Of the many anime poised to come out this fall, one of the most anticipated is a show called Blue Lock. Based on the manga of the same name, Blue Lock is already kicking up tons of hype and anticipation. This is especially peculiar due to it being a sports anime; although these series have their fans, the amount of people looking towards a soccer anime is definitely not seen often.
This intense hype is derived from the manga’s similarly immense popularity, the ways in which the story completely exceeds sports anime expectations and the fairly good-looking animation shown in previews. Coming out in less than two months, here’s why fans are already kicking and screaming over Blue Lock.
What Is Blue Lock About?
Based on the manga from Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura, Blue Lock sees Japan suffer a massive defeat at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In desperate need of a win, the country realizes it’s in equal need of an ace striker for their soccer team.
Thus, a plan is put into motion to find and train the best striker possible — although the means to do so are anything but conventional. 300 of the best and brightest soccer players are then inducted into Blue Lock, a grueling training regimen that aims to decide who is strong enough to lead Japan to World Cup glory. Among those kicking the ball down the field is Yoichi Isagi, a player who is only somewhat convinced of his own skill.
The original manga currently has 20 volumes, with an anime adaptation announced back in 2021. Given that it’s been a year since that announcement, it makes sense that fans would be hyped up and expectant. Still, a soccer story usually isn’t one of the most desired seasonal anime — but Blue Lock is bucking the trend in several ways.
Why Anime Fans Are Already Hyped for Blue Lock
Blue Lock might sound like any typical soccer manga — until its more tournament-style premise is revealed. This, along with the tension involved throughout the series, makes it much closer to a shonen battle manga than a normal sports book. That same storytelling will be brought into the anime adaptation, instantly setting it apart from soccer anime new and old. With the hype and sales continuing to drive the manga as well, the Blue Lock anime is starting off on the right foot.
The animation quality seen in its previews has also been good, a far cry from some recent anime that are plagued with remarkably bad animation. Said animation is courtesy of Eight Bit, the production studio that also handled the popular That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime‘s anime adaptation, further speaking to Blue Lock‘s potential quality.
With tight animation, the tense soccer sequences will be sure to pop off the screen, exciting audiences in a way that more realistic soccer anime would not. With all this potential and more, it’s easy to see why fans of the manga and newcomers alike are looking forward to watching Blue Lock when it starts airing on October 9th.