“anri cares about the blue lock boys” “anri is like a mother/sister figure to the blue lock boys” “anri is kind to the blue lock boys” meanwhile this is anri with kunigami:
SHE DOES NOTTTTT GAF ABOUT THEM 😭 they are a means to an end for her!! obviously she doesn’t hate them and of course she was happy they beat the u20s but let’s think critically here…was she truly proud of them as people or was she just happy that the program wouldn’t be shut down??
the narrative (especially via her interactions with ego) treats anri as someone very naive and dumb, but blue lock and hiring ego were HER idea. everything that has happened to the boys is a direct consequence of HER actions, decisions, and dreams of japan winning a world cup. let’s not forget she’s also only 3 years older than aiku, kaiser, and sendou — she has no interest in taking care of a bunch of insane high-school-aged soccer freaks, she literally just wants her country to win the wc because she herself is a soccer freak!!
On one hand, there's a clear difference between these two Isagis. The Neo Egoist League and Kaiser did a number on him, particularly during the last match. He's reached new heights of egotism.
On the other, cute or not, Isagi was showing signs of megalomania even after the U20 match. A belief in having changed the world with a single goal? Not the conclusion of an average teenage boy.
But even before that...
...the story showed that he's always been a little too into winning through subjugation.
In short, Isagi's always been this way. Blue Lock simply made him aware of it and gave the monster an environment to thrive in.
Shidou is uncomfortable, imperfect. He's vulgar, he's gross, he's blatantly cruel, and he's incapable of compromise. He's hyper-excitable, constantly ready to fight and even looking forward to that brawl. He switches between moods like a kaleidoscope, and what falls out in that kaleidoscope is unpredictable.
Shidou has absolutely no understanding of morality.
This is especially evident in his encounter with Kunigami.
He has absolutely no understanding of the concept of protecting someone simply for no gain. Trying to protect someone heroically, purely because of an understanding that it's wrong, is ridiculous to Shidou. Shidou has only "his" and "others", and that "his" so far includes only Sae, as shown in the episode where he tries to turn Sendou's face into mush.
Nor does he understand the moralization that it is wrong to hit people. He just doesn't get it, and it's probably ridiculous for him to even think about it, because at the deepest level he has an attitude to respond to any hint of a threat with a fight.
Most likely Shidou grew up in an environment where brute force decided everything. That's why he's so hyperexcitable.
Shidou is in a constant state of tension, waiting for even the slightest hint of a threat, which he is happy to crush immediately. He's constantly ready to strike because he's used to constantly feeling a threat - one that he had to respond to with violence because he wouldn't have survived otherwise. His "fight" response, out of a combination of ancient instincts called "fight-flight-freeze," is always switched to the max.
We all know that the attack is the best form of defense, and Shidou follows this motto with his entire being. "Beat your own so that others will fear you" is about him.
Shidou doesn't mention his family at all in his Blue Lock profile like other players do. Remember how he talks about Santa in the same form - "I can buy something on my own" sounds very childish and unhappy. When you're trying to prove to yourself that you don't need it at all - because if you need it, you won't get it anyway.
Beyond that, even leaving aside his family and theoretical home environment, we know for a fact that Shidou didn't play for any football team before Blue Lock.
He was a loner, and therefore the only space where he could practice was the street.
And street football is insanely, inhumanly violent.
And it makes sense that this similar environment, both at home and in the game, formed the core of Shidou's personality that we see in the manga. The core of personality, which is based on the desire to survive, and not just survive, but to show everyone around him that despite everything he has gnawed out a life for himself with his teeth. A life in which cruelty is the law.
A life where he exists.
Shidou is probably one of the most evident Blue Lock players, for whom football is not only inextricably linked to life - it is life. And Shidou is absolutely explicit about this both in the interview and in the manga.
For Shidou, football and life are one and the same.
The same thing that Aiku says: Shidou is incapable of separating the field and life. They're inseparable in his world in general; they're one and the same.
