Japan’s World Cup victory brings ‘Blue Lock’ aspirations to life

While an anime adaptation of the “Blue Lock” manga is airing in Japan, a live-action version seems to be playing out over in Qatar, with Japan defeating Germany in a shocking upset victory during the 2022 World Cup.

Set in the aftermath of Japan’s real-world loss in round 16 during the 2018 World Cup, “Blue Lock” centers on the Blue Lock Project: a rigorous search for the next great striker which pits hundreds of aspiring high school players against each other in order to transform Japan into the an international soccer powerhouse.

After Japan pulled off their massive upset over Germany, anime and sports fans alike flooded Twitter with posts hailing the Japanese national team as a real life culmination of the Blue Lock Project.

Even series creator Yusuke Nomura took to Twitter to express his disbelief that his manga had come to life with such a stellar Word Cup performance from Japan, sharing an illustration of “Blue Lock” character Asahi celebrating the win.

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Nomura and “Blue Lock” co-creator Muneyuki Kaneshiro also had a significant role in designing the origami-themed Adidas jerseys that the Japanese national team wore in their match against the European frontrunners.

Japan’s next match against Costa Rica is scheduled for Nov. 27. In the meantime, you can stream the first seven episodes of “Blue Lock” on Crunchyroll, with the eighth episode releasing on Nov. 26.

Featured Image via HeyyLux 勒克, FOX Soccer