Blue Lock Premiere Hypes Anime’s Next Haikyuu

It’s been quite a while since Haikyuu’s manga run came to an end, and with no fifth season in sight just yet, fans are already looking to Blue Lock as the next big sports anime favorite following its big premiere at Anime Expo this year! Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura’s original Weekly Shonen Magazine series has been steadily picking up the pace among fans as it’s offered a much different kind of take to usual sports series. Focusing on the individual rather than the team as a whole, fans are excited to see Blue Lock making its full anime debut later this Fall.

While it won’t be hitting in full until later this year, a few lucky fans attending a special panel for the series at Anime Expo have revealed that the first episode of Blue Lock‘s anime adaptation has met all of their high standards. Reports from the floor from fans online have shared nothing but praise for the new series, and tease that the animation for its soccer athletes rivals the kind of intense action fans have gotten in previous sports releases such as Haikyuu. Considering the huge response to the series thus far with just its first episode, it’s likely going to jump pretty high up on the most anticipated of Fall 2022 anime lists. 

Blue Lock is currently scheduled for a debut for everyone else this October as part of the Fall 2022 anime schedule, and Crunchyroll will be streaming the series outside of Japan along its launch (as BLUELOCK) in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East and CIS. Crunchyroll teases the upcoming series as such:

“After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan’s team struggles to regroup. But what’s missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match…and to do so, they’ve gathered 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team…and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?”

Tetsuaki Watanabe will be directing the new anime for 8-Bit and the cast so far includes the likes of Tasuku Kaito as Meguru Bachira, Kazuki Ura as Yoichi Isagi, Yuki Ono as Rensuke Kunigami, Soma Saito as Hyoma Chigiri, Masatomo Nakazawa as Wataru Kuon, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Jingo Raichi, Shoya Chiba as Yudai Imamura, Shugo Nakamura as Gin Gagamaru, Daishi Kajita as Asahi Naruhaya, Ryunosuke Watanuki as Okuhito Iemon, Aoi Ichikawa as Gurimu Igarashi, Kenichi Suzumura as Ryosuke Kira, Hiroshi Kamiya as Jinpachi Ego, Eri Yukimura as Anri Teieri, and Junichi Suwabe as Shouei Barou.

How do you feel about Blue Lock getting an anime of its own? Will you be checking it out this Fall? What are you hoping to see in the new soccer anime series?Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!