It is only logical that Shidou transfers the laws of his life to football as well; and ends up playing football the same way he plays life - a football of the "survival" kind. Where it is his biological need (I'm sorry), his only aspiration, the violence that breaks everything in its path. Where the way to "survive the game", just as in life, is to leave your mark, to somehow prove your existence in people's lives, to be remembered by them and imprinted in their memories.
And pay attention to the way Shidou lives: not according to the rules, uncomfortable and bright, believing that it is better to burn to the death than to lie in a corner as a gray shadow, but alive.
There are no rules in Shidou's football; therefore, there are no rules in Shidou's life.
And that's why Shidou despises heroes and "good guys"; because only naive idiots who don't understand real life, the one where your survival is all that matters. That's why he mocks Kunigami's principles so much: because to him, a child for whom his whole life has been one big attempt to gnaw his teeth out to survive, such principles are irrelevant.
Because there are no heroes in Shidou's world, and even if there were, they've long since broken.
And there are no restrictions in Shidou's life either. He lives a violent life, and it makes sense that he lives by the same principles in Blue Lock, not hesitating to threaten Rin with the end of his career or Igaguri with murder.
He's not violent because he takes some special pleasure in bullying Igaguri: he's violent because that's just who he is. He doesn't have a "harming others is not okay" attitude. It's instinct - as seen especially in his episodes of fighting with Rin. He doesn't care at all about causing him long-term harm or ruining his career - on the contrary, he enjoys it in the moment.
And this is especially evident in his relationship with Isagi; while Shidou had nearly smashed his head in the day before, on the field he already openly admires him and is quite friendly. Shidou doesn't give violence any particular importance - you don't give any importance to brushing your teeth or throwing out the rubbish in the morning, do you?
For Shidou, it's just insignificant, because violence is the organic basis of his life, its law and right.
Today he's trying to kill Isagi, and tomorrow it's Isagi-chan.
Because Shidou has no social competence - he had no parents to bring him into society and set some morals.
And his desires are pretty simple and even primitive. When he learns of his potential salary, his first thought is how much he can eat on it. All he basically wants, almost to the point of obsession, is to induce vivid emotions, explosion, adrenaline - something Shidou is addicted to, living in constant danger and something that allows him to feel alive and existent.
You know who that sounds like? Denji. A main character from Shidou's most favourite manga.
They both had no guides to society. They're both unfortunate kids who were deprived of absolutely everything when they were young. Who are so vulgar and repulsive not because there's anything wrong with them and they act so deliberately and meanly - but because they just don't know any other life. They just don't understand what it's like to live differently. They both live on base instincts.
And they both try to greedily claim as much as they can from the life around them - the food, the people, the sensations.
Because they had nothing before.
Back to Shidou and his football.
The most amazing thing about Shidou is the way he treats his opponents (omitting attempts to injure them). Shidou, even when losing, finds time to admire them - to admire those who took the ball away from him or stole a goal. He's really just having a good time - while for Rin, football is something to be taken completely seriously, for Karasu it's a need to pre-analyse opponents, and for Snuffy it's work, Shidou is just having fun.
And at the same time, what, along with "watch as world reaches its end" and "at the end of the day, when I became nothing, tears came out" demonstrates the duality of his nature is his attitude to losing.
He and Kaiser actually have too many parallels, but this is one of the most obvious - even though they treat the issue differently, they act in the same way.
They're both prepared to admit when they're losing - and they're both willing to break themselves for the sake of the goal. They both know how and when to tame jealousy and the losing parts of their being.
Because they don't believe in winning (explosion) any other way.
Shidou knows when to back down. Because he learnt this too from his childhood - that if the opponent is stronger than you and you keep carelessly breaking forward, sooner or later it will destroy you. The only way to win is to recognise his superiority and fracture yourself, forming a new self - one that can defeat him (as seen in Shidou's willingness to stop fighting so that Ego would let him out, and Kaiser's with his story with Noa).
The ability to appreciate and recognise the strength of your opponent is a basic principle of survival.
But at the same time (just like Kaiser), Shidou doesn't believe that there are invincible opponents. You just have to know the way to break them.
Or rather, not know: feel. Which is what happens at the U-20 game when Shidou enters the flow.
