The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Blue Lock, “Monster,” now streaming onCrunchyrollandNetflix.
Blue Lock, the soccer anime airing in Fall 2022, is only on its second week but is doing well in the overall rankings of anime this season. As of this moment, it is sitting comfortably at the Number 6 position according to MyAnimeList, and is currently rated even higher than big names likeGolden Kamuy,My Hero Academia, andUzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!. Episode 1, “Dream,” was scored highly across many websites, and now Episode 2, “Monster,” has just aired.
“Monster” givesBlue Locka lot more context, finally explaining more about what is going on in the Blue Lock program introduced in the first episode. It also gets into some backstory, showing why the program was started in the first place, and gives more information on some of the side characters that are likely to be more important as the story unfolds. While the episode did not have any actual soccer in it this time, the background information it provided was equally important.
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Finally, an Explanation
The first episode ofBlue Lock, while certainly interesting, also used a lot of shock factors to get people hooked and interested to watch more. It explained very little, dumping a bunch of high school boys into a dystopian prison and making them basically fight to survive there likeLord of the Flies. While that has not exactly changed in Episode 2, the Blue Lock system was finally explained.
The boys are all ranked out of 300, and separated into 25 groups of 11 each. The highest ranking members are on teams B, C, D, E, and F, all the way down to the lowest ranking players on Team Z. The higher your rank, the better your quality of training and food is. Of course, it would not be an interesting story if the leading characters started out at the top, so Isagi is next to last in Group Z. That sets up a nice underdog story, so we can see him rise through the rankings.
This kind of competition breeds resentment and betrayal, as we already saw with how Kira’s soft and friendly personality from Episode 1 changed dramatically when he was eliminated. Admittedly, we thought he was being set up to be a main character, so that was a good twist! We are looking forward to seeing the other characters either rise to the challenge - or break and show their darker sides.
…and Context, Too
Episode 2 also gives more background information about why the Blue Lock program was created. There are a few scenes with the Japanese Football Association, both in private meetings and press conferences, where they discuss the current state of soccer in Japan. Anri Teieri is the one pushing for the program, and she strongly defends it when questioned by the media about whether it is actually ethical.
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Her motivation that it is not good enough just to be in the World Cup, but that Japan has to finally win it, surely resonates with any real Japanese soccer fans who are watchingBlue Lock. The anime stays fun and interesting because there is no way that it could be allowed tohappen in real life, but that doesn’t mean that soccer fans can’t dream that some miracle program could turn their national team around! Don’t forget, Japan has never won the World Cup before.
The Episode Namesake
“Monster” gave some extra screen time to a few of Isagi’s new teammates, showing us a little of their unique personalities. It spent the most time with Meguru Bachira, one of the quirkiest ones. Bachira was seen in the first episode napping on the floor despite the uncomfortable conditions, and woke up long enough to do an insane pass of the soccer ball during thedeath game-likegame of tag. Now, we got to see a bit more of who he is.
Bachira describes that inside of him is a monster that speaks to him and drives him forward when he is playing. The monster gives him directions, for better or for worse, and is likely an explanation why he seems unhinged. But Bachira also drops a big reveal - that Isagi also has a monster inside of him, and that all the best strikers in the world have a monster, too. Isagi did selfishly get his new friend Kira eliminated in the first episode without hesitation, so maybe he does have a monster inside. Hopefully we will see more of it soon!
“Monster” was an even better episode ofBlue Lockthan “Dream.” It was still exciting and fast-paced, even without any real soccer scenes, and set the stage for the rest of the season. “Dream” did well to get us hooked and interested in what was to come, and set the intense tone for the story. “Monster” really lets us know what we have signed up for, and what we have to look forward to as the rest of the season progresses.
