#isagi is soccer kira

[rueclfer]

ok so i watched the first ep of blue lock

[sfznyxio]

-ˋˏ FLOW ˎˊ

SYNOPSIS. with your auto workshop at risk of closing down, your best friend kira ryosuke offers to introduce you to people who are definitely in need of your high quality services: underground street racers of blue lock, whose obsessions are winning the races. however, your arrival at the track makes them think otherwise. 

CHARACTERS. isagi yoichi, bachira meguru, chigiri hyoma, kunigami rensuke, barou shouei, mikage reo, nagi seishiro, yukimiya kenyu, otoya eita, karasu tabito, shidou ryusei, itoshi rin, itoshi sae

CONTENT. f!reader. street racer au. fluff. 1.3k wc. rewrite of flow at my old main blog @/verxsyon. reader is labeled as “kira (ryosuke’s) girl” because they are always seen together. possessive behavior (barou). mentions of violence (shidou & rin).

VERA. what’s better than egoist soccer players? egoist street racers. you know what could be better than egoist street racers? the reonagi divorce arc in hd— oops, lmao. you know what could be better than the reonagi divorce arc in hd? season 2 premiere this week and sae has more screen time! i also bought a reo figure in his high school soccer uniform to celebrate, and it was the last one too. lucky!

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ISAGI YOICHI

the heart. quickly becomes popular for his freshness to the arena. isagi is a good friend of kira, so there’s one more person you can trust. while in his care as kira meets up with his team, he gives you a tour of blue lock to keep you entertained. sweet and kind, he fetches you water and asks if you feel alright because the racers have been ogling at you since you arrived. interrupted by an uproar caused by a racer who is standing on his car with paint all over his body, isagi is beyond irritated.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. BACHIRA MEGURU

the monster. obsessed with spray paint and loves decorating his car with it. bachira is terrible at being an artist. playful and cheerful outside, he holds amateur art performances for the crowd before races to get them pumped up. his gaze makes isagi flinch when he is told by the latter to quiet down. you can still hear the warning of staying close to someone you trust. he emits a dangerous aura, a strong first impression. bachira feels the same when he’s up at your face, studying you intensely.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. CHIGIRI HYOMA

the surge. the fastest racer in blue lock, securing victories at the speed of light. as chigiri approaches bachira to scold him for scaring newcomers, his beauty is so unreal that you don’t even realize you’ve been staring at him. he apologizes for his friend’s antics, justifying that he acts like this before a highly anticipated race. unfortunately, chigiri is not in this one due to a leg injury but luckily has someone helping him to stay in shape: an orange-haired racer waiting at the garage in his car.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KUNIGAMI RENSUKE

the hero. kunigami has the highest endurance in blue lock, outlasting all racers in long-distance races. he acts like an older brother as he is very protective and solves issues in a civil manner, balancing out his friends’ hot-blooded personalities. kira trusts him enough to take you home as your best friend has matters to take care of. you thank kunigami for the ride and being nice to you. embarrassed, he says he’ll see you at the race and nothing else before zooming away.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. BAROU SHOUEI

the king. barou is the racer that kira complains about for as long as you can remember. he’s selfish and arrogant based on what you gathered so far from kira, claiming that the venue is his throne and the next race is his for the taking. his attitude fits your expectations; you already dislike him upon the first encounter. barou has the audacity to “claim” you as his prize when he wins this race. you’ll definitely follow kira’s advice to avoid him for sure when you see this guy again.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. MIKAGE REO

the heir. reo considers kira to be one of the best in the arena, besides his best friend, nagi, of course. a master of negotiations due to his status as the future chairman of a corporation, he hopes you will find his terms reasonable and collaborate with him as a business partner. but what he doesn’t expect is you playing hard to get. a pretty rich boy does deserve wild goose chase, making his pursuit exhilarating just like races at blue lock. nagi thinks that what he is doing is a waste of time.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. NAGI SEISHIRO

the genius. most people are happy with their achievements, but nagi does not care less as they’re essentially reo’s efforts. all he cares about are his video games and his cactus until you arrive to the arena with kira. all of a sudden, he attempts to impress you; “attempts” being the keyword. yet reo does the work once again by introducing him to you as his precious treasure and brags that you will see nagi’s full potential at the upcoming race. nagi doesn’t find you to be a bother, so he hopes to see you again. 

𝄞༉‧₊˚. YUKIMIYA KENYU

the model. his charm is the focal point of his character, which drives the audience nuts. curious by nature, yukimiya wonders about the qualities you possess other than being “kira ryosuke’s girl” and how you manage to get the likes of barou, who treats everyone like trash, and nagi, who thinks of only going home, at your whim. seeing you teach nagi about car anatomy allows him to introduce himself. he believes that there is something special about you, but a friend of his thinks so otherwise.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. OTOYA EITA

the ninja. otoya claims to be not like his fellow racers and prefers to stay in the shadows. he doesn’t see you as an angel sent by god in the form of a mechanic to fix their cars, not understanding why everyone is smitten by you. he isn’t interested in interacting with you at first, however, that is proven wrong when yukimiya makes you laugh at a silly joke. it’s rude to make you feel unwelcome, so he decides to give you a chance. a crow- like racer mocks him for thinking he doesn’t find you attractive one bit.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KARASU TABITO

the assassin. all about good vibes and good times, karasu does not want anyone to act “mediocre” around you. many newcomers are notorious for never setting foot in this place after their first round. he is relieved to hear that you came at your own volition thanks to kira. majority of racers you met so far are nice to you, so he doesn’t need to worry about making an impromptu spiel of why blue lock is great. if you think he’s too friendly for your taste, what about the guy stalking you right now.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. SHIDOU RYUSEI

the joker. unrestrained both in words and action, shidou goes about his day and does everything as he pleases. judging by how yukimiya, otoya, and karasu are quick to shield you, he’s bad news. the altercation grabs kunigami’s attention, who he has massive beef with. being “kira’s girl” doesn’t phase him, nor your best friend going after his head for being near you. one of his rivals isn’t amused by the ongoing circus act, as if he didn’t break his nose in the previous race.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ITOSHI RIN

the puppeteer. rin has a score to settle with his older brother, sae, who is betting on shidou for the next race. physical violence is a usual solution to settle arguments, and it’s worse for rin to be involved in another fight with shidou, especially before a race that determines his fate and prove to his brother that he’s the best of the best. he doesn’t spare a glance at you or ask if you’re alright, as sae walks into the garage to check out the commotion.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ITOSHI SAE

the prodigy. sae is one of the top eleven racers at the underground. you now know that he is betting on shidou for the upcoming race. rin does not seem pleased. even if it’s not obvious at face value, everyone can tell that there’s bad blood between the brothers by the intense atmosphere created from their staring contest. sae looks at you then at his brother, who he scoffs at for his lack of concern for you. for a girl to experience this in the first week, he’ll stop by your shop as reparation after the race.

[lazysublimeengineer]

The latest chapter of the manga has brought back the true meaning of "Blue Lock."

The stakes are higher and almost everyone is clawing out of their way to make it to the top.

It's a reminiscent of the first and second selection arcs where no one is spared. You like Kira? Too bad because he got eliminated first. Want to see Nagi and Reo teaming up in second selection? Not gonna happen anytime soon as Nagi was walking away with Isagi's team to their next match. Wanna see Naruhaya make it? Having a great backstory and reason to join the program doesn't make you have a plot armor to push through because you don't have enough talent and skill just like with the geniuses and prodigies out there.

And it's the same for Isagi too. He is not immune to any obstacles that he is facing today. It's already foreshadowed by Ego in the previous chapter.

This is going to happen sooner or later. Also, interesting note is that it's the second time that Isagi had misunderstood someone's true intentions in this match. It happened with Kiyora before when he thought that he was going to pass the ball to him and not with Kaiser. He looked genuinely surprised for a moment. And in the second moment of clarity, he now realized that Noa was using him too to tap and awakened Kaiser to his full potential.

Now how Isagi would react to all of this is the interesting part in the next chapter. I'm seeing theories circulating online that he *might* get a mental breakdown like with Ness, put him into a clearer perspective and made Noa realized that he won't be just a stepping stone for him by doing some crazy but amazing moves once again or him signing up for Dortmund after this match and play against BM in the future (this is the first team who has shown interest to him in this arc. And if I remembered correctly wasn't Dortmund his favorite team back then?)

It's not a farfetched idea for one of these things could happen. But then again, this is Blue Lock we're talking about. Some unpredictable things could be happening soon.

Also, I'm not really mad at Noa. It just showed and proved on why he was the current top one in the franchise. He's a real egoist. You don't just survived and make it to the top by being physically skilled on your own.

I also highly disagree with him not caring about Isagi. He took interest in Isagi because of out the Blue Lock players, he had shown potential the most and he was a proactive player. Isagi doesn't wait for things to be handed out to him. He seeks his opinion and advise on soccer related things.

To your perspective, this was a cold, calculating move from Noa. But in all honesty, Noa had just done what is logically for the best and this is how he could tap out both Isagi and Kaiser's potential and ego.

The author also might be showing that Isagi needs to stop seeing Noa as his idol and mentor.

But rather a rival as well in the same vein as Rin and Kaiser.

Because if you want to become the world's number 1 striker then you have to beat the current world's number 1 and that is Noel Noa himself.

The author cooked in this chapter and I couldn't be any more glad of it 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[lakeside-paradise]

Every so often, I stop and think about Ryosuke Kira. This guy had more potential. I understand that his kind-hearted personality and selflessness weren't meant to last in Blue Lock, but that means that several characters shouldn't have made it, such as Reo.

I mean, I know how important Reo is as a character, and I know his Ego revolves around Nagi, which literally means that Reo was playing for someone else, Nagi. And yes, he becomes more independent later on, but at the same time, isn't that potential that Kira could have had?

