#blue lock meta

[boinin]

Batten down the hatches: Rin's ego is about to land

The latest chapters show Rin playing with an unfamiliar aura: what looks like swirling rivulets of water.

This represents the refinement of his ego and playstyle since the under-20 match. But what exactly are they going for with the swirling water? Here's my two cents.

Rin is strongly associated with water, specifically the sea. He grew up by the coast; he and Sae shared a love of watching the sunset over the water after training together. Those childhood memories are turbulent now, like dark clouds on the ocean's horizon.

It's here he realises that he can no longer play the puppetmaster football that helped him thrive in Blue Lock. As good as he is, it wasn't authentic... and it's nowhere near where he needs to be to compete with his brother, or even Isagi.

Rin's flow state is the most unique out of any others we've seen. Let's dig into it. All panels are from the official translation, which is important as the translation choices are 1) consistent and 2) likely chosen carefully.

In the dying moments of the match, Rin complains about feeling restrained. Being Itoshi Rin is eating him alive.

Cool, calm and aloof.

A genius. Prodigy. Puppetmaster.

Team player. Team captain.

Isagi Yoichi's partner. Shidou Ryuusei's rival.

Itoshi Sae's little brother.

The prospect of defeat rudely wakes him up. His pretence comes crashing down hard, triggered by his ineffectiveness in spite of the teammates around him. It's one of the best rugpulls in sports manga.

When the power of friendship comes knocking, Itoshi Rin tells it to fuck off and die.

What a glorious moment... and not just because it posits Rin as a Uchiha Sasuke kinnie. I prompt you to examine his eyes in this panel.

They're a swirling vortex of hate and destruction, befitting Blue Lock's angstiest character. The shape reminds me of this:

Satellite images of Hurricane Franklin and Hurricane Idalia, August 2023. Image credit: NOAA Satellites.

Rin's true ego, which he unleashes against Sae, is a storm.

Optional soundtrack for the rest of this post (because Rin 100% listens to this once it comes out in Blue Lock's universe).

Although it isn't portrayed visually as such in the under-20 arc, the metaphor fits Rin's evolving playstyle. What is more destructive, more uncontrollable, more senseless than a hurricane? A violent force of nature that we can predict but never avert?

When a storm approaches, all we can do is rank it, track it, then attempt to mitigate the inevitable damage.

In football terms? Sounds a lot like playing Rin.

It's even alluded to in chapter 250: the graphics for Rin's formation are similar to the satellite images of large storms.

Within the U20 match, there are exchanges that support this theory. Darai calls Rin's evolving playstyle arrogant and avaricious. The latter (meaning extreme greed) is evocative of a force that pursues what it wants without regard for anything in its surroundings. What it can't have, it destroys.

Niou is confident enough in his physicality to try withstand his opponent's attrack. Rin literally flips him into the air. Niou's hubris brings to mind all man-made constructs which are supposedly storm-proof... until a cyclone comes along and proves otherwise.

The contrast between Rin and Sae's egos are interesting. If we accept Rin's is a storm, i.e. a destructive force of nature that cannot be controlled, Sae's is the opposite despite being as impossible to defy. Sae's motif is defined in the manga as "beautiful destruction", plays and passes depicted in graceful data strings. Rather than natural, his playstyle is sleek and controlled, and dominant to the point of appearing pre-ordained by his opponents.

Their attitudes are equally different. While Rin drools and loses composure in the final minutes, Sae does little more than raise his eyebrows throughout the entire game. He's completely emotionless.

It's the extremes of human nature: animalistic rage versus robotic detachment. This time, the latter wins. Will Rin have an opportunity to face his brother again, with a better grasp on his ego? Here's hoping.

My final thoughts on Rin are speculative. How does one beat a storm? Not just endure—but subdue and calm one?

It's beyond human capability. The ability to control the weather exists only in myth and fantasy, and even then it's usually in the hands of powerful entities, not mere heroes or wizards.

Subduing something as powerful as a hurricane would require a god.

Is this Isagi and Rin's endgame?

Time will tell.

[xoxobluelock]

Itoshi Sae, Physical Contact, and the Exceptions: Rin and Shidou

As of Chapter Ch 214, the only two people we see Sae allow to touch him are his little brother…and Shidou Ryusei.** Post (S)pain, it’s only been Shidou. 

**I’m going to argue that Sae allows Shidou to jump on his back. And I mean 'argue' in the lightest sense.

-

Quick preface: Just organizing and posting notes I took on the subject for characterization in a fic (they are, therefore, biased). I’m not claiming that no one has ever touched Sae, just that the manga only shows a select few occasions. We’ll go in chapter and not chronological order. For the most part.

-

The first time the manga shows us anyone trying to initiate contact with Sae is with these two clowns (JFU President and U-20 “coach”) in Ch 107. Hardly surprising that Sae wouldn’t shake the hands of people he so clearly doesn’t respect. 

Every expression in this panel is priceless.

Next up, Ch 111:

Aiku and his proposal are plainly of more interest to Sae than the JFU bozos, yet Sae nopes right out of Aiku’s ‘gentlemen's agreement’ handshake. And then threatens to nope out of the whole match if the U-20 Team can’t meet his standards.

We see Sae being rushed by celebratory teammates several times. Not once do we readers see any of them actually succeed in throwing an arm around him pre-Spain, in Spain, or post-Spain. Until Shidou.

Post Spain (Ch 116): 

Sae has just scored a goal crazy enough to have Isagi think, “The leading actor in this game is Itoshi Sae!!” The crowd is going wild, the U-20 Team is rushing Sae in joy, …and Sae literally slaps them off: “Hands off, chumps.” 

Poor Fox Kid and Not-Bokuto. They seem so darn sweet. 

Now, a blast from the past. 

Pre-Spain (Ch 123): 

I don’t know about y’all, but I can so clearly see Little Sae ducking right out these guys’ arms—in a more humorously standoffish way. Like how we see Rin sidestep Isagi (coming right up!). An imagination is all we got here.

Spain (Ch 125):

Now in the mysterious (S)pain… Hopefully we’ll get more than a glimpse of it one day! Would Sae have dodged the Real Madrid Youth Team guys? Would he have numbly endured it? Would he have slapped them off? Etc.? The manga, again, leaves us to wonder. (My money’s on the second one.)

Once again, I’m definitely not saying Sae’s teammates have never succeeded in tackling him in celebration. Just that it’s notable we, the readers, don’t see it. Yet. 

I’ll conclude with some pre-Spain Itoshi Bros cuteness, but let’s talk some post-Spain Itoshi Bros parallels first.

Ch 121

Poor Isagi. 😂 Rin sees him coming with a little “!” and dodges his charge like the plague with a grumpy lil “Hmph.”

Rin, now away from Isagi, goes right back to business in the next panel.

Ten chapters later, we have a Sae parallel. 

Ch 131

Just like Rin, Sae sees a celebratory missile coming right at him with a “!” and a less than enthusiastic expression—yet Sae doesn’t dodge Shidou.

Shidou definitely takes off like a bat out of hell (ha). But do we really think Itoshi Sae of the New Generation World XI couldn’t have even sidestepped—like his little brother—if he’d really wanted to?

I think Sae allows Shidou his moment of clingy celebration. Especially in light of the Rin and Isagi parallel. Remember, this was immediately following Shidou’s unbelievable Big Bang Drive—a goal that had even Sae showing open surprise on his face (Ch 130). Shidou becomes the first one shown to have jumped on Sae in celebration.

(Real talk, though: someone please give Kitsunezato and Neru a high five!)

The next page…

Both pursuers of the Itoshi Bros end up with a hard impact on the ground, and yet….

Sae doesn’t tell Shidou to f— off after throwing Shidou off him. Shidou doesn’t get an icy “Hands off, chump” like Fox Kid and Not-Bokuto. Sae doesn’t stalk off (he actually lingers and seems to chat while Shidou just chills on the ground and gives him a lil thumbs-up). Sae tells Shidou, “You have to get a hat trick, remember? Then you’d get my number. Hands off until then, you horny demon.” Untillll being the operative word (...one of them, anyway 😅). Not only does Sae let Shidou latch on, Sae banters with Shidou.

This is outside the point of this post, but Sae looks…sad? nostalgic? when Shidou first jumps on him. It doesn’t last long, but it’s there. Perhaps relating to the panels I’m about to bring up. (Addressing what may have prompted Sae’s “Gross” and “horny demon” reactions + his punch/tackle is also outside the purview of this post 😅 Same with speculating on what the helllll these two were talking about below.)

Concluding with some Pre-(S)pain Itoshi Bros

Ch 123:

We see Little RinRin as the original No Touchy exception. And it’s so wholesome.

And Sae actually reaching out to Rin and being affectionate. Maybe we’ll see it again one day.

Ch 124

Look, the Itoshi Bros are capable of high fives! Or, they were, anyway. 

Unlike Sae, we actually see Rin's teammates grabbing him in celebration, pre-(Sae’s return from) Spain.

