One of the most anticipated anime in the Fall 2022 season is Blue Lock, a sports anime that centers around soccer. It is not surprising for a sports anime to be this popular considering the success of other hit series like Haikyuu!!, but is Blue Lock considered peak anime?
Why are people obsessed with this sports anime? And what should aspiring viewers expect? Will Blue Lock eventually exceed Haikyuu!! in terms of popularity? Here's what we think!
Is Blue Lock Really Peak Anime?
Blue Lock’s popularity started when its manga sold over 1.9 million copies after releasing 10 volumes. Moreover, as of December 2022, the Blue Lock manga already has 15 million copies in circulation.
Different publishing houses acquired licenses to release the manga in different countries as well, including the USA, France, Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Indonesia, and Argentina.
This proves how popular and well-received the Blue Lock manga series is not just in Japan, but all around the world.
On the other hand, the Blue Lock anime was released on various platforms such as Animax Asia, iQIYI, Bilibili, and Netflix, which indicates the series' demand on screen as well.
In terms of reception, the anime earned a rating of 8.2/10 on MyAnimeList, while IMDb gave it a rating of 8.5/10.
Currently, the soccer anime has not yet exceeded Haikyuu!! in terms of popularity, but Blue Lock’s fame continues to rise each week as new episodes get released.
Adding to its hype is the fact that it airs alongside the 2022 World Cup.
Why Do Anime Fans Like Blue Lock?
Blue Lock is a fresh and new approach to sports anime. Instead of dwelling on a slice-of-life theme, it focuses on character development and intense sports action.
It uses traditional battle shonen scenes but in a sports format, which, in turn, attracts not only sports anime fans but also shonen anime aficionados.
Simply watching each soccer game feels like an intense battle between a shonen protagonist and their enemy.
The stakes of each game feel like the players are doing their best to survive, so viewers get hooked and are unable to look away once the game starts.
Of course, a good anime is not possible without outstanding visuals and animation.
Studio 8bit was in charge of the show's animation, and fans agree that they did a great job animating the show, with smooth and flawless moves that depict the characters' athleticism.
Some think that Blue Lock's art style is somewhat similar to Bleach or that it may have been inspired by the classic anime.
Either way, Blue Lock’s art is special in its own way and was done beautifully, rightfully earning the fans' love and attention.
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