Obsessed with Blue Lock: The Most Egoistic Soccer Manga Ever
May 22, 2026
UT
View items
Original Creator: Muneyuki Kaneshiro
Q. Where did the inspiration for Blue Lock come from?
I started out wanting to make something as many people as possible could enjoy, so I went with soccer — it's a sport you can play anywhere in the world with just a ball, and I love it myself. On top of that, I built the story around that catharsis you get from breaking out of a closed-off world — the same kind of feeling as Kaiji. I also pulled in the stylish sports sequences of Eyeshield 21, along with the dynamic, larger-than-life energy of ability-battle manga like NARUTO and HUNTER×HUNTER. These are all works that shaped me growing up, and ones I respect from the bottom of my heart.
Q. How did the idea of fusing soccer with egoism come about?
A striker — the player who scores and becomes the hero of the match — felt like the perfect fit for a manga protagonist, so the first idea that came to me was a story about the rise of the world's greatest striker. From there, I started thinking about what it would actually take to get there, and that's how I landed on the idea of egoism — the drive to score the goal yourself.
Volume 1, Chapter 1 — Jinpachi Ego's iconic line to the players gathered inside "Blue Lock."
Q. Why did you choose ego as the theme? And what does an egoist mean to you?
I'm the kind of person who tends to read the room and live by other people's reactions, so I end up holding myself back a lot. But I always felt like that alone wasn't quite enough — like something was missing if you wanted to really live. That's the reason ego became the theme of this work. To me, an egoist is "someone who carves out their own life through their own will and actions." The word "egoist" often gets a bad rap — selfish, a pain to be around — but through this manga, I'd love for that idea to take on a new meaning. I want to keep drawing it that way until the very end.
Q. Why did you bring death-game elements into a sports manga?
One of my earlier works is a manga called As the Gods Will, and I think a lot of what I learned from it carried over. I had this sense that mixing the thrill of a death game — where someone might not survive — with soccer could become something truly new. That's the direction I ended up going in.
Q. When telling the story, what do you keep in mind for soccer fans, and what do you do to make it work for people who aren't really into soccer or sports?
I get genuinely hyped watching soccer myself, so capturing the energy of a goal —that rush of excitement and pure adrenaline — is something I really care about. And on top of that, I pay close attention to layering in each character's drama and ego with the same intensity. For soccer fans, I want to deliver the thrill of egoistic goals and bold plays. For readers who don't usually watch sports, I want the egoistic drama between the characters to pull them in. Either way, I want everyone to have fun reading it.
Comic Volume 19 (Chapter 161) Neo Egoist League — Germany vs. Spain. Meguru Bachira reveals his evolved form.
Q. What do you value most when naming and shaping the colorful cast of Blue Lock?
I decide character names by whether they spark something in the kid inside me. There are a lot of weird guys in this manga, and they're all completely over-the-top egoists, but I want them to feel human and lovable in their own way. And honestly, Blue Lock only works because Nomura-sensei draws the manga with so much heart and so much joy. Without him, these characters wouldn't exist. So honestly, the most important part of creating characters is taking good care of Nomura-sensei…(laughs)! Thank you, Nomura-sensei, always.
Q. Do you ever base characters on real people?
Yoichi Isagi is modeled on Filippo Inzaghi. Hyoma Chigiri on Ryo Miyaichi. Shoei Baro on Mario Balotelli. There are plenty of others I've drawn from for playing styles or looks too, but there are way too many to list — so go ahead and see if you can spot them!
Q.The dialogue and turns of phrase in Blue Lock leave a real impression. What do you keep in mind when crafting them?
Lines you can't help but say out loud. Words you want to use yourself. A philosophy you want to believe in. A way of thinking that lifts you up or fires you up. I write hoping that what I create can be that kind of thing for someone, somewhere.
Left: Comic Volume 10 (Chapter 80) — Rin Itoshi design, featuring the English version of the line: "'MY GOAL' THERE WAS ONLY ONE."
Right: Comic Volume 6 (Chapter 47) — Seishiro Nagi design, featuring the English version of his iconic line: "LOSING IS FRUSTRATING, SO I HATE IT. IF I DON'T WIN, IT'S NOT INTERESTING."
