Summary

• Blue Lock shines by focusing on individuality over teamwork, delivering a refreshing take on sports anime.
• The competition's emphasis on individual success makes the stakes higher and the series more unpredictable.
• Blue Lock's deep exploration of characters' inner struggles allows non-sports fans to relate and get hooked on the series.

Blue Lock 's unique approach to sports is a key to its success, as it makes sure that even people who are not fans of sports anime or of sports in general get hooked from the start. For example, I have never regularly watched sports. Other than viewing special events like the Superbowl or the Olympics, my exposure to sports has been very slim. I went into Blue Lock expecting to watch an episode or two, but not stick with it long-term because other sports animes have just not been my cup of tea, although I understand why others enjoy them.

Since I've never been a sports fan in real life, sports anime never interested me either. However, I took a chance on Blue Lock and I found myself really enjoying it despite not liking sports. I found the series to be truly surprising, with a unique premise that differed from what I had expected.

The few other sports animes I’ve ever watched all focused heavily on teamwork, comradery, and banding together for a common goal. These are irable ambitions indeed, but Blue Lock does not really emphasize these traits, choosing to focus instead on individuality and independence.

Blue Lock Emphasizes Individual Success Over Teamwork or Comradery

This Vastly Different Approach From Other Sports Animes Makes the Series Unique

I never know what to expect from Blue Lock, and that is what keeps me watching every new episode.

This one-of-a-kind plot that is so different from the norm was very refreshing to see, since it completely went against all my expectations and offered a new take on the sports anime genre. It was a little odd at first to see a sports anime that focused on the individual and not the team, but this quality makes the stakes of the Blue Lock competition that much higher and the series much more entertaining and full of twists and turns. I never know what to expect from Blue Lock, and that is what keeps me watching every new episode.

The story begins by introducing Isagi Yoichi, the main character. Isagi had just lost a crucial high school game and was feeling absolutely crushed and defeated, as well as worried that his soccer career might be over. Just as he thought he would never play the game he loved again, he received a mysterious letter inviting him to participate in the Blue Lock project. He decided to accept and traveled to the facility, where he quickly discovered he had stumbled upon more not just a simple soccer game, but the most intense competition of his life.

In Blue Lock, There Will Ultimately Only Be One Winner Left Standing

This Aspect of the Plot Further Hammers Home the Series’ Individualistic Approach

Within the walls of the Blue Lock facility, Isagi was quickly required to unlearn all his previous soccer-related beliefs. Through playing on high school teams, he had developed the mindset that teamwork was necessary to succeed, and he carefully made each move during a game based on how it would benefit the overall team, rather than just himself. Jinpachi Ego, leader of the Blue Lock project, delivered an imioned speech to the new recruits, urging them to completely abandon this way of thinking and instead develop their "ego" or completely individualistic mindset, focusing on their own success at all costs.

I was astounded to hear Ego's speech and to discover that teamwork and depending too heavily on others were considered negative qualities in this universe. The characters still play in teams and there are obviously still countless moments that show how working together can be necessary to win a game, but developing one's independent ego is clearly what is most important in Blue Lock, and what will lead one character to become the world's best striker. In Blue Lock, there can unfortunately only be one winner, which further highlights this idea of standing on one's own as the best soccer player.

By Emphasizing Individual Success First, Blue Lock Differs From All Other Sports Anime

This Focus on the Self Rather Than the Team Helped the Series Stand Out to Me

Teamwork is very important for nearly every sport, but individual abilities, motivation, and drive are all absolutely integral to a player's success too. I feel that sometimes this part of the equation is overlooked in other sports anime.

As the series progressed, characters who were able to conform to this individualistic thought process and develop their own "ego" succeeded in the competition, while those who were not able to were quickly eliminated. Characters like Bachira and Nagi particularly excelled, experiencing major epiphanies about their lives that helped them lean on themselves and hone their own soccer abilities. Once Isagi was able to think about soccer from this new, self-focused perspective, he began to shine on the field, becoming a better player. This is the core idea of Blue Lock and what makes the series stand out to me.

Teamwork is very important for nearly every sport, but individual abilities, motivation, and drive are all absolutely integral to a player's success too. I feel that sometimes this part of the equation is overlooked in other sports animes. This makes many of them feel too predictable to me, since the stories often focus on teams learning to work together and overcoming issues within the group. There are aspects of this in Blue Lock too, but the story largely centers on individual characters and their personal growth as they overcome the challenges holding them back within themselves and their own brains.

Blue Lock Explores Individual Characters’ Minds as They Overcome Inner Struggles

This Quality Helped Me, a Non-sports Fan, Relate to the Series

The inner struggles of Blue Lock characters felt applicable to me, even in a non-sports context. Some examples are Bachira, who struggled with the effects of past bullying, Isagi, who grappled with self-doubt, and Chigiri, who coped with a potentially career-ending injury. These are all realistic issues that will feel personal to viewers and I think the series' tendency to delve deep into the minds of specific characters rather than focus more broadly on the team allows for these topics within the story. Blue Lock's unique focus on the individual was enough to get me, a non-sports fan, hooked on the series.