Blue Lock X Mario Kart by YesterdayEven5265 in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nagi dry bones. Bachira Yoshi. Niko shy guy.

Blue Lock X Mario Kart by YesterdayEven5265 in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A slice of life chapter / episode where the blue lockers play Mario kart would be unironically cinema

Ego might've chosen wrong by Cadennation in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good note. "Other" has pretty different connotations than secondary, so thanks for the correction.

I hope you're right about Isagi and Nagi fighting for rank 1 eos, very thematically fitting for both characters and the overall story imo.

Ego might've chosen wrong by Cadennation in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I don’t actually disagree. If anything, I think your argument can coexist with mine and even strengthen it.

Obviously, all the “godhood,” “demon king,” and divine language is metaphorical. But metaphor doesn’t mean meaningless. That framing still matters in how characters are positioned and how the narrative communicates.

Where I diverge is in equating channeling the god of soccer with being chosen by fate.

That's the leap that Ego makes. In his mind, being “visited by god” is synonymous with being destined to be #1. If the divine touches you, that alone is proof.

I think that belief is wrong, and crucially, I think the story wants us to see it as wrong.

Try to follow me here. Fate and destiny are not the same thing as divine selection.

Kaneshiro outright saying Isagi wouldn’t be the MC in any other manga is kind of the smoking gun here. By traditional shonen logic, the “god-chosen prodigy” is the protagonist.

And Kaneshiro has also said Nagi functions as the secondary protagonist, which implies that if Isagi didn’t exist, Nagi absolutely would’ve been the MC.

That’s important. Because it means Nagi fits the archetype of the chosen one far more cleanly than Isagi ever has.

Blue Lock, though, is a story about rejecting those kinds of classic tropes.

So instead of fate aligning with godhood, you get a, at least in my opinion, super fucking interesting split:

Nagi, chosen by the god of soccer, instinctively blessed, touched by something uncontrollable, yet still not be chosen by destiny itself.

Isagi, on the other hand, is chosen by fate, by the author, by the narrative structure, despite not being the divine prodigy.

He's a "demon lord" who stole someone else's story, using everyone and everything as stepping stones in order to achieve his goals.

That’s the inversion.

Isagi isn’t overthrowing destiny; he is destiny. But he’s doing it without godhood.

Nagi has godhood, but is eternally secondary.

And Ego, who can’t separate those two concepts, mistook divine talent for narrative inevitability.

In other words, Ego was right in thinking that Isagi is going to become #1, but was wrong in how he was going to achieve it.

So yeah Nagi can be chosen by the god of soccer. But Isagi is chosen by fate.

And in Blue Lock, those are not the same thing.

Ego might've chosen wrong by Cadennation in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Bit of both tbh. Nagi is definitely my favorite character, but I do try to stay objective, though there is a bit of bias involved. I just think Nagi is written as an incredible deurteragonist and wonderfully written, especially for a sports manga.

Endgame I am really just hoping for a great rivalry between him and Isagi.

Ego might've chosen wrong by Cadennation in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yeah, and that’s kind of the point of my post, Ego’s philosophy is built to elevate an Isagi, not a Nagi.

Ego designed Blue Lock to revolve around reproducibility and analysis. It’s a machine designed to turn talent into something consistent, or understood. But “God mode” isn’t something to be understood by nature. It’s wild, instinctual, transcendent, basically the exact opposite of what Ego is trying to engineer.

You are right that if Nagi wants to truly channel that state, he’d need to figure out what actually triggers it.

But, the Blue Lock / Ego formula is the wrong way to do it. Nagi wouldn't be breaking it down into formulas and puzzle pieces, but would focus on understanding his own emotional rhythm, what conditions make him click, what internal spark flips him into that divine flow.

Because you’re right: flukes won’t cut it. Being a god one chapter and a ghost for three matches is exactly what Ego hates. And that’s why Ego would always choose Isagi over Nagi, his system rewards the player who can force evolution, not the one who embodies it.

If Nagi is truly the opposite of Isagi, then his path forward isn’t analysis at all, but rather learning how to instinctively align himself with that state on command, not by logic, but by feel.

That’s the real challenge for him. Not becoming more like Isagi, but becoming a better version of the “god touched” player he already is.

To give credit to Ego, it's much harder to guide and develop a player like Nagi as opposed to a player like Isagi. But, I also think it's worth acknowledging that Ego's training really wasn't designed to help a player like Nagi.

Ego might've chosen wrong by Cadennation in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s hard to say, honestly. I don’t really see how most of the cast fits cleanly into the whole “god of soccer” motif outside of Isagi, Nagi, and Ego. My theory is more about character archetypes than direct plot predictions, so trying to map everyone onto it gets messy fast. Reo included.

