The equation for me with Blue Lock could hardly be more straightforward. It’s a question of whether I can get past how dumb it is, because it’s really dumb. I mean, like, unutterably stupid. Everything the series puts forward as smart is actually a ridiculously bad idea, and “Ego Jinpachi” (and preferably the idiots from the “JFU” too) need to be tossed from a six-story building into a dumpster full of razor wire. And the sooner the better.
The marginally interesting element of this is that, like many a preposterous premise, it’s built around a tiny grain of truth. There is a selfishness factor involved in some (not all) great strikers’ success. Japan probably does suffer from too much passivity in its style, a possession-based system predicated on slow buildup play. It’s enough to get them through their World Cup qualifying group (probably the weakest of any) but withers once faced with the superior physical presence and soccer nous of the better European and South American sides.
But that’s the problem – trying to connect Blue Lock to reality is a fool’s errand, because it can’t stand up to even the tiniest scrutiny. Everything these morons are doing is wrong, both ethically and strategically. It’s born from a curious combination of arrogance and self-loathing that you sometimes see reflected in the national character – “the world can see that our soccer is progressing at a phenomenal rate” (it’s not, they can’t), paired with “we’re weak and passive, and we need to abuse our youth players in order to change that”. That dichotomy too is sort of interesting in a sociological sense, but any time the subject comes back to soccer I just want to yank my hair out.
If anything, I’m mildly curious to see if the series actually believes this claptrap Ego and the lady from the JFU are spouting, or if it’s going to be a case of the kids rebelling against what’s obviously a stupid system. I fear it’s the former, which pretty much leaves sheer spectacle as the only thing to cling onto. And since a lot of that involves “QUICK CLOSE UP OF CRAZY EYES!!!”, it’s probably not enough. I still think this is mainly a soccer series for people who hate soccer, but at least it doesn’t look or act like every other show on the schedule, so I’ll give it another week or two to win me over.
Cloudedmind
October 16, 2022 at 9:06 pmEven as someone who’s soccer IQ is bottom of the barrel, I thought the overall premise ringed false. Even if one truly believed they needed to raise a better striker, why would you pin your hopes on one person with a winner take all style of competition. Wouldn’t cultivating a group of “selfish” strikers be waaaaay more advantageous!? What happens if the one guy who makes it out get hurts and can’t play anymore. Raising the overall playing level of all up and comers would work far better in the long run. The way the show presents things feels like such short term thinking.
Guardian Enzo
October 16, 2022 at 9:43 pmIt’s honestly a series that repels logical analysis like teflon. it defies all reason, logic and common sense. For me at least the only chance to embrace it is to accept all that, but it inevitably makes me ask the question: why?
Cloudedmind
October 17, 2022 at 6:43 amAs an aside I also find it funny how they keep saying Japan will never win the World Cup completely negating the fact that the Japanese women’s team has won, and came in second a few other times if memory serves. But, we all know in the grand scheme of things women’s sports don’t count. /s
Guardian Enzo
October 17, 2022 at 7:54 amYeah, that’s a given. The Nadeshiko did get some nice buzz when they won the WC not long after the 3/11 disaster, but generally speaking they don’t get a lot of attention.
c
October 17, 2022 at 1:25 amYou’re absolutely right. I hate soccer and find this series super entertaining.
Marty
October 17, 2022 at 1:57 amI remember you mentioned a few years back that your tastes are almost diametrically opposite to the cultural zeitgeist, but damn do I believe it with every passing season.
We JUST came off the heels of a great, and largely ignored, soccer anime in Ao Ashi, and THIS is the sports show the online anime community is collectively busting their nuts over? Goddamn.
I May not be the biggest soccer fan, but even I can spot stupidity like this a mile away. This has to be a hard pass for me.
Guardian Enzo
October 17, 2022 at 7:52 amTo be fair, Ao Ashi is anything but ignored in Japan. It’s a huge seller and the manga got a big boost from the anime.
But yes, the broad rule does seem to apply to me tastes. It is what it is.
Joshua
October 17, 2022 at 2:59 amThere’s a word I’d use to describe shows like these. And that’s “Populist”.
There’s just something about this and other shows like UmaMusu that just make me feel this way. It’s hard to really put it into words. But there’s one thing that happens to populist works, they always seem to be incredibly appealing in one way or another, in the way that something like Joker grossed $1 billion.
Nadavu
October 17, 2022 at 3:03 amSpeaking of the relative weakness of the Asiatic soccer region, Israel used to dominate it back in the 60s and 70s, until being placed in the European region and subsequently never heard from again.
Haraga
October 17, 2022 at 8:09 amThe biggest problem with the episode is that instead of just acknowledging the premise is dumb and running along with it, the show attempted to explain that no, it’s not as dumb as we think, and dug its own grave even deeper.
I mean, if it weren’t for Haaland, I’d assume the series is not only dumb but backward-thinking. As one comment from the previous review correctly mentioned, they had to make up a player on top of referencing existing stars as none of the modern real-world top players actually fit the bill of what they’re trying to achieve until Haaland became as big as he is now, the sort of classic number nine they’re producing is extremely rare in modern top clubs. Unless the idea at the end of the episode that they want to have a full team of strikers is about making a point that a good modern forward should be good at defending and playmaking too, but I’m more inclined to believe it’s just the show inventing dumb challenges and making up excuses for them on the go.