Blue Lock Season 2 Episode 5 Review

Key Takeaways

• Ego unveils Blue Lock XI with Rin as star striker, leading to fierce competition among the players.
• Shidou is chosen by Sae for U-20 match, sparking tension and anticipation for the upcoming game.
• Team members start intense training, setting the stage for the highly anticipated match against U-20 Japan.

With the highly anticipated match of Blue Lock against U-20 Japan, the series really gets down to the mentality of egoists and how each one of them is really different in their way of envisioning football. As the Third Selection Arc concludes, the audience gets to see some of the fierce rivalries and motivational factors driving the cast. The latest episode is a plot point because it introduces the choice of the Blue Lock’s XI team and creates a ground for further conflicts. How this will be played out on the field for their next confrontation is very hyped by the fans.

The episode begins with Team A winning every game, showing strength and collaboration by beating the competitors. The winning streak continues to grow, and tension mounts until Rin and Shidou clash furiously since both of them want to be the ones scoring the last goal. The fierce rivalry mounts, and the atmosphere becomes filled with competitiveness. Ego then steps in to intervene, using a shock on Shidou to cool things down and restore order. It obviously goes uphill with intensity, promising more excitement and drama in the episodes to come.

Ego Emerges From The Shadows

Second Meet-up

After a long absence, Ego finally reappears to reveal the selected players for the team. He explains his criteria for selection, naming Rin Itoshi as the top-ranked player in Blue Lock, which comes as no surprise given his exceptional skills and balanced ego. Rin is positioned as Blue Lock’s best striker and most promising talent. Following the tryouts, Ego finalizes the Blue Lock Eleven, a team designed to amplify Rin’s strengths, making him their focal star striker. He then proceeds to unveil the remaining roster.

Blue Lock XI

The Team Is Decided

Ego announces Gagamaru Gin as the team’s goalkeeper, with Aryu Jyubei and Niko Ikki as center-backs, while Chigiri Hyoma and Bachira Meguru take up the full-back positions. Karasu Tabito is selected as the defensive midfielder, rounding out the defensive setup, as his skills are best utilized in the middle of the field with the whole team circling around him.

On the offensive side, Ego assigns Otoya Eita and Yukimiya Kenyu to the wings, with Nagi Seishiro also joining the attack as his insane ball handling is the best. The final slot goes to Isagi for his strong synergy with Rin, a choice that stuns the other players and enrages Barou, leaving fans eager about what’s next for the rest of the players.

Beast Set Loose

Unexpected Team Change

With the crowd surprised as to why Shidou wasn’t present or selected, Ego reveals that Itoshi Sae had set a condition to play against the Blue Lock players: he required one player of his choice from within Blue Lock. Sae chose Shidou, wanting an untamed beast to satisfy his thirst for becoming the world’s best, giving Rin even more reason to anticipate this career-changing match.

Sae’s and Shidou’s ambitious personalities become clear in their interactions with the U-20 team members, showing their goals exceed typical players’. It seemed strikers dominated the game until Aiku intervened, putting Shidou in his place by emphasizing the importance of defenders and the team’s defense-based strategy, as it was shown their whole team is based around defense.

We Just Have To Smash Em, Right

Bachira Knows The Deal

The selected team members continue to train much like in the glory days of Season 1, offering a refreshing change of pace for the season. Although this episode had minimal action, the setup for the upcoming intense match is beginning to take shape as intended. Ego also uses the “Flow” state analogy very effectively to drive a very important point home: there is a slim margin within which that state will occur, and it is hardly easy to get into. He made it relevant with real-life examples, such as role-play, showing fans that this concept applies beyond the realm of football.

Since there was minimal action, fans can’t criticize the animation much this time around. While the production team’s promises are encouraging, concerns remain. The essence of Blue Lock lies in the U-20 match, and given the current trajectory, there’s hope that the next arc will live up to the manga’s acclaim. As things stand, the show has only room to improve from here.

As Per Tradition

The Infamous Additional Time

As always, the funniest part of the episode is in the end credits additional time segment; this time, it’s time for the Blue Lock XI defenders to shine bright and bring some levity: Gagamaru, Aryu, and Niko talking about how they would work at defending the team, with Aryu trying to be as glamorous as possible. They talk about their different and peculiar hobbies. Niko’s initial reactions probably are parallel to what many fans likely felt, but he humorously decides to join in and enjoy the glam for the first time since joining Blue Lock.