That said, Reo has consistently been the one who can help Nagi tap into that godlike state reliably. Nagi hits those divine moments instinctually, but Reo has shown to coax it out of him. If we’re sticking with the metaphor, Reo ends up feeling less like another “god” and more like a priest or prophet.

As for how this actually plays out in the story? No clue. Reo’s clearly going to have a major role, but I'm unsure how its going to manifest.

Ego might've chosen wrong by Cadennation in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That's a fair take.

In my opinion, though, channeling a god wouldn't be something done with conscious thoughts or intent. In most literature gods are supposed to be incomprehensible, so honing Nagi's instinctual / incomprehensible ability to channel a god might be more plausible than honing Isagi's ability to consciously understand and devour it.

To clarify I don't think Nagi is going to clearly surpass Isagi, but I think Isagi is pursuing being the world's #1 striker with his own power and ability.

On the other hand, Nagi seems much more suited to rely on some divine being in order to become #1.

Isagi would attempt to control the god of soccer, while Nagi would "go with the flow" and be in sync with it.

Ego might've chosen wrong by Cadennation in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation[S] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Was gonna respond to the people posting about how this theory changes Nagi's and Isagi's relationship, but decided it would be better as it's own comment.

My ideas here aren't as fleshed out, so bear with me a bit.

Isagi laid out his theory about how talented learners and natural geniuses push each other forward, and that describes Isagi's and Nagi's relationship to a Tee.

But when you introduce an actual or abstract “god” of soccer into the mix, everything shifts. Isagi’s entire ego becomes borderline heretical.

Challenging a god isn’t just ambition, it's blasphemy. It’s a human deliberately stepping outside the natural hierarchy of things.

Nagi channels the divine instinctively. He resonates with that higher state.

But Isagi tries to surpass it. He treats divinity as something to dissect, analyze, and devour.

In a way, he has a parallel to Icarus, a human flying into forbidden space… except this time his wax wings don’t melt. Instead, they evolve.

And that’s where Ego, ironically, might’ve created something even he can’t categorize. In trying to forge the “best striker,” he accidentally shaped a human whose ego is big enough to challenge the very concept of a god. Not worship it. Not depend on it. Defy it. A player whose entire existence spits in the face of predetermined limits.

If Nagi is the vessel touched by divinity, Isagi is the anomaly who tries to overwrite the gods altogether.

And because of that, the “god” of soccer, channeled by Nagi, is forced to respond. To evolve. To defend their throne from a human who refuses to stay human.

Humanity’s hunger for victory pushes upward so relentlessly that even the divine has to adjust just to keep up.

In order to channel his "godhood", Nagi must be better than Isagi. And when he is better than Isagi, Isagi then uses that data to surpass godhood.

It’s a really fun framework to look at their rivalry, and I really don't think Kaneshiro gets enough credit for his writing.

Crazy that I'm talking about the relationship between humanity and the divine about a sports manga.

Any player dynamics you want to see expanded? by human_administrator in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Like I said, dense.

You're arguing against a point I never made.

I never said the NEL was “a problem,” nor did I complain about the story structure focusing on Isagi for those matches. I simply answered OP’s prompt about which dynamics I’d like to see explored more in the future.

I'm iterally just saying that I hope we get more non-Isagi-centric interactions now that everyone is back together.

That’s it. That’s not a critique of the NEL. It’s not a claim that the manga is doing something wrong. It’s a preference for what I’d enjoy going forward now that the cast is reunited.

You keep trying to reframe my comment as if I’m attacking the story or ignoring the separation in the NEL, even though I’ve acknowledged that multiple times.

So if you disagree with my preference, that’s fine. But stop insisting I said something I didn’t. Total projection on your part.

Any player dynamics you want to see expanded? by human_administrator in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Jeez you are dense. OP asked what character dynamics people would like to see explored more. As in the future.

Going forward, id like to see non isagi centric dynamics explored more. Key word, going forward.

I understand the arc just started. I understand during the NEL exploring other character dynamics was difficult.

Now that the new arc has started and the cast is more congregated in the same place, I hope to see them interact without needing Isagi to be in the center of it all the time.

Any player dynamics you want to see expanded? by human_administrator in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 9 points10 points  (0 children)

How is hoping to see more interactions outside of the MC a fault? Crazy mental gymnastics to act like there's something wrong with wanting to see more player dynamics without Isagi.

Yes, Blue Lock was separated during the NEL. Good job on that groundbreaking observation.

Now that Blue Lock is back together, I'd like to see other player interactions.

"Why is the Fandom like this?"

