Summary
- Blue Lock vs. U-20 match intensifies with players unlocking flow states after Shidou's goal chaos.
- Aiku's backstory reveals his transition from striker to defender and the harsh realities he faced.
- Isagi's time to shine is awaited as other players steal the spotlight in the thrilling match.
The Blue Lock vs. U-20 match continues on, and things seem to have been insanely one-sided in the previous episode, as Shidou was on a rampage, which should have been the case, but as it seems, it had dialed down quite a bit. So far we were only given the backstory of the Itoshi brothers, and it's nice to see another key player getting some love and a good backstory.
As the episode continues, the match began, and we saw that each player was driving and doing their best, and key players of the match were starting to enter their “Flow” state. At this point, the game feels like it could be in the hands of either team. Would Isagi finally be able to shine and prove he is the MC, or do we have to wait till the finale? I guess we have to wait!
Blue Lock Season 2 Episode 11: Entering The Flow State
Blue Lock vs. U-20 reaches its peak as Shidou’s Big Bang Drive goal ignites chaos and inspires players to unlock their flow states.
From Striker To Defender
Was It A Compulsive Decision?
Watching Aiku’s backstory gives quite a detailed answer as to why he wants to be the best defender ever. A once-bright kid wanting to be the best striker in the world, not able to achieve his dream, now wishing to crush other strikers, makes perfect sense! It’s surprising how many of the points he makes hit right home with us. His decision may have been very hasty; yeah, his coach denied him, but in his defense, he was right as well; if he had stayed true to his dream, Aiku's present would have been very different, but that's fate for you.
All adults, only water the buds they allow to bloom. They don't allow the flowers they can't control to blossom. - Oliver Aiku
Even in real life, oftentimes we are faced with the harsh reality of the bitter truth in the world that only the strong thrive, or the ones that make the rules are the ones in charge, and we have to change accordingly; as hurtful as that may be, it is the bitter truth. But seeing his backstory, especially how he decides to nourish the strikers that want to grow up, was heartwarming. He may seem like a cold and calculated individual, but he is actually quite the caring one.
The Chameleon Strikes Again
Counterattacking The Counterattack
The match continues on, and Blue Lock seems to be on the counterattack, but Shidou steals the ball and immediately goes on the offense, which is stopped by Gagamaru with an impressive fish kick, which is surprising how little time he had spent in Blue Lock as a defender, let alone a goalkeeper, but here we are! Watching these egoists giving it their all.
The highlight of the episode would be Reo copying Nagi’s insane move to initiate their counterattack. Blue Lock XI’s counterattack seemed quite well calculated, but sadly enough, they always seem to forget Sae in the equation, and somehow he is always at the place he’s needed the most; he seemingly stops Isagi from scoring, but Rin reads his play and arrives just in time for a pass, as well as someone else from the shadows too, Baro, who, in a funny way, being held by two players, unfazed and unbothered, passes right through them and scores an amazing goal, equalizing the score.
Where Is The Protagonist?
Come On Isagi, Do Something!
It’s great seeing all the characters getting the recognition they deserve, and with every player on the field equally participating in every play, we can’t help but wonder when, will our boy, Isagi, get the chance to shine? Sure, he was the reason most of the goals Blue Lock scored so far were possible, but he wasn’t directly the reason nor the one scoring the goal. It’s about time our MC was given the time to shine, isn’t it?
But I guess that’s the charm of the show; it isn’t purely centered around the protagonist and lets everyone else shine too. We still have time left in the second half, and, with the score being 3-3, it’s only a matter of time before Isagi completes his puzzle, and it's game over for everyone else at that point.
The production quality was improved quite a bit in the last episode, even though it did have some CGI scenes that felt odd, but overall it has improved since the start. And that seems to be the trend; the episode had good scenes. Baro's goal was done quite well, as well as Aiku's backstory sequence, and for the most part, the episode was mostly much calmer than the last two, so we can't really complain about animation, but this seems to be indicative of the calm before the storm, which is the final coming out next week. Let's just hope that is where all the budget and hard work went into!
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2024
- Directors
- Tetsuaki Watanabe, Shunsuke Ishikawa
- Writers
- Taku Kishimoto
Cast
-
Ricco Fajardo -
Drew Breedlove
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on Muneyuki Kaneshiro's soccer manga, Blue Lock revolves around a program to develop a world-class Japanese striker. Just about qualifying, Isagi has to face off against the nation's best young talents and survive selections, while constantly growing as a player.
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- 8bit
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Muneyuki Kaneshiro
- Number of Episodes
- 24 Episodes (Season 1); 14 Episodes (Season 2)
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.22 (Season 1)
