Blue Lock

Yoichi Isagi was mere moments away from scoring a goal that would have sent his high school soccer team to the nationals, but a split-second decision to pass the ball to his teammate cost him that reality. Bitter, confused, and disappointed, Isagi wonders if the outcome would have been different had he not made the pass. When the young striker returns home, an invitation from the Japan Football Union awaits him. Through an arbitrary and biased decision-making process, Isagi is one of three hundred U-18 strikers selected for a controversial project named Blue Lock.

The project's ultimate goal is to turn one of the selected players into the star striker for the Japanese national team. To find the best participant, each diamond in the rough must compete against others through a series of solo and team competitions to rise to the top. Putting aside his ethical objections to the project, Isagi feels compelled to fight his way to the top, even if it means ruthlessly crushing the dreams of 299 aspiring young strikers.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Bachira, Meguru Main

Kaito, Tasuku Japanese

Isagi, Yoichi Main

Ura, Kazuki Japanese

Chigiri, Hyouma Main

Saitou, Souma Japanese

Kunigami, Rensuke Main

Ono, Yuuki Japanese

Nagi, Seishirou Supporting

Shimazaki, Nobunaga Japanese

Itoshi, Rin Supporting

Uchiyama, Kouki Japanese

Barou, Shouei Supporting

Suwabe, Junichi Japanese

Shidou, Ryuusei Supporting

Nakamura, Yuuichi Japanese

Mikage, Reo Supporting

Uchida, Yuuma Japanese

Itoshi, Sae Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro Japanese

Furukawa, Shin Producer

Nagahama, Hiroaki Producer

Arisawa, Ryouya Producer

Mori, Yuuki Producer

Reviews

Jan 31, 2026

bluesun24

Recommended

Blue Lock is one of my favorites even though I’m very critical of sexual fanservice and voyeuristic framing in anime. The reason it works for me comes down to intent, framing, and narrative priorities. It is also radically different from most sports anime.

While typical sports series emphasize teamwork, friendship and slice-of-life campiness, Blue Lock centers on psychology, ego, ambition and rivalry. Even if you don't know anything about sports (I sure don't), this show is engaging. The premise is ruthless, but the rules are stated clearly from the start: no one is fighting to save the world or survive, they are competing to become Japan’s ... number one striker in soccer. The stakes are about identity, status, and the pursuit of athletic excellence. What stood out to me is how the series treats failure. Characters are not mocked or humiliated for losing. The competition is cruel but not sadistic, and the narrative doesn’t tear people down. Visually, the characters tight uniforms may stand out, but they serve a functional sports purpose. The uniforms are flexible, standardized and never treated as sexual in the story. The characters are not objectified for wearing them. There is also a recurring character who is casually nude at times, but it’s treated as part of his eccentric personality instead of sexual fanservice. No one fetishizes or harasses him, and he doesn't fetishize or harass anyone either.

The series does include some voyeuristic camera angles early on, but these moments are brief, infrequent and not a structural focus. The framing doesn’t linger, doesn’t exaggerate bodies for erotic effect and becomes less noticeable over time. Blue Lock does not rely on perverted humor, sexualized character archetypes or objectification as entertainment. Instead, it uses character psychology, strategy, competitive tension, and personal growth. Trash talk and conflict are rooted in rivalry and ambition rather than sexualization, and even characters ridiculed for their appearance are still treated as equals in narrative importance and skill. Blue Lock is not flawless, but its focus on ego, mindset, and high-pressure competition makes it stand out. It’s a strong recommendation for viewers who want a more intense, character-driven take on sports without the usual campy tone.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jan 26, 2026

shao12138

Mixed Feelings

A characteristic, egoistic anime of soccer, filled with fleshed out character and hype moments, unfortunately smeared by a disturbing stain.

Blue Lock is a story of 300 strikers, going through an elimination training facility to find the best, most 'egoistic' striker.

The character writing is one of the strongest points of the anime. Each character is uniquely vibrant, with their personality, ability, motivation, and development. You can root for any character. You can resonate with any character. Everyone gets their time to shine, and no one feels just like a background character. You grow to truly understand each of their unique takes on football.

The anime takes great ... strides to ensure the football in the anime is technical and dramatic. Even as someone unfamiliar with the sport, I was able to understand the complexities and though processes of their moves.

The scenes are suspenseful, with the pacing and music further enhancing the excitement. The animation is impactful, and really allows you to feel the power of shots, and the subtleness of controls.

There was almost nothing bad I could say about the anime. Except...except...

WHY THE FUCK ARE THERE SO MUCH YAOI BAIT???

Blue Lock abbreviates to BL, I guess it really isn't a coincident. For what purpose does it serve to shove a shot of half naked dudes in my face every 20 seconds?

The excessive and severe use of yaoi bait 'fan service' is off putting to say the best, and downright disgusting to say the least. What a bizzare and distasteful decision, which left me no choice but to knock a good few points off the anime.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jan 15, 2026

AnimeciFurkan758

Not Recommended

To be honest, this anime is a disaster, even worse than a disaster—it's just a disgusting anime built entirely on ego and football.
Story:
Isagi is someone interested in football, and one day he's called somewhere, and there are 300 people invited. There are games.
Just by looking at this much, you can already understand why I hate this anime. There is no such thing as a story, it's just ego, competition, and football. Even if you're into football, the story might seem okay at best and you could give it 6/10, but character development is 0, there is no message at all. So why does ego and ... competition hype this anime up so much? It's probably just because small kids are into it (I'm not saying the fans are small, I mean the general audience). So even if I liked football, I would still give it a low score because everything is missing.
Ratings:
Story: 2/10 (not personal)
Animation: 5/10 (it was bad)
Art/Character design: 7/10 (not terrible)
Sound: 6/10 (except for the screaming there was nothing)
Overall enjoyment: 4/10
Conclusion:
So if you like football, you can give it a try, but if you're looking for character development and a message, this is definitely not for you. A friend recommended this anime to me and honestly our tastes are completely opposite. This anime never deserved its high rating. Even though I hated it, I forced myself to watch season 2 just to finish it, but it was even worse. If a new season comes out, I will never watch it. Completely unnecessary anime.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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