Among some of the most highly anticipated releases of 2022, Blue Lock is currently one of the top contenders to take the cake! The series recently announced a 2022 release for its anime adaptation and we’re here for it. Here’s all that you need to know about the upcoming anime series!
Blue Lock is manga series created by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura and is serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. The manga began in 2018 and currently has 14 tankonbon volumes. Kodansha Comics holds the license for the English Version of the comics. Blue Lock was also the recipient of Kodansha’s Manga Award in the Shonen category in 2021. The manga has a spectacular rating of 8.4/10 on My Anime List!
Blue Lock Anime Trailer
In addition to revealing a teaser visual in August, makers also released a 1 minute 18 seconds Blue Lock Anime trailer. I am sure you will get excited after seeing it. Every frame is a masterpiece in itself. You can imagine what the final series will hold. Here have a look at the new trailer:
Blue Lock anime’s official Twitter account shared the second character trailer on 16th February 2022 in a countdown to the release. It features Bachira Meguru, one of the leading characters. Here is the tweet
The official website of Blue Lock anime released a character promo video featuring Hyōma Chigiri on the 13th of April. One can make out Soma Saito giving voice to the player who displays an amazingly cool, collected demeanor with mysterious vibes.
With the premiere date scheduled for 8th October, a new trailer for Blue Lock has been released along with the opening theme titled “Chaos at its Peak”. The song is composed by the popular Japanese band Union Square Garden. The ending theme song is titled “Winner” and is composed by Shugo Nakamura.
Earlier 4 teaser trailers have been released featuring Meguru Bachira in January, Yoichi Isagi in February, and Rensuke Kunigami in March.
Blue Lock Anime Key Visual
Blue Lock Plot and Synopsis
Kodansha Comics has added a synopsis for the story:
After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan’s team struggles to regroup. But what’s missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match…and to do so, they’ve gathered 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team…and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?
There are quite a few well-known soccer anime that have come before this. For lovers of the genre and the sport, Captain Tsubasa and Inazuma Eleven are also great places to start! So what sets Blue Lock apart? Blue Lock quite doesn’t do the ‘Power of Friendship’ trope which is very common in anime. The series also does not do superpower sports like Kuroko no Basuke. While these anime have made a mark on the audience, Blue Lock takes a big detour.
The characters in the show don’t have any superpowers that penetrate their sport and also move from the team spirit aspect of, well, team sports. The series revels in competition, egoism, and selfishness in the players and presents them as real competitors rather than creating a benevolent version of them.
Blue Lock is an absolutely stunning narrative, trying to find the egoistical striker who can bring Japan glory. The series has also been recommended by Isayama Hajime, the creator of Attack on Titan. Yusuke Nomura worked as Isayama’s assistant!
Tetsukai Watanabe will be directing the anime, Shunsuke Ishikawa is the assistant director, Taku Kishimoto will be supervising the scripts, Yukata Uemura is the concept advisor, and Kenji Tanabe and Kento Toya and Masaru Shindo are chief animators and in charge of character design. Jun Murayama will be in charge of the music!
Blue Lock Anime Release Date
The anime is going to be produced by Eight Bit Studios of Tokyo Ravens and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime fame. The specific release date for the anime is yet to be announced. It had given a 2022 release window.
On 13th May, the release date of Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yūsuke Nomura’s Blue Lock soccer anime adaptation has been confirmed on the official website. Blue Lock Anime Release Date is happening in the Fall anime 2022 calendar, in October. It should air probably on the 9th or 16th of October, the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the month.
Apart from releasing another promotional trailer, a new key visual and names of more cast were shared.
How many episodes will Blue Lock anime have?
How many weeks will the battle royale in Football keep us glued?
It is not yet known whether the anime will release with a 24-episode schedule like Tokyo Revengers or follow a split cour format like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. There is enough source material to fuel any of the formats but the adaptation will have to make sure to remain true to the manga.
With more than 2 weeks left to the premiere of Blue Lock Episode 1, @shonenleaks has confirmed that the anime will have 24 episodes.
