REVIEW: ‘Blue Lock,’ Episode 4 — “Premonition and Intuition”

Blue Lock Episode 4 starts off with Team Z trying to regroup after their demoralizing loss to Team X. Eight Bit have done a great job bringing a fresh take to the sports anime genre, and Blue Lock is sure to be a staple for sports anime fans for years to come.

After the members of Team Z were challenged by Ego to “take up a weapon”, the members of the team are all trying to find what their weapon on the soccer field is. While the rest of his team is able to discover their weapon pretty quickly, Isagi is really struggling to come up with an answer. Isagi does find what he believes is his weapon, his ability to find “the smell of the goal”. Isagi seems like much more of a team player, so it’s been really neat to see him work on developing himself instead of primarily focusing on his teammates.

While Isagi’s quest to discover his own skills and abilities is genuinely interesting, the best part of Blue Lock Episode 4 is watching the entire team try to do the same thing all while still playing as a team. The delicate balance of individual improvement with the risk of being eliminated as a team is done superbly. It makes it so each character has to limit their own advancement in order to stay in the Blue Lock program, even though the overall goal is to achieve as much personal success as possible. The character dynamics that Blue Lock presents are incredibly interesting as well, with even the minor characters playing an important role.

Where Blue Lock Episode 4 really shines, though, is on the pitch. The quality of animation brings the soccer to life, and the players and their unique skills make for some really intriguing matchups. The key matchup in Blue Lock Episode 4 is between Team X and Team Y, with Team X serving as the clear underdog. Watching them overcome their own insecurities on the field against Team Y is a blast, and the quality of play is top-notch. The action on the field also doesn’t feel artificially dragged out but instead feels fresh in the highest action moments as well as the lulls in play.

The animation in Blue Lock Episode 4 is truly second to none in the sports anime genre. Every movement on the field, every kick of the ball, feels extremely authentic. The sheer attention to detail even in scenes like in the dining hall is incredibly impressive. Eight Bit clearly cares about bringing the world of Blue Lock to life and have done a top-notch job. The individual characters also feel distinct, with their own looks and even specific mannerisms that really bring them to life.

Blue Lock Episode 4 keeps Blue Lock at the top of the current sports anime rankings in my book. The soccer action is excellent, but the scenes between the games bring a heart to the series that truly makes it special. It also remains approachable for people who are not already fans of soccer, something that can be incredibly hard to do.

Blue Lock Episode 4 is available now on Crunchyroll.