#bllk speculation

[boinin]

The dust has settled on Ubers versus Bastard Munchen. Any of us rooting for the Italian side have had to reconsider our theories for the PXG match. It's now being pitched as a battle of the NEL titans, rather than the scrappy underdog match-up some of us were hoping for.

I'm still excited for PXG v BM, as it means we'll get a definitive victor. Not just for the NEL, but for Blue Lock. It'll be either Isagi or Rin, just like in the U20 match.

But beyond that, there's a couple things I'd really like to see addressed. Namely around the master strikers... and the enigma that is Julian Loki.

Loki was introduced much earlier than his colleagues Lavinho, Chris Prince or Snuffy, preceded only by Noel Noa.

Unlike the other masters though, Loki is seventeen. Younger than many of the kids he's coaching... everyone but Rin and Nanase, so far as we know.

Given the other master coaches appear to be at minimum in their mid 20s to late 30s, Loki must have something extremely special going for him to be selected over another player... because whatever way you look at it, his age and inexperience pose a significant red flag.

You should not ask a seventeen year old to monitor a training camp for other teenagers. Come on. I bet Anri was banging her head off a desk when Ego informed her of this decision.

Anyway, building on this train of thought, Loki must have some heft both as a player and a coach to secure this gig. We know he's talented, from the World 5 game (third selection). We also know he's the "top rising star", at least in the French league. But why on earth was he chosen to be a master coach? Is it just to sell BLLK TV subscriptions?

Despite his relative inexperience, there's something about him that puts him in the same league as Noa, Snuffy, Prince and Lavinho, as both a player and a mentor. The question is, how will they establish this?

I have a vague prediction that would sell how good a coach he's been.

Each time so far, the Star Change System has been invoked by the opposing coach. Namely, Lavinho, Prince and Snuffy. Noa's never been particularly happy about it.

Imagine a scenario where PXG are destroying BM, as a result of their disjointed teamwork.

Rin has blown through their defence twice to score, and BM are visibly losing hope. Isagi's spilling puzzle pieces everywhere trying to come up with a countermeasure. But he needs time to think.

Right about then, if Noa decided to substitute on through the Star Change System... it would serve as a powerful commentary.

If resident frigid bastard Noel Noa has to row in to support his team, that says a lot about how well Loki has coached his players.

Does this overly rely on the PXG team's innate talent? Kinda. But you could say say the same for BM and Noa, who's managed to coax fantastic performances from his team in spite of his supposed hands-off approach. We only see things through Isagi's perspective. It's possible Noa's coached the others (such as Jin and Neru) off screen.

In essence: BM have raw talent, about the same as PXG. But the coaches are the ones who've polished it to a killer sharpness. You could argue Barcha were such pushovers because of Lavinho's refusal to refine their footballing early on. Manshine held up better, but like Lavinho Prince let his own narcissism get in the way against BM. Ubers were the hardest to beat, because Snuffy trained all of his players evenly.

So yeah: speculation for now, but I'm curious to see how they're going to justify Julien's placement as a Master Coach. Here's hoping we get some insight during the downtime chapters.

[pistatsia]

so thoughts on kaiser's... can't stand white drinks sentence?

Hi anon! Sorry for the late response

Ignoring possible ordinary lactose intolerance and my fractured by the "Kaiser and Ness, Ness and Kaiser" psyche, I'm betting on the…

Church. Take me to the church

(just in case - I'm an atheist and very poorly educated about religions, so I apologize if there are any inaccuracies here)

First of all, why would Kaiser be connected to religion? In addition to @echari3 stunning post here, where she draws some amazing parallels we have:

Kaiser's name itself is "Michael, God-given."

White is a color traditionally associated with Christianity, churches, praying, and faith;

The Bible is directly related to obedience.

Also? The Bible and the scriptures themselves are associated with milk.

Highlighting the main point from several articles I've read, the Bible is associated with milk both directly (in the religious scriptures) and indirectly consistently declaring the following (you can read the quotes from the Bible and scriptures here, and I'll just summarize below):

According to the Bible, one who is fed with milk is undeveloped and weak;

"I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready," - Letters of Paul to the Corinthians 3:2;

A baby does not eat bread, a baby does not eat meat, a baby does not eat anything at all but milk. And the Bible associates man with the baby, whom it teaches its dogmas;

And finally, we come to a conclusion:

Milk is the word of God. And believers who comprehend it are helpless infants.

And what could a man like Kaiser, who by his own words used to be a weak and easily submissive and surrendering person, hate the most?

Helplessness.

