This is a manga for someone that wants a sports manga with a helluva twist. I picked this book on a whim and because as an ex-soccer play, I love reading mangas/stories that pertain to my old sport. It started off simple enough. Kid wants to be the best striker/forward that Japan can offer. He wants to go off and win Japan the World Cup.

The catalyst for the first volume and the start of the plot is just that. Japan really wants to win the World Cup and has been missing it for years. The soccer federation in Japan has decided enough was enough and decided, with a new coach/head, start an experimental test that would result in the best striker Japan can offer : Blue Lock.

This is when the plot twist happens. Let’s just say, take what you know about sports animes/mangas and throw them out the window. This manga doesn’t follow that at all. Think of it being more like dangarompa (Without the murder) or like the Hunger Games.

Like I said, I use to play soccer. Granted it was youth soccer but soccer nonetheless. I will admit, the way the manga twists the gameplay and the mentality of soccer is very interesting. I don’t want to divulge too much as it will spoil some key parts of the plot but for anyone who plays team sports, it will be interesting to you as well I feel.

I highly suggest this book to anyone who wants to read a sports themed manga that doesn’t follow the usual guidelines.

Until the next page turn!

Soccer manga are a dime a dozen (Giant Killing, Inazuma 11, Captain Tsubasa just to name a few off the top of my head) and I was curious to see if Blue Lock could add anything new to the genre. Spoiler alert: it does, and then some.

I've read a lot of sports manga and let me tell you something: there have been some high stakes but nothing like the stakes I read in this volume. While other high schoolers will settle for the national stage and being the best in Japan, the protagonists of Blue Lock have their sights set on a stage far grander: the World Cup. Some fancy-pants soccer higher ups gather the very best and brightest youth from all over Japan and throw them into a practice arena with a ball and two goalposts. No gods, no masters. Just soccer.

I appreciate how the characters in this series are completely unhinged, including the adults. Ego, their coach, in particular feels like he accidentally wandered in from a Junji Ito series. I'm especially impressed by the art, with all the dynamic poses expressing motion.

Oh, I haven't even mentioned the protagonist. Yochi Isagi seems like your average, everyday 2nd year high schooler manga protagonist. Except in this series he's more like a dog thrown into an arena with wolves and the wolves recognize him as one of his own. I suspect the rest of the series will show his transformation into someone just as cutthroat as the rest of his bloodthirsty teammates.

Overall, an entertaining read for anyone that enjoys soccer, shonen manga, and high octane action. If you've ever wanted to see a soccer match that feels like a duel to the death (fangs barred and all), definitely check out Blue Lock.

I enjoyed the first volume of Blue Lock. Similar to most sports-themed manga the storyline is simple with an interesting twist. The main protagonist, highschooler Yoichi Isagi, hopes to one day become a pro-soccer player and is scouted for a special training camp along with 299 other talented high school soccer players' to put their skills to the test in the Blue Lock. The Blue Lock is a training facility where the players are pitted against each other and the last player to come out on top will automatically become a pro-soccer player. Those who lose will never be able to go pro. In a game of survival of the fittest, Isagi quickly realizes that the stakes are high because even his teammates are also his enemies. Can Isagi really make it to the end?

I liked the manga I read last year for Maverick's GN reading list because it was a book about soccer--a sport I don't see a lot in middle school library books. So I went for Blue Lock thinking it would be like that one and I really enjoyed it. The search for better soccer players after Japan loses the World Cup is a cool topic for a manga. Thanks for the ARC.

I grew up playing soccer and played on teams all throughout high school, so Blue Lock written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura is one that connected with me on a personal level. But, its style and artwork as well as its action-packed scenes, compelling characters, and interesting twists not only captured my attention, but maintained it fully throughout. Like a close soccer match, Blue Lock’s first volume kept my eyes glued to its pages longing to see what happens next.

Some of you may have heard of Blue Lock from Attack on Titan’s creator, Hajime Isayama, who recommend the series. Because I love his work and he recommended it, I had a feeling this series was going to be good. Still, I had to see and read it for myself first before making that decision, but man, it is really that good. Not only is this one of the best first volumes I’ve read in recent years batched with manga like Spy x Family, Chainsaw Man, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, and Solo Leveling, but it’s also one of the most thrilling and unique sports manga I’ve ever read.

