Blue Lock is, unfortunately, incredibly poorly written. I can say this after having read all 276 chapters that were out at the time I wrote this review.
The basic plot of Blue Lock is very interesting at first in that it seemed like it would be different from other sports manga. It pulls you in with a darker premise that focuses on selfishness and ego instead of the typical themes of "teamwork" and "having each other's backs" that team sports manga have. Then you actually read it and find the execution is lacking in almost every area.
First off, Blue Lock shouldn't be a
...
sports manga. The soccer in this is clearly written by someone who has never played the sport and doesn't understand the positions, rules, or intricacies of soccer beyond the average Champions League fan who likes to power-scale Messi and Ronaldo. The sport is turned into a gross perversion of itself that is entirely disrespectful to every position outside of the striker role. You cannot successfully write about a team sport- because that's what soccer is- while disregarding every other position that's needed for a team to work. But then once the author has backed themself into a corner, they throw all these supposed egoist strikers into those same positions (defense, midfielders, hell, even the GOALIES) and act like it makes perfect sense. Maybe something like this would've worked with sports like swimming, boxing, figure skating, or even baseball (which demands individual achievement more so than soccer does) but it doesn't work here. At least not with this subpar level of writing.
If anything it feels like soccer is being used as a cheap vehicle for the type of story the author truly wanted to write- a battle shounen. I think Blue Lock would be much more enjoyable if soccer was left out of the equation and the plot went all in on what it wants to be- a Squid Game/Hunger Games type of deathmatch where the last survivor is the ultimate winner. Take away soccer and either make up a new sport that fits the plot's needs, give the boys explicit superhuman abilities, or just start handing out guns. Things weren't the best before but once they left the elimination stages arcs to focus on actual 11v11 games, that's when the plot was lost and things really turned to shit.
It's also a struggle to become immersed in a story that is so unrealistic. Absolutely nothing in the Blue Lock would make sense in the real world. Now it doesn't have to! It can take on fantastical and superpowered elements, but it still has to work within the context of the story. The easiest example of a manga that accomplishes this is Kuroko's Basketball, which didn't take itself too seriously and stuck to the rules it established within its own reality. Blue Lock, on the other hand, is constantly going back on previously stated rules and ignoring them or directly contradicting itself and its characters (This includes information learned from the light novels). The writing backs itself into a corner and then has to bullshit its way out again to make some kind of sense.
This brings me to my next point that I know some people aren't going to like. The main character, Isagi Yoichi, is not good enough to contend with many of the other players. The only reason he’s gotten this far is because he's protected by plot armor time and time again. The requirements to be the #1 striker are bent to suit him and even the "egoist types" that don't make any sense are shifted to make Isagi seem better than he is. Isagi's strengths are that he's mentally strong and has a high soccer IQ. Unfortunately, soccer is a highly physical sport and without the strength, speed, physicality, and technical skills, Isagi doesn't match up. It's stated in canon how he lacks these things compared to other players like Rin and Kaiser.
Isagi himself has also admitted how he wouldn't be able to do many things if it weren't for his teammates backing him up which is a weird thing to say for someone who talks so much shit on the field. He's only able to accomplish what he does because he relies on his teammates, something that goes directly against what we're told a striker should be. Once again, the goalposts for what makes someone a top striker are moved to suit Isagi. He doesn't score enough goals, the most basic thing it takes to be a striker, and yet he's somehow continued to move up the rankings past players who do. Nothing in canon so far proves that he's objectively good enough to be considered a better striker than players like Shidou, Rin, or Barou, let alone be #1. He was good enough to be considered one of the top 300 strikers in Japanese high schools but beyond that, he fades into the background. If anything he's more suited to be a midfielder at this point but even then Itoshi Sae clears him easily.
This would all be solved if Isagi was given some actual real development, but he hasn't. Instead, he magically levels up through the power of puzzle pieces and thinking really hard about stuff. He has the makings of an underdog but no training to show for it. Isagi faces a struggle, immediately has some revelation, and then begins to dominate despite having done nothing noteworthy to get whatever new “skill” he’s suddenly spawned.
I want to like Isagi, I really do. He’s the main character after all and will prevail in the end but I wish his soccer had more substance to it. Outside of soccer, he has the potential to be a great character. He’s got those typical shounen protagonist traits where he never gives up or backs down from a challenge. He’s already a second year and comes off as more mature than some other shounen mcs and he’s also not an idiot. His split personality between how he is off the field and on the field could be interesting if it weren't for the fact that his ego was so undeservedly inflated. Then there’s the information we learn about Isagi from his light novel that could really set him apart but instead, the author hasn’t once brought that up in the actual manga.
To me, Blue Lock has become nothing more than a power fantasy that you can self-insert into because of how basic Isagi is. I wish I could say this is only due to the author admitting that Isagi isn’t even his own favorite character but unfortunately, this theme of writing an incredibly dull average mc is prevalent in his other works too.
As for the other characters, it's just a matter of what you personally like. I do like a few characters while others are insufferable. Because Blue Lock is centered around selfishness, ego, and betrayal, every single character is a dickhead, it's just a matter of which ones you can tolerate, if any. Some characters are boring and flat while others are more lively. Because the story follows Isagi closely, sometimes characters will disappear for 50-100 chapters. A lot of characters have tragic backstories for some reason. But again, the writing is so poor that your favorite character's entire personality and skill level might be thrown out the window at any moment. Unless of course, your favorite is Isagi, in which case plot armor will always save you.
The manga only features one female character who is constantly belittled and sexually harassed by other male characters. Her existence offers nothing of importance to the plot and she's there for mere fan service. It's entirely insulting to all female fans of the manga and to male fans who apparently can't read a manga without a large-breasted woman to ogle every so often like jingling keys in front of a baby.
A lot of people love the art and I agree. Some panels are visually stunning and dramatic in a way that feeds into Blue Lock's edgy horror themes. Like most other art in manga, the artist’s style has gotten better and more consistent over time.
The only people I would recommend Blue Lock to are those who don't know anything about soccer (and don't care to) and like to turn their brains off when enjoying a piece of media. There's nothing wrong with enjoying media that way but in all honesty, the author must take readers of this manga to be complete dumbasses with some of the bs they come up with. Blue Lock is also good for people who enjoy fandom, fanon, and shipping culture because you can easily ignore canon and enjoy the characters with their many homoerotic lines.
This turned out a lot more negative than I thought it would but with every chapter I read, it became increasingly clear how many issues there are. I don't understand how anyone who plays soccer could enjoy this manga. I did think it started strong but it failed to keep up that level of hype. I know it's a matter of preference at the end of the day so for people who do like Blue Lock, I'm happy for you all. I genuinely hope the writing improves for your and everyone else's sake. It probably won't happen at this point almost 300 chapters in but it's like watching a car crash: you can't turn your head away, not even when the car reverses and crashes three more times.
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Sep 21, 2024
Blue Lock is, unfortunately, incredibly poorly written. I can say this after having read all 276 chapters that were out at the time I wrote this review.
The basic plot of Blue Lock is very interesting at first in that it seemed like it would be different from other sports manga. It pulls you in with a darker premise that focuses on selfishness and ego instead of the typical themes of "teamwork" and "having each other's backs" that team sports manga have. Then you actually read it and find the execution is lacking in almost every area. First off, Blue Lock shouldn't be a ... |
