Blue Lock is a pretty interesting story. Focusing on 300 players with the main character being a striker named Yoichi Isagi, all are put into a literal building called Blue Lock, where they will be whittled down to just one player left and be deemed the best striker in all of Japan to have a chance at playing on a national level. However, the other 299 players who don’t survive the trials can never be allowed to play on a national level and will never know the fame and success that it offers. The sheer idea of Blue Lock feels like a less deadly version of Danganronpa where the best of the best gather but no one dies…just their future careers. Blue Lock presents a more original idea for a sports anime that we’ve seen in a while and we think that is what made these last three episodes so appealing…we don’t know what will happen next and that is a rare feeling while watching a sports anime.

Soccer, as we mentioned, is a rough sport and we give a lot of credit to those who participate in it. Games can be brutal, bloody, tear-inducing, and injury-filled but these players all have a dream…to be the best and lead their team to the top! Blue Lock examines the desire to be the best but from a selfish level, the desire to be the best and outshine everyone else. As a team sport, that certainly won’t bode well for a player but we also know that every sport has players that do care less about team play and more about shining above all the others. That’s why Blue Lock is a refreshing take on a team-driven sport and one that really makes you wonder…what does “There’s no ‘I’ in “Team”, mean to an individual who only sees the “I” in themselves?

Does anyone wonder if Isagi is secretly a yandere? Seriously, Blue Lock’s animation is wild where characters have these moments of yandere-like stares and crazed eyes…and we kind of love it. When there are heated moments between players—like in episode 3’s match—or moments of self-reflection, Blue Lock looks great. We do love the very individual designs for each player as some of them are just straight-up strange but equally unique. Unlike Captain Tsubasa or even Days—both are spectacular soccer anime worth watching, these characters all feel different and have matching designs for their very odd personas.

Okay, okay, let’s finally talk about the massive elephant in the room…is Blue Lock really a sports anime? Yes, it is a soccer-themed series but the main focus doesn’t feel like it. In the last three episodes, we’ve only seen one real game of soccer being played and it was near the end of the match. The other “game” comes in episode three where all the strikers are put into several matches and the teams that lose will all be eliminated. Yet, even this game doesn’t feel like soccer as the players all lose their patience with one another as many lack the individual skills of a soccer team. Blue Lock is definitely original and we love the concept but die-hard soccer fans who want a serious soccer anime will not like what Blue Lock offers.