After a crushing loss of a game and their teammate, Blue Lock Episode 14 sees Nagi and Yoichi struggle to get past another wall in front of them, a wall that has caused them trouble in the past. Let’s see if they were able to bring the walls down in this review!
Blue Lock Episode 14 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. Click here to read the review of the previous episode in the series.
– Blue Lock Episode 14 Review does not contain spoilers –
Blue Lock Episode 14 Review- Another Weapon
Here is the story of this week’s episode- let me know if you’ve heard this one before. Yoichi Isagi is participating in a competition to seek the best striker in the country of Japan, where he is facing someone far above his skill level. His teammates also seem much stronger than him in everything they try, and as such, Yoichi must find a weapon of his own that he can use to either win the game or help his teammates do the same. Now, where have we seen this story play out before?
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If your guess was this same show, you are right! Now, can you guess how many times we have seen this storyline in this same show? Right again! Twice is the correct answer! Either just the show or the entire world seems to be stuck in a sick groundhogs day scenario where the only escape is seeing Yoichi Isagi become the top striker in Japan while being as talentless as he is, as he grinds out a few games for a new weapon every few weeks. Either that or the show doesn’t have a way to resolve confrontations without giving the main characters new powers. On second thought, it is probably just the second thing.
After getting defeated in the round of threes, Isagi and Nagi showcase a different emotion than we had become used to each of them presenting. For Yoichi, it was depression; for Nagi, it was anger. The extra dimension added to the show by these helped this episode a lot in standing out, as you could feel the desperation that the two shared at the moment. However, Yoichi and Nagi don’t have much in the way of chemistry, so leaving just the two of them together does not seem like the smartest idea.
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Nagi is an especially indecipherable character, as the show fluctuates between making him care and not care at different moments. In one episode, he will be nonchalant after a loss, next, he will be threatening Isagi, and the very same episode will see him challenge Barou because he is now excited to play football against strong opponents. It’s not as inconsistent as it is evolution, but it can feel rocky at times. Still, Blue Lock Episode 14 gave him his terrific football skills back that didn’t come to use much in the first game, and it was great to see.
Blue Lock Episode 14 was an episode that we have already seen before. Other than the opponents, which have changed to Barou and one of Yoichi’s teammates, nothing in this episode would make it stand out from what you’ve already seen come from the series. The formula of weapons and figuring out why a test was created is wearing thin. I don’t know how many weapons the show gives Yoichi before giving up and just deciding to make him an interesting character instead.
Verdict
Blue Lock Episode 14 was a mediocre outing. You wouldn’t find anything new in this episode. You won’t hate it since you’ve come this far, probably liking what the show offers. However, the show can and has done a lot better, which you know from the bottom of your heart.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!