The Bible and religious writings teach in many ways precisely submission and humility. Don't take more than you need, give to everyone who asks of you and to the one who took yours, don't demand anything back, give the other cheek and so on.

And little Kaiser, who grew up in a very religious family (most likely obsessed with religion enough to even give him a name associating him with a god), couldn't have known any different. Children are easiest to control until they reach the age of transition - but once they do, they learn to think critically and question authority and the order of the house. If you follow my theory, then noticing this disobedience his family could have pressed on him even harder …

But Kaiser, with his incredibly strong character, did not obey, but instead resisted even more strongly - putting all of his rage, anger, and resentment into it.

You wanted me to be kind and merciful?

Then I will destroy.

You wanted me to be a god?

Then I will be the devil.

[bluelockednyx]

Lowkey hoping that Rin's seiyuu will not be Uchida Yuuma. Not because I don't like him (he's fun and bubbly and all that, and regularly takes a lot of care with his characters, and is able to give them a certain amount of depth too) but he's voicing one too many characters from the shows i watch already and I'm kind of at my limit with recognising his voice literally everywhere.

I kind of hope Rin's seiyuu will be someone new. Or someone a little more unexpected, at least. The hardest part to voice thus far, based on manga chapters, I think, will be voicing Rin when he has his flashback mid U20 match, especially his conversation with Sae when Sae returns from Spain and they have their fight.

The kind of sweetness as he talks to Sae, then the childish, yearning note as Sae says he's giving up on their dream, then the despair and sadness turning to anger as he mopes in his room before he smashes all their awards to the ground...

Just imagining it is giving me pain. I hope the anime, and the seiyuu, does it justice when it gets to that part, as distant as it is from now

[lovingluxury]

「 Nom. 」

「 blue lock. | headcanons. 」

𒈔ٍ⃛ㅤ ㅤ bllk boys getting nomed | non-sexual love bites | biting | biting back | leaving marks (on Bachiras part) | Sae literally biting a piece of flesh out of you, AND FOR WHAT?

𒈔ٍ⃛ㅤ ㅤ Rin, Sae, Bachira, Isagi, Chigiri, Nagi, Reo x gn!reader | fluff

𒈔ٍ⃛ㅤ ㅤ headcanon count: 49 in total

𒈔ٍ⃛ㅤ ㅤ notes: more at the end of the entry.

×° Rin °×

-> Would look at you with a judgy look and mind his own business after.

-> He ignores it until he feels your teeth sinking in his upper arm again.

-> he would not need to ask what you wanted to achieve with biting him out of the blue, his gaze speaks enough for itself.

-> When you explain him, it was a love bite but in a non-sexual way, showing him you love him, he would not understand, why you wound like to bite him rather than just say the words 'I love you' or to show it in other ways.

-> But he would get used to it. After some time.

-> I think, he would simply accept his fate of being bitten and maybe bite you back once.

-> But be prepared to be ignored afterwards and to never ever talk about it again.

×° Sae °×

-> Like Rin, he would give you a judgy look but 10x WORSE.

-> He would GLARE at you like you brought up the law to make football illegal.

-> And he wouldn’t say anything UNTIL you give him an explanation.

-> And this dude bites u back SO hard back, you stop doing it out of fear, he might bite a piece of your flesh out the next time.

-> And it helps for like two or three months before you try again with light bites.

-> Then he bites you back, this time a little lighter, but still hard enough to scare you to not do it for a while.

-> It would go on like that for a while until he accepts his fate of getting nomed no matter what he does against it. Just don’t bite too hard to leave marks.

×° Bachira °×

-> This dude would bite you back in an instant.

-> No hesitation, he would bite you in your shoulder with a little too much force, making you squeak.

-> But I can also imagine that he starts noming you out of the blue.

-> And with that the nom war starts.

-> Who noms the other more often throughout the day wins.

-> I can see all the bite marks on both of you from when you bit the other a little to hard.

-> It almost looks like an aggressive cat bit you from head to toe.

-> The bites seem just a little too big for a cat. But no one asks further. And no one speculates who it was.

-> Except his teammates. But they know who it was. They simply shut their mouths.

×° Isagi °×

-> He would be a little worried and would ask you if everything is alright.

-> Maybe you miss something, maybe you’re hungry, maybe he’s sitting on something you’ve been searching the whole time and you need it.

-> He’s just worried.

-> After you explain him, it’s nothing alerting, just a way of showing your love, he calms down.

-> He thinks it’s cute. It remembers him of a cat. He saw many cats on the internet biting their owner lightly as a way of showing their love.

-> A little extravagant, but still cute.

-> When he has the courage, he bites you back now and then. Not often though.

