Blue Lockis a gripping sports animestarring Yoichi Isagi as he looks to become the best striker Japan has ever seen. Japan has never experienced victory at the World Cup either, and the Blue Lock program was designed to build a player strong enough to bring home the trophy. It’s a device series in Japan, as a lot of Japanese people don’t like the fun the anime pokes at them.Blue Lockis about creating the most egotistical striker ever, a player who will consume the other players around him if it means scoring a goal.
To be a good sports anime comparison toBlue Lock,a series doesn’t necessarily have to be about soccer/football. The best comparisons will be highly competitive, feature fierce characters who will stop at nothing to win, and haveheart-pounding moments of pure victory.
Run with the Wind
Cast
Run With The Wind is an anime series based on the novel by Shion Miura. It follows a former elite runner, Kakeru, who is invited by college student Haiji to form a running team with the goal of competing in the Hakone Ekiden marathon. The series explores the themes of friendship, perseverance, and personal growth as the team members navigate their individual challenges and aspirations.
Run With the Windis probably the best anime series about running full stop. Protagonist Kakeru Kurahara is a great characterwho could easily be in the Blue Lock program himself.At the start of the series, he’s a selfish runner that doesn’t care about anything other than the run itself. He admits that he doesn’t work well with others, which isn’t a problem for a solo runner, but he’s looking to work in a team. The Blue Lock program is perfect for people who are more inclined to serve themselves than the people around them.
“I was constantly suffering when I ran during high school. I don’t ever want to be restricted like that again. This time, I’ll run of my own free will. Freely, far away, to the end of the world.”
Kakeru Kurahara is a highly competitive character who just wants to run. He doesn’t want to be held back in the slightest.Run With the Windis a greatBlue Lockcomparison because of how fierce Kakeru is. While his sport is a little more individual than soccer/football, there are a ton of great moments where characters come together to work on their common goal,making it a greatBlue Lockcomparison.
Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf
Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf is a television series adaptation of the manga Garouden, focusing on martial artist Bunshichi Tanba, portrayed by Takamasa Suga. The series explores Bunshichi’s journey through various underground fighting circuits in Japan as he combats formidable opponents and seeks to uncover the depth of his own fighting spirit. Directed by Toshiyuki Morikawa, the show delves deeply into the world of martial arts and personal perseverance.
Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolfisa surprisingly goodBlue Lockcomparison.Garoudenstars Juzo Fujimaki as he looks to redeem himself for murdering an evil person and enjoying it. The premise doesn’t make much sense, but it doesn’t matter. It’s a straightforward series that sees Juzo fight scores of people through a tight, eight-episode run. LikeBlue Lock,each of the fighters inGaroudenis relatively alone, fighting for themselves and their own ideals.
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Garoudenis a greatBlue Lockcomparison because of thetournament-style format that takes place,how fierce each of the fights are, and how intense each scene can feel. Juzo is one of the strongest characters in the series, but he isn’t number one. Like Isagi Yoichi, he’ll have to work hard to overcome his weaknesses and beat the people around him.
Slam Dunk
Slam Dunk is a Japanese anime series based on the manga by Takehiko Inoue. The show follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a delinquent high school student who joins the basketball team to impress a girl. Over time, Hanamichi discovers a genuine love for the sport and works with his teammates to improve their skills and aim for the national championship. The series is widely praised for its character development and realistic depiction of basketball.
Slam Dunkis one of the grandfathers of modern sports anime.Without it, many of themost popular sports anime seriesof all time probably wouldn’t be the same as they are today. The series stars Hanamichi Sakuragi who joins the Shoku High School basketball team in an attempt to win the interest of a girl. He eventually discovers his own innate talent for the sport and falls in love with it as he plays. It’s a little different fromBlue Lockin that Hanamichi grows his interest over time, whereas Isagi was interested from the beginning.
WhereSlam DunkandBlue Lockshare the most in common is in their camaraderie. Basketball and soccer/football can’t be won on an individual level, and the main characters of each series lean on each other in an attemptto get better and surpass their current limits.
LikeSlam Dunk, Hajime no Ippois another grandfather of sports anime. Ippo Makunouchi is the victim of bullying inHajime no Ippo.His life changes when he’s saved by a professional boxer. The boxer takes him to a gym where his insane talent for boxing is revealed.Like Isagi Yoichi, Ippo Makunouchi has a knack for the sport he’s in.More than that, he’s passionate about winning and will work hard if it means getting to the top.Hajime no Ippofeatures boxing as its main sport, a solo endeavor unlike soccer/football.
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Blue Lockisn’t a traditional sports anime though, as the characters in the program play against each other more than they play with each other.Both series share a gripping intensity, great moments of pure action, and even better moments of elation after a sublime victory.
Kengan Ashura
Kengan Ashurais a heart-pounding fighting series that shares much more in common withBlue Lockthan most people might think. WhileKengan Ashurais a violent, bloody anime filled with some of thebest hand-to-hand fights around, it shares a few key traits withBlue Lock.Both of the stories are self-contained within their own world of tournaments, each character is realistically operating at an individual level to try and move forward, andfor both Isagi and Tokita, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Fans ofKengan AshuraandBaki Hanmamay be excited to learn that an official crossover was released on Netflix.
Kengan Ashurais one of the few sports series that can not only matchBlue Lockin intensity, butit might even bemoreintensethan the high-flying soccer/football series. It’s unfortunate thatKengancan only be watched on Netflix, but it still makes for a half-decent viewing experience similar toBlue Lock.If only the series was on Crunchyroll instead.
