Blue Lock producer explains why he is “far from satisfied” with Season 2 adaptation

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As a die-hard Blue Lock fan who has been following this series since its inception, I must say I was initially thrilled about the second season. However, like many others, I was left disappointed by the significant drop in animation quality that seemed to overshadow the captivating storyline and character development.

Fans of the Blue Lock series have expressed their dissatisfaction over the perceived drop in animation quality between season one and two. The show’s producer has provided some insights into the alterations made in the design process.

2023 saw Blue Lock emerge as Japan’s top-selling manga, moving over 10 million units alone, a feat that propelled it into the ranks of all-time bestsellers, with global sales exceeding an impressive 40 million copies.

As a devoted fan, I’d like to share my perspective on how the phenomenal success and exponential growth in popularity of this series can largely be traced back to its captivating 2023 anime adaptation. The first season served as an engaging introduction to the Blue Lock program, where Ego Jinpachi embarked on a mission to mold the world’s ultimate striker.

Following a cliffhanger that left viewers eager for more, the second season was among the most eagerly awaited TV series during the autumn of 2024 – however, a sudden drop in visual quality, particularly in the animation department, caused some audience members to lose interest.

The majority of criticisms point towards a significant shift in the dynamic action sequences from the initial season, which have been swapped for static images and awkward transitions, reminiscent of a PowerPoint slide show to some viewers.

Ryoya Arisawa, the producer behind Blue Lock, responded to fan inquiries about discrepancies in the animation that were posted on the show’s official Instagram page. He addressed these questions regarding changes made to the series.

Why did the animation change in Blue Lock season 2?

When queried about his contentment with the anime version of “BLUE LOCK,” Arisawa expressed, “I’m not at all pleased… Characters such as Isagi and the rest are consistently striving for more power with an unquenchable resolve, be it victory or defeat. This is a trait that I share and extends to everyone working on the ‘BLUE LOCK’ anime.

Arisawa explains that the variations in animation are due to the characters transitioning from a confined production studio to an expansive stage, where they perform before a vast crowd, including Japan’s U-20 soccer team.

Arisawa stated, “In order to truly convey this change, we’ve added more scenes showing the external world and the audience, elements that were scarcely present previously. Moreover, taking into account the insights and suggestions from the first season, we’ve improved aspects like visual sequences, monitor work, and aura effects.

Instead of creating a thrilling finale, as the producer claimed, the changes made didn’t tackle the concerns about animation inconsistencies that both fans and studio personnel had brought up.

On October 21st, animator Reyes from the series shared insights on the perceived injustices he experienced while working at Studio 8bit during Season 2, Episode 2.

Even though the compensation was minimal and the time involved was insignificant, we gave it our all… in essence, they either removed certain movements, altered some scenes or changed their presentation altogether,” Reyes explained.

I’ve been pondering over this, and it seems reasonable to suggest that Reyes argued their original work didn’t make it into the final publication as we saw in the early episodes, which could be why some scenes appeared frozen or motionless.

While Arisawa suggests this change was deliberate, it’s evident that both fans and animators seem to have a divergent view on the causes behind the issues encountered during season two.

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2024-12-04 18:21