-> He just doesn’t want to hurt you.

×° Chigiri °×

-> Head empty, he just noms you back.

-> Of course he knows what you want to tell him and what a nom is, he follows all the trends.

-> Like Bachira, he would challenge you at this, who can nom the other more often throughout the day.

-> He would even record it occasionally, edit all the clips in one smooth video like all those shelving videos and upload it on TikTok.

-> the people in the comments would freak out and literally scream (all comments are written in caps) at how cute they think it is.

×° Nagi °×

-> He's so lazy, he would simply ignore it.

-> Maybe he wouldn't even feel your bite.

-> He would not say a word about it, that lazy he is.

-> But he would bite you back once, when he is laying over you like a blanket, his face in the crook of your neck.

-> A light nom in your shoulder. Not too hard to hurt you but not too light to not feel it.

-> Forget bringing him to mom you again, even this is a hassle for him.

×° Reo °×

-> Reo would look at you, all lovey dovey, with hearts in his eyes.

-> He thinks everything you do is cute.

-> This dude loves everything you do. He's obsessed with every bit of it.

-> You don't need to explain, he understands it's a way to show your love. He saw cats doing it enough times.

-> He is so nice and would return the gesture with a light nom in your shoulder. You won’t even feel his teeth sinking in your flesh.

-> He doesn't like it, when you get hurt, especially if he’s the one who hurt you.

-> After you started that, he’s continuing it with abit here and then.

-> He would stand behind you, warping his arms around your waist and then sink his teeth in you shoulder or upper arm.

𒈔ٍ⃛ㅤ ㅤ lovs monologue:

it turned out shorter than I thought. Especially Chigiris and Nagis part 🥲. Maybe I'll write something separate for them, when I feel like it.

any questions? feel free to ask! — ©lovingluxury 2024 — do not translate, re-upload without permission

[crossbowwwdotcom]

camilo's blue lock ff reccs ^_−☆ (as of december 25, 2023; may be updated):

- a shiver i cant shake by lockedskies .., 4k words and 1/1 chapters. a tabiori ff where they carpool on their way to bluelock from kansai which turns into a sort of roadtrip ff that lowkey had me kicking my legs

- behind the mask by kae_karo ... 6k words and 1/1 chapters. tabieita assasin au where theyre trying to kill each other but theyre pining!

- white tea and blackberry pie by juryrouge ... 12k words and 2/2 chapters. a kaisagi future ff from an outsiders pov of them slowly getting set up! its just rly cute

- electric blue by ithildin_23 ... 13k words and 4/? chapters. ANOTHER kaisagi ff where theyre all content creators! isagi is a gamer whos RLLY good at valo and kaiser is a blogger. unfortunately discontinued but still one of my favs!

- and if you flow with me (i hope it goes slow) by xshieru .., 18k words and 1/1 chapters. RLLLY cute bachisagi ff where they slowly get together over the course of blue lock. just generally rlly cute ^^

- im scared you wont be waiting on the other side by jumpinginmuddypuddles ... 7k words and 2/6 chapters. bachisagi where isagi is being hunted down and bachira is his bodyguard. very good but it hasnt been updated in so long so 😔

- like staccatos by rinksskii ... 18k words and 3/? chapters. rinsagi orchestra au with a very interesting plot that im very curious about!! sadly has not been updated in a while

- customer service by amazing__gracie ... 3k words and 1/1 chapters (but is the second work of a two work series!). very funny rinsagi where rin is a racer and isagi is an awesome mechanic. from the tags: "rin likes isagi" "isagi likes rin's car"

- no mountain too high, no river too wide by miyaeruisa .,, 36k words and two work series. featuring: figure skating kaisagi. GODDD ITS SO GOOD!! rivals to lovers with great amounts of balance of focus on the individual chars and their relationship and one of my favs to reread (esp the second work)

- go together by heartbeatrelics ... 3k words and 1/1 chapters. nagireo ff where nagi is searching for an apartment for him and reo to live in while reo has no idea theyre gonna live together...theyre so domestic and ughhhh yeah!

- kintsugi kids by retrosas ... 10k words and 1/1 chapters. rare chigisagi ff where theyre childhood friends and chigiri is healing from his knee injury (+ an isagi injury). really good!

