko no Basket.

The story of Blue Lock is all about how Japan deal with their failing Football industry. And to cope with this problem, a man named Ego Jinpachi has been given a coach's role and intends to scout high schoolers to be the next football superstar. He created a training system that confines 300 students in a prison-like institution called Blue Lock. These students will compete with each other until one remain and obtain the title of the Best Striker.

The primary character's name is Isagi Yoichi, who given up once his dreams after they lose to a match for the national tournament. He could have won if he just kicked the ball to the goal, but Isagi passed it to his less-skilled teammates because he believed that football is a team game. He regretted it and was ready to give up, but when he got home, he received a letter. It's an invitation to enter the Blue Lock program which goal is to find the best striker. It teaches them to have an ego and fix Isagi's mindset that made him lose.

In Blue Lock, they have given a ranking system that monitors the capacity of each individual as well as giving them prizes based on their winnings. Isagi met his opponent, who defeated him, and new individuals who served as his new teammates. Together, they will train together and discover their hidden talents. But they need to keep in mind that even if they work together, they still are all rivals. How can Isagi be the number 1 striker when he and his team are on the lowest rank. Together, let's witness their struggles as they climb the rank and defeat those who are above them.

Blue Lock will be the new face of Football anime. I can see its potential, and I enjoy its manga. The trailer is also out, and it gave us a few peaks from the anime. I don't know if it's CGI or not because, to be honest, the minute-long trailer isn't enough to get the information that we need. But it's good, though. The quality is there, and the character design is fantastic. I wish it would be the same quality as Haikyuu or Kuroko no Basket. For now, let's wait for its release schedule in 2022.

Watch Blue Lock Trailer Here