Today, all eyes are on Japan, and we have the FIFA World Cup to thank for the sudden shift in attention. Earlier today, the world watched as Germany took on Japan in an opening match that left the former favorites at a loss. A comeback in the second half helped Japan secure an upset win, and now, the creator of Blue Lock is celebrating the victory as the manga is now trending globally over the win.
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As you can see below, artist Yusuke Nomura did a quick sketch to celebrate Japan’s win against Germany at the World Cup. The simple piece congratulates Japan’s national team for securing a win against the odds. And of course, anyone who watched the match live will know Japan really rallied after halftime was called.
The Game Begins
The game began with Germany in the lead, but Japan ended the game at 2-1. The Internet couldn’t help but root for the underdog as Japan’s men’s team pushed against the odds for a win. The strikers were on point during the game’s latter half, and of course, that drew major comparisons to Blue Lock.
After all, Nomura and Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s series mirrors this surprising win rather well. The story of Blue Lock begins as Japan’s soccer officials look to bolster its talent. Their search sparks the Blue Lock Project, a wild tournament-style event dedicated to creating the best egoist striker in soccer. The parallels between this match and Blue Lock are clear… and that doesn’t even mention the fact Nomura actually worked on the World Cup this year.
READ MORE: Japan’s World Cup Win Over Germany Has Put Blue Lock on the Map
If you didn’t know, the artist was asked to help design the uniforms for Japan’s team ahead of the FIFA championships. The team took home their win against Germany while repping Blue Lock in the most literal way. So unsurprisingly, the anime is trending big time as soccer fans are learning about Blue Lock for the first time. You can read up on the sports series below thanks to its official synopsis:
“Japan’s desire for World Cup glory leads the Japanese Football Association to launch a new rigorous training program to find the national team’s next striker. Three hundred high school players are pitted against each other for the position, but only one will come out on top. Who among them will be the striker to usher in a new era of Japanese soccer?”
What do you think of Nomura’s tribute piece? Did you tune into Japan vs Germany live? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
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