- got me feeling like damn! by retrosas ... 11k words and 2/2 chapters. allsagi ff with just. everyone simping over each other while at a bllk party. SOOO rereadable!! staged in the future

- apricot scones by orphan account ... 4k words and 1/1 chapters. soft coffee shop bachisagi EXCEPT a secret someone is actually spiderman!!!! sooo cute

- sights worth seeing by mxmasochist ... 15k words and 6/6 chapters. 5 + 1 ff featuring yukki's injury!! just some plain old good hurt/comfort

- rhythm only you can follow by katlov ... 8k words and 1/1 chapters. kurosagi in bastard munchen where theyre just. soft. real cute and kurona gets hit in the face

- and they were roomates by chameleonardodicaprio .., 17k words and 2/2 chapters. nagireo stuff that had me TAKING LAPS. this is so!!! nrhdkdvj!!!! just nagireo being gay and everyone speculating in the nel

- the third time by anonymous .., 66k 12/? chapters! rinsagi stuff where isagi is a super famous idol and rin is training to be his backup dancer!! realllly good stuff with both of them being good at what they do and. yeah!

- the universe thinks we should kiss or something by misstresssleepless ... 4k words and 1/1 chapters. AWESOME tabieita soulmate au where theyre just a little funky. figuring things out for 4k words basically

- im working on it by orphan account ... 52k words and 10/10 chapters. LAST CHAPTER IS SMUT beware!!! really good slow burn tabieita in blue lock with great character plot!! theyre so cute

- the little things by meemawz ... 1k words and 1/1 chapters. just a gen fic of isagis senses being way too strong. very cute hurt/comfort and fluff (i also love this trope so much plspls write more for this)

- streamer nagi cinematic universe by okwa ... 12k words and 4 works. what it says on the tin! js lots of cute stuff with nagireo!

[saph-yells-into-the-void]

WTF OMG pls share the connections??? why does he not like milk 😭😭

PLS NOTE I DIDNT COME UP WITH THIS ITS TWT SPECULATION- (also tw for discussion of csa)

the most likely answer is that the comment about aversion to white drinks is kaiser just being dramatic about being lactose intolerant (lmao) but um, yknow, the emphasis on white... and what else is a white liquid... couple that with kaisers habit of choking himself...

ik bllk has already delved into dark topics so far, like child neglect and suicide, but the idea of a character going through child sexual abuse just feels so heavy and dark i dont think that kaneshiro will go in that direction. its just an unnerving connection

[aesterblaster]

For the ship game! Bachisagi, hubris

A/N : Honestly for these had to remember it's not asking for full on fics just what comes to your head first TT so sorry

tw for homophobia

Hubris: Excessive Pride, Defiance of the Gods

When it came out that famous soccer player Isagi Yoichi, main playmaker of the experimental Blue Lock project, was dating Bachira Meguru a fellow player...a man...all hell broke loose. Not even Anri could pr her way out of a just slightly off screen kiss that managed to get onto Blue Lock TV. There was an outpouring of outraged fans, some fangirls of either of the boys who were simply upset that they'd never have a chance, some claiming that the repressive enviornment had changed their behavior and this was more proof BLLK was unnatural, and still others simply sending in death threats.

Isagi was completely unaware of this. He thought that maybe, just maybe he was far away enough from the prying eyes of the camera...but he didn't know they were in the common areas too. He thought they were just on the field until he used his reward points to get his phone back. If there was one thing Isagi Yoichi was, it was prideful. He couldn't deny that watching people react to his skills was as validating as it was unreal, seeing the love pour in from around the world only made him more motivated to keep going and to defeat Kaiser. But this time when he looked up his name on Twitter all he got were clips of him kissing Bachira.

His cheeks went red. Fuck. He hastily scrolled through the tag past the frankly violating fanart that had been posted at light speed, past the wild speculations and accusations, all the way to a comment from one of his old teammates. "Always knew that guy was off..he was always looking at me weird during practices. Fucking disgusting. I hope he gets kicked out of there soon and seen as the fluke he is, he's just there to try and make the other guys date him." Isagi stared at that one for a long time, he frankly couldn't even remember who this guy was and now he was claiming Isagi was eyeing him? "Why does every good player have to be a homo these days this is actually sickening..just imagine what they do off camera..." Isagi turned off his phone, he'd seen enough, he had a match tomorrow he should be training for that.

Yoichi kicked like he meant to break the goal in half, he kicked like he was trying to behead someone, he almost broke the image generating collar of the fake goalie. He just wanted to get rid of everything he was feeling welling up inside of him like a bucket trying to hold its own under torential rainfall. He felt disgusted at himself, like his pride had been marred and he'd been caught commiting a crime. What would his parents think? What would Ego say? How the hell did that even get online in the first place. Isagi let out a scream of pure anger as he angled his kick towards a camera in the corner of the room. He knew those bastards were watching him even now and making jokes about his tantrum. He had to score next match..he had to crush the opposition..he had to prove himself..he was better than them.