In conclusion...

So far, the manga shows Sae breaking his general Kuzco Rule with only two people.

Pre-Spain, Little Rin was a very obvious exception. Post-Spain / currently and more subtly, Shidou is the only exception we've seen. Is it a respect thing? A soft spot? Emphasizing Sae is an "untouchable" player? Some combination?

As for canon… I really hope we see Sae and Shidou become friends. They’re both so alone but seem to bring each other to life. I also really hope we’ll see Sae accepting his teammates’ celebration one day. Just imagine Sae pulling off a crazy pass or stealing a goal at the World Cup, both Rin and Shidou rushing him in joy, the rest of the team on their tails! Or maybe something smaller, like just celebrating a cool move in practice. I think we’ll see it eventually. Just like I think we could see Shidou act as a bridge between the estranged Itoshi Bros.

You’ll find what notes / “meta” I’ve already posted under #xoxoBlueLockNotes. Will probably organize and post more somewhere in here!

PS: Check out @bluelockhalloweek for spooky Blue Lock fun! 🎃 Halloween is just around the corner!

[thyandrawrites]

On "dream doping", or the lesson to be learned from despair

Alteratively titled: why breaking up with your high school sweetheart is vital for a career in soccer (with or without said sweetheart. Signed: Ego Jinpachi)

buckle up, this is a long one

We know that Reo went into this match with several hungups as to why Nagi would leave him behind, even going as far as asking Chigiri and Kunigami why they'd pick him

And his voice shaking (notice the wobbly speech bubble) as he repeats the validation, like he doesn't quite believe it to be true anymore. And then during the match he kept alternating between talking himself up and trash talking Isagi with increasingly frantic urgency. He needed to test his worth against Isagi and come out victorious to prove that he was worthy of being the genius' partner, yes, but one important factor is that he did all of this specifically seeking Nagi's approval. He needed to hear it from him, because it's Nagi's departure that crushes Reo's confidence in the first place. Before that moment, Reo was self-assured and cocky, even looking down on other players he felt were beneath him. But we could argue that confidence was born from a shaky foundation—the idea of staying a team with Nagi until the world cup and their eventual victory together for Japan.

I think a factor that doesn't often get brought up in Reo commentaries is that Reo derives a lot of his winning self-image from tag-teaming with a genius

And it's from "borrowing" his talent that Reo feels he lifts their collective value to genius level

And in the process, Reo also tends to undersell his own skills by comparison, and letting them stay an accessory to Nagi's brilliance,

despite how it's been remarked that Reo's a bit of a genius in his own light. If he honed that potential, he could be a big threat, too. Alone.

This is by design, of course. He foils pre blue lock Rin for this reason, too. Reo and young Rin are similar in that they both consider their soccer partner the true star of the show, subordinating their own skills as just a fancy accessory to make their partners shine and become world's best with them right at their heels.

The unfortunate consequence of this is that they end up internalizing that their dream is not achievable without their partner(s), because they ingrained being a sidekick so deep into that plan that they simply see themselves unwilling or unable to chase it on their own.

Hence why, for the continuation of their dream, it becomes vital to have their partner's approval. They just don't see the point in going on alone. Losing the partnership means losing the reason to play altogether.

Now, of course this mindset is incompatible with blue lock. Nothing really new there. Reo was always framed as the delusional oddball for signing up for the program with the intended goal of using it to make Nagi the best, rather than himself. In other words, for trying to bend the system into accommodating his dream rather than accepting Ego's philosphy and playing by Ego's rules. And of course, that plan was bound to be put to the test when Reo&Nagi got the first taste of "despair".

The series posits that despair is the feeling you get when your dream doesn't measure up to reality and threatens to crash and burn. Ego posits that there's only one way out of it that doesn't involve self-destruction. And that's avoiding the trap of the so-called "dream doping".

But what does "engraving despair" even mean in simple terms? I think Ego's point is that after experiencing a crushing, frustrating defeat, some players (the normies, or those who don't go very far) simply think "next time we'll win" without putting any active energy into changing their playstyle and rebuilding it anew to face the growing challenges and "devour" them along the way.

Think of Barou, and how he managed to come back after Isagi and Nagi made him effectively useless in the field. What Barou did was evolving into someone even more chaotic and unpredictable, and devouring them right back. Barou himself cites the despair he felt during that match as the catalyst of his growth and winning goal. In other words, instead of dream doping, Barou adapted and survived in a battlefield that would've otherwise left him in the dust.

But not every player has the presence of mind to pick themselves back up as the match is still unfolding, and when the defeats rolls around, they fold under the weight of that despair. We see this in action. When Sae evolves so rapidly in Spain and eats Rin for breakfast during their 1v1, Rin's reaction to despair is dream doping (at least at first). So is Reo's when he loses to team white. Faced with opponents that had an explosive soccer growth, they struggle to keep pace, and then refuse to face reality and admit they also need to change their playstyle to keep staying in the game.

In Reo's case, he even goes as far as saying he doesn't have "the courage to let himself be destroyed and reborn." And that defeatist attitude is what leads team white to choose Chigiri instead. A real egoist doesn't think "I cannot do it" but instead keeps fighting tooth and nail until the end.

But Reo isn't there yet. If you analyse his body language at the end of the match, it's clear he expects a rejection before it even comes. Notice his posture

Having just had a taste of the limits of his skills against strong opponents, his reaction is resigned. His stance is defensive and closed off. His arms and legs are crossed, he's the only one on the ground, his head is hung in defeat and avoiding Nagi's eyes. Even the camera angle looks at him from above, like he's already doomed himself by deciding to stay on the ground, not picking himself up. Remember, it's Kunigami who lifts him from his collar. Reo doesn't have that strength alone.

This transition here also shows it well imo. True to fashion, he only shows a reaction when Nagi's directly addressing him. A part of him is still wishing for things between them to mend, to go back to how they were. There's hope written all over his face in that second panel, but the moment he hears what Nagi has to say, it abruptly morphs into pain.

Nagi echoes the words Reo wanted to tell him when they split, but to Reo it doesn't come across as the approval he was seeking. Rather, as the opposite: while Reo couldn't bring himself to encourage Nagi to go ahead in fear that Nagi wouldn't look back (that is, in fear Nagi wasn't as attached to him and their dream as Reo was)... Nagi says them easily enough. And to Reo, that's more crushing than the loss itself because he misconstructs it as indifference towards their promise.

It all circles back to Reo's insecurity. While Nagi just showed him he's able to change even without Reo as his partner, Reo is insecure about being able to do the same because he sees them as his biggest weapon, not anything inherent to Reo alone. Thus, once Nagi mines the foundation of Reo's confidence (their team up), any step Nagi takes in an effort to get them closer to the world cup in Reo's eyes is just another step away from it (and from him). Reo always assumed they'd crossed that finish line together, that he'd build Nagi up into the world's best striker. He wasn't prepared for a path where Nagi teams up with other people, leaving Reo powerless in the sidelines—their combo (and thus himself) a weapon that outlived its usefulness.

Much like Rin declaring that he'd lose his reason to play soccer if he can't chase his dream with Sae the way they had agreed to, Reo metaphorically sees his future as the "abnormal monster duo" crumbling away (notice the decaying effect on the square with his internal narration). Instead of taking steps towards ensuring their dream still has a chance of happening in the future, he sees it as already doomed.

The thing is, Reo isn't ready to give up on it, though. He doesn't want to. I could be wrong about this but him seeking out a clean cut from Nagi came across to me less as if he was blaming Nagi for leaving, and more like he seeked a fight as self-punishment for his thoughts during the match. In the previous chapter, he tried stifling Nagi's potential and then resented himself for it. Now, his internal narration is almost goading Nagi's anger. I think it's still up in the air whether he was lashing out because he was overwhelmed by his conflicting feelings or if he was seeking out Nagi's rejection because he hated himself for not measuring up to his own standards during the match. Maybe a bit of both.

Point is, Reo is refusing to face reality. By saying "then pick me", to cite Ego, he's denying that he was powerless in the match, and putting the entire brunt of his loss onto Nagi's shoulders for not choosing him. Simply put, he's relying on Nagi to open up the door to go further in blue lock instead of growing into the player that gets to choose who to pick.

And Nagi recognizes this and feels hurt by it, cause if Reo refuses to evolve, switch up tactics and try new things, he's also implicitly refusing to go further in the program. From Nagi's perspective, it's Reo that's breaking their promise by being unwilling to put in the effort to keep staying in the game. Remember, the consequence for failing blue lock is no longer being allowed to play professionally for Japan. If Reo quit putting up a fight, his dream would be over for good.

And the story tells us, the measure of a great striker is how they react to the challenges thrown in their path. Nagi's growth happens specifically because he doesn't tie his success to Reo, but knows when to throw in other variables and when cooperating with Reo makes them stronger. In Nagi's eyes, their dream is not reliant on their combo, but their combo is a weapon that makes their dream achievable. Whereas Reo based his plan to get the world cup around his partnership with Nagi, and let his own skills lay dormant and underdeveloped cause he always defaulted to passing to Nagi to score.