Q. Are there any tricks or things you focus on to pull readers into the story?
Since I'm the storyboard writer, I treat that moment when readers turn the page as something really important. Excitement, surprise, a great goal scene on the next page — above all, I want the act of turning the page to be fun. That's what I build everything around.
Q. What does "challenging focus" or "peak expression" mean to you?
I love making manga, so for me, the challenge starts the moment I come up with something interesting and start turning it into a manga. As for peak expression — I think it's all around us. Theater, music, sports, business, even everyday interactions between people. In any form, the moments where you feel someone hitting their absolute peak — those are what I love.
Q. The World Cup kicks off in June. How would you cheer on the Japan team, Blue Lock-style?
With new regulations in place, a brand-new World Cup is finally about to begin. Get through the group stage! Make the quarterfinals! …And take the whole thing! I'll be cheering all the way to the end — pumped up, shouting at the screen, eyes wide with excitement! You got this!! Go Japan!!!
Q. A live-action film is also coming out in August. What are your thoughts on the live-action adaptation?
I really feel the boldness and passion behind the decision to take Blue Lock into live-action! Blue Lock itself was created with the goal of pushing sports manga into new territory, so I'm genuinely excited to see live-action Blue Lock break new ground in film as well!!
Comic Volume 14 (Chapter 117) — Match against the U-20 Japan team. Seishiro Nagi scores Blue Lock Eleven's first goal.
Q. What are your thoughts on this collaboration? And how does it feel to see the world of Blue Lock spreading even wider through the UT Collection?
Nomura-sensei and I had often said how wonderful it would be to collaborate with UT someday, so making this happen is such a joyful milestone for Blue Lock! The only thing we can do is create through manga, so it makes us really happy to think that, through the global fashion UT shares with the world, we might become a little part of people's lives — part of someone's everyday.
Q. Why do you think Blue Lock resonates with fans all over the world?
I think the theme of the egoist spoke to something in people living in today's world. But more than anything, I think it's the combination of two things: soccer, a sport loved everywhere, and manga and anime, forms of entertainment the whole world is paying attention to. Blue Lock keeps growing into something I never could have created on my own as the original writer.
Muneyuki Kaneshiro
Won the Special Encouragement Award at the 80th Weekly Shōnen Magazine New Manga Artist Awards for Dokuchi Elementary School Story. Made his debut as a manga writer with As the Gods Will in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. Since then, he has written the original stories for numerous hit series, including As the Gods Will 2 (Weekly Shōnen Magazine), We Did It and Glashurós (Weekly Young Magazine). Blue Lock has been running in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since 2018.
Won the Special Encouragement Award at the 80th Weekly Shōnen Magazine New Manga Artist Awards for Dokuchi Elementary School Story. Made his debut as a manga writer with As the Gods Will in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. Since then, he has written the original stories for numerous hit series, including As the Gods Will 2 (Weekly Shōnen Magazine), We Did It and Glashurós (Weekly Young Magazine). Blue Lock has been running in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since 2018.
Manga Artist: Yusuke Nomura
Comic Volume 25 (Chapter 220) — Neo Egoist League, Germany vs. Italy. Michael Kaiser wrests the ball away and goes for the goal.
Q. What do you value most when drawing manga? What do you keep in mind?
I always try to come up with character designs and expressions that click perfectly with the heat of Kaneshiro-sensei's stories and the edge of his lines. Whether I can capture that fierce, living look in the eyes of these egoists, that's what I care about most.
Q. What do you focus on visually to capture the unique appeal of Blue Lock?
Depending on what's happening in the story, I tighten or loosen the spacing between panels to express the varying tempo of soccer's sense of speed. I also deliberately impose certain constraints—like using diluted sumi ink for characters' auras, or unifying all sound effect lettering with brush calligraphy—to consciously create a visual style that feels distinctly Blue Lock.
Q. What's been especially tough about the artwork?
Every week is tough, honestly — but especially the late stages of a match. The closer we get to the climax, the more characters get involved in a single play, and the artwork just keeps getting harder (laughs).
Q. What do you do to pull readers into the story?
I try to draw from perspectives and compositions that make it feel like you're right there on the field. Above all, I'm conscious of visual techniques and gaze guidance that keep readers from stopping as they turn pages—so that before they know it, they've already finished reading.
