The 2nd Cour of the anime adaptation of Blue Lock started airing recently on January 7, and recently released a non-credits version of the show’s opening animation.
The anime’s opening features the song “Judgement” by artist Ash Da Hero. The opening sets up for Isagi’s confrontation against Rin Itoshi, one of the best players in the Blue Lock facility and upcoming rival to Isagi. This cour focuses on the second selection arc, and Rin Itoshi is voiced by Kouki Uchiyama.
Blue Lock Cour 2 has begun streaming with episode 2 coming on January 14.
▍ About Blue Lock
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
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 Cast
■ Yoichi Isagi – CV: Kazuki Ura
■ Meguru Bachira – CV: Tasuku Kaito
■ Rensuke Kunigami – CV: Yūki Ono
■ Hyōma Chigiri – CV: Sōma Saitō
■ Wataru Kuon – CV: Masatomo Nakazawa
■ Jingo Raichi – CV: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
■ Yudai Imamura – CV: Shoya Chiba
■ Gin Gagamaru – CV: Shugo Nakamura
■ Asahi Naruhaya – CV: Daishi Kajita
■ Iemon Okuhito – CV: Ryunosuke Watanuki
■ Kurimu Igarashi- CV: Aoi Ichikawa
■ Ryosuke Kira – CV: Kenichi Suzumura
■ Eshin’s coach – CV: Hiroshi Kamiya
■ Anri Teeri- CV: Eri Yukimura
■ Ikki Nikko – CV: Natsuki Hanae
■ Junichi Wanima, Keisuke Wanima – CV: Ryota Suzuki
■ Sae Itoshi – CV: Takahiro Sakurai
■ Rin Itoshi – CV: Kouki Uchiyama