#blue lock review

[thevinsmokerlaw]

Blue Lock is amazing...

(THIS IS LONG, BUT PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ FOR ALL THOSE CURIOUS PEOPLE!) *unless you want very small spoilers

Okay, so I ain't like those smart, analytical peeps out there and this is MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION, but let me just say that BLUE LOCK IS ONE OF THE BEST DISCOVERIES I EVER HAD. Why? Because BLLK is very unique and unlike most animes that I have ever watched, meaning: the idea of friendship. The power of friendship/motivation of friendship is very prevalent in most animes such as One Piece, Haikyuu, etc. There are tons of animes with the power of friendships that motivate its main characters and its side characters. And because of that aspect, we get this "feel good" feeling because we see them all support each other, build stronger bonds, and just enjoy each others' company.

NOW, this is where Blue Lock differs. Blue Lock isn't about the power of friendship, instead, it's about EGO or one's own PRIDE. Now this is a foreign thing in the numerous animes I've watched. I have never seen an anime where the main characters think for themselves, betray friends to advance within Blue Lock, and even "feed off" their talents/skills. But despite their "necessary selfishness", the entire concept is very likable and very appealing. I love the idea that I anticipate the next moves of the characters, what will they do, how will overcome their enemies, etc. I also love that Isagi doesn't just magically improve on a whim during matches he really grasps everything he needs to step up his game to match his enemies and allies especially when he goes "puzzle mode". Such as when he joined Bastard Munchen, where we wanted to play alongside Noel Noa during Spain vs Germany match & England vs Germany match when he tried to overcome Kaiser. I LOVE that Isagi really struggled throughout the entire game and learned as he played. I love that I got to see the process to get from point A to B and so on.

Another thing is when there are touches of reality, such as the match of Isagi vs Rin (during those 2 instances), I loved that Isagi didn't magically defeat Rin the first time and even the second time after getting Chigiri. It really shows how Isagi really aims to match Rin, and in order to reach someone so far, you have to experience failures to see what you need to improve on.

BLLK may not be everyone's cup of tea, especially when it comes to the characters being really competitive to the point it kinda "ruins" or worsens their relationship with each other. Ngl, I had a hard time adjusting to this manga since I'm so used to the 'power of friendship' that I was caught off guard. But now, I've come to like these "prideful" vibes from the characters who all fight to get what they want through their own efforts while also supporting each other only to use them for their own gains. Dw, many mangas/animes are still good despite their "friendship powers", but Blue Lock was a burst of fresh air for me. SO I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! I really want this to be adapted, esp. the Neo-Egoist League Arc.

#blue lock #blue lock anime #bllk isagi #bllk spoilers #bllk manga #michael kaiser #bllk chigiri #bllk sae #bllk rin #blue lock review #anime and manga

[retoreview]

Blue Lock Anime Review The Battle for the Ultimate Striker 2023 - retoreview

Introduction: In a world where passion collides with fierce competition, where dreams of greatness ignite an unquenchable fire within, and w...

#Blue Lock #Blue Lock anime #Blue Lock review #Blue Lock anime review #anime #manga #anime blog

[arty-holly]

I never thought I'll enjoy Ep Nagi so much, but this spinoff has me feeling all kinds of things.

Stalker Reo 😭. The extents he goes to be Nagi's friend. Nagireo was never my thing, but I'm starting to see the appeal.

I think we as a fandom collectively ignore how funny Nagi is. The "legs broken" , " cells dead" 😂, Nagi is a relatable icon.

The expression in his eyes... they did such a great job with the art. And Reo clearly didn't understand how much of a big deal Nagi saying this was, bcz from a person who considers existing a pain, this is HIGH praise. Yep, definitely shipping Nagireo now.

God really isn't.🥲 Why does my boy Niko have to go through this?? From his perspective, this must look so horrifying. "Hugs Niko through screen".

Glad we have zantetsu's backstory now. I am LIVING for this friendship.

The Nagi- Zantetsu scene in the bath was so so cute. A depressed weirdo and a ostracized idiot finding a tentative comfort in each other. It really makes me wonder how Zantetsu is doing in PxG with all the ...interesting combination of people there. He seems like the type to straight up ask Loki why is a 17 yr old teaching them. Wonder how he'll bond with members like Tokimitsu and Rin. And his whole dynamic with PxG.

Protective Nagi!!

The "Nagi-kun" 😂 . Even Reo is sweating at how unnaturally angry Nagi is at Barou for hurting Reo. And I don't blame him at all. Bcz this chapter reminded me of why I dislike Barou so much.

I mean his behaviour here,

My heart is breaking for the other team. The desperation in the eyes of that blond kid , the bangs kid's sobbing... It really makes you feel for the rest of players who got locked off like Naruhaya and had an even worse time bcz of a bitch like Barou. Worst part is he meant every word he says here.