But when Nagi leaves the equation for good, Reo's forced to address where his own strengths really lie and how to weaponize them to avoid elimination. That's why the chameleon awakens for the first time. It gets roused by Reo's despair, which gets "engraved" only when it dawns on Reo that their combo is not an option anymore, and it's on Reo and Reo alone to fight his way back up, evolving and devouring rivals along the way. And much like Nagi's talent for trapping, Reo's stregth was also inherent, and never just reliant on them being a team.

[just-some-sorta-person]

Nagi's "Hidden Path"/ Loophole

*featuring Isagi, Bachira, and Rin analysis*

I've been thinking a lot about how Nagi represents a "hidden path" in Bluelock, and the ways in which it seems the main manga and episode Nagi disagree on whether he should succeed- the key issue being his relationship with Reo. He plays soccer for their collective dream in a manga where depending on another character for your motivation is treated as soccer suicide, which should doom him, but his own manga starts with the statement that his genius is shaped by Reo - framed as a good thing.

I've said in the past that maybe Nagi will succeed by Episode Nagi's standards, but fail by Blue Lock standards, and I still think that would be an interesting path to take, but rn I wanna discuss the alternative that Nagi succeeds by both standards, even if to a lesser extent in the main manga since Isagi is the MC. And we're assuming here that his relationship with Reo isn't permanently severed in a way that makes him more similar to every other Bllk character bc that would make him much less interesting and also remove the "hidden path" aspect that we're expecting here.

So for him to succeed by both standards, I think what essentially needs to happen is that Nagi represents a loophole or caveat in Blue Lock's philosophy. And to understand why that would be the case, we'd have to understand WHY playing for anyone but yourself is a bad thing in Blue Lock. And there are plenty of examples to draw from.

Isagi and "All for One"

We can start with the "One for all, all for one" team Isagi was in- the most extremely dependent soccer we see. I'll be drawing from Isagi's Light Novel for this, because it really just spells it out. First, let's look at the reasoning for that "all for one" given in response to Isagi's request to shoot more:

“Up until now, You could have won matches with your individual skills, but high school isn’t a piece of cake... We win together, and become stronger together! If you do that, then you'll have double the joy! And half the sorrow!”

The reasoning given here isn't that the resulting soccer is better at winning games - rather there is an emphasis on safety. "the world is tough", "If we stick together, there's half the sorrow". And within that emphasis, is the implication that the individual isn't enough.

We can also see complacency in this ideaology. When Ichinan loses, the coach says

“You fought well. It’s frustrating, but this is what Ichinan is capable of now. The third years are leaving after this… and some of you might quit soccer after today but you can be proud of the days you fought together as a team." "To me, Ichinan’s soccer team…is the best team in Japan!!!”

Within this dream doping that Ego rants about later on, we can again see the acceptance on the individual not being enough - "You fought well... but this is what Ichinan is capable of now." We also see within the dream doping the injection of safety and lack of perceived agency. Because we are one unit, there is no blame, no frustration, no need for improvement. The point is the team, not to win, so be proud.

Most damning is the way we see this reflected in Isagi

There’s no need to take a risky battle. If they lose, it will be his fault and he will feel bad for the team. He makes an exquisite pass to Tada's feet. A perfect last pass.

What's emphasized here is the risk in making an egotistical decision for the whole team in believing himself good enough to make that shot himself. What essentially happens here is a devaluing of the self - " I'm not good enough on my own, its safer to trust others, trust the system, not your instincts" And that forces Isagi to not live up to his fullest potential, to chase what he wants. Until Blue Lock that is.

Bachira and the Monster

Bachira is probably the character most directly "punished" in the narrative for playing for someone else. Though I feel like punish is the wrong word because this problem with his ego reared its head and was resolved in the same game - once he realized the problem, Bachira resolved to solve it

According to Bachira's explanation

"...Until now, I was afraid of playing soccer by myself. I guess I wanted you to come save me. But, once I tried fighting on my own, like I'd done as a kid, I realized...

And so the problem with his habit of looking for another player when playing instead of focusing on himself was again the perceived lack of agency, and devaluing of the self. Longing for someone to play soccer with led to a dependency that negatively impacted his decisions on the field

So that's why his moment of growth was breaking through all on his own to steak back Isagi and win - ignoring the idea that he should wait for someone else to help him. He needed to believe in his own agency/value to prove himself on the field and achieve his goals.

Rin and Sae

I recently took a look at Rin's Light Novel and there was a line that stood out as kinda similar to Bachira's old habit of passing to an imaginary monster before coming to Blue Lock

he understood why things were not going well. Neither their coach nor his other teammates have the slightest idea of Rin’s image of play in his head. (If it was Nii-chan, he would have made a pass here……) he thought so many times during today's practice. He jumped out in front of the goal to a position where I said, “Here!” but his teammates were like, “Huh?” “There?”

So whether you're passing or shooting, a reliance can develop, huh...

(How do Bachirin shippers feel about this parallel? haha. And what does this say about what Rin says to Bachira "But afraid of fighting alone. It is a soccer looking for someone. That luke-warm ego won't make my heart dance". Cus it seems Rin is criticizing Bachira for doing the same thing he did. What does this mean about how Rin feels about himself? (I mean.. he did already call himself lukewarm later but was he thinking about himself in that moment?))

In the light novel, I think it becomes clear one reason why Sae is so against Rin using him as his reason for soccer - it definitely affects how Rin plays when Sae is away. And since Sae becomes aware of the competition outside Japan during his time abroad, he knows that Rin's mentality as it was wouldn't be enough and thus wanted to spare him the suffering and have him give up. And this is in combination with the idea of "I've found out, that I'm not strong enough to hold you up. If you rely on me you'll fail" At least, this is my interpretation of it - but moving on-

With Rin’s last pass, they score a shot. If his Nii-chan had been there, he would have passed the ball to him in front of the goal and he would have scored it directly….. He stopped thinking. No pass is coming. That is now the reality. Anyway, the team won for the first time in a long time.

We see a lack of agency and a reliance on others once again - "If only Nii-chan was here". Like with Bachira, Rin is waiting for someone to "save" him, which limits what he chooses to attempt and stifles his potential because of how it limits his perceived agency.

We can also see this limitation in how he wants to be 2nd best after Sae - not best (de-valuing). It causes Rin to seal off his ego in order to catch up to Sae, by being more similar to Sae instead of developing according to his own unique talents/ego.

In order to catch up with his Nii-chan he saw off at the airport, he has to make the team’s victory his top priority. To do so, he must hold himself back. Hold back the you who was trying to steal the goal with everything you have using that sense of smell for the goal and assemble an attack as a team play.

Even after Sae's return he's always on Rin's mind, and this still limits his soccer. It's only after Rin declares himself lukewarm and rejects the stories others create through their relationship with him that he is able to go all out by embracing his own personal style, rather than focusing on others.

Back on Topic!

So in summary, what is wrong with depending on others? What causes Blue Lock to default to individualism? Ultimately it seems like its the resulting lack of perceived agency - the idea that you can't do things without other people present. By constraining yourself into a narrative with other people, you limit what you can do, and you limit what you think you can do by molding yourself to their vision. Thus, your potential is stifled.

How can Nagi and Reo become an exception to this reasoning? Well, maybe Nagi's decision to leave Reo during 2nd selection is part of the key.

We know from Episode Nagi and Manshine that Nagi wants to improve for the sake of his and Reo's collective dream. And he (correctly) identifies following soccer that challenges/excites him as the proper way to improve.

Here, Reo identifies them playing together as a must, but Nagi corrects him and saying that them being the best in the world together is a must, saying (in his head T-T) that he likes being with him, but that in order to protect their dream, Nagi needs to change.

It's actually pretty much spelled out here. Nagi says he's fine with Reo playing with other people, but insists that Reo stay with him till the end. Its ok to play soccer with others, but keep me in your heart always. In other words, I don't mind not playing together, but you and our end goal is always in my heart.

This is different from Isagi, Bachira, or Rin's situation because in those cases, the team/monster/Sae were considered as key to success. However, in Nagi's case, success is key to Reo. It's completely reversed. It's that nuance of "I play soccer to play soccer with you, to win with you" vs. "I play soccer for you, I win for you". Because "playing together" is not a requirement for winning, it no longer acts as a constraint that restricts agency. Nagi's concept of being together separate from playing soccer together saves their partnership from being the same as the others and frees him to (for example) join Isagi to improve.

You can see more of this in epinagi

The Tag Game

You might say this is a bad example because Nagi relies on Reo to get him un-eliminated, but by Nagi's "I figured you'd do that, Reo..." we can guess that this was more from laziness than a belief that he needed Reo's help. Indeed, when Reo's in danger of being eliminated himself, when their dream is in any real danger, Nagi takes it upon himself to solve the issue

They didn't solve the problem relying on teamwork/partnership or anything. Nagi solved the problem because they're partners.