Logically, with all of the above, Shidou is a complete individualist, and is unable to comply with Rin even for the sake of a goal - because Shidou knows he can beat him. The point at which his PXG game has evolved - with two formations, one centered on Shidou and the other on Rin - is the clearest evidence of this.
Shidou knows when to back off - but Shidou isn't going to back off until circumstances force him to.
And in the end, this approach of Shidou ended up being too egoistic for Blue Lock, which is insanely ironic. What's also funny is that along with it, it's his attitude towards football that epitomises Ego's ideal - a player who puts everything he has into it because it's his way of surviving.
And so we come to that one scene of punishment. And it's this, along with Shidou's monologue from the U-20 game, that reveals him the most.
Because in the first few frames Shidou looks frankly miserable. Of course, anyone would look that way in his position. But suddenly Shidou starts talking calmly, offering a compromise - and then in the same second he snaps.
He explodes, cursing Ego - though as his words show he understands the reason for the punishment - he's even willing to compromise. It's illogical to curse the one on whom his salvation depends, isn't it?
Shidou acts this way because he's afraid.
Because in this moment - bound, locked up, and alone - he is defenseless.
He's like a caged animal that can't think logically - he's terrified, he's scared, he can only throw himself helplessly around the cage, grinning his teeth wantonly. This is the first time we see him so seriously angry (he still did get some fun, adrenaline rush during the fight with Rin).
The worst thing for Shidou, free as a bird or a tiger and most of all wanting that very freedom (more about that later) is vulnerability and limitation. Powerlessness. For the sake of overcoming this, he is ready to give up violence and his principles of life, as long as he is released and pulled out of this hell of helplessness.
And this fear is actually incredibly characteristic of his personality too.
But in order to understand why, of all the possible punishments of the world, it is the restriction that drives him to panic, let's remember what football means to him and his style of play in it.
Shidou has sharp and monstrous, even beastly reflexes and instincts. They are honed to the max. He is very strong physically, fast, agile, flexible, perfectly sensing the space around him. Optimal in his movements. Unpredictable. His illogical patterns are impossible to read.
Shidou is all of one naked reflex and instinct, free in his absolute savagery. He is a completely separate character outside of the Ego's system. He literally speaks a different language.
And Sae happens to be the only one who understands that language.
And up until their moments together, this is most vividly shown when Sae stops Shidou from beating up another player - and not just stops him, but understands what needs to be said.
Which again proves that in the violent chaos of Shidou's life he does have a certain logic. A constantly shifting, flexible one, but one...
Which, again, Sae alone understands.
And it is through playing with Sae that the whole point of why football is so important to Shidou is revealed. Why he plays it so instinctively, despising the rule, the tactics, and his teammates. Why is he suddenly willing to "break himself" for Sae, adjusting his rules of life to fit him, yesterday's stranger - because Sae accepts both him and his football, and doesn't try to limit or remake him. And that's exactly why Shidou is willing to be changed to match him.
Because Shidou's football, the life he wants to achieve, is all about freedom.
And that's not enough for him. It's not enough for Shidou just to play, just to live. It can't be enough for a man who is used to living on adrenaline and fighting for his existence every day.
Life for Shidou is about freedom, just as football is his escape and a place where he can exist.
Shidou stands out, doesn't follow the rules, exists so vividly and with every action clearly and distinctly proving his presence...
To live.
Both football and Shidou's life are about escaping, about breaking out of his limits. To see the world as himself - free and alive.
Football makes Shidou feel whole, feel alive. Football is what glues him together. It's the only way he can prove what he is - by achieving something. By making himself colorful, visible, uncomfortable - in a way that he can't be turned away from.
One that will allow him to leave a trace of his existence in the world. One that will prove to him that he is.
For Shidou, all these metaphorical (or not) explosions are actually a way of proving that he exists.
Even his fights and quarrels actually serve his purpose - and Shidou himself confirms this in his monologue. All of this is to be vivid, to imprint, to exist.
To be someone who cannot be forgotten or turned away from.
Who cannot be overlooked.
Who exists as obviously as he can.
