If you’re a big fan of sports anime, here’s some news that’ll feel like winning the World Cup—award-winning soccer manga Blue Lock is getting a TV anime adaptation!
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A teaser trailer was released as part of the announcement, giving us an exciting first preview of the intense animation and voices of the main characters:
A new visual was also released, depicting just some of the 300 candidates vying for a spot on Japan’s national soccer team:
From the additional character visual below: Yoichi Isagi will be voiced by Kazuki Ura, Meguru Bachira by Tasuku Kaito (Ensemble Stars!), Rensuke Kunigami by Yuuki Ono (Kuroko’s Basketball) and Hyoma Chigiri by Soma Saito (Haikyu!!).
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Tetsuaki Watanabe (Haikyu!! episode director) is directing and Shunsuke Ishikawa (Sword Art Online Alicization episode director) is assistant-directing the anime adaptation at studio 8bit (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime).
Joining them is Taku Kishimoto (Haikyu!!) on series composition, Masaharu Shindo (Fruits Basket) as chief character designer and animation director, Hisashi Tojima as chief action director (Fire Force animation director), and Jun Murayama (Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina ED arrangement) on music.
The anime is currently scheduled to release in 2022, the same year as the next World Cup in Qatar.
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The series follows Japan’s national soccer team as they reckon with their defeat at the 2018 World Cup. In their search for an “Ace Striker” who can lead them to victory, the Japan Football Union gathers 300 of Japan’s best and brightest players to see who can out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way.
Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura’s Blue Lock manga was first serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine in August 2018. It won in the shounen category at the 45th Kodansha Manga Awards earlier this year.
Are you hyped for more animated soccer in Blue Lock? Share this post and let us know! And stay tuned to Funimation for the latest news on all things anime, this season and beyond.
Source: Comic Natalie
