BLUELOCK - Episode 8

I'm very impressed with how much ground this episode covered. Not only do we have the established backstory for the main players on the opposing team, but we also got more insight into how Isagi will develop his skills moving forward. That this development is motivated by facing a stronger former rival is a great trope that I always appreciate in these types of sports series. The thing that Ego brings up regarding how a good striker needs to be able to recreate the conditions where they were guaranteed to get a shot at all times makes sense in a heightened reality kind of way. It actually reminded me of Baby Steps, another sports anime I liked, where the main character mapped out specific areas on a tennis court and would calculate the angle at which he was hitting the ball in order to hit those specific markers. Here it's the reverse: instead of using his skill offensively to re-create ideal parameters, Isagi is instead analyzing another player's ideal parameters so that he can strategize a way to stop them. It's a surprisingly defensive tactic for a striker, and I'm curious how it's going to be applied in the upcoming match.

Next week's match definitely feels like it's going to be the type where strategy is pitted against raw talent. In fact, the episode basically ends with that display where Team Z narrowly missed their goal after a bunch of strategizing and analysis of the opposing team, only for that opposing team to recreate a better shot after just watching it once. I'm not sure how I feel about Nagi, the white-haired slacker genius boy, because I never know what to think about those types of characters that are presented as a paradox. I'm glad that we got the backstory about his friend who pulled him into the world of soccer but I'm curious as to what his thoughts are regarding the sport and the effort everyone is putting into it. I'm also curious to see what he'll look like when pushed. This is shaping up to be one of the more defining matches of the season, so let's hope it lives up to that expectation.

BY MrAJCosplay,