I'm sorry to all the Barou stans here, if you don't like what I'm saying, simply block me.

Ppl can call on-field Isagi and Rin rude all they want. Hell, even Sae does’nt bring people down in this manner. But nothing comes close to Barou spouting this kind of trash to his team. That they shouldn't even consider themselves human bcz they couldn't score a goal against Nagi.

And the way he was so insensitive to Snuffy opening up about Mick's death. Who tf actually tells a grieving person they won't end up like said dead guy bcz they're better or whatever, high key insulting Mick. Not a drop of compassion in him. Snuffy has the most patience in this entire facility for putting up with his bs.

Sae is rude to reporters, Barou is simply a deplorable human being with no excuse for his actions. I will be cheering Isagi on when he humiliates this guy in my reread. The only good thing I can say about him is that he's a great antagonist. If you stan Barou, atleast stan him as the jerk he is and not excuse his actions.

You tell him, babe! ( the way he caught Reo I- )

What. A. Badass.

Said it before and I'll say it again. The art in Ep Nagi is absolutely phenomenal. Esp, the shading on the other side of Nagi's face is stunning. Well, that's abt it for the first part of Ep Nagi.

#Ep Nagi review? #Nagi Seishiro #Reo Mikage #lights a candle for those poor kids in Barou's team #i'm glad you're not in there too Zantetsu #Barou Shoei #i was itching to say that slander against Barou #and it feels so good #Ep Nagi #Blue Lock #my bllk posts

[ecargmura]

Blue Lock Is the New "It" Sports Anime (Anime Review)

Honestly, I should be finishing the anime I need to finish. Why am I procrastinating and watching Blue Lock instead? I can’t help it. It’s so good (and I totally didn’t watch for Chigiri). I actually like watching sports anime. I love Kuroko’s Basketball, Haikyuu!!, and Yowamushi Pedal. There’s just something that’s charming about sports anime that I cannot fully explain.

The first thing that caught my attention with Blue Lock was the character designs. They’re all so detailed. I also love the way the eyes are drawn. I love how unique all of the characters look, even the minor, unimportant ones. Afterwards, I’ve been seeing a lot of fan art drawn by talented artists. I’ve been liking them left and right on Twitter. After liking a lot of fan art, I’ve decided that it was time for me to sit down and watch Blue Lock.

What makes Blue Lock so unique compared to other sports shows? This one has more risks as it’s a sports series mixed with a survival game. Given that I am someone who’ve watched Produce 101—all four of them—and got emotionally wrecked all the time, I knew this would be the perfect show for me. Was I wrong? I wasn’t. There was drama, suspense and everything else you can find in sports and survival shows.

The story is about Yoichi Isagi, who lost a soccer match by passing the ball to his teammate, costing his team to lose their chance at going to Nationals. He becomes frustrated at the fact that he decided to pass and not take a score for himself. Soon, he gets an invitation by Jinpachi Ego, a member of the Japanese Football Association, in order to partake in a project called Blue Lock where he’s searching for someone who can change Japanese soccer for the better—to become the best striker in the world. It turns out that he and 299 other strikers were selected. The Blue Lock project is one of survival—only the best can become the best striker. Isagi gets placed in a room with 11 other people and their first task is to eliminate someone and end their soccer career for good—those who get eliminated in Blue Lock cannot play for Japan Nationals ever again. With Isagi deciding to take out the strongest player in the room, Ryosuke Kira, the guy he had faced in his soccer match, he learns that he has to become selfish in order to become the best. In order to prove to his colleagues and to Ego that he’s the best, he needs to evolve, get stronger, and survive.

The first episode was super intense with the way Isagi decided to go for Kira and not Igarashi. The fact that he had ended his soccer career and felt good about it shows that this sports anime is definitely different than the norm. The episodes afterwards gets more intense as Team Z, Isagi’s team, are very dysfunctional and have to find a way to cooperate in order to survive.

The First Selection Arc was great in itself. This arc is getting to learn about Team Z and why they play soccer. For Kunigami, he wants to be a soccer superhero. For Bachira, he wants to find someone who can quench the monster inside of him. For Chigiri, it’s to find a way to give up on soccer. The fact that everyone has unique pasts makes the group diverse and makes people want them to succeed, even if it means they have to get eliminated later on. The matches with Teams X, Y, W and V were intense. Z vs X was pretty much a curb-stomp due to Z’s dysfunctional dynamic and X’s ace member Barou being too OP for them to handle. It’s when they face Team Y is when they finally cooperate, albeit begrudgingly. This is also when Isagi gets more aware of his ability of spatial awareness, where he can visualize the field and predict where a goal can be made and who he needs to use in order to utilize that path. My favorite match was Team Z vs Team W because of the Chigiri spotlight and also the fact that Kuon betrayed Team Z to Team W, a plot point that shows that no one in Blue Lock is an ally and that anyone can use whatever tactics they have in order to survive. If not for Chigiri finally getting motivation to play soccer again and doing it because he loves outrunning everyone, Team Z would have lost; this also cemented Chigiri as my favorite character. Team Z vs Team V was an intense match too. It’s second place because Chigiri doesn’t get as much focus here, but that’s okay. Team V is the strongest team because they have three aces, Reo, Nagi and Zantetsu with Nagi being their strongest player. Reo and Nagi only played soccer for six months while Zantetsu can outrun Chigiri, making them menaces. Nagi, who normally only moved whenever Reo asked him to do so, decided to move on his own once the score became equal. Team V loses because of Isagi and Team V experiences their first loss.