Even his favorite subjects at school - Art and Physical Education (the latter obviously about football) - are related. Because it's possible to leave your mark on the world with art, too - and it makes sense that Shidou admires it so much. Because art is, after all, the most colorful thing a living person can leave behind.
And for Shidou, art is football.
For him, to exist is to be free. And to burn so brightly that it blinds his own eyes - otherwise both life and football become bland, boring and insignificant to him. Just like his evenings - remember "When is the last time you cried?" from The Egoist Bible? And remember Shidou's response?
"At the end of the day, when I became nothing, tears came out."
Because in the evening, emotions and people disappear and you're left to yourself. Empty, aimless and in a way pathetic - because you're no longer on fire. Because you lose all the things that made you feel during the day.
Shidou depends on vivid emotions - because, due to his difficult youth, they are the only things that allow him to feel that he is alive.
That he's free.
Shidou's favorite song is also about freedom and trying to break free from the constraints of his life.
There is nothing in the world Shidou longs for more than freedom.
And the spider in Shidou's favorite song is limited and weak.
A spider without wings is incapable of flying. The spider without wings is trapped in unfreedom, looking at the blue and vast sky above his head every day - one that he cannot reach.
A spider without wings is incapable of flying - and those wings Shidou himself, like the spider in the song, could not get, no matter how hard he tried.
But Sae gave Shidou those wings. Sae gave Shidou the ability to play to his full potential, the way he craved with his entire being. Sae took him out from Blue Lock. Sae acknowledged him. Sae gave him a chance to make his mark on the world and gave him purpose, he showed him that there was someone who understood him and his aspirations on this base, animal level.
Kaiser and the consequences of child maltreatment:
hi guys !! it’s been super long since i posted but i did this speech for a school project about how abuse can shape someone’s character anddd decided to present that idea through kaiser of course hehe it was super interesting to research so i thought id share ! i hope you enjoy reading 💙
How maltreatment can shape character:
Through this analysis I’ll be exploring how child maltreatment is displayed in the manga series Blue Lock, and how it is represented in the antagonist Michael Kaiser.
Kaiser portrays how growing up in maltreatment can stunt someone’s emotional development, warp their sense of self and affect how they view and interact with others. I hope to identify how his childhood experiences shaped who he is today.
Firstly, what is child maltreatment?:
Child maltreatment includes all types of abuse and neglect inflicted upon a child under the age of 18 by a person in a custodial role. There are two types of child maltreatment: active maltreatment and passive maltreatment.
Active maltreatment is categorized as physical, verbal or psychological abuse, and passive maltreatment is described as emotional and physical neglect, when a child’s basic needs are not met.
Kaiser is a victim of both types of maltreatment, but moreover active, and could be seen as a representation of its consequences.
Kaiser as a representation of active maltreatment victims:
Kaiser is an extremely fragile and deeply insecure character who deflects this by acting arrogant and overconfident; because he feels the need to assert himself over others to avoid being hurt by them.
The root of Kaiser’s instability and uncertainty about himself and others is the abuse he experienced as a child.
Due to his amoral father, who constantly told him he was below animals and nothing but “a piece of shit”, Kaiser adopted a poor sense of identity.
He succumbed to his father’s words and truly thought of himself as below humans and animals. He labelled himself as a possession because he always unconditionally returned to his father, even if it hurt him, as if he might as well have no conscience of his own, existing only as the object of his father’s manipulation. He concludes that the only roles in society are people and objects because he only knows how to apply what he experienced in his home onto the outside world.
From Kaiser’s perspective this gave him two choices: to be oppressed (an object) or to be the oppressor (a person/human).
To evaluate, Kaiser’s duration in a household where he experiences active maltreatment gives him an inferiority complex, aligning with studies that show aside from death or serious physical injury, children who experience abuse are at risk for a number of additional issues. These include feeling worthless or in some cases ‘hollow’. This links to the idea that growing up in an abusive environment can warp a child’s sense of self, and arises the idea of how an abuse cycle can be triggered early on with children brung up in an abusive household.
When Kaiser manages to escape his abusive household he’s devoted to the idea of “becoming human”, however because his idea of what humanity is was skewed, he approaches his goal of “becoming human” in an unhealthy manner.
