The fresh, groundbreaking, anime BLUELOCK is a must-watch. The series focuses on the soccer striker Yoichi Isagi. He loses an important soccer match because he decided to pass to his teammate at a crucial moment. He is devastated because this cost him Japanese nationals. However, because Japan’s soccer team lost the World Cup badly, some Japanese officials start a top-secret training program in a facility called Bluelock. Isagi, along with 300 other boys, gets recruited to go to the state-of-the-art training facility. Although the facility is very ultramodern, it also gives prison vibes.  Boys will be eliminated from the program through its ingenious soccer competitions. The boys who don’t score enough ranking points are kicked after rounds. Those who are eliminated are banned from playing soccer ever again. At the end of the training, one boy will come out on top and become the striker for Japan’s national soccer team. This anime might not sound all that great, but let me assure you, it’s a banger. BLUELOCK is a 9.5/10 for its edgy plot, unique characters, and fire action scenes.

This anime is eccentric and exciting because unlike other sports anime, which emphasize teamwork, this one emphasizes the ‘ego’. Strangely enough, the stalky mushroom-haired man who runs Bluelock is named Ego. He alludes to the peculiar idea that you have to be egocentric to be the world’s best striker. To develop their egos and skills, Ego uses avant-garde training and psychological methods. Right off the bat, it’s apparent that the characters who form the biggest egos are the ones who will dominate the playing field. The main character, Isagi, is ranked #299 at the beginning of the training, but as he learns to depend on himself to win and shoot his own goals rather than pass to others, he ends up building one of the biggest egos in the show. Although the series explicitly demonstrates that ego is the most important component of being a good striker, it doesn’t neglect to show the importance of teamwork and relationship-building in soccer.

Another great aspect of the show is how unique and cool the characters are. They have intriguing yet unique personalities, and every character acts and looks significantly different from any other. One thing I love is that the main character of the series looks pretty basic, with his blue hair and generic haircut, but the fact that he doesn’t stand out makes him stand out more. Isagi has a great personality because he looks out for his teammates and at times, is a little unhinged. He initially has no talents when it comes to soccer but soon discovers his inner strength, which is his great spatial awareness. Although Isagi is cool, all of the other characters in the show are also cool. My favorite things are the special scenes where a character will ‘unlock’ a crazy new soccer skill. The characters’ eyes turn into creepy spirals, they move in slow motion, and their movements are followed by super cool streaks of color. These moments really up the hype factor in the show.

Even if you don’t understand soccer at all, BLUELOCK will be the peanut butter to your jam. Undisputedly, this show is 10 times better than another popular sports anime called Haikyuu. It has a freakishly-good plot and gets better with each episode so watch it ASAP.