I think the best thing about the First Selection arc is the character bondings. While Isagi does befriend his fellow teammates, he becomes especially close with Bachira, Kunigami and Chigiri. Given that I am a fujoshi, this did fuel my BL kicks (It’s amusing how the initials of Blue Lock are BL). Because this is a survival game, the character bondings get a bit dramatic as characters need another in order to survive. Speaking of which, Reo and Nagi are probably fruitier than Bokuto and Akaashi from Haikyuu and that’s saying something.

The Second Selection Arc is where the drama kicks in as nobody are teammates any longer. You have to make a team of three and then advance by defeating other teams and taking their teammates. You only survive to the Third Selection once you get a team of five. Isagi causes two breakups to happen and he had to lose Bachira in the process. However, this arc is where many characters show off more of what they can do, so I feel like it’s a good ascension to the first arc. Isagi learns to handle the most unorthodox of people and manages to win via unpredictability, spatial awareness and main character power. While he had no specific rival in the first arc, the second arc solidifies Rin Itoshi as his rival as he is the cooler, most advanced version of himself. The fact that Isagi loses to Rin twice shows that while Isagi is improving, he still has a long way to go before he reaches his own full potential. I do like how while Isagi is strong enough to take down foes like Barou, Kunigami, Chigiri and Reo, it was because he had already faced them before. In Rin’s case, he had never played with him before and was only aware of his existence once the second arc started. I do like Rin’s inclusion into the story, as someone Isagi needs to beat.

The anime ends on the first half of the third arc, I believe. The Third Selection has two parts. The first being that the newly formed team of five has to challenge 5 world renowned athletes from different countries. I feel like Isagi got a bit cocky during the match and that was the reason why his team got pulverized. However, it also showed that Isagi still has a long way to go before he reaches foreign athletes’ levels. Fortunately, that portion was an assessment. Once six other teams of five make it to the Third Selection (RIP Kunigami), the anime ends with Ego announcing that his original plans for the third selection had changed and that his new plan is to get the Top 35 to face off agains the U-20 team with their recent addition being Sae Itoshi, Rin’s older brother. Given that the third selection was towards the last two episodes, there wasn’t much time for me to get used to it or Isagi’s new team since they haven’t really bonded as a team of five.

My favorite match of this entire anime was the match between Isagi, Nagi and Barou vs Chigiri, Reo and Kunigami. I think this match was the most exhilarating of them all. The reason is that Isagi has to be up against two of the teammates he’s the closest to back in the first selection and Nagi has to be up against his ex-boyfriend former partner Reo whom he abandoned because he wanted to team up with Isagi. Barou had to learn how to cooperate after being completely disobedient since his introduction. It also showcases how good the Kunigami and Chigiri are without Isagi and how well Reo can play without Nagi. It was an intense battle that legit got me hyped up for what’s to come in future seasons.

My only gripe with this anime is the lackluster animation quality. For an anime that revolves around a lot of movement, the animation is only good during important sequences, but it’s not very good at slower, non-soccer scenes. There’s a lot of CG usage too, especially when showing scenes of other players chasing the ball. I think Episode 8 was the worst offender since that was the one with the worst animation quality.

I’m honestly wanting more Blue Lock now. I might read the manga just to see what’s ahead. Blue Lock Season 2 and a movie adaptation of the Nagi side story has been announced, so I’ll definitely check those out! Until then, thanks for reading my long review of Blue Lock!

#blue lock #anime #anime review #review #isagi yoichi #bachira meguru #chigiri hyoma #kunigami rensuke #Mikage reo #nagi seishiro #barou shouei #itoshi rin #sports anime #ecargmura #arum journal #this is the longest review I've written

[koushuwu]

#blue lock #i made myself a header today #decided to post it #bluelockedit #» gifs #dailyanime #dailyanimatedgifs #anisource #fyanimegifs #aniheader #header #gotta finish a review for the bookblog before i can make the gifset i originally planned on making when i made this instead #oh and also? #i'm not here #weird how they desynch when they should be the exact same length #with the exact same image delay #oh well

[boinin]

2023 Tumblr Top 10

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Created by TumblrTop10

Here's to a year of screaming into the void about these dorks. Looking forward to doing it all over again in 2024 👉😎👉

#tumblrtop10 #it's actually been only about 9 months since i created the blog in april #but who's counting? #blue lock #personal #mine #year in review #2023

[kimisdomain]

Follow me on my TikTok for reaction, reviews, and anime shenanigans. I post weekly (take this with a grain of salt)

#anime #manga #anime review #anime reactions #katekyo hitman reborn #jujutsu kaisen #blue lock #chainsaw man #tomo chan is a girl! #dark gathering #tiktok

[fyeahbachisagi]

A Review on the Animation of Bachira's Super Special Goal in Episode 9

I've covered the romantic aspect of this scene in a previous post, so now I'll talk about the animation of Bachira's entire sequence in general.