Before I get into the full review, I do want to mention that Blue Lock is currently only available to read digitally with English translation as of now. I’m really hoping that Kodansha releases this one in print as well since I would love to physically collect and read the manga, but there’s no word as to whether or not they will be doing so as of yet. I’m suspecting with the praise and love it’s receiving from the community that it will, but nothing has been officially confirmed. Fingers crossed, because this is one I’d love to purchase physical copies of in the future.

I want to first talk about the artwork featured in the series, because the art in Blue Lock is top-notch. Usually, you don’t notice how amazing a manga’s art is going to be until you get into the fight or action scenes or see those larger full-page panels, but everything in this manga, including the in-between scenes and more dialogue heavy moments are incredibly drawn. With a manga like this one where every panel is exciting to witness, Blue Lock excels in terms of how visually impressive it is.

While I still think creators, like Yusuke Murata’s (One Punch Man) art is the best, the art in Blue Lock is up there toe to toe with the best, because of how well-drawn all of the panels are and how dynamic the action scenes are. Also, I have to note that after reading only one volume, I already want to see Blue Lock animated and this is a true testament to just how amazing I think this manga is.

In terms of story, Blue Lock follows main character and high schooler Yoichi Isagi and his journey in an experimental soccer program called Blue Lock that’s designed to create the best striker that will lead Japan to win their first-ever World Cup.

At its core, Blue Lock is like a battle royale of soccer players, where the last man standing gets to become the top striker of Japan, but to do so you have to beat out 300 other candidates not just in terms of your skills, but most of all, your ego. It is a really cool premise and the challenges that pop up along the way for our characters are uniquely designed and kept me on the edge of my seat.

If you are someone who’s not familiar with soccer and its rules, the manga does a great job of explaining things and leaving reference notes, so you don’t have to know a whole lot about soccer to enjoy this manga; However, if you are someone who watches, plays, or is into soccer, this series is accurate in terms of how it portrays the game and the industry that surrounds it and you are sure to enjoy its humor and dialogue even more so than most.

In regards to its characters, Blue Lock has a lot of interesting personalities both in terms of the players and those who are in charge of running Blue Lock. I really love Anri Teieri, Japan Football Union’s new hire who believes that Japan can win the World Cup by producing players who can lead the country to victory. And then there’s Coach Jinpachi Ego. For some reason, when I see him I picture Kotaro Tatsumi from Zombie Land Saga. They have a similar energy about them, and while they are brash, over-the-top characters who yell a lot, they are still likable because it comes across in a humorous way.

Then there’s the soccer players who are taking part in Blue Lock. Of course, you have main character Yoichi Isagi, who is an underdog, but you can tell that he’s a star thanks to his tenacity and drive. He’s extremely likable and easy to root for. I also really liked Meguru Bachira, who’s a bit crazy, but in a really lovable way. He adds interest to the story, because he is really unpredictable and I never know what he’s going to do next. I know I’ll love other characters as they introduce more along the way, but for now, these are the ones that stood out to me in the first volume.

With its artwork, premise, and characters, Blue Lock is setting itself up to be the next great sports manga. And on top of all that, because of its dialogue, it is just as exciting to read as it is to look at. Even if you aren’t a fan of sports or sports manga, it’s one I implore you to check out, because when it comes down to it, it is so much more than that and I believe it’s one that everyone can enjoy in some form or another.

Blue Lock’s first volume released digitally on March 16th, 2021 and you can pick it up now on Kodansha’s site or Amazon!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha, Muneyuki Kaneshiro, and Yusuke Nomura for a copy of Blue Lock, Volume 1 in exchange for an honest review!

Link to review: https://animecollective.com/blue-lock-vol-1-review/

'Blue Lock' surely pull its readers in a trance like state. The amount of force the characters and the story has definitely charges you—desiring for more. I definitely cannot wait to read the next volume!

The stakes are high! I'm not much of a sports fan, but Blue Lock is so cool. You can already see a shift in the MC's morals in the first volume. There's no clear "villain" in a story about competition. Everyone is selfish and greedy, and we are excited to see what they'll do to win.

I finally read this manga. It was so good. I am not really interested in sports, but sports mangas/manhwas are always so good. waiting for next volume.

Generally, I'm not much of a Sport reader; Haikyu!! being my one exemption to that rule.
However, I was generally pleased with Blue Lock.

