Blue Lock

Blue Lock
(stylized as BLUELOCK) is a Japanese manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since August 2018, with its chapters collected in 26 tankōbon volumes as of September 2023.
An anime television series adaptation produced by Eight Bit aired from October 2022 to March 2023. An anime film adaptation based on the Episode Nagi manga is set to premiere in Q2 2024. A second season has been announced.
By August 2023, the manga had over 28 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series. In 2021, Blue Lock won the 45th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category.
Plot
In 2018, the Japanese national team finished 16th in the FIFA World Cup. As a result, the Japan Football Association hires the football enigma Ego Jinpachi. His master plan to lead Japan to stardom is Blue Lock, a training regimen designed to create the world's greatest egotist striker. Those who fail Blue Lock will never again be permitted to represent any Japanese team. Yoichi Isagi, an unknown high school football player conflicted about his playing style, decides to join the program to become the best striker in the world.
Characters
Media
Manga
Written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura, Blue Lock started in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine on August 1, 2018. Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on November 16, 2018. As of September 14, 2023, twenty-six volumes have been released.
In January 2021, Kodansha USA announced that they licensed the manga for English digital release in North America, starting on March 16, 2021. In January 2022, Kodansha USA announced that they would release the manga in print.
The manga has also been licensed in France by Pika Édition; in Germany by Kazé; in Taiwan by Tong Li Publishing; in South Korea by Haksan Publishing; in Italy by Panini Comics; in Spain by Planeta DeAgostini; in Thailand by Vibulkij Publishing; in Indonesia by Elex Media Komputindo; and in Argentina by Editorial Ivrea.
A spin-off manga focusing on Seishiro Nagi, titled Blue Lock: Episode Nagi, began serialization in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine on June 9, 2022. The spin-off is written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Kōta Sannomiya. Its chapters have been collected in three tankōbon volumes as of September 14, 2023. Kodansha has published the series in English on their K Manga service. In October 2023, Kodansha USA announced that the manga is planned to be published in print starting in Q3 2024.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on August 12, 2021. The series is produced by Eight Bit and directed by Tetsuaki Watanabe, with Shunsuke Ishikawa serving as assistant director, Taku Kishimoto overseeing the series' scripts, Masaru Shindō providing the main character designs and serving as chief animation director, Hisashi Tojima serving as a chief action director, and Jun Murayama composing the music. It ran for 24 episodes. The series aired from October 9, 2022, to March 26, 2023, on TV Asahi's block. The first opening theme song is by Unison Square Garden, while the first ending theme song is "Winner" by Shugo Nakamura. The second opening theme song is "Judgement" by Ash Da Hero, while the second ending theme song is "Numbness like a ginger" by Unison Square Garden.
Crunchyroll has licensed the series and has streamed an English dub starting on October 22, 2022. Medialink licensed the series in Asia-Pacific; it is streamed on their Ani-One YouTube channel, and on iQIYI, bilibili, Netflix, and Animax Asia.
Following the end of the first season, a second season was announced.
Film
At the end of the first season, an anime film adaptation of the Episode Nagi manga was also announced. The film will feature the staff and cast reprising their roles with Shunsuke Ishikawa, who served as assistant director for the first season, assigned to direct the film and manga writer Muneyuki Kaneshiro supervising the story. It will premiere in Japanese theatres in Q2 2024.
Stage plays
A stage play adaptation of the manga was announced by Kodansha in December 2022. It ran May 4–7, 2023, at Osaka's Sankei Hall Breeze and May 11–14 at Tokyo's Sunshine Theater. The play was directed and written by Naohiro Ise. The cast included Ryōhei Takenaka as Yoichi Isagi, Nobunaga Satō as Meguru Bachira, Shōta Matsuda as Rensuke Kunigami, and Ryō Saeki as Hyōma Chigiri.
A second play, subtitled 2nd Stage, is scheduled to run January 18–24, 2024, at Kyoto Theater and January 25–31 at Hulic Hall Tokyo. The play was again directed and written by Ise and Kōhei Nagata joined the cast as Rin Itoshi.
Reception
By August 2020, the manga had over 1.9 million copies in circulation; by January 2021, it had over 3 million copies in circulation. over 4 million copies in circulation by April 2021; by August 2021, it had over 5 million in circulation; over 6 million copies in circulation by February 2022; over 8.3 million copies in circulation by March 2022; over 9.3 million copies in circulation by June 2022; over 10 million copies in circulation August 2022; over 16 million copies in circulation by December 2022; over 18 million copies in circulation by January 2023; over 21.5 million copies in circulation by February 2023; over 24 million copies in circulation by March 2023; over 25.5 million copies in circulation by April 2023; over 26 million copies in circulation by May 2023; over 27 million copies in circulation by July 2023; and over 28 million copies in circulation by August 2023.
Blue Lock was the best-selling manga series in the first half of 2023 (the period between November 2022 and May 2023), with over 8 million copies sold, while volumes 12–14 and 21–23 were among the best-selling manga volumes from the same period.
The series was recommended by manga author Hajime Isayama of Attack on Titan fame, for whom Yusuke Nomura previously worked as an assistant. Blue Lock was one of the Top 3 Sports Manga Series of the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2020" by Honya Club. Blue Lock won the 45th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2021. The series was nominated for a Harvey Award in the Best Manga category in 2022.
Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network, in her review of the series' first two volumes, called the "dystopian sports" concept something that makes it stand out among other sports series; however, she said that it is so "blatantly absurd that it doesn't entirely work". Silverman praised its art, noting Tite Kubo's overtones, and concluded that while the first two volumes are not perfect, there is enough going to make her want to read more.
Notes
References
External links
2022 anime television series debuts
Anime series based on manga
Association football in anime and manga
Crunchyroll anime
Eight Bit (studio)
Kodansha manga
Medialink
NUMAnimation
Shōnen manga
Thriller anime and manga
TV Asahi original programming
Upcoming anime television series
Winner of Kodansha Manga Award (Shōnen)