To become human Kaiser means to make another person his ‘possession’ like how his father had made Kaiser his.
By showing us how he’s restricted to only understanding dynamics that involve some kind of exploitation, it’s emphasised how Kaiser isn’t able to see past his abuse and how it’s completely distorted the way he sees others and views relationships.
To Kaiser, being human and to be truly alive is to possess others—applying the dynamic of him and his father onto everything. As a result of this, he perpetuates violence because that’s all he knows, and can therefore begin to understand.
Due to this Kaiser comes to the conclusion that now free of his household he has to take the role of the oppressor in order not to be a victim of the abuse he previously experienced.
This idea of an abuse cycle is supported by findings which suggest that there are relationships between early maltreatment experiences and (termed by the University of Washington) “subsequent perpetration”. The concept of subsequent perpetration aligns with how Kaiser inflicts suffering upon others because it’s all he knows and to him, as well as other victims of similar abuse, it could simply seem like an act of survival to them. To avoid the suffering victims are afraid they’ll experience again if they allow themselves to be vulnerable, they instead make themselves a constant threat to repel others—who they feel threatened by. Comparable to how an animal attempts to make itself look more intimidating to a potential predator.
In evaluation, Kaiser is fixed on the idea that exploitation is a part of every relationship as that is all he was exposed to at a young age. Due to being a victim of active maltreatment he feels the need to overcome the subhuman trash he sees himself as (consequently of his abuse); through inflicting suffering onto someone else before they can do the same to him—as though he needs to beat them to it to feel secure and ‘survive’.
In short, Kaiser showcases how victims of active maltreatment often continue an abuse cycle because they think it’s the only option aside from being abused.
I chose this topic for my speech because, as the J Korean Neurosurg Society states, “Understanding child maltreatment is expected to prevent and reduce victimization in children, adolescents, and their families.”. I think attaching academic and psychological findings to a character’s story can help people visualise how real the situation could be. Though the character I discuss is fictional, this is a story that could very easily be real, and understanding the severity of that can help us try to prevent the outcomes of it, such as the abuse cycle.
I hope you found this interesting thank you for reading!!!
Isn't Nagi implying that he doesn't feel important to his parents?
When Reo says that this parents, unlike Nagi's parents, constantly meddle in their child's life, Nagi immediately says that it's nice. A vision of parents who are more active in their child's life really seems pleasant to him. When Nagi says "It means you're important to them" I hear an unspoken "Unlike me to my parents". Because his parents not only do not meddle in his life, but are simply not present in it.
And then there's this:
On the one hand, it's incredibly sweet. Because damn, these words really hit hard.
But on the other hand, it is also extremely painful. Because it's like it's the only nice thing he's ever heard from his parents. It's sad that Nagi was happy with such a minimum of care.
In shounen anime, when one character says something similar to another character (like Fushiguro's "If you die again, I'll kill you myself" or like countless "Don't die" of the numerous other characters), it hits different, because in each case, caring first was expressed through actions. One character was constantly next to the other. They didn't even have to say anything to show that this person was important to them.
And here, parents who give their son "freedom", tell him that it doesn't matter how you live, you don't have to be healthy or happy, we don't care, just don't die here kid (because we'd probably be in a lot of trouble if our deprived of care child died, right?).
We will pay for everything, the child will raise itself.
(Ohh, come on!!! Reo had such a cute photo with his parents, and there is no trace of Nagi's parents.)
So I was thinking about how Kaiser said his ideal type is someone "Beautiful, smart and filled with a lot of love" and....it's quite typical the way he frames it isn't it?
I mean, if a person does NOT have an ideal type or have had enough (romantic) encounters to know what they want this is probably the format they'd give their answer in.
[outer appearance/physical trait], [inner appearance/personality traits], [how they want to be treated]
Most of the other players just give a very pointed answer as to what makes them happy/how they want to be treated ("someone calm and understanding", "someone with a bright smile", "someone who is strong enough to endure loneliness" <- for eg, all of these are complimentary to their needs because they are atleast self aware enough], but Kaiser's is as vague as it gets.