I had been looking forward to this sequence so much that the moment Bachira showed up like this:

... I just straight up squealed 🤣.

I couldn't stop myself from grinning but had to compose myself coz my sister was in the room XD

Anyways, this part was just done so well. Bachira's seiyuu, Kaito Tasuku, is really perfect for him. That sudden drop from a high pitch and cheery tone to a deep and serious one--*chefs kiss*

And I gotta say Bachira's seiyuu really carried this whole sequence. Because unfortunately, right after this, the animation quality started being inconsistent.

There were some good parts, like Bachira's roulette spin:

But then the quality would drop in parts where it really mattered. This one, especially, was extremely underwhelming:

Seriously, what the hell was this?

Bachira looks too tiny, and the art is just off. I get they were trying to fit his whole body into the frame, but look at how the manga did it:

In the anime version, Bachira is drawn like a background character when this is supposed to be his most glorious moment. He also looks too stiff.

I also don't like how in the anime there isn't much contrast between Bachira and the three extras behind him. He literally looks like he's one of them 😭

Similar sentiment for this part:

How on earth can a static manga drawing look more dynamic than the animated version 😭😭😭???

The entire scene above, by the way, is only 23 frames in total when imported to Photoshop. This closeup of Bachira tilting his head and smiling looked more fluid at over 80 frames:

And I've noticed that in this episode, the anime is trying to cut corners by just showing us a close-up of their faces instead of animating their whole body. It's probably why we have this right after Bachira passes that ball to Isagi:

It quickly covers up the stiffness of his kick from before.

And then we just have faces until the dribbling starts...

These ones looked off to me:

What did they to you, Isagi???

I don't know if it's just me, but I think his eyes are too close together. The downward lines of his mouth look weird, too. And how is the camera so close to his face??? They had nothing to emphasize here. It's just plain bewilderment. It's not special like these other scenes where the close-up is important:

And here's the manga version:

It's more dynamic. We actually see Isagi moving his whole body to receive that ball, and we see the other players reacting to it as well instead of just being frozen in the background.

And speaking of being frozen...

Can we just talk about the use of CGI in this episode:

They don't last long, but those lack of shadows still make the CGI very noticeable.

I really wonder how much budget Studio 8Bit has for Blue Lock... Bachira's dribbling is harder to animate than Chigiri's speed-running and Kunigami's power kicks. There'll be more of Bachira's insane dribbling in the next arc, and I sure don't want them to resort to CGI for those...

But although I'm not 100% satisfied with the animation this episode, I still gotta thank the animators for at least making the dribbling look as awesome as it should be. This one was very satisfying to watch:

Bachira just making his way downtown, dribbling fast, faces pass..

His face here? Perfect.

#blue lock #bachira meguru #bllk #blue lock anime #miyamiwu.meta #anime vs manga #episode review #miyamiwu.src #episode 9

[pontimpen]

Im wasnt the king 

#bllk manga #blue lock manga #blue lock #barou shouei #aryu jyubei #is sparkling #nikko ikki #gremling at the back #im supposed to be reviewing #babybabybabyooh

[scribbbleanime]

#anime #anime blog #anime review #sports #blue lock #nagi seishiro #rin itoshi #legend of mana #isagi yoichi #fantasy #anime and manga

[formulaorange]

Winter 2023 Anime Review

This has got to be the longest season ever. I swear I stopped watching anime for a good few months and came back and the season's still going. I definitely cut down the amount of shows I watched this season since I burnt out but the upcoming Spring season should be a banger. My top 3 for this season: Buddy Daddies Sugar Apple Fairy Tail The Vampire Dies in No Time Season 2 Here's this seasons final reviews:

Giant Beasts of Ars - 12 Episodes Definitely one of the better anime originals I've seen in a while. This is a new sci-fi fantasy concept that felt a little reminiscent of Ghibli content. I was satisfied with the story but was a little disappointed they didn't end it off with 1 season. 8/10- Very Good

Trigun Stampede - 12 Episodes I honestly loved this. Studio Orange killed it with the 3d animations (they did Beastars) and the story is well rounded. I think the series is definitely underated and many people skipped it due to the animation style but it's 100% worth a watch. 8/10 - Very Good

