©︎ Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura, Kodansha/'BLUE LOCK' Production Committee
Unfortunately, there's not much to say about this episode as it's about as simple a set-up as can be. About 80% of this episode is the slow drama of the match between Blue Lock and U-10, as there are less than 24 hours left and tensions are rising all around. There's tension between Sae and U2's team captain, Oliver, who makes his presence known as perhaps one of the more prominent opponents throughout the arc. Isagi even ends the episode by declaring that he will catalyze changes in this match. I like that we get a bit of Oliver's personality and background before we get into the match properly. He is the captain of a very defensive team and it seems like he has a lot of responsibility regarding the players and the expectations of the match officials. You can see he's stressed but still trying to make the best of the situation. These are qualities that are easy to understand and make him very human in a very short time.
This episode feels like it's winding a guitar string very slowly. You know it's a necessary practice, but you feel stressed every time you wake up. This is an opportunity for players to prove themselves, but for everyone else, this is an exciting event to look forward to. I loved seeing some parents and adults show up on the field and there was even official Blue Lock merchandise, showing that this was first and foremost a promotional event. However, turning it into a promotional event is not simply the responsibility of those on the field. This is also a good opportunity to see if I'm right about the quality of the animation saved when the match starts. The art is amazing and this episode has some of my favorite music on the show to date. But now the tools have improved and it's time to know exactly where we're going.
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BLUE LOCK Season 2 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
