A nonetheless from ‘Blue Lock: Episode Nagi’
| Picture Credit score: KODANSHA
Since its well-timed FIFA World Cup premiere final 12 months, Blue Lock has made a reputation for itself by flipping the script on all the pieces otakus thought they knew about shounen and sports activities anime. Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s riveting manga, dropped at life by Yusuke Nomura’s hanging illustrations, takes the well-worn narrative of sports activities camaraderie and flips it on its axis, following the journey of Japan’s most gifted soccer gamers who’re pushed to their limits in a relentless quest to forge the final word striker — one able to profitable matches single-handedly and bringing World Cup glory to Japan.
Of late, theatrical anime releases have blurred the traces of innovation, particularly when common collection prolong their lifespans by spin-offs and recap films, à la Haikyuu’s Dumpster Battle Film earlier this 12 months. From the outset, Episode Nagi is evident about its intentions. It’s not right here to rewrite the foundations of anime spin-offs, nor does it faux to be a vital, canonical subsequent chapter like Demon Slayer: Mugen Prepare. As an alternative, it opts for one thing extra intriguing: a facet story that dribbles on the sides of the unique collection to deepen our understanding of its titular character.
Blue Lock: Episode Nagi (Japanese)
Director: Shunsuke Ishikawa
Forged: Nobunaga Shimazaki, Yuma Uchida, Kazuyuki Okitsu
Runtime: 92 minutes
Storyline: After demonstrating his overwhelming soccer expertise, highschool sophomore Seishiro Nagi receives an invite to the Blue Lock Mission and meets strikers from all around the nation
For many who have adopted the bombastic journey of Blue Lock, this instalment affords a refreshing detour, an opportunity to witness the rise of Seishiro Nagi — the laconic, videogame-loving prodigy who would possibly simply be essentially the most reluctant soccer genius to ever grace the sphere. Once we first meet him, his life revolves round two issues: video video games and shunning any semblance of effort in favour of nap. The considered exerting himself — whether or not it’s in brushing his tooth or kicking a soccer — is repellent to him. But, there’s one thing undeniably charming about his lackadaisical perspective that voice actor Nobunaga Shimazaki deftly brings to life. Beneath his indifference lies an untapped reservoir of expertise, coaxed to the floor by the relentless enthusiasm of Reo Mikage, his prosperous and bold buddy.
A nonetheless from ‘Blue Lock: Episode Nagi’
| Picture Credit score:
KODANSHA
Reo, the rich and pushed counterpart to Nagi’s aloofness, serves as each a catalyst and a foil. The movie does a commendable job of fleshing out Reo, making him greater than only a sidekick to Nagi’s genius. Their friendship, which begins as a transactional alliance — a symbiotic relationship of Reo’s ambition and Nagi’s uncooked expertise — slowly evolves into one thing extra profound. As we witness Nagi’s gradual awakening to the fun and tribulations of soccer, it’s laborious to not root for him. This transformation is rendered with a deft contact by director Shunsuke Ishikawa, who juxtaposes Nagi’s sluggish reluctance with moments of pure, unadulterated brilliance on the sphere.
Studio Eight Bit has pulled out all of the stops, delivering animation that crackles with vitality and elegance. The matches are a spectacle of hyperbole, with gamers glowing as their egos awaken and their expertise attain near-superhuman ranges. The blue auras, the pulsating colors and extra visible thrives make each aim really feel like an earth-shattering occasion, each move fired with the explosiveness of a .50 cal. In the meantime, Nagi’s signature transfer, a grim-reaper-like skill to kill a ball’s momentum, is very well-realised, pulsing with an awesome shadow that’s nearly hypnotic.
A nonetheless from ‘Blue Lock: Episode Nagi’
| Picture Credit score:
KODANSHA
But, regardless of its many strengths, Episode Nagi has a couple of holes in its defence. The pacing is often uneven, with the latter a part of the movie cramming an excessive amount of into too little time. The choice to condense the ultimate episodes of the primary season right into a rushed montage seems like a misstep, robbing essential moments that deserved extra respiratory room of their emotional weight. It’s a pity as a result of the buildup is so meticulously crafted that one can’t assist however want for a extra measured conclusion.
With all mentioned and achieved, Blue Lock: Episode Nagi succeeds in what it got down to accomplish: to supply a recent lens by which to view the Blue Lock saga. For followers of the collection, it’s a welcome addition to the canon — an appetiser that whets our palettes for the following course (which debuts in October this 12 months).
Blue Lock: Episode Nagi is presently operating in theatres