Playing Against Barou

The next time their dream is "Challenged" is when Barou says "Becoming the world's best striker means you'll be alone until you die", essentially a challenge to the viability of Nagi and Reo's dream. Nagi's response to that is to run off and instigate a 1v1 with Barou

So again, rather than deny Nagi options, his partnership with Reo provided the motivation to act out on his own.

Playing against Team Z

Even when they play against team Z, we see this in action. Nagi plays a more reliant soccer, his dream/Reo is challenged when he sees Reo's face, and Nagi decides to act out on his own.

Nagi will rely on Reo for the sake of laziness, but when it comes to their dream, there's this pattern of deciding to rely less on Reo, take destiny into his own hands, and make an effort. It's really that nuance of doing something to be with someone vs. doing something for someone.

Beyond 1st/2nd Selection

Brief mention here of Nagi's eyes shining when Reo says "But it's not enough" when Nagi praises him. I think this might be Nagi thinking its a sign that Reo in fact has not forgotten their promise and is also working to achieve it - consistent with the idea of being together without necessarily playing together (Whereas Reo is thinking the other way round - improving for the sake of playing together because that's the only way to be together)

So, where this theory hits its roadblock is the Manshine City Arc, where Nagi asks for Reo's help. But because of all the ominous foreshadowing afterwards, in addition to Ego's words that Nagi's deep ego (implied by timing of skull imagery +all the scenes I just listed to be Reo/dream-centric) is about to be tested, I think their dynamic is bound to change in some direction within the next game. So, their relationship is still in development and the theory isn't necessarily debunked.

**edited in addition** I think the key is that regardless of their behavior, the core of their partnership (ie their internal feelings) isn't dependency, but rather reciprocated faith and commitment, though especially with Nagi's communication and introspection issues, it may take some time for them to figure that out because Reo has no idea the faith that Nagi has in him. Reo actually assumes that their partnership can't exist without dependence - assumes its over when that dependence fades because Nagi will have no reason to stay with him, but this is him insecurely misinterpreting Nagi's intentions. They also can't really flourish until Nagi figures out his ego/motivation, though that's luckily foreshadowed to be addressed. I think with how Reo misinterprets Nagi's motivations on a shallow level in 207, and how Nagi's motivation is foreshadowed to be addressed soon, we will get nagireo communication soon timeline wise (not real life lol). And hopefully with that communication, Reo's insecurity + Nagi's motivation can be addressed and they can begin to figure out a functional partnership within Blue Lock. But really the key here is that faith and devotion don't necessitate playing with only each other in mind, while dependence/reliance does.

In terms of what will happen, I think we might finally get a confirmation of what Nagi's ego is - it certainly fits with their conversation in 207, where Reo tries to give a substitute that doesn't really fit. I'm not sure what would happen once Nagi and Reo have the clarity of understanding what Nagi's ego is though...

In Any Case!

I'm running out of fuel but just to let ya'll know I was thinking really hard about what the difference was between Nagi and Reo's dynamic in comparison to partnerships or teamwork criticized by the main manga and I did not expect the difference I came up with to be the difference between reliance and devotion. "I am not enough by myself" vs. "I will make myself enough for you". I still wonder if I'm just biased?

Plz lmk ur thoughts

link to a continuation of these thoughts - Hiori's Words, Reo's Insecurity, Nagi's Enforced Indifference

[oliveraiku]

I love how this is Isagi’s character core point: differently from the other guys in Blue Lock, who have always known to be good - and have always played to their strengths enhancing them throughout the narrative, Isagi on the other hand has no delusions about being above average player skills. He simply understands reality as it is, and that is exactly why is he both able to evolve, and be as rational as he is, at the same tome incurring in the ires of the other players and putting them in their plays.

Isagi’s real weapon here is being with his feet well placed on the ground: he sees things as they are, he processes them rationally and then acts on them. Unlike Rin, the same Shidou, Barou, Kaiser and Yukimiya - Isagi is a realist. He is never been in the situation when he was the best, and has no expectations for himself or what he can achieve: there is no peak, it’s all a road up and above.

It’s also why Ego’s commentary in this chapter is important: what he says for Nagi and Yukimiya is a bit of a general discourse that Isagi has applied unknowingly now for a while. Once a player is over in his head above himself (somewhat Kunigami) it’s over: they believe a fluke is their ability and when they fail to up keep with their own expectations and those of others, they start yo fall into a pattern that eventually makes them mediocre, instead of true egoists.

On the other hand, Isagi by the virtue of now having a self to fall onto, a talent he can use, of not being as good as, is able to put himself in the situation where he can learn, where he can best the others by exploiting not only his own strengths but also their weaknesses. It’s about about an ‘I’ type of ego, but an ego that makes you conscious of yourself in the field and your position: it’s a selfish ego that makes you jump when the moment is right. It’s not about a “I will do this all alone”, but a “I will make it happen, because I am the only one able to make it happen” and that, my folks is Isagi’s essence.

He is an egoist because he has learned to cope with his faulty self and has passed a stage where he is the challenged rather than the challenger. Isagi IS evolution because he does not care about falling prey to mistake - but instead uses them to devour himself all over again.

[lizzieonka]

This is very unlikely, but what if we get a Ness goal? A lucky goal, not really a “striker goal,” but a goal nonetheless. And that finally snaps Kaiser back into his usual self? Coz how could he let his subordinate, who’s always adored him and would do anything for him, take the lead now? That’s his job. He’s supposed to be the one making miracles, and Ness is just supposed to help make that happen. Ness is supposed to just believe in him. And yet he went and made a goal himself. Without Kaiser. Ness is playing without Kaiser. And what has Kaiser done until now? Nothing. Someone like Ness is making goals without him, the Emperor.

And of course, for Ness, that goal was just his way of helping Kaiser. He can’t let Isagi get another one over Kaiser, after all. And it was just a lucky goal coz nobody expected the midfielder who’s overly reliant on his striker to make a goal himself. It could probably never happen again.

But to Kaiser, it’s defiance. Ness did a job that wasn’t his. Or maybe he even takes it as abandonment. Ness could no longer wait for Kaiser. Ness no longer believes in Kaiser. Ness no longer needs Kaiser.

And where does that leave Kaiser? What would he do next?

@pistatsia wrote a wonderful meta on what Ness means to Kaiser, and she talked about what would happen if Kaiser was abandoned by someone like Sae/Isagi. But what would happen if Kaiser is “abandoned” by someone like Ness first?

I want to see it

[gachagon]

Kaiser's in his "I can't win, but you can lose" phase uh oh...!

It's also interesting to note that Kaiser sees this game as a battle between him and Isagi, and truthfully in the beginning it definitely seemed like one. But now, Isagi is so fixated on just trying to beat Barou and stay ahead of the game, that he doesn't even seem to care about Kaiser or Ness or any of the silly drama they had in the previous chapters.

I wrote earlier in my post about how "Kaiser doesn't know what Isagi's thinking" that Kaiser misunderstands every little action Isagi takes in games. He presumes that Isagi is anxious when he gets quiet, when it's the opposite. He seemingly has no idea how him and Isagi keep going for the ball at the same time. He's annoyed because they're always on the same page, and while Isagi sees that as the two of them working together, Kaiser only sees competition. He sees someone who is directly competing against him rather than someone he could potentially work together with.

And it's also cool how in the above image, Isagi was thinking this about someone else entirely, but its framed like the two of them are facing off against one another. Essentially Kaiser is losing to Isagi in this game, there's no doubt about that. And the reason for it is because Isagi is so fixated on other players, that he won't even pay Kaiser any attention during the game.

Isagi isn't using Kaiser to make plays, or stealing balls from Kaiser, and I don't think they've even spoke to one another that often during the whole match. With that in mind, it does make sense no why Kaiser looks like he's ready to murder someone in that panel because he's stuck in a one sided rivalry with someone who he believed was easy to beat.

And here kaiser is again making predictions for what he thinks Isagi will do. So far in the game he has been right about what plays Isagi will make, but that's just because the two of them are thinking the same things (so they incidentally end up playing the same way). Kaiser might only be thinking this is what Isagi's plan is because that's what he would do.

But we know already from Isagi's conversation with Hiori that our star player...really has no fucking clue what they're gonna do next lmao:

Though who knows, Kaiser and Isagi are still on the same page just unwillingly:

Maybe if they finally work together in this game they have a chance of winning it. Bastard Munchen is SO disorganized though (by design) with different players all trying to just beat one another alongside the other team. They need to be able to at least see the field in the same way or else they won't be able to keep up.

[fyeahbachisagi]

Isagi on Being Chosen

Guuuuys, I am so emotional tonight (well, technically it’s 5am over here, but I haven’t slept yet…)

Because of this discussion I had with @takeunknownroadnow about how devastated Isagi was over losing Bachira, I suddenly realized just how much of Isagi’s self-esteem was hit.