Blue Lock Episode 1 will debut on Crunchyroll on Saturday, 8 October and the anime adaptation will be split into two cours of 12 episodes each. Blue Lock Season 1 will have a total of 24 episodes.
Where to watch Blue Lock English Dub?
There are no announcements as of now for the release of a Blue Lock anime English Dub. However, considering the popularity of the manga itself and the anticipation around the release of the anime adaptation, it is almost sure that the anime will get an English Dub from Crunchyroll or Funimation or one of the popular Dubbing Platforms.
When can I watch To Blue Lock Episode 1?
Blue Lock anime is slated to run for 24 episodes in two cours Season 1. Let’s check out the streaming hours on Crunchyroll across the globe
For global regions, the date and time will change according to the location.
Pacific Standard time – 9: 30 AM PST Monday, August 16, 2021 (America)
Central Standard time – 11: 30 AM CST Monday, August 16, 2021 (America)
Eastern Standard time – 12: 30 AM EST Monday, August 16, 2021 (America)
British Time- 5: 30 PM BST Monday, August 16, 2021 (UK)
Central European Time- 6: 30 PM CET Monday, August 16, 2021 (Europe)
India Standard Time- 12: 00 PM IST Monday, August 16, 2021 (India)
Philippines Time- 12: 30 AM Monday, August 16, 2021 (Philippines)
Australia Time- 12: 00 AM IST Monday, August 16, 2021 (Australia)
Blue Lock Anime Characters
The official announcement also revealed the Eight Bit animation studio for the project with director Tetsuaki Watanabe. Eight Bit animation studio had worked on That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.
In August the first teaser visual of Blue Lock anime was revealed where one can have a glimpse of all the main characters. Here they are
As of now, the cast for the Blue Lock anime has four voice actors confirmed for the leading roles.
- Tasuku Kaito as Meguru Bachira
- Yūki Ono as Rensuke Kunigami
- Kazuki Ura as Yoichi Isagi
- Sōma Saitō as Hyōma Chigiri
New cast members were announced on the official site on the 13th of May. They include the following names
- Masatomo Nakazawa as Wataru Kuon
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Jingo Raichi
- Shōya Chiba as Yūdai Imamura
- Shugo Nakamura as Gin Gagamaru
- Daishi Kajita as Asahi Naruhaya
- Ryūnosuke Watanuki as Okuhito Iemon
- Aoi Ichikawa as Gurimu Igarashi
- Kenichi Suzumura as Ryōsuke Kira
- Hiroshi Kamiya as Jinpachi Ego
- Eri Yukimura as Anri Teieri
The complete staff for Blue Lock’s anime adaptation have also been revealed:
- Prop Design – Hisashi Higashijima, Yuri Nakajima and Kaori Kyōzu
- Special Effects Animation Director – Akane
- Composing Director of Photography – Yoshihiro Asagi
- Animation Producer – Tsutomu Hirano
- Colour Key Artist – Sakura Komatsu
- Art Design – Shinji Sugiyama
- Art Director – Sawako Takagi
- Backgrounds – Studio Wyeth
- Photography – Chiptune
- 3D CG Director – Norimitsu Hirosawa
- 3D CG – Aura Studio
- Visual Concept – Toshiyuki Yamashita (Hyperbole)
- Sound Director – Fumiyuki Go
- Sound Producer – Bit Grooove Promotion
- Special Effects Processing – Toshiyuki Yamashita, Rina Mitsuzumi
- 2D CG Monitor Graphics – Yasukazu Asano (Emitai)
- Editing – Mai Hasegawa (EditZ)
A lot of these professionals have worked on famed anime productions like The Saga of Tanya the Evil and Fruits Basket. There’s a lot to look forward to if the forum discussions on My Anime List and Reddit are something to go by!
More cast members are definitely on the way. The main cast and the staff members have been revealed. We will bring you more updates as and when they come. Stay tuned for more from your favourite titles and don’t forget to check out the best releases for Summer 2021!