Vinland Saga Season 2 - (Still airing - 12/24 Episodes) Who knew we'd see Facebook's farmville be animated in such detail. But honestly, the first half of this season is absolutely brutal. I know they're keeping it real and the slow pace makes the rest of the season stand out all that much more but damn. Doesn't pick up until episode 9 but somehow I still have high hopes for the rest of the season. (Side note - Mappa is killing it as usual with this take-over) 7/10 - Good

Blue Lock - Part 2 (Episodes 13-24) This is definitely still one of the best sports anime I've seen in the last few years. All the characters are unique and enjoyable to watch, the art style is solid and well executed and the story progresses at a decent rate. I honestly don't have many complaints about this series. (of course other than the usual butchering of english in the last 2 episodes) If you like sports anime, soccer or just want to watcha battle royal, this is one to check out. 8/10 - Very Good Endo and Kobayashi Live! - 12 Episodes This honestly didn't feel like a novel concept but I had a lot of fun. It's 2 romance stories in 1 but with all the fun of shitty otome game intervention animes. (I can't believe this is a genre now). Just overall wholesome fun. 7/10 - Good Revenger - 12 Episodes I really thought this series could've been better. While I did enjoy it to some extent, the story ended up feeling very superficial and didn't feel like it really went in depth on any of the characters and just floated along the surface story for the whole season. 5/10 - Average Tomo-Chan is a Girl - 13 Episodes I nearly stopped at the first episode. I'm still not 100% sold on the concept where this strong girl just wants to be seen as a romantic interest and a lot of the gender stuff was really on the edge but I think they managed to walk around it. The story did end up being cute without it stepping all over tomboys. Was fun to watch but not as good as the hype behind the manga. 6/10 - Fine Campfire Cooking in Another World with my Absurd Skill - 12 Episodes I really enjoyed the manga for this series and I was stoked that Mappa picked it up. I found that as long as you don't try to look for a serious story from this series it's a fun lighthearted watch. Definitely made me hungry while watching. 7/10 - Good The Eminence In Shadow - Second Half I think this show was actually pretty fun. Definitely more of a fantasy than isekai since it has nothing to do with his previous life. I had fun with Shadow's character but found that it got boring for a few episodes until the end. If it continues I'll likely still check it out. 7/10 - Good

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague - 12 Episodes This was really cute and I liked the change of pace from other romance series where they're all workforce adults, like in Wotakoi. Still felt that it didn't really go anywhere. Enjoyed it but likely won't continue to watch if there's a second season. 6/10 - Fine

#anime #anime ranking #anime review #2023 winter anime #2023 anime #new anime #vinland saga #vinland saga season 2 #giant beasts of ars #blue lock #trigun 2023 #trigun stampede #revenger anime #tomo chan is a girl! #the eminence in shadow #campfire cooking in another world with my absurd skill #endo and kobayashi's live commentary on the villainess #endo and kobayashi live! the latest on tsundere villainess lieselotte #sugar apple fairy tale #buddy daddies #the ice guy and his cool female colleague #koori zokusei danshi to cool na douryou joshi

[hirugaymi]

lemme tell you about the new football anime please

It’s called Blue Lock and it’s my brand of absolute shitshow;

TLDR: the soccer anime is a shitty gay as fuck battle royale and your op here LOVES it.

First thing I want to make clear is that sports anime is a very vague definition because people who create these stories will literally just fucking do anything. Love it. You got your serious sports drama that inspire you to become better, like your KazeTsuyos and your Haikyuus. You got the fujobait/yuribait bullshit that’s just kinda themed around sports so it has a plot to follow along (Free!, Sk8 the infinity, that one about the golf girls dressed in lingerie I think).

and of course, the biggest contendant of the sports genre: the anime bullshit. Prince of Tennis, Kuroko’s basketball and, most recently: Blue Lock. 

Blue Lock is a battle royale manga that uses football as a plot but it is impossible to make any statement on said plot because the manga is kinda silly and is constantly contradicting itself but that’s not the point I want to make. This huge post is not a criticism, but mostly about me sharing my new favorite cringe. 

The art is stellar, I’m an absolute sucker for good dyanamic art in manga and BL (will purposely use this abbreviation that always makes me cackle) has so much power to its art, actually! Nomura Yusuke-sensei, the responsible for art and character designs, is very very good at his job!

(It’s hard not to get spoilery with these examples)

Anyways, when I started reading this thing the battle royale and the “anti-sports anime” aspect were the things that got me thinking I should keep going and, let me tell you, this thing does not go where you expect it to go and I will spoil you a little bit on very later plot details on this story, so just skim with your little eyes closed in case you...really don’t want spoilers for  BL anime

I realize this post will not sound coherent at all, I’m mostly spitting out thoughts about a manga that I, admitely, have not thought about that much.

