Many sports anime are cursed with severe inaccuracies in the sports they are portraying. The players in the anime end up gaining supernatural powers when the world of sports relies solely on hard work. One recent sports anime has come under the spotlight for the same curse and it’s sadly Blue Lock. While it is generally an enjoyable show, it has wild inaccuracies that most fans are picking up on now. Some argue that the mangaka has never even watched a football match. Does the mangaka need prior knowledge of the sport they write about to make it a good anime?
A sports anime that does it right is Haikyuu. It has rightfully become the standard in the sports genre and one of the most beloved series. But the main reason why it is accurate is because the mangaka, Haruichi Furudate, was in the volleyball club during his school years. There are no supernatural powers in Haikyuu and while some of the moves are exaggerated, it is humanly possible. Blue Lock, on the other hand, relies on these supernatural moves to make the story exciting.
Why Blue Lock Doesn’t Work but Haikyuu Did
Blue Lock doesn’t work for plenty of reasons, from the inaccuracies in the football mechanics to the way the players train. The story is wild from the beginning, with the bizarre training regimen to a high schooler joining the program designed for the Japan National Team. Moreover, the entire plot relies too much on twists and turns during the game. Usually, football players would adapt to these changes but not in Blue Lock.
It becomes overly repetitive and the supernatural powers come out of nowhere. The regimen is incredibly cruel, like starving the “lower ranking” players as a punishment and making them compete against each other in a weird Squid Game-esque environment. It doesn’t foster a healthy environment needed for good sportsmanship. To fans, it seems like the mangaka, Muneyuki Kaneshiro, doesn’t watch football at all. On the other hand, Haruichi Furudate was a volleyball player himself and this knowledge is reflected in Haikyuu.
Haikyuu doesn’t rely on any crazy, supernatural moves. The players, even the ones from different teams, are shown to work incredibly hard with the help of their coaches, and the main team, Karasuno, doesn’t win all the time because things don’t work in their favor. Still, the players improve together and even learn a lot from their rivals. The healthy competition is what makes Haikyuu so iconic and realistic.
Is Blue Lock Setting Itself Up For Failure?
While other sports anime like Kuroko’s Basketball also relied on insane supernatural moves, it still included healthy sportsmanship at points. Blue Lock, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be focusing on teamwork but on the ego of the players. It’s all about becoming the best striker in Japan and their selfish motives.
If Blue Lock had gone down the path of camaraderie and teamwork, it would’ve at least been slightly realistic and a point of endearment. This worked so well in Haikyuu and is the reason why it is so dear to the hearts of anime fans well after the manga ended. Does Blue Lock still have the chance to redeem itself with more research?
Blue Lock and Haikyuu are available on Crunchyroll.
