The second selection has begun, as Blue Lock Episode 12 sees Isagi and the rest of Team Z go on solo challenges to prove their worth as a striker. Let’s see how it went in this review!
Blue Lock Episode 12 Overview
Blue Lock is the latest sports anime by the Anime Studio 8bit, previously known for producing critically and commercially acclaimed anime like That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime and Rewrite. The series is directed by Tetsuaki Watanabe, who has been a part of the productions of various anime in the past, such as Haikyuu and Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress.
Hisashi Toujima serves as the action director for the series, and the anime is based on a manga written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yuusuke Nomura.
– Blue Lock Episode 12 Review does not contain spoilers –
Blue Lock Episode 12 Review- Talk Is Cheap
Let us first discuss the huge twist that was presented in the last episode, which completely changed the way a lot of us were thinking about the show’s premise. We learned that teams V, W, X, Y, and Z weren’t the bottom teams in the Blue Lock arena and were actually the only ones there, meaning there weren’t any other teams for our heroes to overcome to become the best of the best. It was the kind of twist that changed everything about the series, answering many questions while asking several new ones. Therefore, it was a fantastic middle-of-the-plot discovery.
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For one, it was extremely hard to imagine players with even more skill than the ones showcased so far, especially the last team our heroes faced. To think that there were 200 more people they would have to overcome sounded like an arduous task, one that would go very old very quickly. Not just that, but seeing as our main character was ranked 274 previously, imagining him climbing that many spots is impossible, even by anime standards. Thus, this refreshing reveal cemented that the people we have seen so far will be the only ones Isagi will have to overcome.
However, this also creates a few problems because that means there will be no new opponents for our heroes. At least that’s how it should have been, but the show goes against that immediately in Blue Lock Episode 12 by introducing three stronger players than we’ve seen before, who went surprisingly hidden in the football matches beforehand. How that is even possible boggles the mind and makes one wonder if we were just not observant enough to notice these three prodigies in the previous matches.
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The start of the second selection was not particularly interesting to watch, even if it was central to the main character Isagi’s growth. He is not at the bottom of the barrel anymore and has proved that he has a real shot at coming out on top. This was a showcase for him to demonstrate his potential, which he did very well. The training exercise also made a lot of logical sense, something the show has been very good at from the start. It wasn’t as exciting as the football matches before, but it didn’t need to be. It was a setup episode, which it succeeded at being.
Blue Lock Episode 12 also progressed some characters that we met not too long ago, the star strikers of Team V- Nagi and Reo. The dynamic between the two and their juxtaposition with Isagi and friends were fantastic and one of the young show’s highlights so far. Thus, the show keeping them around as major characters was a no-brainer. The new selection process and Blue Lock Episode 12 as a whole were very wordy, but that’s not too big of an issue when you have to set all of these exciting scenarios up.
Overall
Blue Lock Episode 12 was a good one, though far from the show’s strongest. It set up a couple of decent premises and a somewhat confusing confrontation. Still, it was exciting, and a fun watch.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!