BLUE LOCK Season 2 released Episode 11 today, and it introduced Shoei Baro to the mix. The episode also focused a lot on Ryusei Shido, who got most of the glory and brought despair to the main cast. I previously wrote about what I think the anime is doing well despite its clear production flaws. While the episode didn’t bring a huge improvement animation-wise, I thought it did manage to highlight the important moments even better than the previous one.
Ryusei Shido is outright crazy, but he has a philosophy
It has been obvious that Shido is a psychotic soccer genius since his very introduction and attempt to off Isagi, but now we learned that he actually gives it all some thought. He understands that all humans have a biologically programmed need to leave a trace of their existence behind, and he sees his soccer skills as his way to do that.
Combined with the fact that he also demonstrated a theoretical understanding of his advantages on the field, such as the penalty area ‘perfection’ and the ability to sense the goal even with his back turned, shows that’s he more than a ball of reflexes and that he actually does think about the sport on a deeper level.
Still, he embraces the natural instincts he has, comparing the goal to an egg that his goals need to fertilize. It oddly makes sense for his character, considering that he’s constantly talking about his cells tingling for goals. From the explanation leading to the disappointment before entering the flow state and scoring to him screaming after the goal, this scene managed to highlight him entirely in a great way.
Yoichi Isagi is the main character
As the BLUE LOCK eleven got discouraged, it’s Isagi who goes up to Ego to ask for advice. He hasn’t been able to stand out so far in the match, but this again served to remind us that he’s the protagonist and the one with the highest egoistical potential. Kazuki Ura did a great job going from the shy “who cares” to the condescending “shut up and tell us how to win” attitude, and it’s always fun to see.
Even later on in the match, Ego’s advice was for Baro to follow Isagi around and ‘devour’ him on the field. Ego understands that Isagi has the best spatial awareness and that the best chance for Baro to get into a good position is to use that rather than follow some strict plan. Needless to say, Isagi should find a way to use that himself to find a goal himself.
The King returns
As soon as Ego called out the Joker and Baro came out, I thought about JUJUTSU KAISEN and their Sukuna and Satoru Gojo. Gojo and Shido are both voiced by Yuichi Nakamura, while Junichi Suwabe voices Baro and Sukuna. Add to that Shido also has the ‘I alone am the honored one” vibe and that Baro is practically a curse himself, this match up feels funny.
That aside, both voice actors delivered strong performances for their complicated characters, which has been the case from the entire cast all season long. It’s definitely one of the main factors the hype can go through.
I had been looking forward to seeing Baro in action for a while and was sure that he would get his chance to shine. The pent-up anger is ready to be released on the field, and he instantly shocks both sides. I also missed the chaotic red lines that always follow him. Unfortunately, his action doesn’t lead to a goal in the same episode, but there are 2 more episodes (with the finale being a 2-episode special).
There are more players in the game
Finally, the episode reminds us that scoring is not as simple as getting a few highlights and that anyone can score or prevent scoring. Kenyu Yukimiya demonstrated his own skills for a bit after being largely forgotten, while Oliver Aiku entered flow himself on the other side to prevent a goal. BLUE LOCK Season 2 Episode 11 ended with the score still 2:3 in favor of the U-20 Japan, but the game can still go in any direction, and we can look forward to the final two to see the conclusion.
BLUE LOCK Season 2 ranked 2nd in our latest weekly ranking. You can now vote for your favorite episodes for Week 12, the last weekly poll for Fall 2024.
Images via Crunchyroll
©Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura, Kodansha/”Blue Lock” Production Committee
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