"Is this...a bad time?" Shit. Isagi didn't turn around, even though he really really wanted to. He just kept his back to Bachira, his breathing slowing as he tried to weigh his options in his head. "Y'know, I was wondering if you were coming to lunch, all the good stuff is going to be gone soon.." AKA, come with me, I want to spend time with you. Bachira felt so smart when he came up with those little code words and phrases to talk to Isagi without letting the producers and sponsors of Blue Lock know everything...Isagi marveled at how useless that was now.

"I already ate. You can beat it, I want to practice alone."

Bachira stiffened. Isagi was never this blunt with him, sure he was shy sometimes but there was a new edge to his partner's voice that made his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Isagi..."

"Meguru-" Isagi never called him Meguru. "just get the hell out. I need to actually focus." If only he could see the way Bachira's heart sunk when he said that, if only he turned around and saw his amber eyes glossy with held back tears, maybe he would've been a little kinder. "I said fucking beat it damn it! Didn't you hear I already ate? We need to start being serious. This is a competition and only one of our egos will win. If you practice with me all the time you'll know everything right?! My prefrences, my likes and dislikes, why I do what I do......"

It had taken so, so long to get to this point. So many hours of talking in front of the screens and watching replays of matches, so many small touches and compliments, so many moments spent awkwardly questioning if they both felt the same way. Only to be ripped apart as one instant on some viral tv show they barely even asked to be on. "So fucking leave."

In that instant, Isagi didn't know Bachira had already left.

:After The Match:

Bachira knew exactly what Isagi was upset about. He saw the clip after Hiori mentioned it to him in passing ("Oh and I didn't know you two were a couple. That explains a lot.") and he was similarly horrified by people's responses. But there was one key difference between Isagi and Bachira.

Bachira had been through this type of thing before. He had been kicked and bullied and called names for doing things no one else understood. He'd been called weird and gross and abnormal before. And his only response was to keep going. He couldn't stop these people from calling him horrible things and he sure as hell couldn't please them. If some team wanted to drop their offer because he loved someone and they loved him back then so be it. He'd be damned if he stopped showing up for his boyfriend.

So he went to watch his match on the benches. The way he got so riled up during the match, staring at the field like a man on a mission, the amazing goals he scored when no one saw him coming..it all reminded Bachira why he loved Isagi so much in the first place. Just seeing him explode with speed and purpose across the turf got his heart racing and his looks when he blocked someone before stealing the ball were only comparable to a supermodel. The angles he managed to hit the ball at, the spin he put into it, all of it made Bachira proud to be Isagi's boyfriend. He just had to wait until he was back to prove it.

"Isagi! That was amazing!" Shit. Isagi couldn't turn his back this time so he just tried to wave him off. There were showers in the common areas too after all.

"Bachira.." There was nothing more he wanted than to collapse into his arms, his whole body felt like it was burning from the inside out, like he had been running from something his whole life. God, why was he so perfect with his two toned hair and sculpted muscles? Why was he so gentle, wrapping around Isagi like a warm blanket after a hard day? "You're making this so hard."

"What avoiding me after that kiss was caught on TV?"

"Y-you know about that!? Bachira we have to stay apart until this all cools down I- I can't waste my carrer."

Bachira only hugged him tighter. "You think they're gonna stop. But they won't. You're scared, I get it. I kind of am too. But there's no way I'm letting some people online who've never even touched a soccer ball tell me to stop kissing you." Isagi gently pushed away to create just enough distance to stare into his eyes, it was his turn to get teary.

"Fuck, I-I..are you sure?"

"Yeah. I am." And right there, in front of a well placed camera, Bachira kissed Isagi Yoichi, top soccer player and emerging super star. And he was planning to do it again and again, as long as he let him.

[miriamstuff]

Theory about Kunigami and the Wild Card

I came up with this thing after chapter 149, and I wanted to share it here because I think it still makes some sense.

I've been learning Japanese for like... 4 months, I think? So I'm not an expert, but I know some basic stuff by now.

So anyway, this is how "Kunigami Rensuke" looks in Kanji:

國神 錬介

I believe characters' names are chosen for a reason. Let's take "介" as an example. This Kanji means something like help, assistance, to mediate, to be in between; which makes perfect sense with Kunigami's personality (at least to me).

But let's focus on the third kanki: 錬. I did a quick search online and found out it has the following meanings when used with other kanji:

• To practice

• To polish

• To refine

• Forging

• Disciplining

• Training

• Veteran

• Someone schooled by adversity in many battles

• Someone rich in life's experience gained through much adversity

All the definitions listed above obviously make me think that Kunigami had to compete with other eliminated players in the "Wild Card", to become the sole survivor, the only winner, which explains why he's back in Blue Lock.