Comic Volume 16 (Chapter 139) — U-20 Japan match. Isagi and Rin sync up, each one trying to claim the spotlight by treating the other as the centerpiece of the game.
Comic Volume 28 (Chapter 243) — On Michael Kaiser's neck: a blue rose tattoo, a symbol of "making the impossible possible."
Q. What do you focus on most when illustrating the vibrant cast of Blue Lock?
When I'm first designing a character, I always settle on their character color before anything else. It's the same with sentai heroes or magical girls — readers recognize and remember characters by color way more than you might think. So I make sure no two characters share the same one. I also do my best to keep their silhouettes distinct, and even when they're just standing around doing nothing, I try to give each character their own way of standing, their own little gestures and poses that feel right for them.
Q. The same character's expressions can shift dramatically depending on the scene. How do you draw the changes in their feelings and state of mind?
For characters whose emotions swing a lot in a given chapter, I focus on just that one character at a time. Instead of finishing every character panel by panel, I follow one person all the way through — picking up on what they're feeling and where their head is at each moment. That's how I get inside them.
Comic Volume 17 (Chapter 147) U-20 Japan match — an awakened Rin Itoshi steals the ball from his brother Sae.
Q. What do you keep in mind when expressing dynamic plays, that sense of "being there," and speed? And how do you bring realism to the match scenes?
I basically approach it like I'm making an animated sequence in my head, while really paying attention to the temperature and speed of each individual panel. To get more specific — I adjust the amount of speed lines panel by panel, tighten the spacing between panels, and lower the camera angle to make readers feel like they're right there on the field. I do watch real soccer for reference, but I try not to get too caught up in being "correct."
Q. Is there anything you do to make sure people who aren't into soccer or sports can enjoy it too?
I started this series knowing almost nothing about soccer myself, so I draw while picturing readers like that — people without any background or interest, and even my younger self, imagining whether kid-me would want to read it. More than anything, I want to keep things from ever getting monotonous. I aim for visuals and pacing that move like a roller coaster — where you suddenly notice the chapter is already over.
Left: Comic Volume 26 (Chapter 228) Right: Comic Volume 26 (Chapter 227) Neo Egoist League — Germany vs. Italy. Shoei Baro goes for the goal.
Q. What do you keep in mind when balancing the dialogue with the artwork?
Kaneshiro-sensei's lines are so intense and so good that I focus on making sure my character work doesn't get drowned out by them. I want readers to look at a character and think, "yeah, this guy would absolutely say that."
Q. What does "challenging focus" or "peak expression" mean to you?
It's about decisively surpassing the image readers are probably picturing in their minds, right at the moments that matter most. Especially when drawing goal scenes or the rush of excitement that follows, I pour in intense energy with the mindset of absolutely flooding readers' systems with adrenaline and dopamine. And then, when I read the reactions to that chapter and see the responses I was hoping for, I get that feeling of 'Yes! Nailed it!!!' (laughs). I think serialization is a constant repetition of that challenge.
Q. We hear you used to work part-time at UNIQLO. How do you feel about this collaboration? And how do you feel about the UT Collection helping the world of Blue Lock reach even further?
I'm just genuinely honored! Back when I was a student working part-time and chasing the dream of becoming a manga artist, a UNIQLO collaboration was one of the big dreams I had even then — so being able to make it real now means so much. I'd love for the store manager and senior coworkers from where I worked to see this. I hope fans pick up the pieces, and for people who don't know the manga yet, I hope this becomes a starting point — something like "this character looks cool" or "the art caught my eye" — for them to discover the series.
Yusuke Nomura
Debuted in 2013 with Sajin no Sumeragi. After serializing Dolly Kill Kill (story by Yukiaki Kurando) in Weekly Shōnen Magazine, he has been drawing Blue Lock (story by Muneyuki Kaneshiro) in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since 2018.
Debuted in 2013 with Sajin no Sumeragi. After serializing Dolly Kill Kill (story by Yukiaki Kurando) in Weekly Shōnen Magazine, he has been drawing Blue Lock (story by Muneyuki Kaneshiro) in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since 2018.
Inside the Artwork with Kaneshiro & Nomura
The highlights of UT's exclusive illustration — and the standout characters behind it.
