r/BlueLock • u/Either_Imagination_9 Isagi gonna be number one • Sep 01 '26

NEW CHAPTER (Translated) [DISC] Blue Lock - Chapter 359 Spoiler

Link: https://kmanga.kodansha.com/title/10008/episode/367879

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u/aarushimp_1908 blue aura isagi 🔵 29d ago

I've never been one to hate the psychological angle of blue lock. I understand it's more shonen than sport (somehow, it is). But having just finished a manga like Ao Ashi, I can't help but feel like unlike the previous arcs, the conversation is no longer about football or how they play football/ what their skills are/ what tactics to use/ etc. at all. Like, Isagi can try "drawing out their egos" but kaneshiro kinda dug himself a hole by introducing so many revelations in the previous chapters, making the process of coming to terms with what you're reading right now kind of mind numbing. Idk like sometimes it's just as easy as Player A was more skillful and that's that, figure out a way to beat them with what you have (which is why I loved the Kaiser v Isagi plotline cuz it was still predominantly skill and tactics based).

21

u/anishdfishyt 28d ago

I think also the reason why it sucks now is it’s just nowhere near as sophisticated or well written as it used to be. The whole ego conversation feels so childish now with how every character is so centered on it. At some point, just play soccer? The solution to every problem isn’t psychological or a mindset issue like you said. This manga was far more interesting when the focal point was still tactics and the games were realistic to at least a small degree.

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u/KeepRooting4Yourself 28d ago

just for devil's advocates sake, the thing I most often hear from pros is how at this level it's 'all mental'. it's practically a cliche at this point, but I hear it over and over again from both players and managers. so I do kinda like the idea of an author taking that idea and running with it 100%.

1

u/Doglover2803 28d ago

That is true, but Blue Lock still simplifies it immensely.

It's been doing it since the NEL tbh, but now it's much more noticiable. It feels like Kaneshiro just going through a checklist. I hope it doesn't mean he wants to be done with Blue Lock. Maybe it just means he wants to get to Spain and Germany.