Not only that, we know that Kira does have an Ego of his own. And yes, it's brought out by losing, but if he wasn't introduced as a character who was doomed from the start (come on, we all knew it), his Ego could have meant so much more in later chapters, with his friendship with Isagi (despite his words later on, I still think he did like Isagi) helping to make amazing plays.

There's one problem with that, however, and it's Bachira. Now I'd obviously choose Bachira over Kira any day, that's for certain. But Kira is able to play with more people than Isagi, which is especially shown in his belief that soccer is a sport played with eleven people. He could easily play with more people on Team Z and make a big impact on them.

I truly believe that Isagi didn't completely unleash his full Ego until the Neo Egoist League, and even then, he knows that he can't just play soccer by himself. So, while Kira would have some struggles adapting to the way Blue Lock works and their system of Egoists, I think he would have been able to survive there and make a name for himself at the same time.

Despite starting off in Team Z, Kira had a reputation as the 'Crown Jewel of Japan' and I think if he made it through the Second Selection and his team lost at some point, he'd be chosen for his reputation and his personality. He has a hidden Ego brewing underneath his kindness, but he has the skill and talent to play for other people as well. So I think he would survive well there.

I also believe that he would work well with players such as Nagi, Barou, or Shidou. All of them are Egoists who are used to having balls passed to them so they can score. Kira, from what I can tell, is a character who is able to pass the ball to someone else, so long as victory is possible. Not only that, in some aspects, Kira resembles Reo, especially in the way that Reo does everything for Nagi. While potentially mot the best thing in the world, his selflessness would easily get him through, and perhaps even be brought in as a substitute during the U20 game, if he made it that far.

Now, obviously, Kira couldn't have stayed as part of Team Z because there could only be 11 players. But what's an easy solution? Get rid of a character who has no relevance to the plot. There are two potential characters I can think of for that.

The first one is Yudai Imamura. Does anyone even remember that character? He gets sent home during the Second Selection, but I bet no one even knew that because he's so irrelevant. Apparently, his weapon is his speed and technique, but he just wasn't needed. Chigiri had the speed, and Isagi and Bachira had the technique. He never stood out during any of the games and just ceased to exist.

I did consider Asashi Naruhaya but disregarded him because he had relevance in the Secone Selection where he played alongside Barou. He was also considered to be important enough to have a backstory reveal, so we know why he played soccer in the first place and why he needed an Ego to get through.

But my second character that Kira could replace is hopefully unsurprisingly Gurimu Igarashi, or Igaguri. Now listen, it's not that I hate him, because I don't. He's okay as character, but I won't go any further than that. Yes, he has an Ego, but even Isagi said that his Ego wasn't enough to get him through. He was a substitute for the U20 match, but he didn't get used. He's a reserve for Bastard München, but he still hasn't been used. He doesn't have a value, and if that stays the same, he's going home.

While I can see him getting through because he seems to have some relevance to the story, I don't understand or know how it'll happen. I don't think he has any individual talents apart from being able to make other players get a foul when they try to regain the ball. That isn't enough. And besides, if Igaguri was with someone who isn't Shidou and they lost during the Second Selection, the other player, no matter who it was, would get picked instead, just because Igaguri has shown no reason for him to be picked. He doesn't stand out, his Blue Lock ranking is at rock bottom, and his personality isn't even likeable. Apart from the Blue Lock ranking (which Kira wasn't able to build because he was knocked out), Kira had better skills than him, and his impact would have been a lot bigger.

I'm sure the writers and development team have their own reasons, but at the same time, Kira seemed like such a wasted character. His potential could have been huge, and he could have been a more successful character, especially during the Second Selection and the U20 game. As for the Neo Egoist League, I think he'd be drawn to Manshine City, and I think his talents could be shown there easily, and he'd definitely be able to make a name for himself and a value for himself, whether it be as a starting player or a reserve.

I have several problems, though minor, with Blue Lock as a whole, but Kira's wasted potential and wasted Ego (and the breaking and reforming of it) of the one that angers me the most. He was a good character to begin with, and I really did like him (and a lot of people seem to have preferred him over Imamura, Naruhaya, or Igaguri), so why couldn't he be developed? It just bugs me so badly.

[kae-karo]

my "sae has to return for the world cup arc" theory, based around 3 key things:

narratively speaking, isagi needs someone a step up from kaiser (or at a similar level) to continue his own growth and evolution

it would be challenging to introduce a new character that is not on the japan u20 team to serve as isagi's next antagonist/rival

sae's introduction during the u20 arc leaves his character arc unfinished, both wrt his own evolution and his subplot with rin

longer explanations below the cut lmao

okay first, isagi needing someone at or above kaiser's level to evolve - up to this point, isagi's evolution has been at the hands of increasingly more skilled characters (bachira, niko, nagireo, rin, barou, aiku, rin again, and now kaiser) - at this stage, we have a member of the ng11 that's pushed isagi to his next evolution. beyond that skill level, it's really just the pros or other ng11 members, according to the roughly established hierarchy of skill beyond blue lock

now imo, isg as a player has been set up as a mix of striker and offensive midfielder - unlike characters like kaiser, rin, nagi, and barou, he's not exclusively a striker, nor his he exclusively serving as a midfielder like kurona, hiori, and reo. at this point, i think he's reached a high tier evolution in following and surpassing strikers' skills, but he still heavily leans on his metavision and working himself and other players into his vision to score goals even when they aren't his own goals

so, i could see a midfielder pushing his evolution even further or rounding it out more completely to give him the full spectrum of evolution for both striker skills and midfielder skills - or perhaps he ultimately needs to surpass a combination of an extremely talented midfielder and an extremely talented striker (aka sae and rin)

okay but to be fair, there are other characters that would be at or above kaiser's level to push isagi to his next evolution - noa, for example, or any of the world players we've seen. but that brings me to my next point - this is the world cup arc, which would theoretically involve a training period + the world cup games, so putting isg up against someone that isn't on the japan u20 team (and would be absent for the training period and most of the world cup games) seems like a challenging way to concretely and consistently establish a rival

and, unfortunately, i think the only character in blue lock that's even capable of pushing isagi would be rin - but we've already seen the rin v isagi dynamic when they're on the same team, i think it'd be hard to highlight how rin could make isagi evolve dramatically this time around without it feeling repetitive or underwhelming

so, introduce a new character then - and in theory, this could be another random japanese player (lmao kira) but i'll admit, i'd find it contrived and a little disappointing to throw in someone we've somehow never met before this point, given that we've already met the previously established u20 team and have eliminated literal hundreds of other talented japanese soccer players

but the thing about that is that we already have a character that 1. can play for japan on the world cup u20 team 2. is at or above kaiser's level in terms of skill to push isagi to his next evolution and 3. has unresolved plot. i don't think knsr introduces things just for fun, and sae's plot with rin remains completely unresolved at this stage. further, his own backstory has yet to be touched on, and as an antagonist introduced during the u20 match for isagi, he remains the only antagonist that has yet to go through a breakdown/rebuilding of ego due to isagi

and i think that's relevant - for reasons that could be as simple as sae wanting to see what becomes of japanese soccer at the hands of blue lock (and isagi), sae could join the u20 team for the world cup and serve as an instigator both to push rin to improve and, by virtue of his own skill and rin's improvement, to push isagi to his next evolution

and in that process, i suspect we'll see 1. the resolution of rin and sae's subplot 2. sae's backstory and the crushing of his ego (a la aiku's backstory) and 3. the resurgence of or genuine creation of his new ego, whether that's to be a striker or to stay a midfielder, or whatever it ends up being

all in all, i think this direction would tie a neat bow on top of sae's character as well as really honing both rin's and isagi's skills and character arcs without introducing contrived reasoning for a new antagonist that we've somehow never seen before

[ashen-sky]

I feel like Sae is just a talented learner, or whatever Isagi's word is for the non-geniuses. Finally got around to ep33, and rewatching the Itoshi brothers' past with all the new categories Isagi has come up with got me thinking.

We're TOLD Sae is a genius, but we were also told Kaiser is a genius. We never see a natural talent like we do with geniuses like Rin and Nagi (that moving without thinking moment). Like Kaiser we only see him after he's been forced to take on the air of a genius to survive. Before that you could say he's a lot like Kira, he works hard and so in the world of Japanese soccer he's a genius. He's probably naturally talented, but not to a genius level.

So during his confrontation with Rin he realizes that he's been holding Rin back.

Anyways, half explained thoughts but you get the jist. Also, I'm probably not the first person to say this.

[blonde-batgirl]

“Soccer and teams are born from an overwhelming striker.” This is what Isagi deduces Ego is thinking in chapter eight, following the match with Barou where Team X rapidly forms around him.

I have a theory that, pre-Blue Lock, Kunigami is used to being that overwhelming striker that teams form around. This is the fourth time I’ve taken a crack at writing this out, because it keeps getting far too long, so to make this easier we’re going to stick to the First Selection and split it into sections starting with…

The Team Y Match

In the Team Y match, Team Z have a bold new plan: each of them (except for Chigiri and Iemon) will be the striker the team revolves around for ten minutes of the game. During Kunigami’s turn, here is what Isagi thinks about his playstyle:

“He lets his teammates take care of moving the ball up… so then he’s free to go right to the front line! Rather than the penalty area, which is crowded with players, he positions himself just in front of it… receives a pass from his teammates… and once his teammates clear a space for him… he drives in the ball with his powerful left leg!!”