Not being one for soccer, I came into this manga reluctant and all-around meh as I did not want to learn more about soccer than I already did, thankfully, the series did not force much in my face regarding rules and basics. Most of which I already knew, and could understand easily enough.

The series carries the passion for soccer forward and you could almost feel the Protagonist's need to get better. I look forward to seeing how this series progresses.

300 kids under the age of 18 are gathered to a secret facility. They are all considered the best candidates to be the next ace striker for Japan, as it has been decided that the country needs to rework its soccer game if it's ever going to win the world cup. We get to know these characters, their strengths and their faults as they try to rise up to be great players.

I'm going to be completely honest, I accidentally requested this one on Netgalley. It was a button slip on my phone and then it was accepted. I felt a bit bad about that and went ahead and gave it a proper read though, as I didn't want to be that guy who just requests anything and lets it sit.

I'm not a sports fan. That's immediately going to set me at a disadvantage here, as is the fact that I think sports manga in particular are hilarious (not in a positive way) as they are treated in such life or death terms and with a passion higher than any sane person would hold for any topic (YOU MUST TRAIN AT OUR FACILITY AND YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME. Response: "But we cannot abandon our precious teams!")

This time… it worked. Why? Because that's just the start of the over the top extremes. It's going to go so much further, that this little moment at the start mentioned above honestly seems quite reserved.

Honestly, this is not a bad thing. It somehow manages to combine the "survival game" style of manga with a sports one, which is an odd choice, but certainly unique enough to make it stand out and generally pulls it off. It makes this over the top nature more fitting as the people involved in this project are literally going to ruin 299 lives for the sake of one and the book seems to alternate between "wow, that's horrible" and "what a great idea." It's ridiculous to the extent that it actually makes this usually unintentionally comic aspect, turns it up to 11, and makes it entertaining for me.

Was this enough to change my opinion on sports manga? Not really. Was it a solid enough read that I would suggest it for fans of such manga? Absolutely, especially if they like the survival game style of manga its colliding with. It's strengths are well done from an objective standpoint and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least entertained for my read (some times extremely so). While I can't say I'm a huge fan, it was a fun read. I never thought I would say this, but I'm actually genuinely intrigued where a sport's manga is going. If it stays this over the top, I think I may continue along with it. 3/5 star

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Japan's soccer team is struggling to get to the next level, so a program called Blue Lock is formed to find the best striker out of 300 high schoolers. Who will be the one to come out on top?

So I've been hearing a lot about this manga. And as a fan of sports shonen, I just have to request an arc once I saw that it's available on Netgalley.

I don't know what I expected from this manga before reading it. I didn't look up any synopsis or blurbs. I just go by the words of the people in the fandom saying if you like sports manga, you would definitely love Blue Lock. But this is.. not exactly your typical sports shonen, I feel like this is more battle royale than most sports shonen. And that is not necessarily something bad, but if a reader is expecting a story with strong emphasis on team works, they will not get that from this manga.

I still can't decide if I like this manga or not, but I will try checking out the later chapters and hold off on my judgment until at least the 2nd or 3rd volume. But this first volume definitely made a strong impression on me.

Ugh. I loved this.

Going into this I knew I would. I'm a fan of sports manga/anime and this totally checked all the boxes for me. Loveable characters, banter, and just overall great fun.

If you're a fan of Yuri!!! On Ice, Haikyuu, or Free! you will absolutely adore this. Such a fast read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for an early look at this manga in exchange for an honest review.

This book caught me completely off guard.
I am a sucker for a good sports manga, and that's what I was expecting going in. This is, however, not only a sports story. It's a story about flipping everything you know about Soccer on its head, and relearning the meaning of winning, playing, being number one. It is, foremost, a survival game that only one may win.

After years of losing the world cup, the Football League creates a sort of training facility where they collect 300 under 18 year old soccer forwards to pit them against each other to find the best of the best, so that that one may lead the country to victory. In this installment we meet the main 11, all at the very bottom of the tier list, and see a little bit of the mind and physical games they will have to play in order to survive. Bachira's quirks made him my favorite, and I can't wait to read more to see who will fall in the upcoming installments.

The art style is active, dynamic. I couldn't understand at first why the artist chose the style, but after the first test I understood. Definitely recommend for fans of survival type manga, ala Hunger Games or Juni Taisen.

