Blue Lock episode 19 aired on Saturday giving us a ton of hard-hitting moments with Bachira at the center of it all. Surprisingly enough, there was never a dull moment in this episode despite it being slower than others. Each scene had its own special touch to it and was actually important to the story’s characters moving forward. But despite many scenes taking place for a lot of the characters’ development, Bachira’s heartbreaking backstory was the highlight of the episode and is a testament to a backstory being done right.
At this point in Blue Lock, we have received some sort of backstory on most of the main players at hand (i.e Kunigami, Chigiri, Baro, etc.). And the one most fans were waiting for the most was Bachira’s–our favorite maniac. But is maniac, or crazy, the right kind of words to even be used to describe Bachira? In reality, at his core, Bachira is just a boy who wants to play soccer with someone who enjoys it as much as he does and can also compete at his level.
Bachira’s fear of loneliness is what drives him. It’s almost as if he’s playing with the thought that if his time at Blue Lock comes to an end, that loneliness will completely take form and he’ll never escape it. Notice how Bachira has never once told anyone that his goal is to become the best striker in the world. We’ve heard Kunigami say it. We’ve heard Isagi, Chigiri, Baro, Rin, Raichi, etc. all say they want to become the best striker in the world. Yet, Bachira has disregarded that notion, and here we are 19 episodes in and he has yet to say the words everyone else has–just as how his childhood went.
When we’ve been given the backstories of other players at Blue Lock, it always ends up with them saying they want to be on top of the world. Yet, Bachira seems to be the only person at Blue Lock who gets a rise out of just playing the game of soccer because that’s what he genuinely loves doing. That same love also led him to be bullied and forced into isolation by kids his age. The monster that developed inside of Bachira isn’t something scary, it’s the representation of that “something” for him to believe in. And unlike what we’ve seen from everyone else in this series, Bachira’s mother was the biggest influence that got him to this point, and that’s a nice change of pace in the series. Rather than being driven by a selfish goal, he was driven by the belief his own mother told him to keep believing in.
Backstories in Blue Lock are over rather quickly and don’t seem to hold that much merit. They become forgettable in a way. However, Bachira’s backstory strikes a different chord. Unlike all of the others who narrated their own backstories, his mother narrated his alongside a soft piano playing as part of the soundtrack making his story all that much more emotional. It’s the little pieces like this that were put together for Bachira’s backstory that gave it the weight others seemed to miss. The best painting that Bachira’s mother painted wasn’t on some sort of canvas, it was the story of her son and the belief she makes sure Bachira never lets go of.
Bachira doesn’t fear not becoming the best striker in the world, he fears not having that one friend with whom he can share something he genuinely loves. That doesn’t make him weird at all. In fact, he’s probably the most kind-hearted person in all of Blue Lock alongside Kunigami. So when we throw in who Bachira is at heart and the skillset he brings to the table, one could argue that Bachira is by far and large the most interesting character in Blue Lock and one who is impossible to not root for.
One thing that interested me besides the fact Chigiri was chosen to be part of Isagi’s team is what happened after the fact. Nagi and Chigiri both bonded while Baro and Isagi finally established the series’ top rivalry. All four of these guys have egos which, at first, made it impossible to get along both on and off the field.
Now, after time has passed, two negatives in each duo are turning out to create positives. And with Baro and Isagi recognizing each other’s game, and Nagi and Chigiri helping each other become better players, is this what Ego intended from the very beginning? Does Ego want to see something in the best striker in the world that he actually hasn’t told anyone yet? Only time will tell. But notice that Isagi is the one who formed the current team. After Nagi, Isagi chose Baro. And after Baro, he chose Chigiri. There’s something there that’s very telling in that, but it’s too early to firmly guess what it is.
I didn’t mention it because I don’t think Reo deserves more of my time, but Nagi chewing him out was still a glorious moment that felt so good. But I have to respect Kunigami to the fullest now that it’s just him and Reo. What’s more concerning is that with Reo completely shattered right now, will this be it for Kunigami? I surely hope not. But there’s no denying Kunigami gave me chills when he told Reo to hold his head high or else they’re both done for playing his role of “hero” perfectly.
This was a spectacular episode from start to finish. Chigiri joining Isagi, Nagi, and Baro. Kunigami’s window at Blue Lock quickly closing. An incredibly told backstory for Bachira. The setup at the end just before the big match. This is how a bridge episode connecting one big part of the story to the next is supposed to be done. It’s fast pace but it didn’t miss a single important detail.
Episode 19 rating: 10/10
Blue Lock episode 20 will air on Saturday, February 25. If you enjoyed Blue Lock episode 19 then make sure to vote for it in our weekly poll!
Images via Crunchyroll
©Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura, Kodansha/”Blue Lock” Production Committee