This is very much where this theory springs from. There’s repeated emphasis here on how much he allows his teammates to do for him. Within the Egoist Four, this makes Kunigami unique – the other three have all expressed the desire to go it alone at one point or another, whether its Isagi’s obsession with scoring his own goals, Bachira trying to take back his lonely soccer, or Chigiri declaring that his ideal self doesn’t want to pass. Additionally, we’ve seen both Bachira and Chigiri carry the ball up the field to the goal entirely on their own with their dribbling skills and speed respectively (Team V match and Manshine City match respectively). We also know that all three of them experienced some level of alienation from their previous teammates: Isagi felt like he couldn’t be himself around them, Bachira was himself (affectionate) and suffered for it, and Chigiri was also himself (derogatory) and got bullied by the Wanima brothers. We don’t really know anything about Kunigami’s backstory yet, but the fact that he’s so willing to rely on teammates he barely knows suggests he didn’t have that problem and implies that he's used to his teammates working to support his goals.

Speaking of which…

The Tag Game

One of Kunigami’s first acts as a member of Team Z is to try and enforce fair play during the tag game. This is after Ego has told them that the only rule is that they can’t use their hands. At this point, most of Team Z don’t even know each other’s names – he has no authority here and there’s no reason for him to believe that anyone will listen to him besides confidence or, perhaps, experience. He’s not doing this from a place of assumed equal footing either – even if some of the guys in the room didn’t know who Kira was, Igaguri has just loudly announced his identity.

It's worth bearing in mind here that we can only speculate on what Kunigami makes of Ego and this whole situation. Isagi, Chigiri, and even Imamura (at the start of the tag game) have established opinions on Ego’s trustworthiness. Kunigami is less bothered by being in the soccer Hunger Games than he is about said soccer Hunger Games not being adequately policed. As mentioned above, we do know that he puts a lot of emphasis on playing fair, and he always shares credit when he feels it’s warranted (yes, sharing the steak, but he also tells the rest of the team in chapter eight that his goal in the Team X match wouldn’t have happened without both Isagi and Bachira). Neither of these seem like very pro-Ego’s-philosophy character traits (although Raichi does point out that there could be a selfish motivation to sharing credit - if people keep passing to him, he can score more).

However, Kunigami plays pretty fast and loose with playing fair when it suits him…

The Team X Match and Kunigami VS Raichi

Technically, Team Z come into the Team X match with a plan. I say technically, because Raichi breaks formation almost immediately and Kunigami charges right after him. There are three ways to interpret this:

Learning from previous mistakes: he already tried enforcing fair play during the tag game and (shockingly) nobody listened

Pragmatism: yeah, he cares about fair play, but it’s not fair play if no one else is playing fair. If this is how things work here, then fine, he’ll play along

Blatant hypocrisy: this one is arguably backed up by Isagi’s thoughts over a panel of Kunigami, Raichi, and some of the Team X guys battling over the ball – “All of them are only thinking about themselves.”

Kunigami himself puts it down to the second one. Regardless, this throws Team Z into immediate disarray. As Team Z are all scrambling to be the main character, Barou is succeeding in becoming that on Team X. He overpowers the rest of his teammates and they promptly fall in behind him – after all, if their team comes in first or second overall, they all get through regardless of who scores. The only reason the same thing doesn’t happen on Team Z is that they’re the main characters none of them manage to score alone.

Kunigami does score in this match, but it’s not his goal that pulls the team together - it’s Isagi’s pass to him. With Barou coming at him, faced with a choice between Raichi (who was free) and Kunigami (who had a defender on him), Isagi chose to pass to Kunigami. Which brings us to one question: why does Isagi pass to Kunigami? Isagi himself tells Raichi that this was subconscious. Later, with the benefit of hindsight, Isagi hypothesises that he did this because he had personal experience with how hard Kunigami could kick and he thought Barou could potentially take on Raichi. But, as noted, Barou was on Isagi at the time and not really any closer to Raichi than he was Kunigami. Of course, this is Isagi’s weapon in its earliest stages – Isagi subconsciously realised that he himself could not beat Barou and, given a choice between Kunigami and Raichi, he identified Kunigami as the one overwhelming striker of the three of them.

To Conclude

I don't feel like I should be hitting post without adding some form of conclusion, so a quick summary of my argument: I think, pre-Blue Lock, Kunigami was used to being the one overwhelming striker that teams formed around and I think this informs his behaviour throughout the First Selection. This would also track with the rest of the Egoist Four, who all behave the way they do because of backstory baggage (Bachira has been lonely his whole life, Chigiri is terrified of reinjuring his leg, Isagi passed a ball once...) Once they're officially working together, Kunigami has no problem trusting his teammates to support him in scoring and he also comes into the story with the confidence to believe that he can lay down the law and people will actually listen to him (nope - ball to the face). Additionally, Isagi instinctively identifies him as the character most likely to make a goal out of the two of them and Raichi.

[bluelocksource]

hi do you know the popularity result for 1st and 2nd poll? i think i never seen it.

hello. answer under the cut.

1st character popularity result

The first character popularity result was announced in 2020.

1st - Isagi (2,568 votes)

2nd - Nagi (2,316 votes)

3rd - Bachira (2,184 votes)

4th - Chigiri (1,148 votes)

5th - Barou (1,048 votes)

6th - Rin (1,028 votes)

7th - Kunigami (748 votes)

8th - Anri (692 votes)

9th - Reo (624 votes)

10th - Ego (437 votes)

11th - Aryuu (424 votes)

12th - 23rd:

Sae (336 votes) - Kuon (300 votes) - Kira (249 votes) - Raichi (220 votes) - Zantetsu (212 votes) - Igaguri (156 votes) - Naruhaya (128 votes) - Niko (96 votes) - Iemon (64 votes) - Imamura (60 votes) - Wanima Keisuke (52 votes) - Ego's Glasses (46 votes)

24rd - 32nd:

Gagamaru (35 votes) - Okawa Hibiki (31 votes) - Tokimitsu (25 votes) - Wanima Junichi (20 votes) - Noa (12 votes) - BLUE LOCK MAN & Nishioka (3 votes) - Buratsuta, Shohei Inaba (Matsukaze High School goalkeeper)

1 vote:

Ishikari - Isagi's father - Reo's father - Kunigami's mother, Kunigami's sister - Itoshi Rin's lower eyelashes - Naruhaya's sister - Girolan Dabadie - The old man with dreadlocks (player) - Reo's female entourage - Team X's goalkeeper - Isagi's coach - Okachan - Soccer Journal's journalist Nihei - Ego's yakisoba cup - Natto.

2nd character popularity result.

The second character popularity result was announced in 2022.

1st - Itoshi Rin (26,150 votes)

2nd - Isagi (11,567 votes)

3rd - Naho (9,506 votes)

4th - Bachira (4,178 votes)

5th - Chigiri (3,996 votes)

6th - Reo (1,358 votes)

7th - Kunigami (1,168 votes)

8th - Barou (985 votes)

9th - Hiori (724 votes)

10th - Kaiser (635 votes)

11th - Aiku (563 votes)

12th - 22nd:

Sae (533 votes) - Gagamaru (498 votes) - Ego (490 votes) - Karasu (404 votes) - Shidou (385 votes) - Yukimiya (296 votes) - Raichi (296 votes) - Aryuu (210 votes) - Anri (127 votes) - Otoya (89 votes) - Niko (57 votes)

23rd - 34th:

Tokimitsu (56 votes) - Igaguri (45 votes) - Kurona (31 votes) - Kira (29 votes) - Sendou (28 votes) - Noa (20 votes) - Nishioka (16 votes) - Zantetsu (13 votes) - Ness (12 votes) - Kuon (11 votes) - Naruhaya , Iemon (10 votes)

35th - 45th:

Chris (9 votes) - Nanase (8 votes) - Chigiri's sister (6 votes) - T-ya, Tada-chan (5 votes) - Loki, Lavinho. Luna (4 votes) - Wanima Junichi, Buratsuta, Darai (3 votes)

2 votes:

Isagi's father - Kiyora - Tanaka Shingen - Bleu Lock Man - Inaba Shohei - Natsuki Harutaro (the sportscaster)

1 vote:

Ego's glasses - Ishikari - Haiji Shizuka - Adam Blake - The steak that Kunigami and Isagi ate in chapter 9 - Saramadara - Theo Sachs - Niou - Mensah - Hoichi Yasumori - Soccer ball - Onigiri - Chigiri's mother - Yuzu Haruhiko - Young Bachira - Teppei - Ignacio Lara - Hologram - Shiguma Kyohei - Okawa Hibiki - Himizu Aiki - Isagi's mother.

src: 1 | 2

[sharksliveontrains]

one thing I love about blue lock is that you never see kira again after the first episode. obviously he’s used to show how serious they are about the program and to turn the usual sports anime/manga trope on its head but. his ego was very apparent the moment he realized isagi- the one person that he was friendly with there- attacked him and caused him to lose his dream. and he really lost it himself by not being prepared to fight back, he’ll have to grapple with that fact for the rest of his life, especially seeing isagi and others from blue lock make it to the national stage. but it’s especially interesting because i’m sure he had the ego to make it. as soon as he was eliminated it was evident. if he was given another chance, or even 5 seconds longer to pass the ball to someone else, i think he could’ve been a major part of blue lock and possibly make it to the national level. but because he wasn’t expecting it, was trying to think of others, wasn’t prepared to eliminate someone else in time- his soccer career slipped from his fingers and he’ll never be allowed to play for japan’s national team

[kungukingi]

Meditations on bris/isbr [3/?] "Barou as Isagi's Catalyst of Change"

Link to previous part.

Team X versus Team Z is a match that gains a whole new depth of meaning when it's contextualised with Isagi’s backstory from the light novel, with one particularly important perspective coming through his internal narration about the Saitama Prefectural Tournament Finals (the match against Kira), and about what he thought it would mean to him.