In the Wild Card, he faced much adversity. The competition was tough, he had to train a lot, but he could get better, he was able to refine and polish his weapons. He grew through the adversities, through the pain, through these "different philosophies" Ego mentioned in chapter 155. He went through a lot; but gained experience, discipline, and became a better player.

And he survived.

And maybe that explains why he looks like this now

I hope we see what exactly happened to him in the next chapter. In any case, I'm just sure about one thing:

He needs some sleep. RIGHT NOW.

[boinin]

Last minute speculation about the next chapter, which will hopefully leak today. 247 will carry the title "Originality" according to PO2 Scans.

In this chapter, Noa rounds up the Japanese players for a strategy meeting. He finds Igaguri and Kiyora training (calling it now: they're rehearsing malicia foul 💀), while the other seven are in the monitor room checking out the new rankings.

...but there's ten players in BM.

...Kunigami, I'm trying to give your emo ass plot relevance, bear with me.

More likely than not, "Originality" will be Noa glazing Isagi and his MV powered plays, during the strategy meeting. Maybe it'll be the coach throwing Igaguri, Kiyora and Neru a bone at last, with an order to showcase their originality. Because they're unseen talents, that might give BM an edge over PXG.

Go figure. But what the title made my mind jump to was the inverse of originality: imitation.

Kunigami is Noel Noa's mimic, the Wild Card copycat. Although it's hard to get a read on the frigid bastard, it's unlikely he's pleased by this hulking teenager trying to ape his playstyle. He's an egoist himself, after all, if not one in Ego Jinpachi's mould. Besides, the experiment has arguably failed.

Being Noel Noa hasn't worked in Kunigami's favour.

Wild Card improved his physical stats, robbed him of his ability to co-operate on the pitch, and has rendered him next to invisible in Bastard Munchen. Yukimiya and Hiori had more impact in round 3 against Ubers, and the latter barely played five minutes of that match.

I could go on and on, but I already have: here I talk at length about Kunigami's character arc. But in short, in my view, this is the key thematic question of the Neo Egoist League, for both him and Isagi:

"Originality" is one of the qualities needed to adapt and survive. Isagi shows it in spades, and has all but conquered the team for himself. It's about time Kunigami took that advice on board and changed tactic.

But.... let's see. Watch the next chapter be an Isagi-glaze fest—I'll head to Tumblr Live on its deathbed to wipe the egg off my face.

[boinin]

favourite panels from chapter 239's official release 💙

With how downplayed Barou's reaction was (he only got two tiny panels this week), manifesting a exchange between him and Isagi in a future chapter.

[boinin]

A question I've been dwelling on recently: the Egoist Four each have two goals apiece in the Neo Egoist League.

Bachira had his Bee Shot, and also scored FC Barcha's sole goal against Ubers.

Kunigami scored the last goal against Barcha, and BM's second goal against Manshine, threatening to break the net each time.

Chigiri got to show off his 44° Panther Snipe against BM, and also managed to score against PXG. (Someday Episode Nagi will show us how he did it!)

Slow to start, but Isagi is now level with his buddies, following his two goals against Ubers.

While Isagi is undoubtedly the star of the bunch, the other three are important companions of his. Narratively, they've followed and kept up with him through every arc shh blame Ego for making Kunigami for missing the U20 match

They're his friendliest rivals. But I'm so curious about how they'll all fare at the end of the NEL.

Isagi has to score against PXG... if not twice, then certainly once.

So too has Kunigami, if they don't completely fumble his character development in favour of Isagi, Kaiser and Rin (the outcome I fear).

Chigiri and Bachira have two matches each to play. It's almost a given that they'll each score at least once. Besides that, Bachira doesn't have a rival striker on FC Barcha, unless Otoya decides to up his game.

So, what will the outcome look like?

Isagi: 3 goals? He could hit 4 if he humiliates both Rin and Kaiser to beat PXG. He's also got three assists to his name.

Kunigami: 3 goals. Please. It's all I want for him as a player. I'll be so cross if he doesn't score against PXG.

Barchira: 4 goals...? 5 goals...? Best case scenario... 6 goals? Cos Barcha ain't beating Manshine or PXG, let's be real.

Chigiri: 4 goals, one each against Ubers and Barcha. The number 4 is a recurring motif for him. Besides that, the dramedy that is the Nagireo show means our princess is unlikely to do more. But that's still better than Yukimiya or Kunigami... or possibly Kaiser.

