26-29

In this week's 'Top Ten Betrayals in Anime', Blue Lock shows that everybody is a potential enemy, and alliances are only formed for in-the-moment benefit. Shidou has some serious bi-polar issues, though. One moment he's recalibrating cells in his body to score goals (I love anime) and complimenting his teammates for good passes, then the next he's kick fighting Itoshi Rin and head slamming dudes for speaking to presumably assert his dominance. Suit shock devices, Hannibal Lecter straight jacket/muzzle comboes; dunking on mere national players who settle for supermodel wives... It's so dumb, so forced, and so.... committed that I gotta slow clap the sheer hubris of this writing.

In that way, the self-importance really reminds me of Kokuro's basketball; another series who gladly butchered the supposed sport it was about to squeeze out some cheap thrills and hype at every opportunity. Whereas Kokoro leaned into interpersonal melodrama, Blue Lock continues to ape the death game vibe of 'all tension, all the time' with constantly raised stakes and no room to maneuver. I am certainly impressed how long this typically goes without letting up.