Captain Tsubasa
Captain Tsubasa is an animated series focusing on Tsubasa Ozora, a young soccer prodigy who aspires to become the world’s best player. With meticulous animation and a strong emphasis on teamwork, the show chronicles Tsubasa’s journey from elementary school competitions to international championships, highlighting the power of dedication, friendship, and sportsmanship.
Captain Tsubasa,likeSlam DunkandHajime no Ippo,comes from a previous generation of sports anime that laid the groundwork for all the beloved series around today. Like all the characters inBlue Lock,Tsubasa just wants his home nation of Japan to experience the joy of winning a World Cup. He and his mother move to the town of Nankatsu early in the series, a town that has one of the best high school soccer programs in the nation.
Tsubasa learns a lot from his friends, mentors, and even rivals during the series. He’d make an excellent addition to the Blue Lock program thanks to his intensity, dedication to get better, and strong desire to bring home theMundial.If it wasn’t forCaptain Tsubasa,Blue Lockwouldn’t exist as it is today. They’re both stellar shows about giving it your all every time you step onto the pitch, andconstantly finding new ways to get better.
Kakegurui
Kakegurui is a Japanese drama series set in an elite high school where student hierarchy is determined by gambling prowess. The plot follows a new transfer student, Yumeko Jabami, whose extreme risk-taking disrupts the established order and challenges the school’s rigid social caste system.
Kakeruguiis truly a sports anime unlike any other.It’s a loose comparison in the field of sports, asKakeruguiis set on gambling, but it uses just about any form of wager it wants. WhereKakeruguiandBlue Lockare most similar is in their intensity. There really aren’t any series as intense asKakerugui.People bet everything when they enter Hyakkou Private Academy. They bet their money, social standing, and even freedom in an attempt to gain more power.
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Blue Lockis a similar series in thatcharacters are desperate to move forward.If they lose the Blue Lock project, they’re never allowed to play soccer/football again, making each match that much more meaningful. Isagi Yoichi would have a tough time at Hyakkou Private Academy, unless he could bet on his skills on the pitch. If he could, he might just rise up to the top of the Academy in no time.
Aoashi
Aoashi (2022) follows Ashito Aoi, a young and talented soccer player whose dreams of becoming a professional are reignited when he is scouted by a youth team coach, Tatsuya Fukuda. Despite his raw talent, Ashito must hone his skills and adapt to the competitive world of Tokyo soccer to achieve his goal of playing on the national stage.
Ao Ashiis the closest soccer/football comparison toBlue Lock.It’s a great series that stars Ashito Aoi as the focal point. He’s a former forward turned full-back who almost has to relearn the sport of soccer/football entirely if he wants to become a forward once again. His unique ability, Eagle Eye, allows him to see the entire pitch at once, allowing Ashito to make some insane passes nobody on his team or the opposition could have seen coming.
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Ashito Aoi would be a great addition to the Blue Lock program. His ability to find a pass in any scenario is second to none, and his hyper-competitive spirit would get him to the top in no time. If Isagi Yoichi and Ashito Aoi found themselves on the same team,they would be nearly unstoppable.
Haikyuu!!
Haikyuu!! is a Japanese anime series based on the manga by Haruichi Furudate that follows Shoyo Hinata, a high school student determined to become a top volleyball player despite his short stature. Through resilience and teamwork, Hinata joins Karasuno High’s volleyball team and forms a dynamic partnership with former rival Tobio Kageyama. The series highlights their journey to national tournaments, emphasizing themes of perseverance and sportsmanship.
Haikyuu!is an amazing series about volleyball that’s filled with some of themost intense arcs in sports anime.Haikyuu!takes place at Karasuno High, home of the Crows, and former home to one of the best high school volleyball teams in the nation. The series stars Hinata Shoyo and his reluctant rival Tobio Kageyama as they look to dominate each court they step on.Haikyuu!is a greatBlue Lockcomparisonbecause of all the conflict between players.
Both series feature larger goals that the players/characters are pursuing, but they more often than not get intosmaller, more personal competitions with each other.It makes each interaction more meaningful as the characters put everything on the line against the toughest opponents imaginable. BothBlue LockandHaikyuu!push their casts of characters to their limit, asking them to put it all on the line if they want to win.
Kuroko’s Basketball
Kuroko’s Basketball is a Japanese anime series based on the manga by Tadatoshi Fujimaki. The story follows the Seirin High School basketball team, specifically the duo of Tetsuya Kuroko, a seemingly invisible player, and Taiga Kagami, a naturally talented athlete. Together, they navigate the competitive world of high school basketball, aiming to defeat Kuroko’s former teammates, known as the Generation of Miracles, who are renowned for their extraordinary skills.
Kuroko’s Basketis the most similar sports anime toBlue Lock.It’s an interesting series that matchesBlue Lock’sintensity, need for teamwork, andoverwhelming joy in victory. Tetsuya Kuroko is the main protagonist ofKuroko’s Basket.He’s the exact opposite of a character that would be in theBlue Lockprogram because he’s selfless and nearly nonexistant on the court, but he knows what he’s doing. By becoming a shadow of a player, Kuroko can better support the players around him.
As a series,Kuroko’s Basketputs a lot ofemphasis on winning at any cost,just likeBlue Lock.Characters will copy each other’s moves, go into the Zone to become untouchable, and bomb down the court like a bull in a china shop. It’s an awesome series filled with some of themost broken powers in anime, including Midorima’s ability to score a point fromliterally anywhere.