Yes, they have bullshit powers in this thing. They have SPECIAL MOVE NAMES they have JOJO STANDS they have ELDRITCH FOOTBALLIC ABOMINATIONS. 

and it’s EDGY, good lords it gives the 13 year boy who watched too much anime vibes. I dig that cringe so hard.

The best part though? As every other representative of its genre, Blue Lock, the manga that has BL as its IN UNIVERSE ABREVIATION, is so unapologetically gay. 

As gay as a battle shonen gets, which is a lot, may you not lie to yourself. You like your BL with childhood friends and cliche high school scenes, they got you a WHOLE ASS SPIN OFF AROUND YOUR FAVORITE GAYS. 

Do you like your gays extremely on the nose and horny, I GOT YOU SOMETHING FROM BL 

WHAT IS THIS BULLSHIT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

This manga has been my personal source of campy madness for a while now. I purposely look for the chapter discussions on manga forums just to see how people react to these and most of the time you just get guys talking about actual football (boring) but sometimes.... sometimes you get these

(TL: BL is about repressed homosexuality with a bit of football sometimes sprinkled on)

the purpose of this post is just to tell you, this manga/anime may look like a serious shonenfied reading on japanese football but that is far away from its best asset. The crazy levels of drama and the homoeroticism are what you should be here for, because those will not require any critical thinking (or eye-straining, let me tell some panels are REALLY hard to get through, geez, the protagonist keeps turning into puzzle pieces)

If you got curious about it and want to have any idea of what awaits for you in Blue Lock, trust your friend over here, this is what you should expect.

#blue lock #sports anime #anime review #sort of a shitpost #haikyuu #run with the wind #kuroko no basuke #shonen anime #fall season #new anime season #honestly if you want your quality slice of life just turn in to mob wednesdays #football #why would there be football fans on tumblr #meme review tbf #uhhh reddit

[mediciana]

godd*mn just started watching bllk yesterday and already 19 episodes through what is this magic ahhhh one of the best ones yet

#anime #review #opinion #anime and manga #episodes #godilovebllksomuch #blue lock #Chigiri #isagi #bachira #kunigama #reo #ahhhhh #blye lock isagi #nagi seishiro

[anime-of-the-day]

World Cup Anime of the Day: Blue Lock

Released: 2022

The Blue Lock project is the Japanese Football Unions attempt to create better strikers. Three hundred hopefuls under 18 will be pitted against each other in a variety of competitions. Eventually, someone will rise to the top.

#Blue Lock #anime #anime review #anime recommendation #anime of the day #anime rec #anime rec list #soccer #football #world cup

[cherry-valentine]

Fall 2022 Anime

Boku no Hero Academia Season 6 is the first season I’ve come into having already read the manga. Halfway through last season, I started reading the manga and have now caught up, so this is my first time starting a season while knowing exactly what’s going to happen. A plot summary seems silly at this point, so I’ll skip right to the meat of this write-up. In my opinion, the War Arc covered in this season is where the story peaked. This is by far my favorite arc, but it also ushers in some of the worst writing decisions I’ve ever seen in a series this popular. Luckily those baffling choices come in late enough in this arc that they don’t ruin it (they just ruin the rest of the series lol). I’ve long had a love-hate relationship with this show, because I enjoy it and it does a lot of things well (and the things it does well, it does really REALLY well), but it also pisses me off in a lot of ways (the treatment of the lady characters overall is my biggest gripe, though I will admit that this improves the longer the series goes on). But this season? So far? It’s fantastic. The animation is great, as usual. The fights are exciting, the little snippets of comedy (this is an overall serious arc though) are on point. This is also the arc that best displays the dark side of hero society, the corruption, the forgotten victims, the people who have suffered in this sort of world, which is fascinating. Shigaraki in particular makes an excellent villain, and that’s all I’m going to say about him to avoid manga spoilers (I could, and maybe will, write an entire essay about his character and how it’s developed in the manga). Since this arc is so damn good, BNHA is at the top of my list this season. A first for this series!

Blue Lock is a new sports anime, this one about soccer. Last season, while watching Ao Ashi (another soccer anime), I kept seeing Blue Lock mentioned in the comments as a “better soccer series”, and that it was getting an anime. Well here it is. While I do appreciate a good, straightforward sports anime like Ao Ashi, these days a sports anime has to stand out in some way to get me excited about it. Blue Lock stands out in two main ways: the high production values that give it outstanding visuals, and the absolutely bonkers premise (all the best high school strikers in Japan are gathered up, told to live 24/7 in a state of the art training camp, and are weeded out through grueling matches against each other and are encouraged to be traitorous assholes, all to arrive at one boy left to be the best striker in Japan). Right away, it separates itself from other sports anime with that setup. It effectively cuts out any and all drama that doesn’t involve the sport. These guys don’t go to school, so there are no scenes of them in class or interacting with characters not on their “team”. No scenes at home, involving family members. They don’t even have team managers or coaches. It really does boil the entire story down to these guys playing soccer. That’s a pretty bold move, but it pays off. And going back to those visuals, the animation quality is amazing. The character designs are vivid and interesting. The colors are just beautiful. The only complaint I have in this area is that the backgrounds are all pretty drab. This makes sense in context (as they’re living in a training facility), and actually might be a good thing, as it makes the colorful characters stand out even more. Speaking of which, all of them are fun, and the main character Isagi is easy to root for, even when his inner jerk is dragged out. All in all, Blue Lock is one of the better sports anime I’ve seen in a while.

