BLUELOCK

Episode 20

You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. This episode doesn't really waste any time after the matchups are decided; Isagi gets to show off the fruits of his labor and BLUELOCK uses Bachira as a framing device to get us excited about where Isagi is now versus where he was before. To be honest, I was kind of getting caught up in everything in the same way Bachira was; this is probably one of the most strategic back-and-forths that we've had in the series thus far, which makes sense since Isagi is going up against one of the strongest teams in the series. This isn't like the last match where Isagi had everyone playing in the palm of his hand once he figured out the winning formula. Now Isagi is realizing his own limitations in a different way. He's playing against somebody who has a similar level of observation and planning skill as him, but Rin is also just a better player in terms of pure physical stats. What happens when you have two people who can see the same thing but one can reach the destinations faster?

I do like how the show is continuing to keep up with its visualization of everyone's stats and the metaphor of the puzzle pieces. My favorite part was probably when Nagi darted down the field and the puzzle pieces flew everywhere. That being said, I wish the visual presentation of the show was a bit more fluid. I know that animating all of these super fast movements within the schedule of a weekly anime would probably be asking for too much, but the show already overloads you with so much verbal stimulation to the point where I just wish we got to see the plays in real time a bit more. Honestly, without all of its stylistic flourishes, I don't think BLUELOCK could get away with being as wordy as it is, even if a lot of what it's saying is interesting.

In terms of growth, I'm actually surprised that Nagi was the one who seemed to have the most revelations. We actually got a follow-up to how he left Reo last episode. It seems like Nagi actually feels bad for leaving Reo behind and wishes that things were different, but that doesn't change the fact that being with Isagi is a more viable strategy for his own personal development. It seems like Nagi's arc in the series is about independence and learning that he actually does have agency, unlike before where Reo just basically told him what to do. Equipped with the drive and selfishness to pursue his own personal growth in addition to his natural genius, Nagi is now a very dangerous tool that I'm sure Isagi is very thankful he can use. Now that Rin seems to be having that fire lit under his butt as well, I'll be very curious to see how the rest of this match goes!

Rating:

BLUELOCK is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.