The TV anime adaptation of Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yūsuke Nomura’s Blue Lock soccer manga revealed a key visual, the first promotional video, and 10 additional cast. The anime is also confirmed to premiere in October 2022 on TV Asahi’s NUMAnimation program block.
The additional cast members of Team Z are also revealed, which include Masatomo Nakazawa as Wataru Kuon, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Jingo Raichi, Shoya Chiba as Yudai Imamura, Shugo Nakamura as Gin Gagamaru, Daishi Kajita as Asahi Naruhaya, Ryunosuke Watanuki as Iemon Okuhito, Aoi Ichikawa as Kurimu Igarashi, and Kenichi Suzumura as Ryosuke Kira.
In addition, Hiroshi Kamiya will play the role of Eshin’s coach, and Eri Yukimura will play the role of Anri Teeri, a new employee of the Japan Football Union.
The unconventional story is set in the Blue Lock, a prison-like facility where three hundred talented strikers from high schools all over Japan are isolated and pitted against each other. The sole survivor of Blue Lock will earn the right to become the national team’s striker, and those who are defeated shall be banned from joining the team forever.
▍Blue Lock Anime PV 1
▍Blue Lock Anime Story
After reflecting on the current state of Japanese soccer, the Japanese Football Association decides to hire the enigmatic and eccentric coach Jinpachi Ego to achieve their dream of winning the World Cup. Believing that Japan has lacked an egoistic striker hungry for goals, Jinpachi initiates the Blue Lock—a prison-like facility where three hundred talented strikers from high schools all over Japan are isolated and pitted against each other.
The sole survivor of Blue Lock will earn the right to become the national team’s striker, and those who are defeated shall be banned from joining the team forever. Selected to join this risky project is Yoichi Isagi, a striker who failed to bring his high school soccer team to the national tournament.
After choosing to pass to a teammate who missed instead of scoring on his own, he could not help but wonder if the results would have been different had he been more selfish. Using this golden opportunity given by the Blue Lock Project, Yoichi aims to clear his doubts and chase his ultimate desire—to become the greatest striker in the world and lead Japan to World Cup glory.
▍Blue Lock Anime Staff & Production
Original Work: Muneyuki Kaneshiro/ Manga: Yūsuke Nomura [Serialized at Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine]
Director: Tetsuaki Watanabe
Assistant Director: Shunsuke Ishikawa
Series Composition: Taku Kishimoto
Story Supervisor: Muneyuki Kaneshiro
Concept Advisor: Yutaka Uemura
Main Character Design/ Chief Animation Director: Masaru Shindō
Character Design/ Chief Animation Director: Kenji Tanabe, Kento Toya
Chief Action Director: Hisashi Tojima
Action Director: Hiromi Sakamoto
Prop Design: Hisashi Higashijima, Yuri Nakajima, Kaori Kyouzu
Special Effects Animation Director: Akane
Color Design: Sakura Komatsu
Art Design: Shinji Sugiyama
Art Director: Sawako Takagi
Backgrounds: Studio Wyeth
Director of Photography: Yoshihiro Asagi
Photography: chiptune
3D CG Director: Norimitsu Hirosawa
3D CG: Aura Studio
Visual Concept: Toshiyuki Yamashita (Hyperbole)
Special Effects Processing: Toshiyuki Yamashita, Rina Mitsuzumi
2D CG Monitor Graphics: Yasukazu Asano (emitai)
Editing: Mai Hasegawa (EditZ)
Sound Director: Fumiyuki Goh
Sound Producer: Bit Grooove Promotion
Animation Producer: Tsutomu Hirano
Animation: 8-Bit
▍Blue Lock Anime Previously Announced Cast
■ Yoichi Isagi – CV: Kazuki Ura
■ Meguru Bachira – CV: Tasuku Kaito
■ Rensuke Kunigami – CV: Yūki Ono
■ Hyōma Chigiri – CV: Sōma Saitō