Either way, Isagi will come out on top. But I sincerely hope he's closely followed by his three Team Z companions.

[boinin]

This has got to be to do with the salaries, right?

Here's a quick reminder of where we are with the auction:

Easy guesses first—Isagi's hitting 150 million, right? It's the least he deserves 😤 #justiceforHIMSAGI

My guess is Barou will reach about the same number. Although Ubers lost, he scored the same amount of goals as Isagi and poses just as much of an offensive threat.

However, Rin will skyrocket to the top of the leaderboard after steamrolling Manshine City. My guess for him? He'll be the first to break 200 million—maybe even before PXG plays Barcha.

Chigiri will get a healthy bounce and hit around 80 million, as will Reo. Hiori deserves to match Reo's second round 40 million at least IMO. The auctions don't favour midfielders, but we can expect some inflation as the clubs start playing their hands and pursuing talent. The global exposure Blue Lock is enjoying can only be growing.

Now for a depressing question: will any of the bids drop?

I think there's a chance either or both Nagi and Kunigami might see this happening. Narratively, this point in the story seems to represent one of Nagi's lowest points, despite reuniting with Reo. His bid before was high—for a goal that was a fluke, per Ego's assessment. A drop in bid would create angst for a dark Episode Nagi chapter... in about two years' time.

As for Kunigami, I've shared my thoughts at length about his narrative journey in the NEL. Again, since I'm expecting inflation in the bids, I don't see him losing money in this round. But he'll almost certainly be leapfrogged by Chigiri, leaving him the lowest ranked of the Egoist Four—despite being a so-called copy of the world's best striker. How timely: he's overdue some character development....

[boinin]

Next goal speculation (chapter 255 onwards)

We still doing those BM v PXG bingo cards? Cos whoever had Hiori assisting someone that isn't Isagi might get a ✖️ soon...

More power to him. Though they're friends, Hiori has to play for his own enjoyment and passion. If Isagi isn't in position for Hiori to play at his best, then that's Isagi's problem, not Hiori's.

What are his options? Well...

Ness might have gotten injured by Zantetsu during chapter 254, so there could be a substitution for Kurona or Yukimiya next chapter (if Kaneshiro-san wants to turn the screws on Kaiser this early into the match).

But at the moment, given that Hiori dislikes Kaiser himself, his options for goal assists are really just:

Isagi

Kunigami (though he's been swapped by Noa to a midfield position)

Raichi (bringing sexy football back), or

Kiyora

To that end, this juxtaposition is interesting...

Hiori and Kunigami are shown to have different desires, much as Charles and Shidou did when they pulled off their goal a couple chapters ago.

Hiori wants to out-play Charles, while Kunigami wants to beat Shidou.

Retaining their individual hungers and entering a flow state, can these two pull off a goal of their own by overlapping their desires?

Kunigami hasn't played nicely with his teammates in the Neo Egoist League. But he also spent the last match getting cooked by the defence/Isagi. Maybe he'll have an epiphany—or maybe facing down Shidou will bring about a change in heart.

[boinin]

“The biggest blindspot on the field...”

Here's our teaser for how Isagi and Hiori's idealised goal is gonna go down. Any thoughts? Here are mine:

The second to last panel from chp 237 shows us the situation near the Ubers goal.

There's no defenders in front of the goal, so it's up to Fukaku Gen alone to fend off scoring attempts. (RIP buddy)

Isagi is double-marked by Rico and Aryu—who has incredible reach and excels at aerial battles.

Aiku and Niko are closing in on Hiori. They have the ability to predict actions using MV in a similar way to Isagi, but lack his imagination. Isagi sees more possibilities.

Finally, Kaiser is moving in from Hiori's left—who also has MV, is just as imaginative as Isagi and has better stats... but who's also experiencing frustration-induced tunnel-vision, hampering his judgement.

Isagi can't receive the ball where he is—Aryu would intercept it, even if Hiori gets past Niko and Aiku.

If Hiori hesitates, he'll get pressed by the defenders and/or Kaiser.

So, it seems like Isagi wants Hiori to send the ball to an unoccupied part of pitch, within his reach.

Where's Isagi thinking of?

Where... or what? Has he got another tactic in mind?

More in-depth speculation under the cut.

Nomura and Kaneshiro love foreshadowing outcomes in Blue Lock. It's infuriating, but I love that kind of storytelling.

On a character level, Isagi is driven to win this match with his own goal, winning his bet with Kaiser. He faces steep opposition by Ubers naturally, but also by Kaiser himself.

Two further considerations: Isagi must ensure that neither Kunigami nor Yukimiya profit off his playmaking.