What physical features do personally you find attactive, Kaiser? What kind of smartness/intelligence do you value? Street smart? Book smart? Emotionally intelligent? High AQ? What makes you feel loved? What way do you want to be loved? What exactly is "full of love" to you? Getting spoiled with gifts? Physical intimacy? Words of affirmation? Quality time? How do you want to be loved? Because a great friend of mine once said a person can have all the food in the world, it wouldn't satiate another thirsty person. It's water that they need.
If he doesn't know how he wants to be loved, he wouldn't know what to seek and if he doesn't know what to seek he would never find the best love that he deserves.
And here's the sad part, it's probably because he doesn't know it himself. Now I can go ahead and elaborate on it but @/impossiblyblueroses said it better.
Oh my dear Kaiser.
This is so SO sad. I don't even want to be his lover at this point, or give him a hug. No. I don't think he even needs it as much as he needs someone trustable to sit him down and make him realise that he is out of danger now. He earned a name for himself and enough money too (probably - i heard people discussing if he even had the bank account on his name or other contractual nuances he might be stuck in), he does NOT have to go back to his father and that shitty household. He'd never have to steal. If someone ever tries to hurt him he doesn't need to be the only one fighting it, that he can ask for help and there are PLENTY people (hell even Isagi lmfao, he is humane enough. A lot of people are.) who'd gladly jump in to help him.
I don't want to be the girl he loves, i want to be the wingwoman who's there for him to prevent him from jumping into attracting the wrong kind because of his traumas. I want to be someone who he can trust enough to give him advice and help him out when his past hurt and traumas start becoming strong walls and stand strong in the way of love.
It's so ironic though, I'll give that to Kaneshiro. The whole kainess thing? It was never supposed to work out even though they are both basically each other's ideal type.
Ness wants someone strong who isn't fazed by loneliness, Kaiser operates alone. He'd admit yoichi is better than him before asking for help lmao.
And then there's Ness, beauty is in the eyes of beholder so no comments on that but Ness is smart. He's an amazing soccer player. And he's full of love. He said one can find magic in ANYTHING, and love is quite magical isn't it?
But could Kaiser see that?
Was this what you were trying to tell us for such a long time Kaneshiro? Was this the metaphor hidden under the lines of kainess breakup?
— why KAISER might hate NESS (and why he might not)
before today, i had never written a post where i actually explained my theories about blue lock. i've always preferred to talk about them in dedicated chats or just keep them to myself. 5his is the first time im making this kind of post — im not really sure how it works, but hey, im free to say what i think, right? just a heads-up: i have pretty random ideas that often aren't really connected to each other, but i'll try to make things as clear and understandable as possible
let’s start by talking about the characters in question: i think anyone who's at least finished the second season of the anime knows who Kaiser is — or at the very least, they’ve seen him once. he appears in the final scene of the last episode of season two, which ended around december 28th of last year and (though poorly) covered the arc of the match against the U-20 team. he shows up, but nothing is really said about him... that character, however, is Michael Kaiser, a striker from the German team Bastard München — a team that gets properly introduced starting from chapter 152 of the manga. the second character in question is Alexis Ness, a german like Kaiser, but he plays as a midfielder on the same team as Michael. the two are often mentioned together because of how close they are, both on and off the field: it's clearly explained that Alexis is referred to as "Kaiser’s midfielder" and their friendship remains strong even outside of their team uniforms. that said, it's worth noting that in the manga, the two haven't shared the same sense of harmony for quite some time now
alright, it's time to dive a bit deeper into the specifics and the background of their lives. from this point on, there will be full-on manga spoilers up to the latest released chapter, 309 — so leave now if you don’t want to know the details!