I love how the composition has this three-dimensional, hero-movie quality to it — the kind of thing that gets the kid in you fired up. And there's that final-boss energy radiating off Kaiser and Ego. On top of that, the black brush-ink circle framing them gives the whole thing a real Japanese feel, which is my personal favorite touch. (Kaneshiro)
For the manga, I'm always thinking about animation, but for a single illustration like this, I had to think more about how to arrange the characters and balance the composition so it all clicks as one image — so I drew it with photo shoots and magazine covers in mind. I think part of what makes Blue Lock what it is, is that death-game atmosphere combined with that sense of motion. So I drew each character as a challenger, in full color and full of energy, with Kaiser standing in their way as the boss figure, and Ego placed in the background like the overseer of the entire "Blue Lock" facility. That's how I pulled it all together into an illustration with that death-game feel. (Nomura)
Yoichi Isagi
He's the protagonist, so I made him the exact opposite of what "egoist" implies. He keeps his ego in check, living by other people's expectations, by social norms, by what the team needs — just an ordinary high schooler you'd find anywhere. But the moment he enters "Blue Lock," he uncovers his own ego, takes hold of his own will, scores goals as a striker, and starts carving out his own life. He's the perfect fit as the protagonist for a manga built around egoism.(Kaneshiro)
Since he's the lead, I keep his design simple and neutral overall. Beyond that, I focus on making him the character with the widest range — the one who best captures that gap between high-school cuteness and raw ego, more than anyone else. Ordinary, but not. Looks average, but isn't. Those two little tufts of hair on his head are the mark of his cute side.(Nomura)
Rin Itoshi
I wanted to create a younger brother who has an incredibly talented older brother but despises him. He's cool, foul-mouthed, and has zero interest in anyone other than his brother (Sae). But after losing to the protagonist for the first time, his heart is moved by someone other than his brother, and he gradually becomes a rival. He's got a pretty dirty mouth and sometimes sticks his tongue out, but he's an honest, endearing guy. (Kaneshiro)
A destroyer who's always radiating some kind of edge. He seems expressionless, but I try to give him an aura like he's pointing invisible blades in every direction. However, since he's younger than Isagi, I deliberately draw moments of vulnerability here and there so you can catch glimpses of a little-brother-like rawness. The younger brother has five lower eyelashes; the older brother has six. (Nomura)
Seishiro Nagi
He's a lazy guy with zero drive — that is, until he steps into "Blue Lock," realizes how fun soccer is, and uncovers his own talent, gradually heating up from there. He's a genius packed with one of my personal ideals — I created him thinking, "I'd love to live that way." Basically, he's a guy with absurd talent who's also a giant pain because nothing ever feels worth the effort. (Kaneshiro)
An innocent genius and a giant baby all in one. He embodies a kind of creativity that nothing can pin down — a zero-gravity playing style — and even with his height, I draw him to feel completely weightless. That sleepy look on his face is, I think, just a reflection of how lazy he is. (Nomura)
Meguru Bachira
He came out of the idea of wanting to create a guy who's just fun to watch. He believes in the protagonist more than anyone, and he's a natural-born soccer kid who lives for fun. To everyone with a "monster" in their heart — please, become his friend. (Kaneshiro)
He's Isagi's partner, the one who really gets him. On the surface, he comes off as a cheerful kid, a trickster — but he's actually the most grown-up of them all. Free-spirited, light on his feet, with expressions and plays that shift on a dime — he looks like so much fun from Isagi's perspective, and I draw him as someone Isagi can really rely on. Whenever the ball comes to him, you get this feeling like he's about to pull something off, so I focus on drawing him in a way that makes that feeling believable. (Nomura)
Hyoma Chigiri
He was born from the idea of wanting to create a guy who's just incredibly fast — and incredibly cool. But he carries a serious leg injury in his past, and he came to "Blue Lock" carrying the fear of running. After meeting the protagonist, finding his own ego, and awakening, he becomes one of the iconic, fired-up guys of Blue Lock. (Kaneshiro)
The fastest of them all — a real Idaten. He almost looks like a girl on first impression, but I draw him very deliberately as a character with real masculine presence. He's competitive and believes purely in merit, so he'll provoke even his seniors — but he cares deeply about his teammates, and he's the kind of classmate who has an incredible sense for the right distance with others.(Nomura)
