Michelle Topham 
One of the things I loved about the first season of the football-themed anime series Blue Lock was its beautifully vibrant and quite stylized art.
An art style that carried over into the key visuals and character art that was released for the anime series.
That same gorgeously vibrant art style is evident this week in the new Blue Lock 2 key visual that has just been released (via X), and in the character designs of the two new characters that have been announced.
The new Blue Lock 2 key visual (see below) features protagonist Yoichi Isagi looking like he is bursting out of the visual as he kicks a football, while Meguru Bachira and all the other main and supporting characters can be seen around him.
Now do you remember how wild and high-energy the first season of this superb anime turned out to be?
The two new Blue Lock 2 characters who were announced along with their cool character designs are You Hiori (played by Eiji Mikami) and Nanase Nijiro (voiced by Kakeru Hatano).
You Hiori is a highly-skilled player who excels in keeping the ball due to being able to read his opponents’ movements in advance, while Nanase Nijiro doesn’t have any outstanding physical skills but is a superb striker.
Blue Lock 2 premieres in October, 2024.
What is the Blue Lock anime series about?
The first season of the sports anime premiered on October 9th, 2022 and ran through March 26th, 2023, so it has been over a year since we got a new episode.
The anime is based on the manga series of the same name Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura, and is directed by Tetsuaki Watanabe.
Studio Eightbit was in charge of that gorgeous art style and well-done animation.
Kodansha is publishing the manga in English, with 25 volumes now out, and they describe its plot like this (although that description does not do the intense anime series justice at all):
After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan’s team struggles to regroup. But what’s missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win.
The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match…and to do so, they’ve gathered 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth players.
Who will emerge to lead the team…and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?
Mark your calendars for October for the release of Blue Lock 2, and enjoy that gorgeous new Blue Lock 2 key visual.
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