To put Isagi’s backstory short; he was initially a timid kid, likely partially due to his implied hypersthesia (a condition that involves an abnormal increase in sensitivity to stimuli of the sense, such as sounds, textures, light, etc.) — until he got into football, developed a passion for it, and started to excel in it. From his light novel (Translated by @hoshi801_):

In elementary school, he scored a goal beating five opponents in a row. In junior high school, he became known as the unbeatable striker in his hometown in Saitama.

He discovered Noa, gained confidence in his dream to become the best striker in the world and to win the World Cup. That is, until he entered Ichinan High School, which is where it all changed. When Isagi first learns of the “One for all, all for one” motto of Ichinan, he questions it, but when his teammates see nothing wrong with it, he decides not to press the issue so as not to stand out negatively:

“Well, in soccer, it feels good because you can beat your opponents and score goals by yourself, right? That’s the joy of being a striker. It's not about joining forces, but about the power of each individual striker… I guess.” He glances to see how Tada reacts. “Huh? You can't play soccer by yourself.” He said “What are you talking about?” then laughed. “Soccer is a sport played by eleven people! My goal is a team play that represents the bond of those eleven people! One for all, all for one!” Suddenly, they wrap an arm around each other’s shoulders. “Let's all join forces and go to the Nationals!" “Yeah!” When Tada said this, their other teammates got excited. (Huh? Am I the only one who thinks that this is ridiculous?) Isagi couldn't say anything more.

He is far from happy with this status quo however, silently disagreeing with the ‘nobody should stand out’ way his coach is making them play football, and eventually asks to play as a striker.

“Uhm… I want to go for the next game, as a striker, I'd like to shoot more if possible.…” This was all Isagi could muster. “Hahaha! You want to show off?” The coach laughed out loud, and his teammates laughed out loud as well.

Isagi turns red from embarrassment, and the coach goes off about how that’s just not happening because it’s not the Ichinan High School way. Shamed, Isagi then tries to gaslight himself into thinking this is fine and he is the one who is wrong:

(This is fine. Indeed, this is how a team works. Soccer is a sport played by eleven people. I'm sure it's not right for me to disturb the harmony… by myself.)

(Literally Isagi when he’s told he can’t play as an egoist striker:)

From then on his ego is described as ‘sealed’ and he focuses on just keeping the harmony, hiding his more assertive tendencies because he doesn’t want to stand out to his detriment in this harmony-valuing environment. This continues up until the moment when they’re getting ready for the Prefectural Tournament Finals in his second year. It’s the moment where his “true feelings welled up in his heart” and “Isagi heard the voice of his ego for the first time in a long time”.

Their opponent in the Finals was Matsukaze Kokuo High School, which had one of the best strikers in the prefecture, Kira Ryosuke. (I will beat that Kira Ryosuke, go to the Nationals……get scouted, go to the J-League……Someday, I will represent Japan……! Someday, I'll be at the World Cup I dreamed of……) He looked at his clenched fist and realized. (World Cup? So I’m still…… hoping for something like that.) He had never told anyone about it, and even he had almost forgotten about it, but it had always been there in the bottom of his heart. He wants to represent Japan and win the World Cup. It was a dream that he had been thinking about ever since the day he saw Noel Noa for the first time when he was eight years old. Then a predictive thought came to his mind. (......if my dream were to come true, this match would surely be the turning point.)

That bolded part is very revealing, and heartbreaking considering how he ended up automatically adhering to the “Ichinan Way” when the chips were down. That match did not end up being the turning point for Isagi, as we know. He ends up passing to Tada in the moment where he could’ve chosen to be assertive in a 1v1 situation with a goalie, and Tada ends up botching the goal and losing them the game.

But another match would become that turning point in a different way, and one specific person would become the catalyst to give Isagi’s ego the spark it needed to start on the path of turning into the all-consuming flame it eventually becomes. Someone Isagi immediately notices from the very first moment he enters the pitch.

The Team X versus Team Z match begins in chaos, as Ego has created a very specific situation that discourages any kind of meek “one for all and all for one” philosophy. The dumpling football that ensues is downright Darwinian in nature; individualistic and cruel. Though it’s not football exactly, it’s still closer to Isagi’s ideal football ethos than Ichinan High School’s way, which becomes clear when you look at the paragraph of Isagi’s thoughts upon him discovering the football club’s motto for the first time:

One for all, all for one. It means each one should act for the sake of others, and the others should act for the sake of each one. Sounds good, but isn't the game far more from that ideal? The soccer that made his heart fired up was even more cruel. The striker who single-handedly broke through that cruel world was beautiful.

Barou is the one who immediately takes control of the match, ends up “turning 0 into 1”, and dominates the pitch by getting his team to support him while team Z continues to struggle without a clear centre. And he does it in a way that leaves Isagi awestruck.

Isagi knows they can’t win anymore, but he still tries to do that same thing Barou did for Team X for their own Team Z; turn 0 into 1 and become the axis of their team.

Barou ends up taking notice of this change, and comes to stop him himself, in doing so creating an imperfect echo of the situation in the Prefectural Tournament Finals. But now Isagi doesn’t only have that traumatic memory pressing at him, there is also the imaginary World Cup Finals scenario that Ego painted for them at the start of Blue Lock, during which Isagi had imagined himself acting like a “true striker” would.

Point being, from Isagi’s perspective this is a moment that ought to be pivotal, a kind of a litmus test of whether he’s cut out to be a striker or not. But he’s not stupid, so he knows he can’t match Barou in a 1v1. So he freezes, wonders about what would a striker do, unconsciously activates a nascent version of metavision for one brief moment… and passes to Kunigami, mirroring his actions in the Prefectural Tournament Finals when he passed to Tada. In his mind, he does the exact thing he’d already thought he wouldn’t do again, because he is a striker, and he’s regretted not taking the shot ever since.

He is shocked, Barou is shocked. Raichi is furious and starts berating Isagi, who can’t clearly answer the question about why he did it, and then Barou says this:

Barou, who left such an impression in Isagi in this game, who has in such a short timespan embodied many key “striker” traits that Isagi has admired in Noa and ‘strikers’ in general for half of his life by this point, being someone who can:

…single-handedly break through “that” cruel world

…beat his opponents and score goals by himself

…turn 0 into 1

…be at the centre of it all

— This Barou tells Isagi that he isn’t cut out to be a striker, causing him to collapse on the pitch, wonder what the hell is he doing, and think that Barou — someone who does seem to have what it takes — might be right. But this being Isagi, he of course doesn’t give up. Instead he takes this despair Barou has fed him, uses the opportunity to truly look at himself, learn, and evolve instead.

Link to next post.

[chattaboochel]

Fluid Hearts | Chapter 2

Secret Discussions

Warnings: Swearing, angst, smut (eventually),harem x afabOC.

Words: 5.1k

Tags (Open): @hellothere9597, @jayvuu , @wannastraygolden , @furiousenemylover , @courtneypaigemartin , @idkwho-this

Thank you guys for the support so far!!!!

Thud, Thud, Thud….

That was all anyone heard, the ball bouncing away and blood dripping on the ground.

“I-Isagi? What are you doing?”, Kira stuttered, barely comprehending those last few seconds. The ball being stolen by Bachira, Sora bouncing off the wall and then Isagi shooting it. “W-What happened ? I’m bleeding…”

Isagi too looked at him in bewilderment, watching Kira trying to stop his nose from bleeding. “Sorry… whole thing is a blur, the ball came at me from nowhere.”

‘Oh Isagi…’

“Don’t give me that!-"

Claps are what cut off Kira’s whining, “Well done my diamonds in the rough! Only results matter here. You lost Ryonoske Kira and I’m disqualifying you, Now lock off loser!”

“Bout time.”, Sora goes to sit beside a grinning Bachira. “Glad to see him go hmm?.”

“He’s a mediocre Boy Scout” Sora didn’t bother to hide her amusement from Bachira, she had no reason to pretend to be nice now that the blonde wasn’t gonna be here anymore.

Bachira smirked in delight at Soras hidden maliciousness, “Oooh harsh.” The more he interacted with her the more interning Sora became to him, he knew Sora would cause quite a stir here. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“This is bullshit. My careers over? Lying in tatters? This early on?! AND IT'S ONLY BECAUSE I LOST TO SOME CHILDISH GAME?!” Ryonoske started to tremble, finally realizing what had just occurred in that game. His temper rose rapidly.

“Wow he’s really throwing a tantrum.”

Kira continues on, Soras jabs only egging him on further. “I'M THE JEWELL OF JAPANESE SOCCER! There’s no way you think Igarshi and Isagi are more talented than me right?! ALL THIS PROVES IS THAT THEY ARE BETTER AT TAG! WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH SOCCER?!”

He huffed out heaving breaths, his fists balled up tight with anger. Ego merely waited for the boy to quit his screaming before answering. “Every aspect of your lives here at Bluelock will have something to do with the sport. So look around you mr mediocre elite.”

“Notice the room size? It’s the same dimensions as a penalty area.” Ego explained, Most of the boys in the room finally took note of his words, gasping aloud at how obvious it had been.

“And roughly 75% of goals are achieved in this confines. If you can’t do your job in this area you have no talent as a striker!”

“SHUT UP! It’s freaking tag! They literally have nothing in common!”

“Jeez he’s so loud too…” Bachira chuckled at the complaining Sora beside him, watching as she dramatically covered her ears.

Bachira too couldn’t care less about the screaming Kira, far more intrigued by the child of the great Kazuma Hisaya. Something about them was different; he knew it.

But that was, he couldn't quite say.

Jinpachi continues to explain to enraged Kira, nothing the man was saying seemed to dull down the boy's hasty temper. “Just a training drill?! How much could you possibly know about me in just two minutes?! Not when a soccer match is 90!”

“Care to guess the average amount of time a player spends with a ball in a 90 minute match? 136 seconds. I provided that and you decided to wait until the time ran out.”