Overall this manga surprised me in a good way. First I thought this would be a classic sports manga about friendship and team work and to be honest I would actually have preferred that. I do still think the twist of the story is really cool and I'm interested to see where it goes. I do hope a bit that the focus on teams will eventually come back, since I think it's a pretty sad message, that one has to be an egoist to succeed in this sport. Maybe I just take it too seriously, but my favourite parts about sports manga are always the friendships and that gets difficult in a situation like this.
Still: really cool story, great drawing style and very easy to get into. I hope there'll be more actual football int he future as well, I missed that a little bit.

4 stars *may change
WHOOOO okay. Where do I begin?
I'm not particularly into sports, but I do consume quite a bit of sports-related anime and manga and this was definitely a huge step away from those. Usually you get your determined (but not very good) protagonist have to learn about teamwork and yaddy-yadda-yah. Yeah, this is not that. Blue Lock sees characters that, for the most part, don't care one bit about working together. In fact, the whole point is that they need to learn how to feed their egos to become the sole winner. I really love that. I'm not big on group activities in general, and while I'm not a complete self-absorbed egomaniac, it is nice to see such a twist in the sports genre.
The art style is also very...weird. There's a definite focus on the eyes of the characters, I think. The faces are very pronounced when they need to be. It does that thing most sports mangas do where the art style is simple and then gets incredibly detailed during an important scene. It has some weird art. But I love it.
Not sure what else to say other than the fact that i need to keep reading this.

Net Galley Gave me a copy to read and Review Before US Release.

Blue Lock Is a Shonen type Sports Manga revolving around soccer.
The Concept is That Japan is one Super Star Striker away from being able to compete to win the World Cup. So Blue Lock is created. A soccer facility that will train the top 300 High school Strikers in the nation and then whittle them down to the top five through rigorous and sometimes vicious training and competition.
The POV comes from second year high school player Yoichi Isagi who is ranked as 299 and put into the lowest grouping. Isagi's true weakness may be that he lacks the selfish character a true striker needs but is it possible that the monster he needs could be buried somewhere deep inside, will the rigors of Blue Lock and its relentless soccer focused lifestyle be able to bring it out of him?
Being a former youth soccer coach and sports fan the subject matter piqued my interest and I have some insight and experience to draw from not just as a coach but as a fan of Sports Manga and anime.
The art is clean and clear never leaving you struggling to follow the action scenes. The Writing and dialogue is pretty concise its standard Shonen done well. There are several characters and it wouldn't hurt to read it more than once to get the characters established in your mind before moving to volume 2 but not a necessity.
Over all it was a fun read, with decent action and a premise that is not totally unique, its manga tropes that I think Id enjoy continuing to read.
I have no problem Recommending this to: Fans of Shonen, Soccer, Sports Manga, or elimination completions.

Unlike typical manga centered around sports, Blue Lock isn't all about teamwork and getting together. While that has it's place sometimes I just want to see a ruthless competition to create the best striker in all of Japan, and you never know who will get eliminated next. That's for sure what I get at least in this first volume. The art and action scenes are well-drawn, and like all sports manga you get to know a lot about the characters as you continue. Any fans of Haikyuu would surely enjoy. Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own,

This is basically the Hunger Games of soccer (or football if you're from Europe), minus the murder part. 300 soccer players sign up to stay at a facility where only one will be the victor, but six will be chosen to attend the nationals for soccer.

I am no huge sport fan, but I have previously enjoyed other sport manga and anime, and I can see this being just as exciting. So far we meet a great cast of characters who are interesting and some are noticeably nuanced. The main character is interesting too, but I want to know more about him as the story continues. I am hoping the next volume continues with reveals and developments, because this could be a very strong story!

I like that ethics and morals are brought up throughout this because the premise is crazy, and these are teens locked in a facility with almost no adult supervision except for their insane coach. The art was done really well and I found the movement scenes dynamic without being confusing, especially since I don't know the sport that well. Definitely one to watch!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC!

Being egoist to save yourself is okay.

I read this comic without reading the synopsis and just give it a try. A sports comics or novel is always has a special place on my heart and I LIKE THIS BOOK. It's just basically a soccer survival game. You didn't die when you lost in Blue Lock, you just lose your chance of being Japan's representation on the National Level.

I love Bachira (?) he's so weird and lovely at the same time. I personally don't want it to be a battle that will leave out 1 person as a winner. What if a group (11 persons) as a winner?

Thanks for the chance on reading this comics. I will definitely read the next volumes.