My thoughts here would make more sense if you read the post I linked above, so please do so first ^^

Like, yeah, we saw him being whiny for a bit right after losing Bachira. But he gradually turned badass throughout the rest of the arc that it led me to think he’s over it and has gotten more confident with himself. And he did! He really did but...

When Rin chose him, he didn’t even look happy.

I mean, yeah, he just lost the game so of course he’s upset. But the thing is, he doesn’t understand why anybody would choose him. This whole time, Isagi has been fighting tooth and nail with the belief that if he lost, he won’t be chosen–not even by Bachira.

And then there’s this:

Isagi’s emotional trauma this arc had started with Bachira telling him he won’t wait for him, and now we’ve come full circle with Bachira choosing him in the end.

“I’ve learned how to fight without you, but it’s way more fun with you around.”

And this line is so beautiful and exactly what Isagi needed to hear at this moment.

Isagi has just lost to Rin twice. He is convinced that his skills are lacking. Why would anybody want him on their team? And then here comes Bachira choosing him anyway not for his skills but simply for who he is, and Isagi…

Isagi looks found, saved…

I don’t know how to describe it. But the expression he makes here moves me just as much as this one by Bachira:

It’s really interesting how Bachira’s and Isagi’s emotional arcs resolved. For Bachira, who was waiting to be chosen, it was him fighting for the strength and right to choose. And for Isagi, who’d been convinced that nobody would ever choose him, was to be chosen by the very person he’s been chasing this whole time.

I am in tears...

[hiorintruther]

A comprehensive not-PowerPoint presentation on why I ship hiorin even though they’ve only interacted twice… and that’s being liberal with the word “interact”

(For @zevacheiznekam coz they asked me to 😌)

Do bear in mind that Hiorin as a ship is quite largely based in headcanon. While shippers like myself use canon as a basis to scrape whatever details we can about Hiori and Rin, their (brief) interactions and their personalities, canon material is more of an anchor from which several generally accepted headcanons have sprouted which we all kinda sorta abide by, although different people might have slightly different interpretations. This is just my interpretation. Also, this did sort of start as a crackship for me but then I started actually thinking about it and, uh, I don’t think it’s a crackship anymore when I’ve written nearly 50k words of fanfic for it on my AO3…

For starters, I began shipping Hiorin based on one singular interaction. It also happens to be the only one of two times where they properly talk to each other at all. This interaction (below) comes from the U-20 match, right after Rin has been roundhouse kicked in the face by Shidou. It was a moment that surprised me because despite spending the match getting progressively more and more aggressive to everyone else, Rin here isn’t aggressive towards Hiori. He lets Hiori help him up and they even manage to engage in a very brief but mutual conversation.

Now sure, Hiori is just being nice here and Rin is probably a bit stunned. They haven’t interacted since this moment in the manga and likely won’t again in any real capacity. Still, it was this interaction that got me trying to imagine what it might look like if they could be closer — mostly in the context of Rin actually being able to make a proper friend. He does seem to have a certain level of tolerance for Hiori that he doesn’t for the rest of Blue Lock (which I’ll explain later), plus Hiori is probably the only one patient, kind AND calm enough to be capable of being Rin’s friend without Rin despising it. Other kind characters like Nanase and Bachira are in my opinion too bubbly and talkative in canon for Rin’s more broody personality (although I do love a good sunshine x storm-cloud ship don’t get me wrong). Meanwhile, Hiori is equally as kind but calmer. More quiet. He’s also not got a drive to try and defeat Rin or devour him, which I think Rin would appreciate given he hates people who do try to go against him like Isagi and Shidou.

The only other substantial interaction we have for hiorin comes from the Third Selection tryouts match in which they’re placed on the same team. I’ve already made a post about it so go to that here for the relevant screenshots from the manga. I will copy over the conclusions from the post though. From this match I inferred that:

Hiori can keep up with Rin like it’s a regular day (speaking to Hiori’s adaptability)

This, for Rin, translates to “Hiori is reliable”

Rin can trust Hiori to definitely get the ball to where it needs to be if they cooperate, even though they’ve never played together before (and they didn’t even discuss a plan beforehand but were able to immediately link up without issue — see again Hiori being adaptable)

Rin doesn’t look down on Hiori the way he does with Isagi or Shidou, probably because he doesn’t see Hiori as a threat or insulting

This concludes all of their interactions in the manga. From here, me and other shippers use these small conclusions from canon as well as canon-adjacent information from things like the Egoist Bible Character Book to build a hypothetical situation in which they ARE able to start talking to each other more often and build a bond. Most of the fics about this pairing that take place in the canon universe will deal with overcoming the hurdle of ‘getting them to actually interact’. For us shippers, after that hurdle has been cleared it’s rather smooth sailing to imagine a relationship forming for a lot of reasons.

To begin, the obvious thing to focus on is their similar backstories. More specifically, the emotional responses they have to their backstories and how it could be a source of understanding between them (spoilers for the manga up to chapter 206). The resentment Rin holds towards Sae is incredibly similar to the resentment Hiori holds towards his parents. Both have canonically been shown wanting to hurt/kill their family members due to how these family members treated them, as well as the feelings of false love associated with these family members being a big part of why Rin and Hiori want to hurt them. Rin feels betrayed by Sae because he thinks Sae pretended to love him and care about him in their childhood to further his own ambition only to throw it all away like it was meaningless, meanwhile Hiori feels that his parents don’t actually love him and only want him to be the best because they never could be. This similarity is something that us shippers tend to use as way for Hiori to be able to understand Rin in a way that other characters can’t, as well as a way for Rin to be able to actually articulate his emotions surrounding Sae to someone who is able to understand him to a certain degree and won’t think he’s being “too edgy” or “over-reacting”. We can count in Hiori to not be judgemental of Rin.

Beyond their families though, the two of them just have similar interests and personalities. Rin likes horror games (Egoist Bible) and Hiori is a gamer. They’re both quiet, more reserved and Hiori’s ideal type in a romantic partner is someone who will leave him alone a lot (Blue Lock wiki). They’re ‘no-nonsense’ people who prefer to be blunt and to the point. It might seem a bit superficial but considering they basically never interact, it’s rather a lot to go on.

Overall, the completely made up dynamic that has been created by us shippers after taking all of this information into account goes something like this:

Rin doesn’t find Hiori as annoying or threatening as the rest of Blue Lock because Hiori is adaptable, no-nonsense and doesn’t try to come for Rin’s position as number 1

Hiori has an understanding of Rin’s trauma because he himself experienced something incredibly similar

They get over the ‘start talking’ hurdle and begin to realise that they actually have similar interests and can hold a conversation for longer than 2 seconds

The relationship builds from there, with Hiori being the ‘exception’ in Rin’s life and Rin being a safety where Hiori can talk about his true feelings without having to filter himself or be kind

In terms of other headcanons, these are a couple that I’ve seen floating around:

Neither of them like PDA very much. You might see them holding hands if you’re lucky

They play co-op together a lot, especially co-op horror games

They don’t pry into each other’s business. If one of them wants to talk about something, they will

They have the type of relationship where they’ll sit in silence not talking to each other for 30 minutes, then one nudges the other a bit and suddenly they’re cuddling (only in private, obviously)

They have had many long, depressing trauma-dump sessions with each other

It isn’t a depressing relationship though, mostly because Hiori is a light in Rin’s life and Rin feels like he can be more ‘the old him’ around Hiori (see: Rin’s light novel)

They both like striped clothing (see: Rin’s casual design and Hiori’s onesie, coaster design and child design)

And with that, I have finally finished my overly long, overly indulgent explanation into why I and others ship hiorin. It’s 3am for me rn so I might have missed smth so if any other hiorin shippers out there in the aether wanna drop in with their perspectives and/or stuff I forgot to mention, feel free! As for @zevacheiznekam, I hope this answered your question and you didn’t get too bored half way through 😅

(Also, if you wanna see some hiorin artwork, uh, shameless plug)

Sources used:

Blue Lock manga

Egoist Bible

Blue Lock light novels (we’re actually getting a Hiori one later this year which will hopefully add some fuel to the hcs!)

Nomura’s art

[starweed]

heyyy, guess who’s back with more thoughts about itoshi rin????

so, we’ve already established that rin is a very extrinsically motivated person, at least when it comes to football. he doesn’t play football for himself, and he never has. and in a setting like blue lock i just don’t think that’s a sustainably way to play football. blue lock is a place that wants people have a real love for the sport, and would play it every single day of their lives if they could. ego wants people who want to win and want to be the best striker in the world.

rin,, doesn’t really want that. sure, he wants to beat isagi and prove his brother wrong, but that’s not really a longterm, sustainable goal. what happens when he succeeds? does he just stop and say, “okay, that’s good enough”? what happens if he never succeeds? if isagi just continually gets better and better and rin never beats him in a way that makes sae acknowledge him?

having extrinsic motivations is good and normal, but you also eventually have to do things that you want to do for you or you’re going to get burnt out. and i feel like that’s the path that rin’s headed towards if we’re being realistic about this. he just goes and goes and goes in a really unsustainable way, and eventually it’s going to catch up to him.

he’s a really interesting foil to isagi, who’s motivations are almost entirely intrinsic. part of why isagi’s mindset feels more sustainable to me is because he really only plays football for himself. he plays because he really loves the sport. and we don’t ever really see that in rin, so i feel like it’s eventually going to kind of blow up in his face as we’ve seen in previous rounds of blue lock.

or i’m entirely wrong about this. idk, i’m not kaneshiro. i’m just saying that i don’t think that rin’s got anything sustainable going on in how he plays football ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

[usagi-yoichi]

I really like chapter 196 for one main reason : it shows the difference between “égoïsme” and “égocentrisme”.