let’s start with Kaiser: born in berlin, the day of his birth is almost an insult to everything he represents. he was born on december 25th, 1999 — and instead of being a gift, he was the complete opposite. noth of his parents considered him useless trash, for the short time he even had both of them around. it's well known that kaiser’s mother abandoned him when he was still VERY young, and he has absolutely no memories of her or of her life after she left. he grew up in poverty with an abusive father, knowing nothing but punishment, and carrying the small, quiet wish that maybe, one day, someone would love him
he held onto small hopes thanks to a simple soccer ball — the only thing he truly had control over. we know that he was wrongly arrested at one point, but was saved by an important member of a soccer federation. from that moment on, he built his life around his team
before moving on to Ness’s backstory, i’d like to point out something i actually consider the most important: everything we know about Kaiser is because the narrative tells us, not directly from him. keep this in mind — it’ll come in handy later
moving on to Ness, we can say his childhood was definitely calmer compared to Kaiser’s, but not any less damaging for him: he grew up in a family environment where no one believed in him. he believed in magic and wanted to create it to impress others, and found his magic in soccer. but he truly started living when he met Kaiser at the first bastard munchen selection
of this last part, i ask you to remember the fact that no one believed in him. it’ll come in handy
let’s now talk about their first meeting, which takes place during the initial tryouts to join the official bastard münchen team. the entire selection process is told from Ness’s point of view, where we see him quickly lose all his hope because of the other boys, who seem stronger than him. their meeting happens purely by chance, and the way Kaiser speaks to Ness for the first time is a bit rude. however, it’s precisely from this moment that their duo begins — a duo that manages to pass the first selection. from that point on, the partnership between the two german boys begins, but let’s take a step back
chapter 242, their very first meeting
if we want to talk about the first selection from Ness’s point of view, we could describe it as a true nightmare: although he was once considered a boy with real potential to join the official national team, during the first selection he finds himself facing players who are clearly stronger than him, awakening the deep sense of inadequacy that his family had always instilled in him. we can say with absolute certainty that Ness nearly panics when he starts to believe he might not pass the selection and would have to admit that his parents — who never believed in him — were right. as he fumbles passes and stumbles, he finds himself agreeing with all those times they made him feel inferior, all those moments when no one believed in him. however, we know for sure that he's a player with real big value, but maybe due to his panic and anxiety, he isn’t able to fully express his real potential. when Kaiser steps forward for the first time, Ness is in a state of extreme panic, fully aware that he won't be able to pass the selection. as harsh as Kaiser’s words may be, they probably make Ness feel — perhaps for the first time — wanted, sought after, and not discouraged, unlike how he has always been treated. Ness’s goal is to create magic, and he knows that if he assists Kaiser’s goals, he can bring that magic to life. it’s as if Kaiser becomes the means through which Ness can reach his dream. moreover, the fact that it was Kaiser who noticed him likely leads Ness to believe that he is wanted, or at the very least, that he has found someone who believes in his potential
chapter 243, Kaiser's words that lead a Ness to trust him
from that moment on, the friendship between the two boys begins — a friendship that is shown to us in just a few panels: it feels genuine, probably something both of them needed after their childhoods. we see them experiencing moments of normalcy, doing typical teenage things, but above all, we reach the scene that i velieve is the most important in their relationship. it’s a moment of everyday life, yet it holds great significance for both of them because Kaiser opens up to Ness for the first time, explaining his desire to prove himself, to be, and to achieve the impossible. it’s in Kaiser’s words, in the way he speaks, that Ness finds himself, for the first time, giving up his own dream and embracing Kaiser’s instead. it’s a crucial scene in their relationship because i believe it marks the first instance of Ness submitting — he, who had always fought for his own dream, now finds himself letting it go in order to fight for someone else’s. it’s a powerful scene for both of them because Kaiser opens up about his past for the first time, while Ness takes a step back to make room for the striker
before moving forward, however, i'd like to take a step back and return to Kaiser’s speech instead
