Blue Lock’s Creator Has One Simple Reason Why He Made the Series So Unique

Blue Lock has quickly grown into one of the most popular and exciting new sports anime series, both in Japan and worldwide. It was Japan’s best-selling manga for the year 2023, pushing Shonen Jump hits like Jujutsu Kaisen beneath it on the leaderboard. This was a truly impressive achievement for the sports anime genre, which is becoming increasingly popular with other hit series like Haikyu!! enjoying massive fanbases.

The Animania website interviewed the Blue Lock manga author Muneyuki Kaneshiro and the manga series’ illustrator Yusuke Nomura. Since the original interview was conducted in Japanese and then translated into German by Animania, Blue Lock fan and Reddit user, u/JealousyOfThis, translated the interview into English.

One of the interview questions, directed towards Muneyuji Kaneshiro, asked the author to explain why the series predominantly highlights personal successes and individuality rather than the idea of working together in sync to win as a team, which is a surprising deviation from the typical sports anime formula seen many times before.

Blue Lock Centers On The Individual Rather Than The Success Of The Team

While most sports anime protagonists cooperate with the team, Isagi Yoichi stands out on his own

“My biggest difficulty is creating characters who live for ‘someone else’. Simply because I am not that type myself. One could look at the motivation underlying a ‘selfless’ mindset from another perspective, namely: ‘I’m great because I sacrifice myself for others!’. And suddenly selfless would be a selfish way of thinking again!”- Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Blue Lock author

Kaneshiro went on to describe how the choice originated from his own personal preferences and inability to relate to protagonists who “live for “someone else.” He set out to write a new type of main character who was individualistic and self-motivated, rather than a team player. Kaneshiro also explained how these “selfless” characters often actually cycle back into selfishness, by patting themselves on the back too much for being so self-sacrificial and giving. He finds it better to just have a character who unashamedly fights for their own goals, and this created Isagi Yoichi and the other Blue Lock contest participants.

“So at the end of the day everyone lives somewhere ‘for themselves’ – so why not let your ego run free? That’s cool! Those were my thoughts when I wrote it – and maybe that gave the work that characteristic touch.” – Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Blue Lock author

This philosophy dramatically sets Blue Lock apart from most other sports anime, since the main foundation of most of these series is the idea of teamwork, bonding with teammates, and battling opponents during the games as one cohesive unit. There are undoubtedly aspects of team play in Blue Lock, since it would be nearly impossible to write a sports-centered story without some kind of cooperation during games. However, this is not the series’ primary focus. Each player is an individual and, ultimately, they are all competing against one another to be the winner of the contest and become Japan’s best striker.

Jinpachi Ego Embodies The Series’ Message Perfectly

The creator of the Blue Lock competition constantly asserts the importance of individual “ego” and self-assuredness

Jinpachi Ego is the man who developed the Blue Lock Project for 300 skilled participants to compete in elimination team and one-on-one challenges. His intention is to find the best striker of the group and utilize their talents to lead Japan’s team to victory in the World Cup. This is a lofty goal and Ego recognizes the necessity of keeping his contestants motivated to keep playing as hard as they can, so he constantly gives them speeches on the importance of “ego.” It is appropriate that he is named Ego, since he believes having this trait is crucial to win.

In the interview, Kaneshiro specifically mentioned this term, “ego,” posing the question “why not let your ego run free?” when describing the series’ primary message. This theme is embodied in the actions and thought processes of all the characters, including Isagi Yoichi, the protagonist. After losing a major high school game, Isagi was extremely discouraged, but then received an invitation to the Blue Lock competition. Once he arrived, he quickly discovered his old style of playing soccer would not lead him to victory in Blue Lock and that it was time to shed his teamwork-focused strategy and begin playing for himself.

The Blue Lock Players Make Excellent Teams, But Ultimately Must Thrive Individually

Although the series does include phenomenal team play, self-motivation is framed as most important

There are instances of teamwork in Blue Lock, especially during challenges that pit two small teams against one another, with the losing team eliminating one player from the contest. For example, Bachira Meguru and main character, Isagi Yoichi formed a friendship. The two discovered that by combining Isagi’s top-notch eyesight and Bachira’s flawless dribbling, the pair could set up incredible plays and achieve victory in team matches. Throughout the series, groups of characters work together in this manner, but the overarching theme of individuality is always present, since the contestants know that only one player will win the competition.

Blue Lock has gained immense popularity due to how unique the series is in comparison to any other sports anime, since it differentiates itself by putting individual victory at the forefront rather than the success of the entire team. Isagi started as more of a team player and grew into someone willing to fight relentlessly for his own achievements, which is the opposite of how character arcs usually play out in sports series. By not following the typical sports anime format, Muneyuki Kaneshiro has made Blue Lock groundbreaking and proven that a sports anime does not have to emphasize teamwork.

Source: Reddit

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