BLUELOCK: Season 1 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

BLUELOCK: Season 1 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 packs a mighty punch for fans of soccer and sports-themed anime series. Created by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yūsuke Nomura ("Blue Lock Additional Time"), the series has opening theme music performed by Unison Square Garden and ASH DA HERO. The ending theme compositions are performed by Shugo Nakamura and Unison Square Garden.

Executive produced by Emiko Iijima (Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie, Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth), Hideo Hirata (Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond, Run with the Wind), Junichi Kimura, Junko Sano, Yōhei Takami (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos the Movie, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Scarlet Bond), and Yōichi Sekine, Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 is aimed at soccer fans and for sports enthusiasts who enjoy an animated production exploring the action of the sport. Action awaits. Adventure with the soccer field.

Produced by Ryōya Arisawa (The Magnificent KOTOBUKI, Princess Principal), Shin Furukawa (Attack on Titan, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord), and Yūki Mori (A Couple of Cuckoos, Sing "Yesterday" for Me), Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 might be the soccer antidote sports anime fans are looking for. Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 features series animation production by 8 bit (Aquarion Evol, Comet Lucifer) and Point Pictures (Matsuinu, Tomodachi Game). Blue Lock – perhaps, take the blue pill? (Matrix joke is intentional and not a by-product.)

Yoichi Isagi (Kazuki Ura) wants to be the best soccer player imaginable. Yoichi dreams of one day being the top player and blazing his path to victory on the field – taking home the World Cup – and bringing victory to Japan. A special offer arrives for Yoichi to be a part of an experimental new soccer team.

A training period awaits the players. The soccer team is culled from over 300 players looking to join the fiercely heated competition. Can Yoichi rise to the top of the ranks and play ball? Trophies aren’t even everything, anymore. The game isn’t like the ordinary soccer-matches Yoichi is used to playing in the field. The experimental game is just beginning. Can the best soccer striker in Japan be found?

The character designs by Kenji Tanabe (Good Luck Girl!, The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic) and Kento Toya (Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld, Sword Art Online The Movie - Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night) are an impressive part of the production. The designs feel suitable for a soccer anime. The characters certainly fit the sports-aesthetic of the production and the stage is set for the soccer game. A good effort for the anime – providing sports fans something that is compelling for the soccer landscape.

The animation for Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 is reasonably good and worthwhile for a sports anime. The animation might not be as memorable as some of the best anime productions but it is reasonably nice, even highlighting the soccer field and the energy of the players. Featuring art direction by Sawako Takagi (Bleach the Movie: Fade to Black, Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals), Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 offers something for anime fans wanting to watch a soccer anime – the animation team did a solid enough job with the sports series.

The animation on Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 wouldn’t have excelled as well as it does without the chief animation direction by Kenji Tanabe (Good Luck Girl!, The Millionaire Detective - Balance: UNLIMITED), Kento Toya (For Whom the Alchemist Exists, Sword Art Online The Movie - Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night), Kyoko Kotani (Ghost Hunt, Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre), Masahiko Komino (Battle Game in 5 Seconds, Engage Planet Kiss Dum), Masaru Shindō (Macross Delta, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU), and Tomoko Mori (Ushio & Tora, Kaiji: Against All Rules). Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 offers a blend of action-oriented soccer animation alongside drama elements for sports fans. The animation team takes these elements into consideration during the series.

 The cinematography by Yasuhiro Asagi (Ms. Koizumi loves ramen noodles, Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn) is a highlight and adds to the artistic direction of the production. The cinematography does highlight the visuals well and adds to the style of the series. The bright and colorful aesthetic is one showcasing the soccer game and the intensity of the game.

The score composed by Jun Murayama (BLUELOCK The Movie: Episode Nagi) isn’t as memorable as some elements of the production. The score is adequate as background music but it doesn’t really manage to make as big of an impression here. The score accentuates the action of the game but it doesn’t stand out as creatively engaging.

Written by Taku Kishimoto (Haikyu!! To The Top, Ranking of Kings), Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 takes a decent concept and makes something reasonably fun with it. The script and story might not be that original compared to the best sports anime series but it still has some decent elements for soccer enthusiasts. The writing is okay for a sports anime and though it could be better its still a bit entertaining.

Directed by Tetsuaki Watanabe (Magical Circle Guru-Guru, Battle Spirits Burning Soul), Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 is worth checking out for soccer and sports fans. Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 won’t win over any non-soccer fans but for someone who enjoys the sport it’s a decent enough action sports anime that provides some fun for the right audience. Blue Lock: Season 1 Part 1 begins the journey and sports enthusiasts looking for something a little bit different in the soccer anime arena may wish to try it out.

BLUELOCK: Season 1 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, Blue Lock Season 1 Part 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. An impressive high-definition presentation. The presentation quality on the release is noteworthy with quality encoding. The animation looks crisp and colorful on the release. The line art looks clear and engaging overall. The stylized animation is well reproduced. Blu-ray is the best way to experience something – with streaming video platforms offering lower bit-rates and a more compressed presentation. By comparison, enthusiasts seeking the absolute best picture-quality will find the presentation quality superior on the physical format, with superior encoding and higher bit-rates.

BLUELOCK: Season 1 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release capably highlights the sound direction from sound director Fumiyuki Go (Battle Girl High School, A Girl & Her Guard Dog). The lossless audio presentation impresses with quality encoding and good clarity on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced and has excellent detail. The lossless audio enhances the audio experience. The English surround option will provide listeners with a somewhat more enveloping soundstage for the rear speakers and to open up the score but purists wanting the original language version will be quite pleased with the lossless stereo soundstage on the Japanese language version.

BLUELOCK: Season 1 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the Blu-ray release comes with an o-card slipcover. The slipcover design features unique artwork (different from the artwork underneath the slipcover). A nice package design choice by Crunchyroll. A Blu-ray and DVD combo pack.

BLUELOCK Additional Time! Mini Anime (HD, 13:13)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:32)

BLUELOCK: Season 1 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Blue Lock Season 1 Part 1 begins the saga and takes soccer fans on a journey through action-packed soccer games. The first part of the first season begins here and fans of sports anime may find the production worth checking out. The Blu-ray release boasts quality video and lossless audio. The release also includes the mini-anime "BLUELOCK Additional Time!" along some other standard supplements. The first print-run of the release also includes an o-card slipcover. The release is a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack edition. Fans of the series and sports anime productions in general will want to consider picking up the release for their collection.