A new trio has formed, and a dream has come to an end. Blue Lock Episode 16 is an episode with fresh matchups and even better gameplay. Let’s see how it all went in this review!
Blue Lock Episode 16 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 16 Review does not contain spoilers –
Blue Lock Episode 16 Review- Tri Fusion
This was an immediate improvement from what we witnessed in the last episode, as I predicted it would be. For one, the teams are not playing with the desperation they were working with in the 2v2 rounds, and thus, there can be some fun alongside the sweaty football games. It also helps that Nagi and Yoichi have a new personality to make sense of and interact with, as Barou made a decent impact in Blue Lock Episode 16. Not just that, but he might be the reason they lose again in the 3v3 Selection.
Read More- My Hero Academia Season 6 Episode 17 Review: The Past Revealed
In an interesting twist of fate, despite Barou’s talent, or perhaps because of it, he is not an easy guy to work with. Thus, Nagi and especially Yoichi have to adjust with him every step of the way just to make sure that they don’t suffer a crushing defeat like the first time again. that is a very safe but sensible story that will hold the show over very well for an episode or two until Barou realises that winning is more important than hogging all the glory. Sometimes, you have to rely on the old reliable aspects of storytelling. If it works, it works.
When one prediction comes true, it is expected that the next one will fail as the show went in a very different direction for this 3v3 matchup than I had expected it to. That is to say that the show took the easy way out and did not work at all for the matchup it was going for. It made up a flimsy excuse for why the other team did not play at all for the three days Nagi, Yoichi and Bachira were involved with all this. It got to the place that it wanted, but one wonders how difficult it would have been to do it better or just to have a proper explanation for why it happened.
Read More- Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible Episode 3 Review: The Cute Part Of Love
Chigiri and Kunigami played a big role in this episode and actually met Yoichi for the first time since that fateful moment he chose to form a team with Nagi. This meeting happened far earlier than I imagined it would be, but it was lively nonetheless, and Blue Lock Episode 16 chose a great setting for it in the form of an onsen. There was some great comedy during this segment, and I guess it was also something for people who like to ogle at teenage anime boys. We know you are out there, and I am not one to judge.
Blue Lock Episode 16 was much more consistent with the quality the show usually offers its viewers. There were a lot of great close-up action shots, some great footballing at the end, and characters that made sense and kept your interest in a manner that made the 22 minutes absolutely zoom by without notice. I guess the previous two episodes can be chalked to a miscalculation on the writer’s part, and we can expect many more of these bangers in the future.
Verdict
Blue Lock Episode 16 was fun! There was a lot of great character development as the protagonists struggled to manage their egos to work together and win. That also led to a lot of great interactions.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!