At Anime Expo 2026, Blue Lock writer Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrator Yūsuke Nomura sat on a panel and admitted the biggest rivalry in the series isn't Isagi versus 300 other strikers — it's the two of them. "We're always trying to top each other," Kaneshiro said, describing a workflow where he drafts rough storyboards built to blindside Nomura before the art team finishes the pages. Nomura chalked it up to "ego as an artist." It's the cleanest explanation yet for why this soccer manga hits like a shonen battle series.
Quick answer
Blue Lock is a sports anime from studio 8bit, adapting Kaneshiro and Nomura's manga about a ruthless program that locks 300 high-school strikers in a facility to forge Japan's next great egoist. According to SenpaiRanks, Blue Lock streams on Crunchyroll in most regions, and the site tracks it across both the Consensus (broadly liked) and Quality (holds up) axes of its sports-anime ranking, where it sits in the upper tier. The first season ran 24 episodes in 2022; the story continues through the Vs. U-20 Japan arc and the Episode Nagi film.
The read on the creators
Kaneshiro reframed the whole thing bluntly: it's "a battle manga, not so much about soccer." That's why Blue Lock reads differently from a classic sports underdog story — there's no team to root for so much as a survival bracket where cooperation is a trap. Nomura's art leans into that, turning a one-on-one duel into something closer to a fighting-game special move. If you bounced off soccer anime before, this is the one built for people who don't care about soccer.
Where to watch it
Blue Lock streams on Crunchyroll with subtitles and an English dub in most regions. Unlike a platform-locked recommendation, we'll say it plainly: check Crunchyroll first, and the Episode Nagi spinoff film is the natural next stop once you finish the U-20 arc. New to the franchise? Start with season one before the movies.
Is it good, and where does it rank?
Here's the honest split SenpaiRanks is built for: Blue Lock is broadly liked — its Consensus signal is strong because the hooks are addictive — but opinions on whether it holds up over long arcs are more divided, which is exactly what the Quality axis captures. One number can't tell you that; two can. See the full breakdown on the ranking board, then rate it yourself to see where your take lands against the crowd — that's how the ranking actually gets sharper.
Want more of the 2026 slate? Check our best summer 2026 anime hub and what to watch this summer, or the wider best anime to watch in 2026 board.
Here's the season one trailer if you need a refresher:
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where can I watch Blue Lock?
A: Blue Lock streams on Crunchyroll (sub and dub) in most regions. Check Crunchyroll first for both the TV seasons and the Episode Nagi film.
Q: Is Blue Lock worth watching if I don't like soccer?
A: Yes — co-creator Muneyuki Kaneshiro calls it "a battle manga, not so much about soccer." It plays like a shonen survival tournament that happens to use a soccer pitch.
Q: How many episodes does Blue Lock have?
A: The first season is 24 episodes (2022), followed by the Vs. U-20 Japan continuation and the Episode Nagi spinoff film.
Q: Where does Blue Lock rank on SenpaiRanks?
A: SenpaiRanks tracks Blue Lock in the upper tier of its sports-anime ranking on both the Consensus and Quality axes. It scores strongly on Consensus; opinions on long-arc consistency are more split on Quality.
Q: Who makes Blue Lock?
A: The manga is written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yūsuke Nomura; the anime is produced by studio 8bit.