“I had 10 seconds! It’s not like I could do anything-“

“Would you use that same excuse if this was a match? When the ball made contact with you, there was still 1 second left on the clock. You could’ve survived if you had kicked it at Igarshi but you didn’t see the move.”

“Talk about surviving by the skin of your teeth there monk boy.”

He glared at Sora, still holding his aching ankle. “Shut it!”, her hands rise up in mock surrender, a sarcastic sorry leaving her lips. “Touchy touchy.”

“You could’ve achieved victory if you just stretched out your leg. Whoever is it in this game of tag might be the loser if holding the ball too long or perhaps the winner, considering he has the power to choose whose hit next.”

“As a striker you are to shoulder this responsibility, fighting until the very last second runs out. Yoichi Isagi chose a target, a player who was ranked higher than him instead of Igarshi. Before that Meguru Bachira stole the ball off him with Hisaya Sora following once he realized he was going for the strongest guy, just to be a part of the chase.”

Both Sora and Bachira tilt the head at the mention of their names, the other boys now looking directly at them. “The three of them demonstrated a selfishness obsession of victory, uneffected by the group of common sense.”

“It’s pure ego! Just what I’m looking for in a striker!”, Soras lips twitched upward at the praise, Bachira too smiled as he played with his hair. Isagi still looked a little shocked from the last second play but Sora was glad he was getting some recognition at last.

“Ryunoske Kira! Lock off!”

“No.. Bachira saw him out of nowhere… Sora was too fast…” He stood there blank, eyes wide, his skin tinted a soft red hue from his bleeding nose. Kira couldn’t believe it. Someone as skilled as him was the first to go. ��This can’t be happening?!’ “He singled me out! This isn’t fair! BACHIRA CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!”

Isagi looked on at him, a tinge of guilt spinning in his chest. Not noticing a certain black and blue haired girl jogging up to his side. “Kira.. I um-“

Kira’s glare was ferocious, a seething hatred emitting from his body like a beacon and he aimed it all at Yoichi Isagi. Sora watching the interaction closely, not liking the way fake Boy Scout looked at Isagi. “YOU KNOW IT WASN'T RIGHT! ENDING MY DREAMS LIKE THIS!”

“Seriously Kira? Take your fucking tantrum outside.”, Isagi didn’t feel Sora loop her arms around Isagis neck from behind, propping her chin up on his shoulder to hoist herself up slightly. “Who the hell do you think you are!”

“Someone who's going to become one of the greatest strikers in the world whilst you leave here continuing to stew in your own mediocrity. I hope you enjoy the view now that you’ll be in Isagis' shadow.”

Kira couldn’t believe not even an hour ago he would’ve considered Sora as a peer, someone he could look up to and now all he wanted to do was kick the teens face in, famous parent or none.

“Asshole! How fucking dare-“

“And now I’m bored, would you get lost already? Before you make an even bigger fool of yourself.”

“Why you-"

Sora glared as hard as he did if not harder, daring Kira to speak another idiotic word, she would love the excuse to show him how little his existence really was.

But Kira was a Boy Scout, just as Sora pegged him to be and finally he chose to leave the room, trembling in a silent anger.

‘Woah…. That was seriously intense. Why would Sora get so heated over Kira? Why defend me?”

Sora breathed a sigh of relief once Kira was finally gone, giving Isagi a quick but reassuring pat on the shoulder before letting go of him. Isagi still had his mind of the nearly eliminated Kira.

‘And why did I do it? I think I really put an end to Kira’s soccer career but why… Why do I feel so excited right now? He knows!’

He looks right at Bachira who cheekily poked out his tongue with a sly giggle. ‘So does he’ Isagi looks back to Sora too, she shrugs her shoulders with a smirk, resting back on her hands. “Why did you pass the ball to me? You would’ve lost if I just hadn’t kicked the ball.”

Bachira pretends to think about it for a second before he smiles gleefully. “Hmmm I saw the look on your face. Like he said, only results matter here. So I believed in you and Blueberry and we won right?”

“God I hope that nickname doesn’t stick.”

He winked back at him, Isagi felt everything in him deflate. ‘Man this guy is totally crazy…’

“This is just ridiculous…”, Monk boy wincing as he tried to move his ankle.

“Ridiculous you say? You have a point. That’s the world of win and loose. Remember the world class strikers that everyone here so casually admires? They put their lives on the line like this everyday.”

“How does it feel? For the first time in your life to have to fight for your soccer career. Does it scare you? Are you excited?! This is normal in Bluelock. Are you shaken up?! Ablazed with the knowledge that you survived?! This is what victory feels like! Etch this sensation into your brains.”

‘Hmm I could get used to this’ Sora thought, excitement buzzing all around her body.

“Congratulations, those who have survived have passed the Bluelock entrance exam.”

Cheers come from all around, fists going up in excitement and relief. Sora too feeling the same as the rest did. “Look around at everyone in this room. For now you all will be living together. Sometimes you’ll work as a team and others you’ll be each others rivals, out to wreck eachothers dreams. You’re Bluelock Team Z!”

Soras fist slams into her own palm, determined and eager for the next step. ‘Time to conquer!’

~

Bluelock was rigerous, already putting its inhabitants to a series of training spanning over three days.

Not that Sora minded the exercise, she usually enjoyed it but this new binder of hers definitely made things a bit harder than she was used too.

Not to mention she finally had a chance to get acquainted with the rest of the members of team Z and boy did she think she was lumped in with a bunch of crazy people.

Skilled? sure, but she was supposed to work in tandem with a bunch of guys who would much rather be caught dead than think of anything other than themselves. ‘Yeah… nothing wrong with that picture at all.’

So far Sora mostly hung around Isagi and Bachira. The three of them already beginning to strike up a close friendship. Chigiri had yet to approach her but she figured he’d choose to in his own time.

She too wondered when she would be able too see Nagi and Reo or better yet play against them. Sora eagerly anticipated that day.

After a particularly gruelling few tests it was thankfully lunch time, Sora was starving, following behind Isagi as they collected their servings of Miso soup and Rice.

Bluelock also had a system where depending on your rank you would be allocated a side dish.

Poor Igarshi and Isagi were stuck with merely radishes and Natto. “You guys got it rough.”

“At least we get food. What did you get for yours Sora?”

“Ah! Pork dumplings, score!”

“Whaaaaaat?!”, the boys whined, their mouths practically drooling at the sight of her much better food.

“Surely you can-“, Igarshi goes to take a swig at one of her dumplings only to recieve a well earned smack on the back of the hand with her chopsticks. “Yeah nice try monk boy.”

“Ow ow ow! Did you have to hit me so hard Sora!”

“Heh, Should take a look at the others plates.” Sora specifically pointing to some very tasty looking Gyoza. “That looks so tasty!”

As they find a place to sit, Sora scoops up a dumpling with her chopsticks, quickly shoving one in Isagis face. “Sora what are-“, as soon as his lips part she puts the dumpling in his mouth. Igarshi looked as if he could cry as he carried on. “Hey!! How come Isagi gets a dumpling!”

“Because he’s my friend and if he kept staring at that gyoza he was bound to make off with them.”

“What? No I wouldn’t!”

“Yeah you would’ve.”

“I would not!”

‘But I thought about it.’ He shamefully thinks.

“So not fair! I thought we were friends too Sora right?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers of monk boy.” She cheekily fed Isagi another dumpling just to see Igarshi sink into his chair and chew on his pickled radishes out of spite.

~

It was late in the night or early morning depending on who you asked, team Z members had retired to their shared room to sleep.

Sora had managed to get a couple hours of rest but her chest binder was breaching the point of being unbearable. She groaned as it tightly pulled on her body, her eyes snapping open as she threw off her covers, carefully tiptoeing out of the shared dorm.

The boys' sleeping bodies almost made the trip an obstacle course, especially with Igarshi sprawled out how he was, his limbs stretched over Isagi, who somehow managed to remain sleeping. ‘How he’s asleep with that moron on top of him is a mystery.’

She quietly sneaks away, finding one of the faculties bathrooms, double checking no one was in there before slinking down to the ground, Her hand goes to her back, loosening up the binder and slipping it off for a much needed long exhale. ‘Man, you’d think we’d have perfected this shit by now.’

She cracks her neck, stretching out her arms above her head. She tosses the binder on the ground as she slips on a tank top. ‘Keeping this a secret is going to be a serious pain.’

Her hand rubbed at the sore skin on her chest, tossing off the complimentary Bluelock sweater, the only thing that covered her was the black tank top she had on under the sleepwear.

“And if the others find out, what then? Will loose my spot? Will they treat me differently? What if-“

“You know , you should probably not leave that out in the open.’

The sudden voice has Sora jumping up, one hand grabbing her binder and squishing her breasts as flat as possible. “It’s not- Chigiri?!”

The princess himself, like her, was still in his sweats. His long pink hair only slightly disheveled as he stared at her deadpanned. “Fucking hell Chigiri, you almost gave me a damn heart attack.”

“You’re lucky it’s just me jeez.”, he leans against the door, Sora not realizing it was his way of shielding any others who might pass by the bathroom. “And you’re lucky I wasn’t fully naked you ass.”

“If that were the case you wouldn’t be able to shit talk your way out of that one.”

“Funny, my sister has said the same.”

He shakes his head with a small smile. “How is your sister anyway? She good?”

“Yiri? Yeah she’s fine, her usual soccer hating self.”, Sora shrugged, the topic of her sister still a sore spot for the girl and Chigiri could tell. “She didn’t want you coming here did she?”

“Ah detective Chigiri strikes again.” He rolled his eyes, knowing this was a tactic of Soras to convince him that she was fine, she would always turn to humor to cover up her pain.

