From 2022 to 2023, Blue Lock was undoubtedly one of the biggest anime franchises in the world. The fact that the anime aired simultaneously with the FIFA World Cup made for incredible brand synergy, and the manga became so popular that it ended up as the best-selling manga of 2023.
Blue Lock is one of the biggest hits of the past few years, and going along with that is the long-awaited physical release of the anime. Released on November 14, 2023, Blue Lock’s first physical release comes with the first 12 episodes on Blu-ray and DVD, textless versions of the opening and ending, and the Additional Time shorts collected in a single bonus feature section, all for only $41.99.
It’s a good way for new fans to get invested in the series, especially with how great the anime is. However, with the lack of presentation to be found, it still ends up a rather lackluster addition to someone’s anime library.
Blue Lock’s Anime Is Still Just As Great As Ever
The biggest reason to buy Blue Lock’s physical release, of course, is how great the anime is. Blue Lock’s biggest hook is how it goes against the typical conventions of sports anime by emphasizing individual talent over teamwork, so it ends up being a breath of fresh air for anyone looking for something different. Add in some creative visuals and a cast of eccentric characters in terms of both design and personality, and Blue Lock is still a great anime to watch, even if the art and animation don’t always live up to the high quality of the Blue Lock manga.
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Blue Lock’s Blu-Ray Release Is Unfortunately Lacking Content
As good of an anime as Blue Lock might be, however, the Blu-ray release is surprisingly lacking in content. While the textless versions of the opening and ending and the Additional Time shorts are nice, there are no other special features on Blue Lock’s physical release, and with no limited or collector’s edition, there’s no version of Blue Lock’s Blu-ray with exclusive art or any other memorabilia. It’s fine enough for anyone just getting into the series, but for any diehard fans or collectors, it’s a rather disappointing release, especially with how popular Blue Lock was and how long it took for the Blu-ray to come out.
Further compounding the issue is the amount of episodes on the Blu-ray. It’s one thing for season 1 to be split up into multiple releases, but ending things on episode 12 rather than episode 13, which is where the real turning point in season 1 is, makes for an awkward distribution of episodes. Blue Lock is still just as good to watch as it was when it first aired, and with any luck, future releases of the anime will give old and new fans alike the kind of features that capitalize on that.
Disclosure: Review copy provided by Crunchyroll
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