Kunigami is trying to prove his relevance as a striker against all odds and won't hesitate to poach a fumbled kick by Isagi.

On the other hand, Yukimiya has been willing to assist Isagi in this match so far... but will he sacrifice a chance to score himself in order to support Isagi?

Hell no. Isagi understands their individual protagonism. So even if they join the fray, Isagi's goal idea can't involve them. It's between him and Hiori only.

I keep coming back to this panel of Isagi's eye from chapter 235. In chapter 237, we see a version of it in Hiori's eyes.

His main weapon is his direct shot, which is his ability to score on a pass without stopping the ball's momentum. From Hiori's perspective, we see a slightly hunched or twisted Isagi, kicking.

Remember how the creators love forshadowing? Well, Isagi's positioning in Hiori's vision reminded me of something shown much earlier... before the Ubers match started at all.

Do you remember when Isagi is training with Kurona and Yukimiya between matches? It's from chapter 208.

Here's what came to mind:

Here, Isagi moves in Yukimiya's blind spot (I'll see myself out 🤓), then uses him for balance to pivot and score with his direct shot.

It's actually a sick goal. Downplayed, since it's during training, but Igaguri comments afterwards that Isagi's become a monster.

Who sent that ball Isagi's way in the first place? I'm glad you asked...

...it was none other than Hiori.

They're in trickier circumstances. There's way more players in the mix. But this is a goal they've both achieved before.

As Hiori puts it:

For Kaiser, nothing is impossible.

This isn't the case for Isagi. He is limited by his physical abilities. There's no way he's pulling off a bicycle kick, the way Kaiser did.

But he's been working hard to increase his number of possibilities: increasing his 'luck', per the meaning Ego gives. Back to another thematically significant moment in chapter 213:

For Isagi, this match has been all about proving his worth as a striker. He spent a lot of it defending and being a midfielder—but now he has Hiori by his side, he's free to focus on offence... utilising his weapons' potential to the fullest.

So, to finish things off? Isagi will be scoring a goal that's unique to his skillset and weapons. He'll position himself using MV, and he'll score with a direct shot. In addition, I believe he and Hiori will exploit another character's blind spot, to distract all the defenders.

Who will that be? Well, Nomura/Kaneshiro might have hinted at that too, towards the end of chapter 237:

Kaiser? Barou?

It'd be a risky play. But Hiori does call this idea totally crazy...

Roll on Friday's leaks! ⚽

[boinin]

are volume 27 omakes out?

Apparently it didn't come with too many 🥲 at least according to hoshi:

(src)(src)(src)

The little comments from the manga creators are wholesome though! Reposting Hoshi's translation below:

VOLUME 27 COMMENTS

KANESHIRO MUNEYUKI (writer)

Recently, I've been hearing more and more that people outside of Japan are reading and watching this work. It makes me happy. I'm glad I draw manga. Manga is amazing, isn't it?

NOMURA YUSUKE (artist)

"Blue Lock" manga separates the colors of each volume using character colors... Well, choosing the colors is starting to become difficult. What should I do...?

They know we exist! ✨

Sounds like Nomura-san is getting worried about what volume colours to use going forward! Zantestu's cover will likely be grey, and Kiyora's should be peacock blue... wonder which ones are stumping him after that? my money's on this Charles kid

[boinin]

isagi wanting all players' attention to focus on hiori while slipping in a blind spot to strike

taking inspiration from barou much?

barosagi canon btw

Beyond even that I think.

Isagi needs to shake off Rico and Aryu if he wants to score. They know he's a massive threat, so they're stuck on him. Aiku and Niko are also present. He is going to have a hard time navigating that many defenders unless he can create a distraction.

What kind of distraction? Could be Kaiser getting the ball, or him being lured over to steal it... I mean, it'd be amazing if Isagi uses Kaiser to score this goal. Ditto Barou.

Alternatively, we're the ones being lured... into believing this is Isagi's goal.

What if Hiori and Isagi are over-ambitious? They lose possession, but Kaiser's about to sweep in. Well, shit—but at least BM still wins.

Psyche! From Kaiser's shadow comes Lorenzo. He sweeps the ball up the field, faster than Isagi can keep up... right into Barou's scoring range. He shoots. Gagamaru blocks it, but has to throw himself prone in the process.

Free ball! But look—who's that running in from the corner?

He shoots—and scores!

GOAL! 📢📢📢

Sendou Shuuto, former ace of the U20 team, claims victory for Ubers!

...there's a reason Kaneshiro is an acclaimed manga writer and I'm not 😎 but the outrage if this happens skskssk