Michael Kaiser
I created him with the idea of making a super-rival — basically an upgraded version of the protagonist. He sees himself as a piece of trash of a person, so for him, beating someone who's actually a decent human being feels unbearably good. He's a very, very strange guy. Even though he's on the same team as the protagonist, he'll fight him for the ball, talk down to him, lose his temper completely — he's a hilarious guy. (Kaneshiro)
I always keep in mind that he's the formidable wall blocking Isagi's way. Sometimes carrying himself like a stage actor, sometimes like an old rival — I draw him as a character who's visibly one or two steps ahead of Isagi, with the charisma and talent of another protagonist of his own. (Nomura)
Jinpachi Ego
The bowl-cut man with glasses who founded "Blue Lock." A crazed mastermind running soccer experiments on the protagonist and the rest, all to give rise to the world's greatest striker. He was the very first character I came up with alongside the protagonist when I started building the story. He's the most important figure in Blue Lock. We'll be exploring more of who he really is as the story unfolds, so please keep an eye on him. (Kaneshiro)
I picture him as a deranged adult with a completely distinctive aura — once he shows up and says even one word, the air in the room shifts. He delivers the truth without holding back, so there's real menace to him, but I draw him with care to make sure his honesty — the kind that refuses to soften anything — comes through just as clearly. The little wisp of hair sticking up on his head is what gives him his charm.(Nomura)
Bonus Picks: The Creators' Other Favorites
Shido, Baro, Yugo, Loki, Aiku (Bunny), Sae…… honestly, all of them. There's so much more I want to explore around the theme of "the world's greatest striker," so I'm going to make Blue Lock the most exciting place in football. (Kaneshiro)
Baro. He's my favorite. My energy just keeps rising the whole time I'm drawing him. (Nomura)
Unforgettable Blue Lock Scenes, Chosen by the Creators
Comic Volume 3 (Chapter 20) — The scene where Chigiri tears off his chains and starts running.
It's soccer, it's a battle, it's got that bold manga bravado — this scene was where I felt like I'd found one answer to the question of what Blue Lock really is. (Kaneshiro)
Up to that point, Chigiri was one of the most reluctant players inside "Blue Lock," and this is the scene where he finally faces his past and bares his ego on the field for the first time. My assistant kept yelling "my hand is killing me!!" while drawing those incredible chains, and I remember the response from readers being amazing too. At the time, Kaneshiro-sensei, our editor, and I were all talking about how this was the moment to grab readers' hearts in one go — so it's a chapter I have a lot of memories tied to. (Nomura)
Comic Volume 17 (Chapter 147) — Isagi scoring the final goal in the U-20 Japan match
Getting goosebumps from sheer excitement while reading a manga — that's exactly what happened when I received the finished pages from Nomura-sensei. The fact that I was the original writer just slipped my mind.(Kaneshiro)
At the time, Kaneshiro-sensei and I had talked about pouring absolutely everything we had into this — going at it with the mindset that we'd be okay if the manga ended right here. That's the level of intensity we brought to the U-20 match. The U-20 chapters often got extended page counts, but this one came in at a massive 30 pages. It was reckless. But there was no way we could cut this part in half — so we had to commit and just go for it. Aside from one page of flashback, there isn't a single line of dialogue, so the artwork had to carry it. Which also means it only worked because they trusted in the power of the art. I gave it everything I had to live up to Kaneshiro-sensei's vision and expectations…!! I really pushed too hard and ended up wrecking my body afterwards, so I can't recommend doing what I did, but I'm genuinely glad I took on that challenge. (Nomura)
Comic Volume 33 (Chapter 293) — Kaiser's furious screaming face, paired with Ness's "nbah" expression
Yeah, this one was just… unbelievably good. Another scene that could only exist in Blue Lock. (Kaneshiro)
Comic Volume 5 (Chapter 37) —Isagi nailing the direct shot in the Team V match and beating a tough opponent
The moment Isagi reflects on his past plays and grabs the piece that leads to success with his own hands — even as the artist, I was on the edge of my seat drawing it. To let his fierce emotion and ego really explode in this scene, I purposely saved the two-page-spread shot for the actual day of the deadline, cornering myself until the last possible moment. I still remember that vividly. (Nomura)
© Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura/KODANSHA
Lineup
All items
TOP