In French, those words respectively mean egotism and self centeredness but they sound so similar it’s easy to mistake one for another. Even in English, you’d tend to think they have the same meaning but I think this chapter how they’re fundamentally different personally traits. They affect the behavior differently.

Being egotistical means to puts oneself before all others - to prioritize your success over theirs if given a choice and to maximise your own chances. Being self centered means to acknowledge your and only your needs or desires.

The difference here is that while a self centered person could never cooperate with someone - only manipulate or use them -, an egotistical person could cooperate if it would enhance its chances at succeeding. For an egotistical person, there is only conflict with others’ choices and wants when they will hinder their own - a self centered individual doesn’t even take the possibility of others’ needs into consideration.

I believe Isagi is an egotistical but not a self centered person. He works to win - he doesn’t wish for it, doesn’t think it’s granted or believe anyone owes him anything. Victory is something he achieves for himself and with others. It’s something obtained by being rational and pragmatic, being lucid regarding his own abilities.

Egotism by Isagi means achieving victory by his own means and with his own capacities. Most of the time, it means scoring as he’s a striker, but if it’s not possible then it’s cooperating with others to create a situation in which everyone’s potential merges to overcome odds they couldn’t individually. To use and be used for the sake of victory. To win because you know you are able to and you want to. Being self centered means you’ll try to achieve victory regardless of your abilities because you believe you deserve so - that somehow things will work your way. Egoism means winning to grow and work to win.

[boinin]

Blue Lock volume cover analysis

An examination of unusual features and chains among the 28 volumes released to date. Subject to revision.

Like this? Want to reference these points in your own analysis on Reddit, YouTube, wherever? Go ahead! A shout out to this post is appreciated. Straight up plagiarism isn’t.

Volume 8: Mikage Reo

Reo's chains are noticeably shaded green. Guess whose eyes glow green when they're fired up...

In addition, @thyandrawrites has a theory that Reo ties/reties his hair up as a way to maintain emotional composure. The volume covers tend to represent the character's personality or struggles in some sense. If so, this is an early nod to the emotional trials Reo endures during the series.

Volume 10: Tokmitsu Aoshi

No chain weirdness here, but Tokimitsu is surrounded by black gunk in his cover. This may be a visualisation of his anxiety and the way he copes with it: running at speed and bulldozing through his opponents.

Volume 11: Ego Jinpachi

Ego's cover depicts him totally immobilised by the four chains bound to his neck. To date, no other character has been more restrained by the chains. This likely represents that Ego's fate is utterly dependent on the outcome of Blue Lock. His cover also suggests that Blue Lock (and football) consume Ego's life.

Volume 12: Shidou Ryuusei

Shidou's chains have a blue glow, much like Sendou's in volume 27. This glow is far closer to Shidou's collar however. It could imply that Blue Lock is the beginning of Shidou's pursuit of football.

He's also depicted with demon wings. The collar or chains don't impede his movement significantly, unlike other characters. In addition to portraying his incredible physicality, this could also visually represent how Blue Lock has failed to subdue Shidou.

Volume 16: Oliver Aiku

Aiku's chains are wrapped tightly around his arm and he's pulling them taut. The chains themselves appear rusted and cracked, most notably on his collar. This could represent Aiku's relationship with football. He grew jaded with being a striker in high school. Becoming a defender, then the match against Blue Lock, revitalised his enthusiasm. Hence, the chain is holding fast: he's just as ensnared by football (and Blue Lock) as the others.

Volume 17: Itoshi Sae

Sae and his chains are bathed in radiant gold light, which is associated with both divinity and wealth. His chains crumble in one place, and remain barely intact. I offer two interpretations for this. Firstly: unlike the others, Blue Lock does not have a strong impact on Sae—his success as a footballer is completely independent of it.

Secondly: if we take the chain to represent Sae's footballing career, the crumbling chain could allude to a time when football negatively impacted him. Perhaps whatever happened in Madrid? But he came back stronger, as the rest of his chains appear even more golden.

Volume 18: Teieri Anri

Anri is the only character depicted without chains or a collar. While working with Ego is a prison sentence in its own right, the artwork suggests that her ambition and future isn't connected to the outcome of Blue Lock. It can also be interpreted as a nod to the hierarchy within Blue Lock. Anri is Ego's boss and thus, she is free while he is constrained. However...

Zoom in on the reflection on her phone screen. It appears to reflect a wide grin—which can only be one person's. Taking into account her passivity in chapter 247, this detail positions Anri as Ego's accomplice: willing to do his bidding, no matter how amoral.

Volume 19: Michael Kaiser

Kaiser's collar and chains are made of glass, through which his blue rose tattoo is visible. As chapter 243 told us, a blue rose represents the impossible to Kaiser. Glass chains suggests that his ego or ties to football are fragile, and could be broken easily. Symbolically, glass can also represent transparency. As a character, Kaiser is upfront about his talent and desires. Nobody is in doubt about his footballing mantra or his intent to undermine Isagi.

Volume 20: Alexis Ness

Ness's chains are entwined with blue rose brambles, all but for a short length to the top right of the image. While Ness came to love football independently, seeing it as magical, the rose brambles show that his connection to football is now inseparable from his devotion to Kaiser. It also reflects that Ness would not be a professional footballer without Kaiser, as per chapter 242/243.

Volume 24: Hiori Yo

Hiori is the only character shown holding the end of his chain, which is secured by a football-shaped weight. This suggests that Hiori himself is the one in control of his career, rather than external forces. Football is a burden to him, albeit something he can carry. Therefore, Hiori is not ensnared by the chains (or Blue Lock) to the same extent as other characters. Appropriate for a character guaranteed to succeed as a footballer, but who ultimately may not choose to pursue it.

Volume 25: Niko Ikki

Niko's volume cover is hilarious. I'll leave the explaining to Tomo-tan, who lays out the humour and genius of Niko's cover in this great Reddit post.

Volume 26: Don Lorenzo

Members of the New Generation World XI have no chill when it comes to their covers, and Don Lorenzo is no exception. His collar shows bite marks, as though chewed through. Gold teeth are good for more than caramel popcorn, apparently.

Lorenzo's chains are accompanied by what looks like electricity. This suggests that football reanimated Lorenzo from near death, as per chapter 216. It's a visual nod to his playstyle, which resembles the incessant pursuit of a zombie. Guess we can call him Snuffy's Monster.

Volume 27: Sendou Shuuto

A blue glow appears on Sendou’s chains, halted from travelling further by his fist. This may represent the threat Blue Lock poses to Sendou's footballing career. He's already been kicked as the striker of the national team; now in the Neo Egoist League, he must battle for a place on the new U20 line-up. No easy feat, as his sweaty face implies.

Another detail worth mentioning is that the trajectory of one of Sendou's chains appear to align with the chain Aiku's pulling in his cover. This similarity, and the fact that they're both holding their chains, may be interpreted as a nod to their status as former U20 teammates—likely the only ones that will make the new team, going off the latest NEL auction table.

[xoxobluelock]

Shidou & Zlatan Ibrahimovic Similarities

I was looking into Shidou's Big Bang Drive and fell down the Zlatan Ibrahimovic rabbit hole. Turns out, Shidou and his favorite player share a number of similarities, including incredible bicycle kicks, play styles, backgrounds in Taekwondo, and ...abrasive personalities.

First, the Big Bang Drive.

Ibrahimovic is the first video result when you search "bicycle kick" for a reason. In a 2012 Sweden vs England friendly, Ibrahimovic pulled off what is widely considered a legendary bicycle kick goal—some have argued one of the best goals of all time—30 yards out. With the vid / gif and the manga panels below, I think you’ll see some similarities between Shidou’s Big Bang Drive here in Chapter 130 and Ibrahimovic's goal.

Below is a play-by-play, followed by background on Ibrahimovic and similarities he and Shidou share:

(I am not claiming the Big Bang Drive was based on Ibrahimovic's goal. I just think it's interesting. Also, you can find the "Egoist Bible" player interview in which Shidou states Ibrahimovic is his favorite player here, courtesy of 705point8 on Twitter.)

