It is not every anime season that we see good sports anime, and Blue Lock looks quite promising. But is Blue Lock a BL or romance anime? In this article, we detail what we know so far.
When done professionally, team sports often require team members to spend a lot of time together and often develop very close relationships, so fans are bound to ship them.
But first, here's a breakdown of Blue Lock's genre.
What Is Blue Lock About?
Jinpachi Ego, an eccentric coach, is hired to help Japan win the World Cup.
To achieve this goal, Jinpachi initiates the Blue Lock program—a prison-like facility where 300 talented footballers from high schools all over Japan are isolated and called to compete against each other.
The one to survive Blue Lock will get to become the striker of the National Japanese team.
Meanwhile, those who get eliminated will be banned from joining the team forever.
Among those who join the Blue Lock program is Yoichi Isagi, a striker who failed to bring his high school soccer team to the national tournament.
Yoichi is now determined to become the best possible striker and join the national team.
What Is BL Anime?
BL or Boys' Love anime, also known as yaoi, are anime series that feature romantic relationships between male characters.
While the term "yaoi" tends to be used for more explicit shows, it is sometimes used interchangeably with BL.
Is Blue Lock a BL Anime?
Despite its suggestive initials, Blue Lock isn't an official BL anime (so far).
Sports anime are often queer-coded as they often involve a number of characters (typically of the same gender) working, and in some cases, even living together.
Moreover, some sports anime focus on athletes' bodies and feature occasionally awkward situations with characters finding themselves in close physical proximity.
With that being said, queer-coded doesn't necessarily equal queer representation, especially in anime, which is sometimes known for queerbaiting.
Despite the frequent fanservice, anime remains, in many ways, a conservative medium, and anime that involve canonical, well-written LGBTQ+ romances are not very many.
In comparison, many anime feature scenes that can be interpreted as sexual or romantic but don't end up going anywhere.
This doesn't mean that such scenes are without value entirely.
Many queer fans feel that subtext is still important, especially in cases where censorship or conservative attitudes might have prevented more explicit representation.
In any case, Ao Ashi might be an anime that some yaoi fans will enjoy, but it is not itself classified as BL or yaoi.
Reading the synopsis of Blue Lock is enough to understand that the sports anime is more competitive than most, and fans confirm that the show is quite violent with a heavy focus on rivalry.
Does this mean that the subtext isn't there? It probably is, as is the case with many sports anime, so BL fans might still find it enjoyable.
Related: Ao Ashi’s Success Draws Blue Lock Comparisons
Is Blue Lock a Romance Anime?
Blue Lock is officially classified as a shonen and sports anime, but it doesn't have romance.
While Blue Lock isn't a romance anime as such, some scenes can still be interpreted as romantic, as is the case with many similar works.
The heated rivalries and a considerable number of good-looking characters are bound to create more than a few ships either way.