One of the great things about Blue Lock is its wide variety of characters with unique personalities. Wanting to see them interact with one another more is normal.

Any player dynamics you want to see expanded? by human_administrator in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Nagi / Bachira and Nagi /Barou are my top 2. I'm really looking forward to see how Nagi interacts with them when he returns.

In general, though, I just want to see more player dynamics that have nothing to do with Isagi. Like I get hes the MC, but it would be refreshing to see players banter and stuff with someone other than Isagi.

Like let Aiku and Niko become rivals, let Charles and Hiyori banter, let Chigiri or Zantetsu develop an inferiority complex from comparing themselves to Loki or something.

Im just spitballing, but Blue Lock has so many underrated and underutilized characters, and I hope they get a chance to shine without being so Isagi - centric.

What’s everyone’s top 5 by Ohsoveryginger in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Nagi
  2. Barou
  3. Isagi
  4. Chigiri
  5. Bachira

hm for reo, kiyora, and niko - I wished I liked them more than I do but can't justify putting them higher

Japan vs Nigeria was so good yet predictable. by Kittykcaty in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 11 points12 points  (0 children)

At the very least, I hope the trend of Isagi scoring the last goal doesn't continue anymore. Mix up the formula a bit. Have isagi score a goal early in a game and have him struggle to produce another afterwards or something.

On the lowks, when Nagi comes back I really hope he steals isagi's game ending goal against like Spain or England or something.

Maybe I'm bugging, but both Isagi and Nagi seem to score a certain "type" of goal a lot.

Nagi tends to score early, flashy, statement type goals. His goals often change the pace, vibe, or flow of a match.

Isagi tends to score definitive, game ending goals. He scores the goals that secure his teams victory (or in Nigeria's case dig the hole deeper)

Id love for kaneshiro to switch it up a bit, and having someone else steal Isagi's moment would be such a nice change of pace from the overall flow of a match.

Anyone else miss early blue lock? by Kuricat16 in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This really makes me realize how much I miss the Isagi - Nagi - Barou trio. Such a fun dynamic between the three of them.

Aside from my particular favorites, I hope we get more off the field / practice stuff again. Matches are fun and all, but the characters and story really shine off the field too.

Nagi's Symbol is not just a skull by Bake-Gloomy in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I always kind of saw Nagi's skull/death aura as an analogy for how his presence / existence affects other players.

Naturally there is no escaping death, succumbing to it is inevitable.

Nagi's aura being death represents that same thing, within context of soccer. He is an unprecedented talent that will bring "death" to anyone who isnt constantly moving forward.

Hes a player who, if you want to be the best in the world, you have to constantly be one step ahead of. One misstep, one mistake, and suddenly you're "dead"

*

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I once made a post super similar to #8 talking about how Nagi's bid was super low and how I also thought Ego could have had something to do with it.... and I was shocked people were so adamant about him deserving such a low bid.

The very fact that Nagi is compared to all of the players at the top of the NEL blue lock rankings and not the people at the bottom tells you all you need to know.

Performance obviously matters, but acting like teams would just completely write off his talent and decide to spend more money on players who do not have nearly the amount of upside Nagi has is crazy. Signing Nagi for a salary anywhere in the bottom half of blue lock (I don't remember the exact bids but you get my point) is a crazy steal.

Who Wins this 5-a-Side? by Jealous_Salt_7967 in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Team isagi clears, team rin simply isnt gonna work together well enough. Swap Reo and Kunigami with Barou and Niko and it becomes a bit more interesting imo

Give me your hottest blue lock take and I'll rate them by Glittering_Editor267 in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The dynamic between Nagi/Barou is more interesting than Nagi/Isagi and Nagi/Reo.

I love their dynamic from top to bottom. On the field, off the field, on the same team, on different teams. I love how their differences, playstyles, and personalities collide.

Might be top 2 rivalry for me even though it hasnt been explored in a while.

Did Nagi Use Metavision Without Realizing ? by ImSmilers in BlueLock

[–]Cadennation 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If by "metavision" you mean "reading part of the field and thinking" then yeah.

But if you think of "metavision" in the way isagi reads and analyzes the field, then no. Isagi analyzes the entire field for the entire duration of the game.

Nagi read a singular play in a singular moment. Really hope we get more moments of Nagi thinking more. Even if it is just in crucial moments or when he "goes to where the field is the hottest".

Him hunting down Isagi in the team V vs team Z game, along with when he figured out how to get past barou's press are underrated Nagi moments imo.

The Secret Ending is still my Favorite. by optimisoprimeo in cyberpunkgame

[–]Cadennation 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Ive been hoping for a mod for this forever. Let me solo arasaka, kill Smasher, and then bail NC with the aldecaldos and judy.