The goal starts with Sweden (Ibrahimovic's team) stealing the ball from England and passing long—like Sae did—to where only Ibrahimovic and two members of the opposing team are. Like how Shidou is going up against Reo and Aryu after moving on "reflex" toward the goal, knowing Sae would work his magic and get him the ball.

The goalie had come out from the goal, and heads the bounced pass away (like Gagamaru), but it isn't enough to get past Ibrahimovic. Or Shidou. 

Shidou pulls off an overhead bicycle kick goal bonkers enough to have even Sae show some surprise on his face. Look how far away Shidou is! Is it 30 yards like Ibrahimovic's? Can't say for sure, but it looks damn close. Man, I can't wait to see this match animated!

Sae's face 😂

I'm no football expert—I’m running on Ted Lasso, Blue Lock, and a dream here—but is it possible that Shidou's Big Bang Drive might be an homage to Shidou's favorite player and his famous thirty-yarder? I think so. Or it's entirely coincidental, you decide.

...

Background + Similarities

Here's the man in question, recently and younger.

(Content warning: Ibrahimovic, like Shidou, is sometimes crude and violent, and has sexualized aspects of the game. The explanation below is far milder than what you’ve already read in the manga, just want to mention it.)

(Unless otherwise noted, everything below came from Ibrahimovic's Wikipedia page.)

If you read Ibrahimovic's Wikipedia page, you can see why Shidou is a fan: 

One of the best strikers of all time? Three whole decades of playing football, a twenty year international career, still playing into his forties (though not always as striker now)? (We know how football is life for Shidou!) Brash and outspoken? Known for acrobatic goals? Making yellow and red cards fly like paper planes? Makes sense to me.

Notably, Ibrahimovic's been carded for the following:

Cursing—meh, pretty tame.

Literally slapping, elbowing, kicking, punching, and headbutting people—sometimes even his own teammates! Okay, now we’re on to something. 

Grabbing his junk to taunt jeerers. Sexualizing things for no damn reason, just like Shidou! 😅 Ibrahimovic’s done this at least twice, I believe. And fairly recently, 2016 and 2019.  

...

Perhaps the most interesting connection is Taekwondo. I had assumed Shidou had some degree of experience in Taekwondo after seeing his crazy form / flexibility in Chapter 88 and googling “axe kick." But what do you know? Ibrahimovic attended Taekwondo classes as a child and received an honorary black belt. Several articles either imply (The Athletic) or state (The Sun; Goal) that Ibrahimovic's black belt is not just an honor bestowed for highlighting Taewkondo, but also a real distinction he earned at only 17.

I'm saying: both Ibrahimovic and Shidou have some Taekwondo experience, starting in their youth.

(Ch. 102)

Ibrahimovic says: #Taekboll

See him in action on his Insta:

...

Reading further on his Wikipedia, Ibrahimovic definitely has the Blue Lock ego down. Here are some fun lil quotes:

“‘You bought a Ferrari, but you drive it like a Fiat.’ — Ibrahimović disparages Guardiola on how he was used at Barcelona.”

“He announced his arrival in idiosyncratic style by taking out a signed full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times that simply said, ‘Dear Los Angeles, you're welcome.’” (A WHOLE DAMN PAGE IN THE LAT—I can’t 😂)

“Post match, Ibrahimović stated he was ‘happy for Toronto because they'll be remembered as my 500th victim.’” (Such a dick, I love it.)

“‘Swedish style? No. Yugoslavian style? Of course not. It has to be Zlatan-style.’ — Downplaying the influence of his background, Ibrahimović describes his unique playing style.” (Okay, King JJ.)

“One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch." (I dunno, bro, I enjoyed the last one.... 😂)

Here’s one that highlights another connection to Shidou / freedom in football: “I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed.” He literally said this about playing with LIONEL MESSI. But, ya know, fair point. Shidou and Rin had so much fun sharing the spotlight (and the ball). (Important to note that Ibra has also expressed admiration and respect for Messi.)

“…Ibrahimović announced he was to leave the LA Galaxy through his Twitter account, telling Galaxy fans ‘[Y]ou wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome. The story continues...Now go back to watch baseball.’” (Baseball! The shade! 😂)

The actual tweet with what, I'm assuming, is a fan-edit he 'borrowed':

Not from Wiki: As recently as a 2021 interview, Ibrahimovic stated, "Deep down, I think I'm the best player in the world."

...

Alright, this got more involved than I intended. Going to wrap it up with some brief notes on play style and some fun facts.

Straight from Ibrahimovic's Wikipedia page: “Known for his strong mentality and leadership, as well as his extroverted and highly competitive personality, despite his success, he has been criticised in the media for his arrogance, aggression and rebellious character, as well as his lack of discipline on the pitch, in particular in his early career, which has led him to involved in confrontations with other players, some of his managers and even reporters.” Can definitely see why Shidou might feel some kinship with Ibrahimovic!

Wiki also notes ESPN described Ibrahimovic as "good in the air, quick, tall, strong and agile, he plays well with his back to goal and boasts some of the best finishing, vision, passing and ball control around.” Mr. Demon Wings / "Flying Killing Machine" Shidou is definitely good in the air (Ch 131). Ibrahimovic has Shidou by five inches in height, but Shidou is over six feet and is shown to be acrobatic. Shidou also has incredible game vision. Look at Mr. "My Weapon is 'Extreme Spatial Awareness!!" go (Ch 130)! And he plays well with his back to goal. "As long as I'm inside the penalty area, even with my back to it... I can find the goalmouth without even seeing it!!"

...

Lastly, Ibrahimovic is active and popular on social media—apparently the most followed Swede on Insta with over 55 million followers. He often signs posts with a 🦁. He doesn’t drink alcohol. He had a rough childhood. He's married and has two kids. Ibrahimovic also has a habit of referring to himself in the third person.

Phew. Okay. I got shit to do. You can tell where I got tired. I might revisit this later, especially if I come across anything else relevant to Shidou / Blue Lock. But since you made it this far, I'm begging you to read this article in The Athletic. It is so damn funny and interesting and weird, complete with talkshow appearances and everything—and it really highlights things like his sense of humor and ability to laugh at himself (on his own terms, at least). And makes you wonder just how much of his ego is a facade.

There’s obviously a lot more about Ibrahimovic and his decades long career. Like how he played in Sweden’s U-18 Team, multiple leagues, and World Cups; has scored a “perfect hat-trick,” etc., etc.. But I tried to give a brief overview of what seemed most relevant to Blue Lock and my favorite character.

Hope you found it interesting / helpful, too! Might get around to posting some of the notes I've taken on Shidou and Sae for a fic now that I'm finally free from Tumblr purgatory and can actually be seen in the tags.

Update: As of June 4, 2023, Ibra has officially retired. At age 41, after over 30 years in the sport. AC Milan sent him off in style, and he trended at #1 worldwide on Twitter for hours after the announcement. He's still very active on his socials and seems to be enjoying retirement, playing pickle ball and attending Coldplay concerts!

[thyandrawrites]

I might be reading too much into what is probably just intended as a parallel, so take this with a grain of salt, but

I noticed that Reo has a habit of neating up his hair to regain control over his feelings when overwhelmed

I know he does his hair a lot throughout the manga, but I'm talking specifically when his hair is already up in a ponytail, not even messy to begin with. He takes off the hair tie, reties it, all the while giving himself a mental pep talk.

This is epinagi 16

His ponytail was holding up fine, so it seems a bit redundant, right? But notice how he's talking himself up, shutting down his feelings as irrational, and how the act of fixing his hair seems to give him that final bit of clarity to pull himself together.

If it's a tell, it's a well thought-out one imo. It wouldn't be too off the wall for someone with his background to subconsciously associate a well-groomed appearance with self-control and poise. And let's be real, Reo is many things, but composed and rational are not among them. When he feels something, it's often all-consuming and intense, and at times he struggles to get a grip on his emotions, or to admit his vulnerability. I think it would make a lot of sense for him to attempt to regain his wits by "fixing" any external flaws in his veneer, and if by extension the hair re-tying itself became a self-soothing routine to calm himself down when stressed.

For comparison, a similar thing happens during the Manshine match

Notice how the focus is again on his emotions. The moment he begins feeling overwhelmed by Isagi's talent, and by the shadow of Nagi's past rejection, he rips that hair tie off, pushes down those ugly feelings, and then redoes his ponytail while more calmly going over some affirmations in his head.

The paneling this time hints at this, too, by focusing on his ponytail as Reo regains focus. After this, he's able to rationally decide what moves he needs to take next to fix whatever caused the emotional turmoil. He's not spiraling anymore, and his head is back in the game.

And idk, I just find it a neat detail.

Again, take this with a grain of salt because I haven't combed the manga to see if there are other instances of this. But even if it were just a nod from epinagi to the main manga, I still think it's a great example of visual storytelling

[just-some-sorta-person]

Reo's Impact on Nagi

Episode Nagi opens with the statement that a prodigy like Nagi "can never come into being on its own. the one who discovers them first traces their outline". So, how does Reo trace Nagi's outline as a soccer prodigy? I'll focus on the Light Novel first, because it gives us an idea of what Nagi was like before he met Reo.

