BLUELOCK

Episode 13

Wow, this episode had so much edge that I think I got a paper cut while watching it. None of us genuinely thought for a second that Isagi and his team would beat the top three players in all of Blue Lock. Last season focused on team dynamics and how different communities interact. This season is about individual goals, and I think this episode does a phenomenal job of establishing exactly what kind of ladder we are climbing. Rin is an interesting character, even though nothing seems to be special about him outside of the usual angsty rival. He keeps saying these over-the-top things, like how the soccer field is a battlefield and how losing a game might as well be the same as dying, so weirdly, it seems like he feels he's above everybody because he probably thinks he's putting more at stake. If that was the driving force between him bettering his skills, then it's no wonder he can make those incredibly precise curve shots.

Honestly, I was waiting for the big reveal that Rin also has the same observational skills as Isagi. It may have been implied, but either way, you get the idea that Isagi was probably the weakest person in the room by the end of this episode. This episode felt deflating in a good way when you consider all the buildup that he had last episode. I will also give the show credit for two major things. Firstly, I like that this show can still create unique skill sets and abilities, such as having seemingly the bulkiest character we've come across so far be a nervous wreck that plows through everything in a panic frenzy. Secondly, there was a part of me that thought Nagi would be the one taken away from Isagi's team, but the fact that it's Bachira does make the series have a lot more of an emotional pull. Bachira is undoubtedly the closest friend that Isagi has at Blue Lock. It was a compelling moment when Bachira told Isagi to hurry up before he's out of reach. There's going to be a lot of emotional damage to recover from in the next episode, and now Isagi's knocked down a peg, it's going to be interesting to see how exactly he recovers from it.

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BLUELOCK is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.