Yowamushi Pedal has a new season. Watching it made me realize how much I missed this batshit crazy show. It’s a sports anime about bicycle racing, and it ranks just under Prince of Tennis as being one of the most unrealistic sports anime I’ve seen. From the guy who has named his pecs Andy and Frank (and literally talks to them, and they literally warn him of dangers!) to the skinny little guy who can immediately expand his torso like a balloon (something about being able to expand his lungs but it looks hilarious), to the tendency several riders have to go into a frenzy and race at top speed with their tongues hanging out of their heads (yes, dangle your tongues out while bicycling very fast through the mountains! Totally not a terrible idea!). Then there are the moments when a rider from one of the teams has to drop out of the race after doing something cool, for the benefit of the team (basically sacrificing himself). These are treated with all the drama and severity of literal death scenes, and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. But above all of this, there’s the gloriously creepy villain Midousuji, who is hands-down the best villain in sports anime history. He’s gross and terrible and downright monstrous, but damn if he isn’t the most entertaining character in the show. The animation is fine, but the character designs are unique. This is a weird anime, but it’s never boring! Go into it expecting a wild, weird, fun time, and you won’t be disappointed.

Spy x Family is on its second cour, and there’s not much more I can say about it than I did a couple of seasons back. Following a highly skilled spy as he puts together a fake family consisting of a telepathic child, a wife who is a secret assassin, and now a precognitive dog, the show is adorable and very funny. The animation is stellar, with extremely expressive faces, lovely backgrounds, and characters that never fail to stay on model. It’s a little more fast paced than the usual “soothing feel good” anime, but for me it still falls into that category. Though the stakes are occasionally high (with characters being in actual mortal danger), the overall soft tone of this series assures us that the threats will always be neutralized, so there’s little tension in that regard. The charm of the show lies in its super likable cast and wonderful visuals. High on my watch list.

Raven of the Inner Palace is a unique series about a certain mysterious consort to the emperor in ancient China. Though she has the title of consort, she has little contact with the emperor and instead uses her magical powers to solve mysteries around the palace, talk to the dead, help spirits cross over, etc. Of course, when the emperor meets her, he decides to become her friend. The show is basically about their mystery-solving adventures with an ever expanding cast of support characters. It’s a relatively simple setup, but the ancient Chinese setting gives it a specific charm. The art is gorgeous, with breathtaking clothing designs and beautiful scenery. The music is also a high point, with excellent opening/ending themes and background songs. The Raven consort herself, called Shouxue, is an interesting character. She’s a bit of a tsundere, but in this case her standoffish attitude makes sense for the plot (she has a tragic backstory that necessitates being wary of others, especially the emperor). She softens as the series moves along, but she remains a powerful character. Her growing relationship with the emperor isn’t exactly original (of course they’re going to end up falling in love at some point - I can predict that without reading summaries of the light novels this is based on), but they have enough chemistry to make them fun to watch regardless. This is a slower-paced show than most of the other anime I’m watching this season, and it feels like a breath of fresh air.

Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury could be called “the show that pissed off a thousand fanboys”, with a lot of people calling it “woke Gundam”. Apparently, if you have a female protagonist in a Gundam tv series for the first time since the franchise began in the 70‘s, it’s automatically woke (never mind that Tomino has wanted to have a female protagonist since the 90‘s). Add to that the *possibility* of a lesbian couple (and to be honest I don’t think the series will have the guts to follow through with it) and the fact that female characters in general seem to have larger and more important roles in the story, and you have an army of angry manchildren on your hands. In all seriousness, the show does have a different vibe from most previous Gundam series (but not all). If I had to choose its closest relative, I’d say its Reconguista in G, with its school-setting and relaxed atmosphere for the first chunk of the series. Most hilarious to me are the people assuming this series won’t get “serious” and have actual mobile suit battles (as opposed to the mobile suit “duels” that take place at the school). I mean, are they just pretending the prologue episode and all the shadowy political machinations don’t exist? Regardless, the show is great so far and would be an excellent starting point for people who never really got into Gundam but are curious about it. The animation is gorgeous and the plot is (at least for now) easy to follow. The two female leads are likable and have great chemistry. And yeah, it’s basically “Utena with giant robots”. If you’ve watched Utena, you’ll be the embodiment of that Leonardo Dicaprio meme where he’s pointing at the screen while you watch the first couple of episodes. But hey, if a plot setup is good, why not use it again in a different setting? Hell, let’s have Utena in feudal Japan! Utena in the wild west! Utena in a zombie apocalypse! I’m here for it.

