REVIEW: ‘Blue Lock,’ Episode 7 — “Rush”

Blue Lock is a sports anime produced by 8-Bit. With Kuon’s betrayal imperiling Team Z’s hopes for survival last episode, it’s up to Isagi and company to find a way to overcome the now daunting 12-10 personnel disadvantage they have if they wish to stay alive. But they may yet have a secret weapon they didn’t even know about in Blue Lock Episode 7.

With so much on the line for Team Z, and such a seemingly insurmountable obstacle before them, it’s no surprise this episode ratchets up the tension in the series to a whole new level. With their opponents reading their playbook thanks to Kuon, the team is hard-pressed to make something come together. This tension leads to a major character development for the show’s lead, Isagi.

It’s been said that winners always want the ball. Up till this point, Isagi has been the one character that has little qualms about passing away the ball rather than trying to force himself into the limelight. But with the situation in such dire straights, we see him start pushing his boundaries and playstyle in a way that has me excited to see where the show will take his character from here.

While Blue Lock Episode 7 delivers some great moments of growth for its lead, he isn’t the only member of Team Z that has a significant moment here. Over the last few episodes, the show has been slowly revealing what lies beneath the quiet exterior of Chigiri. With the final details of his past unfolding this week, we have the whole story of why the young player struggles with his relationship with soccer, as well as his history with the twin stars of their current opponents.

These reveals do a great job of balancing out the manic tension of the unfolding game by providing an emotional depth to the proceedings. Chigiri’s hardest moments do a great job of highlighting just how much a pursuit like soccer can become a person’s whole identity and how much damage it can cause someone to have to face the potential of losing it.

The visuals throughout this story hold nothing back in pushing the fierce dedication and aggression of its players during the critical match. The intensity on the faces of several characters projects an energy that is nothing short of unsettling. The level of fierce obsession here delivers energy I thought I’d only ever see on the faces of the cast of Kakeguri.

The visuals also do a tremendous job of enhancing Chigiri’s internal struggle. The way the show visually portrays how he sees his past knee injury and its hold on his psyche are masterful.

Blue Lock Episode 7 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.