Until We Met

In the Light novel, there are 2 aspects of sports addressed in terms of why Nagi is currently unable to realize his potential. There's the internal drive to win, and then there's the emotions that spur on that internal drive

It’s happy to win, but it's frustrating to lose. Nagi's overwhelming potential kept him away from these feelings, which is natural for people who play sports.

Nagi's talent prevents him from experiencing the frustration necessary to enjoy accomplishment, because everything is too easy. This is addressed once he plays team Z in Blue Lock, where he first loses after giving his all. It's clear then, why he currently lacks this aspect. What about the internal drive that gets you to give your all in the first place then?

(What are they trying so hard for?)...What’s the point of competing with someone else? Trying to fight, looking up to others, wanting your own value. Human beings are strange. Just being alive is fine. They want to compete with each other, one-up each other, and think that “I'm a special chosen one.”…… But he thinks that wanting to be "special" and working hard proves that you are not "special" at all. That's because you have no talent from the beginning...…… “Fuwah……” (*yawn*) He’s not interested in competition. Because no one would be interested in him like that…… Why is he even thinking about this? Well, He’s fine as long as he can live comfortably. What a pain.

Nagi connects effort and competition with "wanting your own value", and thinks that wanting to be valuable/"special" is evidence that you aren't - ie, that value is inherent and instantly recognizable.

Here we can remember that Nagi doesn't recognize his own potential. He doesn't value himself much either, or life in general, calling it a pain, not eating properly and wanting to do as little as possible. He seems to have given up, claiming to be fine when he's tired of living, and buying a cactus under the pretense of maintaining communication skills when he's really just lonely.

And since Nagi doesn't recognize his value, he must think that he can't possibly have it.

Nagi then expresses a lack of interest in competition, ie, wanting to be valuable, because "no one would be interested in him like that". That last sentence is interesting because there's a line or two of logic missing. What does other people's interest have to do with wanting to be valuable? Does it stem from a secret hope that if he did make an effort to prove his value, he could no longer be so lonely? That maybe one person could like him?

After the volleyball game where Nagi helped his team win, we can see Nagi express his loneliness before resolving to try even less than before

"Ah…… I'm tired…… Somebody give me a piggyback ride……" The tiny monologue fades away without being heard by anyone. (It took longer to win than expected…… Next year, I'll just stand still for real……)

You can probably tell where I'm going with this, because someone comes into Nagi's life that doesn't just think he's valuable, but calls him his "treasure"

Meeting Reo

Even if people don't interest him, if they've gone this far, even someone like Nagi will look at Reo. Something's making him so happy that his eyes are sparkling. Something's making him fired up... is it me?

When Reo looks to Nagi with "sparkling" eyes, the first thing Nagi does is wonder, "Is it me?". In other words, "Am I valuable to this person?" . He's in disbelief (think: his surprise when Reo says he likes hanging out with him) because this completely contradicts how he'd been thinking and living his life up till now. If this person sees value in Nagi, then value isn't instantly recognizable. Even if Nagi himself doesn't see it, there might be value in him to uncover.

All his life, others have never been interested in him, but he's also never been interested in others. Even his cactus, Choki, doesn't talk to him either. "Let's play soccer!" Nope, don't wanna. It's a pain. Nagi Seishiro, his dream for the future is to live a lazy life. That day that he would be fired up will never come. Not until he met Mikage Reo.

Even so, a glimpse of sparkling eyes isn't enough to fix years of solitude and hopelessness. Nagi reminds himself that no one has ever been interested in him. He doesn't want to make an effort, its a pain. But as we know, he ends up agreeing because it was the first time someone had ever..

And so, the possibility that "maybe I do have value..." is planted, as well as the possibility of someone being interested in him- the two things he mentioned when he said he had no interest in competition.

We see Nagi similarly being inspired at other times when Reo believes in him - his eyes sparkle when Reo asks Nagi to grant Reo his talent, and when Reo claims that Nagi is the best there is. And we know ultimately that this culminates in making an effort once their dream is threatened.

There's also this interaction from the voice guide

Baya's Words

This makes Baya's words seem less ominous. A lot of people interpret them as foreshadowing Reo stifling Nagi, but I'm not so sure. After all, it's only because Reo treasured Nagi -gave him so much love, if you follow Baya's words in the official translation - that Nagi encountered the possibility that he had potential and gathered the motivation to make an effort in the first place. That effort being met with resistance led to experiencing frustration for the first time, which started the path toward uncovering that potential.

At least that's how Nagi seems to think about it...

Nagi in the voice guide... no shame. truly...

Some stifling will probably happen after Manshine though, but I don't feel that it would be permanent or inherent to their partnership.

I did a post on this recently, but Reo is more of a motivating factor for Nagi than a person he depends on to play together with (Nagi did have to learn to play without a passer like Isagi, but he didnt have the psychological burden of a habit of looking for/expecting someone like Bachira up until the 4v4 or Rin in his light novel). ie, being together isn't about playing together

Nagi is also supposed to exist as a hidden route, and there are hints that the difference between him and Isagi is his partnership with Reo. him being paired with players in volume covers contrasted with the single player covers of the main manga, the focus Episode Nagi puts on Nagi's relationship with Reo, and the difference between Nagi and Isagi in these 2 spreads:

At Ego's speech, in the visualization, Isagi's eyes burn at the goal, but Nagi's eyes burn at Reo

In both Episode Nagi and Blue Lock, Isagi's run toward the entrance looks the same as Nagi's run when he saw Reo's face.

There's also the reddit skull theory

Taking these things into account, I think their partnership is meant to succeed in some way, and the reason why its unique is because it exists independently of playing soccer together.

A counterpoint to this is the large emphasis Reo puts on playing together, and Nagi needing him, but this emphasis seems mostly to be out of insecurity in his importance to Nagi than an aspect of their partnership or the affection Baya alludes to.

When he talks about being upset about Nagi leaving, he starts out with how he wanted Nagi to be "his" treasure. Reo worries that if he isn't the one that Nagi needs, that he can no longer stand by his side.

Reo worries about Nagi never coming back to him, forgetting about their dream, and leaving Reo lonely. He's scared that Nagi changing means Nagi leaving him. The reason why Reo is upset has nothing to do with soccer and everything to do with Nagi. Reo seems to want the dependent soccer that Blue Lock warns against, but only because that's the only way he can imagine justifying remaining by Nagi's side.

The thing is, being together is not necessarily about playing together for Reo either, but Reo assumes it's one-sided...

So, maybe if Nagi and Reo were to communicate, and Nagi got Reo to understand how much he means to Nagi, Reo would be able to abandon the concept of Nagi needing him in soccer, allowing them to chase their dream as partners and grow without depending on playing together. That's why I don't think dependent soccer, even if we see it after Manshine, would be permanent or inherent to their partnership

[oliveraiku]

I think that despite and past the initial childish disappointment that Isagi wasn’t the one to score the victory goal, it does make sense that Yukimiya was the one to seal the deal.

Why? Three factors.

1. We saw it already with Barou AND Rin in the second selection and the U-20 match respectively, how good Isagi is at exploiting someone else’s strength (and luck) and turn it into an advantage for himself. Which in turn means that when Yukki refused to collaborate with Isagi, for a rational plan in order to score, it was a foreshadowing for the fact that despite his protagonism, Isagi would be using Yukimiya, exploiting his inferiority complex, his will to beat Isagi and prove him wrong, and his fear of being forgotten.

Even Ego, here in chapter 196, actually explains why it makes sense for Yukimiya to score the goal in those circumstances, but not in the others - because once again, this match isn’t about Yukki’s goal, but Isagi’s realisation of protagonism and how to use that of other’s.

2. Yukimiya has simply a better physical spectrum than Isagi. Isagi says it himself, that what he misses is not the insight - but the physical prowess to actually make justice to it (which is what I believe next chapters will be about, especially if the next match is against Barou’s team - which makes sense, so that Isagi and Kaiser can have the last match showdown with Shidou and Rin).

3. The fulcrum of his whole match was not the goals, but rather Isagi realising how Protagonism works and if Yukimiya, Reo, Nagi, Kunigami and Kaiser were not present in the same limited space it would have not been possible. Currently, these are the people that besides Rin and Barou, have a ‘personal’ hang-up on Isagi, and his prowess, and therefore challenge him as a player the most. The Bastard Munchen VS Manchester is not about winning, but showing how Isagi, once again, acknowledges that despite having an edge on others he cannot push it, because he’s still lacking something, he is still evolving. In a twisted sense, this was about Isagi showing that even if Yukimiya is the one to score, he is still on Isagi’s palm, and that his protagonism does not stop at scoring (making himself memorable, which is the core of Yukki’s), but instead it goes over the single action performance. The whole match is Isagi’s playground.

And he’ll make sure to devour everyone on it.