Gathering up her binder in her hands, she sits on her legs, fiddling with the fabric that hides her feminine features. “I forged the signature on the consent forms, didn’t give her a chance to say otherwise.”

Chigiri sighed at that with a shake of his head, a silent lecture it was and she knew it but he kept it nonverbal which she was thankful for. “Let’s be real Chigiri, you’re not just here to talk about my dear old sis.” Chigiri shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.

Sora fiddles with fabric again, looking up to the tiled ceiling. “Guess I owe an explanation.”

Chigiri listened intently as Sora explained how she managed to get into Bluelock, she didn’t see a reason to lie to him. Chigiri deserved better than that. “So that’s everything, you get why I have to do this now?”

“Figures you’d get yourself in this mess idiot.” a soft smile graced his face as he spoke. “I’m guessing I’m the only one who knows?”

“What do you think?”, Sora sasses, using her hand to gesture for Chigiri to turn back around so she could put back on her binder. He does as told, clearing his throat in an effort to hide his embarrassment when he realised she would be topless behind him. .

“You don’t have to worry.” Sora, stopped mid movements, staring down Chigiris back. “I won’t tell anyone about this.”

She laughs. “You’d be a pretty shitty friend if you did” Chigiri scoffs at how Sora never takes anything seriously, typical for her. “But still…thanks.”

Once again Sora found a way to surprise him.

He hears her light foot steps, signaling Sora had finished as she jogged up to the boy, looking up to him. “But I have to ask Chigiri. Why are you here? After what happened you swore soccer off for good but here you are-”

“Nothing has changed.”, She should’ve expected that from him, knowing how touchy this subject was for him but she wondered why he chose to come to Bluelock at all. “You know I can’t Sora.”

Sora sighs, disappointed but she wouldn’t push it further. For now. ‘Stubborn’

“What I do know is that your hair is a mess!”

Chigiris hand goes to his luscious pink locks, messing it up more without him realising. “Hehe ah always a princess.”

“Shut up.”, he face could’ve matched his hair with how pink it was, Only making Soras teasing even more worthwhile. “C’mere I’ll fix it.”

Sora grabs his wrist, tugging him up one of the mirrors no matter how much her friend pretended to hate it otherwise.

Chigiri never let anyone touch his hair, he always spent copious amounts of time taking care of it. But Sora was one of the few people who squeezed through his protective walls he had built. Allowing her to be one of the only people he trusted enough that close to him and his locks. He’d never tell aloud but he loved it when she played with his hair, she was always so gentle but precise when she braided it how he liked it.

Not to mention she gave killer head massages.

The two talked for a while more, bantering back and forth and Sora fixed Chigiris hair whilst he lectured her on the clear lack of maintenance she’d been using on her own.

Given Chigiris inner turmoil that Sora was fully aware of, she was glad to see another friend from home on this wild ride with her.

But she wouldn’t forget she was here first and foremost for herself.

~

Chigiri went back to bed after Sora had finished fixing his hair, knowing it would just mess it up again anyway.

Sora found herself too wired to sleep, figuring she could get some extra practice instead.

Already changed into the skin suits she enters the field room, not expecting to see both Isagi and Bachira there too.

“Oh looks like Blueberry is here to train with us!” Sora slaps her forehead as soon he says her nickname. “You’re never gonna drop that are you?”

“Nope!”, he giggles, stretching out his hands and arms. “You guys don’t mind me training with you?”

Neither of them object, both watching Sora start her own stretching. “Now that your here actually there’s something I’m confused about.”

“Hm?” Both Bachira and Sora look at him with puzzled looks, waiting for him to continue. “When we played tag, you decided to pass the ball to me and Sora.”

“Yup.”

“Why did you do that? How’d you know I’d aim for Kira? How’d you know Sora would follow you.”

Sora too was curious to get an explanation. When watching Bachira on the field it’s like he moves on pure instinct, something no one can read.

Bachiras foot rests on the ball, his hands on his hips as he contemplates his answer. “I guess it’s because… there’s a monster in me.”

Soras heart leaped in chest as Bachiras whole persona changed in front of her but there was something that she resonated with, like she could understand what this monster was in Bachira.

“A monster? I don’t follow.”

“Whenever I play soccer, it comes out and talks to me.” Bachira explains, dribbling the ball toward Isagi. “Telling me to score a goal or weave about more.” His foot stops the ball for a mere moment before weaving in between his feet, Isagi ran after him while Sora waited back, of serving the two of them. “But this time it was different. This time it said ‘pass to Isagi and to Sora. There’s monsters inside them too.’

“Are you for real?” Isagi couldn’t understand what Bachira was going on about, thinking how unhinged this guy was.

Sora sees her chance, Bachira stops long enough for her to steal the ball off him, choosing to bounce the ball off her knees as Bachira smirked in approval. “When I’m on the field I listen to its voice, that's all there is to it. Can’t you hear the monsters voice? I know blueberry can.”

‘Can I? Is that what it is? That thing that speaks to me whenever I try to drown out my ego?’

“And her monster likes a good chase.”

Maybe Bachira understands that and her more than she ever realized. Someone in touch with the monster inside them. “All the best players have monsters inside them, must be what it takes to be a striker. We’ll that’s what I believe.” Bachira takes back the ball from Sora, kicking it upwards. “You know. I’m glad I came here Isagi, because I got to meet you and Sora.”

Sora felt her cheeks get hot while Isagi stared blankly at Bachira. “Want to try again?”

“Yeah.” ‘What’s wrong with this guy? He’s talking nonsense and yet…”

“Come on!”

‘He’s stoking the flames! Just like Sora does’

Speaking of the girl she cartwheels in before crouching low to steal the ball right back off Bachira, her eyes lighting up just like Isagis are. Bachira pulls back the ball fast enough to avoid her, Isagi seeing this move gets inspired himself and sweeps his leg down after the ball. “Yeah! Now that’s more like it!”

Before the three could continue their training session, the PA goes off, announcing the fitness tests had been finalised and that they should return to their rooms to see their new ranking.

~

Still in their Bluelock soccer suits, the three make their way back to their dorm, immediately greeted by an excited Igarshi. “Hey Isagi! I shot up from my old rank! From 300 all the way to 275 now baby!”

Sora glanced at his arm to see he was indeed telling the truth about his new rank even though she found it so hard to believe he got that hood in such a short span of time.

“What? Impressive…”, he seemed genuinely shocked too.

“You guys are moving up too! Check it!”, Sora peaks at Isagis first to see his rank had soared up to 274 from his previous 299. 1 rank higher than Igarshi.

Whilst Igarshi blabbed to Isagi about their new rival relationship, Sora looked at her own rank. She had been placed at 267. An improvement for sure but she still had players that were ahead of her.

And one of them was right next to her.

Bachira seemed much more invested in Soras rank rather than his own, his lips twitching upwards realizing how close she was to catching up to him.

“Well well, hello there, my little diamonds in the rough. Enjoying life at Bluelock? I certainly hope so.”

Raichi growls at the screen. “Argh! Cut the crap man. You put us in this crummy environment. How the hell are we supposed to improve at this rate.”

A few of the other boys seemed to agree, particularly that of Naruhaya. “I demand to have better food man!”

“Weren’t you the one that stole the ‘better’ food?”, Sora asked him with a raised brow to which the boy clutched his stomach, turning away to hide his apparent guilt.

“So not the point!”

“The environment is crummy because it matches your crummy soccer skills.”

Even Sora felt a little offended at that one.

“Let’s talk a little more about Bluelock. In this facility there are a total of 25 teams from B to Z, split into five groups with five buildings. By the way, each group lost one person so in total there are 275 players left.”

Sora laughed the moment poor monk boy realised he hadn’t made any progress at all. “So that means I’m still dead last?! I got hyped for nothing!!”

Isagi looked at Sora with an expression that practically said ‘really?’. She just shrugged,gesturing to Igarshi having a meltdown. “What? He’s funny.”

He shook his head. ‘Between him and Bachira I have no idea whose crazier….’

Ego continued to explain how the rankings decided which players fit into which teams, letting all the players in team z know that they were the worst players out of the bunch.

‘I’m starting to think Ego doesn’t exactly excel with people skills’

Sora could see Isagi survey the room, at his team mates realized that everyone within the room was delegated into the ‘worst players’ team. She could see the panic etched into his eyes.

She shook her head, then punched him in the side of his ribs. “Ow! Sora what the hell-“

“We’ve got nowhere to go but up.”

Isagi looked at Sora whilst clutching his side, now realizing that in Soras own unique way, that she was trying to help him.

Just like she’s been doing this whole time. “R-Right. Thanks for that.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“When you’re here the top soccer players are king. If you want the luxury than you must win.”

Some of her fellow team mates only glared at the screen whilst others like Raichi glowered at the players, arguing with Kunigami whilst Kuon tried to diffuse the tension.

“We’re supposed to turn this into a team? Fucking perfect.”

Bachira wrapped his around her shoulder. “Oh don’t be so stiff Blueberry.”

“You do see what we have to work with right?”

“Yeah I do.”

She looked at him as he said that but Bachira wasn’t looking at his team.

He was only looking at her.

“Now that you know the rules. It’s time to begin the first selection. “

Bachira tore his gaze away and finally it felt like Sora could breathe again, her heart was racing under her rib cage.

The first selection was about to begin, her secret only known by that of Chigiri. Friendships were starting to form and rivialy would blossom.

Ego doesn’t seem to care much about whatever relationships that we’re beginning to form under his mentorship, explaining to Team Z how exactly the selection worked.

“The first selection will involve the 55 of you in building 5, it’s a kind of five team round Robin. Only the top two teams will move on to the second selection. It’s a survival match.”

“So what. The eleven of us in group Z will be playing together as a proper team? But everyone here is a foreword.” Chigiri observed, the others quickly starting squabble over who will get the coveted forward position.

