Of the many sports anime that have been released in recent times, Blue Lock is probably the most renowned of them all. The series has been buzzing with major hype and excitement after the first season of the show, especially how it took a peculiar approach to a game that requires chemistry with your teammates.
Focusing on the most charismatic and exciting position of the sport, it has gathered a global fan following. The intense storyline and the high stakes kept the fans on the hook, who binge-watched the first season and eagerly waited for a year for the second season.
While there was an interval for a year, meeting the deadlines of each episode has been a task in itself. To shed more light on the show’s challenging animation, Ryoya Arisawa, the producer of the anime, opened up about the animation style and what made the work so recognizable yet so difficult to produce.
Blue Lock’s Producer Sheds Light On the Show’s Difficulty in Meeting the Deadlines
Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s Blue Lock came afresh and revolutionized the sports genre of the anime industry. The show featured a never-before-seen plot, featuring a long and intriguing list of characters who are not only layered but also outstanding on the ball.
But what opened the door of opportunities for the series was the eye-pleasing and breathtaking animation that perfectly showcased the iconic moments between the high-adrenaline matches. However, the second season of the series has failed to live up to its hype.
This major downgrade in quality was witnessed from the very first episode of the second season, where the fans did not shy away from trashing the sports series. However, it looks like Ryoya Arisawa has come forward behind the God-forsaken animation in the second season of Blue Lock.
The producer was present alongside Megumu Tsuchiya, the manga editor, and Kazuki Ura, the Japanese voice actor for Yoichi Isagi at this year’s Anime Expo. The trio sat down with Anime Corner, where the interviewer asked them about the “most challenging” aspects of their roles.
The voice actor and the editor got candid about their challenges, but it was Arisawa-San’s answer that answered the real problem of the show. He said,
The anime was challenging to create from start to finish. The most difficult part was preserving Nomura-sensei’s cool and recognizable drawings. We paid a lot of attention to the small details that make BLUE LOCK unique, which made it hard to meet the deadlines.
He further added,
We often turned it in right before it aired on TV. Tanabe-san, who did the character design, and the main animators worked extremely hard to capture the expressions and essence of Nomura-sensei’s artwork that fans would expect to see.
The producer further continued that being highly dedicated to the work and ensuring “highest quality and staying true to the original work” added to the troubles.
Allocating enough time for them to draw as much as possible within the tight schedule was very challenging. Despite the time constraints, everyone was dedicated to ensuring the highest quality and staying true to the original work.
Nevertheless, the animation of the show is so disappointing that Erling Haaland had to take matters into his own hands. The Scandinavian goal machine recreated an iconic goal from the show, which was way better than Yusuke Nomura’s illustrations.
Blue Lock’s Staff Shared Several Taboo Moments During Production
In the same interview, Arisawa-San opened up about the crew’s “fun experience,” where they would organize “scenario meetings” to make the anime more epic than the source material, and they would make such suggestions and potential changes right in front of the mangaka.
He said,
One of the moments that I thought was a fun experience was when we had scenario meetings. During those meetings, Kaneshiro-sensei [the manga creator] would also be present. When there were parts that we wanted to change or modify from the original work to the anime, we consulted Kaneshiro-sensei on the spot.
The producer called this action “very rare” because usually deviating from the original work is considered taboo. However, Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s reply would make their day. He added,
This is very rare. In normal anime production, saying that you want to change the original work in front of the author is considered NG (no good, taboo). However, we were allowed to do all of this directly, and then Kaneshiro-sensei would say, “If you’re going to change it, why not do it this way?”
The crew members were motivated by the mangaka’s positive response to the changes, even suggesting some more to make the meetings “incredibly fun and interesting.” He said,
He would even propose more changes. The scenario meetings are incredibly fun and interesting. Talking and creating with Kaneshiro-sensei, the director, and the screenwriter Kishimoto-san is enjoyable. It’s a rare and unique experience.
Regardless of the interesting meetings, the show has failed to maintain the same spark that once made the show so distinct from other iconic sports series like Haikyu!!, Inazuma XI, and Hajime no Ippo. As a result, the show has been mocked by fans, calling it a show with PowerPoint animation.
Blue Lock can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
