REVIEW: ‘Blue Lock’ Season 2 Episode 9 — “Night Snow”

The battle between Team Blue Lock and the Japan U-20s has reached halftime, and the Itoshi brothers, Rin and Sae, take center stage. Blue Lock Season 2 Episode 9, “Night Snow,” continues the battle while providing important context about the two brothers’ relationship.

Blue Lock Season 2 Episode 9 starts with a flashback scene between the two brothers. Sae is already a budding superstar and a TV crew is there to talk about the young forward. Rin watches from the background, and the two walk off together while enjoying popsicles. These popsicles have either a “you win” or “you lose” message on the stick inside, and that immediately highlights how competitive the two are.

Rin has a winning popsicle, but Sae does not. Instead of treating this like something that doesn’t matter, Sae takes it extremely seriously. He is angry about losing because, as he tells Rin, his goal is to be the best forward in the world. According to him, the only way to do that is to never accept defeat. This is a relatively inconsequential scene on the surface, but it helps set the tone for the relationship that develops between the duo as they grow up.

Learning about what drives the players is important because it gives viewers a reason to care. We see this with the Itoshi brothers, but we also get to see who is behind the success of several of the other players. Although the moments are brief, several players’ families are at the game and get a chance to talk about their kids or siblings on the field. Moments like these help remind everyone involved that these are kids playing a game, even if others want to make this out to be the highest-stakes match possible.

Speaking of high stakes, the leadership of the Japanese soccer federation is not happy with how the match is playing out. There is a hallway confrontation scene between a Japanese official and the coach of the U-20s. The coach is slammed against the wall and yelled at for failing to realize how important this match is to the powers that be. After a few moments of normalcy, it is important to remind viewers that the people running the show do not see this as a game. It is a battle over the soul and future of soccer in Japan, and the adults in charge see it as the most critical moment of their careers.

Once the teams go in for halftime, we get a strategy talk from Ego. Ego has been an interesting character because his motivations are antithetical to what soccer is supposed to be. He wants to create an excellent individual and eschews teamplay to do so. That makes the halftime strategy meeting intriguing because he does know how to lead an entire team, even if his stated goals are that only the best individual matters. It is just another reminder that, despite his overall goal, some fundamental truths about soccer cannot be changed.

While Blue Lock is confident in its strategy, the U-20s are reeling. Down 2-1, they did not expect to face adversity. When Sae walks into the locker room and says he is going to quit the game, it is a shocking revelation for his teammates and viewers alike. He only decides to stay because Shidou is entering the game, giving him someone on his level to play with.

Sae’s motivation seems to be crushing his little brother. It’s been obvious that the two do not see eye to eye anymore, but viewers haven’t been clued in as to why that is until now. Blue Lock Season 2 Episode 9 spends more time diving into their backstory, which makes it all the more tragic.

The goal was for both brothers to make it to the top of soccer and dominate at the World Cup. Sae goes overseas to continue to develop while Rin keeps dominating at home. When Sae returns, he is crushed when he realizes there are other great players out there. He changes his goal and now wants to be the best midfielder in the world. This seismic shift infuriates Rin. Rin’s line about how Sae is no longer the big brother he looked up to is earth-shattering and irreparably changes their relationship.

This time spent away from the main match is crucial because it contextualizes the game. The stakes were high, but Blue Lock Season 2 Episode 9 shows they are personal, too. Sae and Rin have different dreams because they are different people from how they were when they were younger. Seeing it all play out makes the match matter so much more for viewers because there is a deep emotional tie now to the result.

Blue Lock Season 2 Episode 9 makes things more personal by diving into the relationship between the Itoshi brothers. Now that all the cards are on the table, the match heads into the second half, ready to take the intensity up another notch.

Blue Lock Season 2 Episode 9 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.