Isagi was starting to understand why Sora was hesitant with this group. ‘A team made of eleven forwards? How’s that going to work.’

“Don’t you know? Soccer was originally all about scoring , over the years you’ve been imprinted with stupid notions of positions and strategies on the field. Soccer originally started out with everyone as a striker.”

Jinpachi face goes firm for his next few words, his eyes looking down at the group with a serious ferociousity. “So play the game as intended. Dig deep inside and create soccer from zero.”

‘Create soccer from zero… hmmm’, Sora held her hand to chin in thought, pondering these very words like the rest of her new team were.

She didn’t know the answer yet, but she knew Ego was giving them a key that would be essential to succeeding here at Bluelock.

“Abandon common sense and shove new concepts in those small brains of yours. Right now what Japan needs isn’t eleven players who work as a team. What we need is a solitary hero. Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Hisaya. Soccers evolution is limitless because of stars like these.”

Chigiri looked at the prodigy daughter of Kazuma, seeing her hands now balled into fists at the mention of her father, he wished he could make things easy for her but doing that in a room full of strangers could out her secret.

So he settle with a simple knowing look, one Sora caught, Chigiri only nodding and the girl felt her tension ease. She too gave him a nod, with a smile one that silently told the boy. ‘Thank you.’

They both turn back to Ego, still monologing on his screen. “One persons actions could change a team, or the world. That’s the power this sport possesses.”

“Are you prepared to fight your way to the top?! Here inside of Bluelock!”

She knew things would start to livin up very soon and Sora was ready.

Or so she thought.

~

Elsewhere…..

Sae Itoshi was bored.

As skilled as the young man was, no one stoked the flames out on the field. He wouldn’t play against any regular passing athlete. If he was going to play it , would be against people worthy of him.

It wasn’t until he witnessed one of the BlueLock press conferences where something in him felt alive. He listened to this woman preach on about their plans to create the ultimate striker, to change the fate of Japanese soccer forever.

These words resonated with him, alit something in him that laid dormer for quite some time.

“Sae? Your flight to Spain-“

“Cancel it.”

His assistant gawker at the star athlete in shock, the boys eyes locked on the room of reporters and members of the said Bluelock commitee.

“I want to see what they forge with my own two eyes.”

It was then he took out his phone, seeing a message from one of the only people who could invoke the slightest hint of interest.

Sora Hisaya.

“Hey dumbass! Got selected into some special elite program or whatever so I’m going to be gone for a while.”

“You better keep practicing otherwise I’ll get ahead of you.”

“Try not to miss me too much kay?.”

Sae wouldn’t allow himself to viably react in public but he had quickly put two and two together.

He knew where Sora was and if that were the case, in interest in the Bluelock project only heightened further.

| Masterlist | 0.5 | 01 | 02 | 03 (coming soon)

[ecargmura]

Blue Lock Is the New "It" Sports Anime (Anime Review)

Honestly, I should be finishing the anime I need to finish. Why am I procrastinating and watching Blue Lock instead? I can’t help it. It’s so good (and I totally didn’t watch for Chigiri). I actually like watching sports anime. I love Kuroko’s Basketball, Haikyuu!!, and Yowamushi Pedal. There’s just something that’s charming about sports anime that I cannot fully explain.

The first thing that caught my attention with Blue Lock was the character designs. They’re all so detailed. I also love the way the eyes are drawn. I love how unique all of the characters look, even the minor, unimportant ones. Afterwards, I’ve been seeing a lot of fan art drawn by talented artists. I’ve been liking them left and right on Twitter. After liking a lot of fan art, I’ve decided that it was time for me to sit down and watch Blue Lock.

What makes Blue Lock so unique compared to other sports shows? This one has more risks as it’s a sports series mixed with a survival game. Given that I am someone who’ve watched Produce 101—all four of them—and got emotionally wrecked all the time, I knew this would be the perfect show for me. Was I wrong? I wasn’t. There was drama, suspense and everything else you can find in sports and survival shows.

The story is about Yoichi Isagi, who lost a soccer match by passing the ball to his teammate, costing his team to lose their chance at going to Nationals. He becomes frustrated at the fact that he decided to pass and not take a score for himself. Soon, he gets an invitation by Jinpachi Ego, a member of the Japanese Football Association, in order to partake in a project called Blue Lock where he’s searching for someone who can change Japanese soccer for the better—to become the best striker in the world. It turns out that he and 299 other strikers were selected. The Blue Lock project is one of survival—only the best can become the best striker. Isagi gets placed in a room with 11 other people and their first task is to eliminate someone and end their soccer career for good—those who get eliminated in Blue Lock cannot play for Japan Nationals ever again. With Isagi deciding to take out the strongest player in the room, Ryosuke Kira, the guy he had faced in his soccer match, he learns that he has to become selfish in order to become the best. In order to prove to his colleagues and to Ego that he’s the best, he needs to evolve, get stronger, and survive.

The first episode was super intense with the way Isagi decided to go for Kira and not Igarashi. The fact that he had ended his soccer career and felt good about it shows that this sports anime is definitely different than the norm. The episodes afterwards gets more intense as Team Z, Isagi’s team, are very dysfunctional and have to find a way to cooperate in order to survive.

The First Selection Arc was great in itself. This arc is getting to learn about Team Z and why they play soccer. For Kunigami, he wants to be a soccer superhero. For Bachira, he wants to find someone who can quench the monster inside of him. For Chigiri, it’s to find a way to give up on soccer. The fact that everyone has unique pasts makes the group diverse and makes people want them to succeed, even if it means they have to get eliminated later on. The matches with Teams X, Y, W and V were intense. Z vs X was pretty much a curb-stomp due to Z’s dysfunctional dynamic and X’s ace member Barou being too OP for them to handle. It’s when they face Team Y is when they finally cooperate, albeit begrudgingly. This is also when Isagi gets more aware of his ability of spatial awareness, where he can visualize the field and predict where a goal can be made and who he needs to use in order to utilize that path. My favorite match was Team Z vs Team W because of the Chigiri spotlight and also the fact that Kuon betrayed Team Z to Team W, a plot point that shows that no one in Blue Lock is an ally and that anyone can use whatever tactics they have in order to survive. If not for Chigiri finally getting motivation to play soccer again and doing it because he loves outrunning everyone, Team Z would have lost; this also cemented Chigiri as my favorite character. Team Z vs Team V was an intense match too. It’s second place because Chigiri doesn’t get as much focus here, but that’s okay. Team V is the strongest team because they have three aces, Reo, Nagi and Zantetsu with Nagi being their strongest player. Reo and Nagi only played soccer for six months while Zantetsu can outrun Chigiri, making them menaces. Nagi, who normally only moved whenever Reo asked him to do so, decided to move on his own once the score became equal. Team V loses because of Isagi and Team V experiences their first loss.

I think the best thing about the First Selection arc is the character bondings. While Isagi does befriend his fellow teammates, he becomes especially close with Bachira, Kunigami and Chigiri. Given that I am a fujoshi, this did fuel my BL kicks (It’s amusing how the initials of Blue Lock are BL). Because this is a survival game, the character bondings get a bit dramatic as characters need another in order to survive. Speaking of which, Reo and Nagi are probably fruitier than Bokuto and Akaashi from Haikyuu and that’s saying something.

The Second Selection Arc is where the drama kicks in as nobody are teammates any longer. You have to make a team of three and then advance by defeating other teams and taking their teammates. You only survive to the Third Selection once you get a team of five. Isagi causes two breakups to happen and he had to lose Bachira in the process. However, this arc is where many characters show off more of what they can do, so I feel like it’s a good ascension to the first arc. Isagi learns to handle the most unorthodox of people and manages to win via unpredictability, spatial awareness and main character power. While he had no specific rival in the first arc, the second arc solidifies Rin Itoshi as his rival as he is the cooler, most advanced version of himself. The fact that Isagi loses to Rin twice shows that while Isagi is improving, he still has a long way to go before he reaches his own full potential. I do like how while Isagi is strong enough to take down foes like Barou, Kunigami, Chigiri and Reo, it was because he had already faced them before. In Rin’s case, he had never played with him before and was only aware of his existence once the second arc started. I do like Rin’s inclusion into the story, as someone Isagi needs to beat.

The anime ends on the first half of the third arc, I believe. The Third Selection has two parts. The first being that the newly formed team of five has to challenge 5 world renowned athletes from different countries. I feel like Isagi got a bit cocky during the match and that was the reason why his team got pulverized. However, it also showed that Isagi still has a long way to go before he reaches foreign athletes’ levels. Fortunately, that portion was an assessment. Once six other teams of five make it to the Third Selection (RIP Kunigami), the anime ends with Ego announcing that his original plans for the third selection had changed and that his new plan is to get the Top 35 to face off agains the U-20 team with their recent addition being Sae Itoshi, Rin’s older brother. Given that the third selection was towards the last two episodes, there wasn’t much time for me to get used to it or Isagi’s new team since they haven’t really bonded as a team of five.

My favorite match of this entire anime was the match between Isagi, Nagi and Barou vs Chigiri, Reo and Kunigami. I think this match was the most exhilarating of them all. The reason is that Isagi has to be up against two of the teammates he’s the closest to back in the first selection and Nagi has to be up against his ex-boyfriend former partner Reo whom he abandoned because he wanted to team up with Isagi. Barou had to learn how to cooperate after being completely disobedient since his introduction. It also showcases how good the Kunigami and Chigiri are without Isagi and how well Reo can play without Nagi. It was an intense battle that legit got me hyped up for what’s to come in future seasons.