To Your Eternity Season 2 opened on a surprisingly weak note for such an excellent series, but it’s already sorted itself out. The show follows an immortal entity called Fushi who can take the form of any living being it comes into contact with (after that being has died). Fushi most often uses (and generally prefers) the form of a young man, so I’ll be using he/him to refer to the entitiy. The series is, basically, about Fushi moving through the world and learning about life while also fighting creatures called the Nockers that keep attacking him for unknown reasons (most often harming the humans around him in frankly horrific ways). Each person that Fushi comes to know eventually becomes another form he can take (as he is immortal, of course he outlives everyone). The interesting thing is that he can use whatever skills that person (or creature) had, leading to at least one person spending years cultivating certain skills so that Fushi would have access to them after she dies. Unlike with season one, season two skips large chunks of time, several generations in a single episode at one point. At first, I was a little annoyed that we were not getting to spend much time with the characters (in one infuriating case, a major character from season one returns only to almost immediately die). Season one’s emotional beats were so powerful because it let us get to know and grow to love the human characters before they inevitably died. But! Thankfully, season two has now settled into a story arc and is letting us grow to love a new set of characters. And yes, they will eventually die, like always, but the point of the story isn’t “will these characters die or not?”, it’s “what effect will these characters ultimately have on Fushi?”. And figuring that out is what makes the series so endearing.

Golden Kamuy has a new season (I think this is season four, but honestly it’s hard to keep up with all these shows after they get past season two). From the start of season one, this has been one of my favorite modern anime series. It has a strong plot, unique character designs, a compelling setting, and some of the most bizarre but charming humor I’ve come across. It’s refreshing in the way it never sexualizes its female characters, but instead chooses to objectify its large assortment of buff, handsome male characters with frequent nude scenes that seem to linger on their well-toned bodies. Despite this, the show is firmly seinen (aimed at an adult male audience). It’s actually been fun to watch the guys in the comments questioning their sexuality in real time. I don’t care what your sexuality is, you’re going to walk away from this show with at least a minor crush on Ogata or Sugimoto. Probably both. Fanservice aside, the show is just wild at times. It can get brutally gory, then it can be hilarious, then it can make you cry. It has a Gintama-like quality in that it does lots of different things very well. If you’re not watching this series, you’re missing out (something I think I’ve said about it before, but it bears repeating).

Chainsaw Man is definitely this season’s most hyped show. I had avoided the manga because, just from looking at the covers and some other art, it looked like it was full of unnecessary fanservice and that the lady characters were highly sexualized. Before the anime started, I did a little googling to see what the general opinion was. From everything I read, most people (regardless of gender) had generally positive opinions on how the female characters were treated, so I decided to try the anime. The basic setup is that there are creatures called Devils that can embody certain things, like a Gun Devil or a Chainsaw Devil or a Bat Devil. A young man named Denji, who is probably one of the most “down on his luck” protagonists I’ve seen in a long time (he’s broke, orphaned, pratically homeless, practically starving, and has already sold one eye, one kidney, and one testicle just to survive) ends up combining with the only thing he really has in the world: his pet Devil dog. This gives him the power of the Chainsaw Devil, which he can transform into to fight other Devils. He’s quickly recruited by a group of government sanctioned Devil Hunters who are searching for the powerful, menacing Gun Devil. The setup sounds like typical shounen action fare, but the series goes a bit darker than I expected fairly early on, and maintains a unique atmosphere. Denji is fun to root for just because he came from such a humble place, but his lack of social skills makes him come across as a jerk at times. It’s understandable, given his background. Every shounen action series has its own “thirst trap” character that’s super popular with the ladies in the audience, and this one has Aki. The anime wisely spends the majority of its budget on subtle little movements he makes, like lighting a cigarette or taking a drink of coffee. I think there’s a whole animation team dedicated to the flow of his hair when he wears it down. As there should be. Overall, the series has a strange vibe to it but it’s highly entertaining.

Best of Season:

Best New Show: Blue Lock Best Opening Theme: Golden Kamuy Best Ending Theme: Spy x Family Best New Male Character: Isagi (Blue Lock) Best New Female Character: Shouxue (Raven of the Inner Palace)

#Anime Reviews #Anime Recommendations #Seasonal Anime #Fall 2022 Anime #Text #Chainsaw Man #Golden Kamuy #Blue Lock #Spy x Family #Yowamushi Pedal

[sicksense]

Blue Lock deserves more...

#blue lock #anime review #youtube #anime #isagi yoichi #bachira #chigiri hyoma #blue lock kunigami