My only gripe with this anime is the lackluster animation quality. For an anime that revolves around a lot of movement, the animation is only good during important sequences, but it’s not very good at slower, non-soccer scenes. There’s a lot of CG usage too, especially when showing scenes of other players chasing the ball. I think Episode 8 was the worst offender since that was the one with the worst animation quality.

I’m honestly wanting more Blue Lock now. I might read the manga just to see what’s ahead. Blue Lock Season 2 and a movie adaptation of the Nagi side story has been announced, so I’ll definitely check those out! Until then, thanks for reading my long review of Blue Lock!

[shizukahaiji]

Oh yeah let me actually post my full Blue Lock predictions right now. Most of them are based on nothing but pure vibes alone and sound insane but Trust me. My brain is massive

- Nagi’s getting cut out from the project after this arc, Reo leaving him behind. Ego has some harsh words to say to him before he’s gone since he never liked Nagi to begin with, and Nagi’s crushed because he finally, FINALLY found meaning in his own soccer and was so excited to get to play it with Reo, so he leaves full of spite and just fed up and tired

- ^ Addition to above Nagi leaving is like Reo’s own personal 9/11 but in the time that Nagi’s gone he gets to perfect his own soccer and actually knows what he wants from a dream without Nagi

- I think Hajime Nishioka also gets kicked off the project after the NEL arc too but he does show up later. Trust me on this

- Some characters accept offers and end up playing for different teams in the internationals arc (I want Raichi to play with Kaiser and Ness and Shidou to play for Sae’s team again)

- Three of the background characters from Third Selection make it to the internationals team because Blue Lock LOVES bringing characters from that arc for new arcs but as for who. I can beg for Shizuka Haiji but who knows

- I don’t think they go immediately into internationals next arc I think that’s saved for a different later arc. But I Do think it’s soon

- There’s an arc where Kira comes back and directly challenges Blue Lock by like. Bringing light into the more unethical aspects of the Blue Lock project. Kunigami has a character arc here where he fully comes to terms with what happened to him in Wild Card

- ^ Ray Dark starts having extreme doubts about keeping the Blue Lock project ongoing because of this but less because he’s concerned with morals and more because it’s HORRIBLE for business

- Scandal arc leads up to Kira’s team composed of a lot of former Blue Lock players (Kuon, Hajime and Nagi specifically) challenging Blue Lock for a new place in the U-20 team. They obviously lose but instead of being emotionally affected everybody’s just numb and that’s more painful to read

- Kira is a melodramatic little cunt the entire arc and he’s overexaggerating his experiences at Blue Lock for attention

- Probably teams up with the U-20 coach in a kind of similar way that the otaku character and the theorist in As The Gods Will do to figure out the truth behind the death game

- Everybody is a genuine threat in the Scandal arc match but Hajime is essentially carrying the team and then he gets ANOTHER injury mid match and everything starts falling apart for them

- Reo has a moment after this match that parallels the post-Second Selection match’s “you’re a hassle” Nagi breakup scene and it is heartbreaking and life ruining

- Related to above Imamura is an idol post-Blue Lock based solely on the fact a character does that in As The Gods Will after the death game and it would be funny and also I want to see it

- Kaiser and Sae meet in the internationals arc and fucking HATE each other

- ^ We also find out what finally happened to Sae overseas in the internationals arc

- Ray Dark is Blue Lock’s real villain based solely on how his name is fucking. Ray Dark. That has to be intentional and I’ll believe it until proven otherwise

- At some point in a match with both Chigiri and Yukimiya, Chigiri injures his leg again (it ends up being just a scare and he’s completely fine and it’s manageable) and Yukimiya’s eyesight gets worse (it is Not ok and it’s heartbreaking)

- I kind of want to say they don’t even make it to the final match and the project ends abruptly before they can and they’re fully disqualified

- Blue Lock ends with Anri going to jail and Ego just completely missing

- I do Not think Blue Lock will have a happy ending for most of these characters just based entirely on Kaneshiro’s past writing

- I think Isagi specifically is going to be kind of like Shun post-death game where he’s listless and obsessed with getting revenge, and honestly I think he’s already getting close to that in the present day manga and I want to see him get worse but I don’t think that should be the end of his character arc at all and I think he should find closure somehow

- Kaiser’s birthday is on Christmas and Ness’s birthday is in May

- Rin gets the worst ending out of any character and his life is ruined by the end of the manga

- Bachira gets the best ending out of any character and is probably the catalyst for Isagi coming out of his downward spiral

- Trust me on these guys. Trust me

[ryuseibutgayer]

As I watch blue lock, I will update this with the names I knight each character with 🤺 If you're a triggerable fan, hush <3

Isagi: Isekai/ "NATIONALS NATIONALS NATIONALS" (wanna call him nationalist, but- yk-) / Never Noa / Noa stalker / Child Scarer

Bachira: (tokyo revengers) Ryusei Satou and Kazutora Hanemiya's love child,

AKA 2000s emo scene kid battling inner demons

Chigiri: Chigu/Strawberry man

Kira: #2 / Big goal save man / Dave bc my keyboard autocorrected to it and that's just who he is now, deal / mr celebrity / ISAGI'S YAOI BF CANDIDATE #1

Tada, #9: the man who sucks and ruined everything right from the start (LOOK I'M SORRY OK, I'M JUST USING WHAT HE SAID, AND I'M FUCKING AROUND) / one whose name cannot be spelled (none shall try)

Isagi's Original Coach: Mr.Snotway (oogway) (Yall saw that snot leak onto his teeth, right-)

Noal Noa: Bokuto from haikyuu, but make him football / Never Isagi

SIDE NOTE: who tf is the brat sucking his thumb while his hair looks like a pack of fucked up curly sticky notes - W H O A WHO THE ACTUAL FUCK GAVE MR SMILEY IN THE BACKGROUND HAPPY PILLS-?? AND WHO'S THE KOKICHI RIP-OFF, WHAT THE HELL-

Yokawa???: anyways, he's Nendou Riki from Saiki and Ryuji Suguro from Blue Exorcist's love child. I want his earring <3

Ishigari: An ape is the ape became the tree it climbs

Nishioka: Fucking Killua rip-off

SIDE NOTE: no. I'm going to quit r I g h t n o w if this bowl cut glasses baldi mixed with the short designer from incredibles on edibles looking mother fucker doesn't get off the fucking screen. Right now. Love the guy in the background opening his big mouth and "murmuring" :this guy can't be serious right now:

BRO DAMMMMNNNNUH, WHY IS THIS PSYCHO POTATO HEAD WITH A HEADSET LAYONG IT ONTO KIRA, F U C K MAN HE'S JUST AN AMBITIOUS KID- (lowkey his face reminds me of an attack on titan face, but sh)

BACHIRAS SLEEPY MOANS I CANT NDSIAIWEGDSMOQWOR OK I'M A SIMP-

Gurimu: gurimu is......oversharing because he's autistic. That's all I have to say tbh. / ankleless

SIDE NOTE: Why do none of them have socks or shoes in a concrete enprisonment block.

GOOD MORNING BACHIRA MY PRECIOUS LITTLE CARTWHEELING PSYCHO 💕💕💕

Kunigami: Captain Man (because why else tell him aye aye, bachira....?) / Bakudeku Love Child Abomination

SIDE NOTE: HOLY FUCK OK I UNDERESTIMATED ISEKAI THE CRACKHEAD, GODDAMNNNNNN POOR KIRA LMFAOOO tbh I wanted to see him get hit in the head with a soccer ball at the start of the episode anyways

DAY TWO MFS

Just saw the intro, who the hell is the emo with the hand and long hair over his face

Uhh isagi if you're excited in a concrete room with a shit ton of other guys in tight clothes sweating, ik it's pride but...keep it down here bud-

Who tf is the black and white haired guy, we've got Strawberry man and we've got penguin

DO THEIR PARENTS KNOW THEYRE LOCKED UP SWEATING WITH 300 OTHER MEN?

Dude what's with Mr penguin, he eats like a cricket ape

Bachira is my precious little schizophrenic baby

OH IS HIS NAME GAGAMARU? Bro I got so many jokes to pull hold up

Gagamaru: Penguin Face / Suicidal version of Shikamaru / Mr Penguin / Can't read my, can't read my, no he can't reada my foooootball faaace / gag on my kleats (or however the fuck you spell football shoes)

WHO TF IS MR JAPANESE DAVID BOWIE WITH THAT PLATINUM BLONDE HAIR AND EYELINER????

[deathandnonexistentialdread]

The Reread: End of Chapter 2

Isagi realizes that he destroyed Kira's soccer future and actually feels excited about it.

And then remembers that he is actually in a sports manga and that destroying someone's dreams is a big no-no in sports manga.

So he decides to blame Bachira instead.

and actually kinda fails at it. Dude, you are not blaming him you are just asking him that one question that has been on your mind. You are bad at confrontation. Get a new job.

Bachira seems to think so too. Look at him.

Isagi was not prepared for such a response. The dude called him out.

Look how shocked he is. Bachira could say that he gets the desire to spontaneously burn stuff and Isagi would be less shocked.

This is actually both sweet and insane of Bachira to do and I love him for it. I like how the biggest alarm for Isagi was not the spontaneous martial arts kicks but it was the fact that Bachira trusted him. That's a bit sad actually, did no one ever trust you Isagi? I want to give him a hug now.

A brief summary of the next bit:

So the rest passed and are now part of Team Z!

See you all in Chapter 3!

Stay safe!!

[schnickledooger]

Me rewatching BLLK after 2 years trying to see if I just fangirled too hard into seeing Nagireo before...

Me after s2 and Ep Nagi: NOPE. ISAGI IS LITERALLY JUST TRYING HIS DARDNEST TO BE FRIKKIN SOCCER KIRA AND NAGI AND REO ARE HAVING A GAY SOAP OPERA DRAMA IN THE BACKGROUND