when it comes to him, we all know that his past was extremely complicated — marked by abuse and, above all, by the absence of anyone who genuinely cared for him. the only things Kaiser knows are rooted in violence, in a sense of punishment, and in a deep feeling of inadequacy, because he’s fully aware that he was never wanted. Kaiser doesn’t know what love is, he doesn’t know what it means to be desired, or even to care about someone else or about himself. however, he knows it’s an emotion that could bring happiness to his heart, in fact, his one true wish is to be loved. however, all the information we know about him isn’t told by him directly, but rather in third person — so it’s an external narrator who tells his story, following a point of view that’s considered valid but not necessarily truthful, as it doesn’t convey his real emotions. in fact, Kaiser never actually says he hates his father, even though we take it for granted after everything he went through because of him. all the feelings we attribute to Kaiser come from what we infer from the backstory that was told to us. even though it follows events that really happened, it doesn’t tell us what Kaiser was truly thinking or feeling at the time — it’s told in third person, not in first
the narration tells us that his mother abandoned him, but we don’t actually know whether he’s aware of her or of what she does for a living — that she’s an actress. we also don’t know if he even realizes that his father was a director. i’ve often wondered whether Kaiser ever tried to escape from that toxic environment, but i came to the conclusion that he probably doesn’t truly hate his father. he’s definitely terrified of him, but the fact that his father kept him around likely causes him to feel a kind of toxic affection toward him. he might even believe that his father has some form of affection for him as well — because otherwise, he would have done what his mother did, and abandoned him (please someone give that boy a healthy relationship it hurts me to see that fucking blue emperor rat in that condition)
chapter 260 for the two slides and 267 for the last slide, the ball is super important for his personality
now let’s look at the theory of the ball, a theory that i believe is extremely important and closely connected to the current relationship between Kaiser and Ness. in these panels, we’re briefly shown how, even though Kaiser sends the ball away, it inevitably comes back. i won’t go into the physical phenomenon behind why the ball returns, but i'd like to focus on how this connects to the relationship between the two boys: you can treat the ball however you like — badly, well, with care — it will still stay by your side. that’s exactly what is currently happening between them, during the match against PXG and during their most recent encounter recorded so far in the manga. let’s move on to talk about what has currently happened between them
the main fracture arises in chapter 267 when Kaiser tells Ness that he no longer needs him — a realization he reaches after scoring the most iconic goal in the NEL narrative arc. Kaiser understands that if he wants to evolve and win the game, Ness now has to be eliminated because he is only holding him back from evolving. Ness, in fact, represents the past: he symbolizes a Kaiser who has just escaped the toxicity of his old home. meanwhile, the Kaiser we meet against PXG is a boy who knows he has something more to prove, and if he wants to do that, he must become the impossible. if he truly wants to win, he knows he has to sacrifice everything, and Ness is part of that everything. moreover, as the chapters progress, a pact begins to form between Kaiser and Isagi — a pact closely tied to their shared desire to end the match with a winning goal for bastard münchen. a chemical reaction starts between the two, and Ness, of course, finds himself watching them, trying to get involved, trying to prove to Kaiser that he can still be the midfielder who helps him score goals, to achieve the impossible. however, all of this only leads to a greater humiliation for him, as he often makes mistakes during plays that end up harming the team. as a result, he earns harsh words from Kaiser, who even tells him that he should quit soccer because he no longer has what it takes
chapter 268, the main fracture
chapter 288, their relationship is officially dead
the further the story progresses, the more their relationship falls apart. ee often see them arguing, but most of the time it’s just Kaiser insulting him. as of now, there hasn't been any resolution between the two, but the story has reached a crucial turning point: despite being cast aside, Ness recognizes in Kaiser the very thing he’s always longed for — being seen as human. it's a scene that lasts only a few panels, yet it's considered the last time — at least for now — that the two appear together. it's a scene full of meaning, especially when you consider that Kaiser had clearly told Ness he no longer wants anything to do with him, and yet despite everything, it's Ness himself who approaches after the match ends
chapter 301, last apparence
with these last two panels, we come to the end of my speech. one thing I HATE is that most of the scenes from Kaiser’s past are never 100% true but always shown from different points of view, like Ness’s or a third person’s. let’s say that’s how the situation is with Ness: from his point of view, Kaiser is extremely excited, but are we sure that’s all true? there are actually very few similarities between his version and the one narrated by the third person about their past. we don’t see any negative aspects of Kaiser because Ness doesn’t see any negative things. from Isagi’s point of view, however, we have a more complete picture because he clearly admits that he admires Kaiser but does not have a good relationship with him
i genuinely think that Kaiser, for a long time after the first selection, cared about Ness, but due to his trauma and his will to achieve even the impossible, he later began to see him only as a means to reach his own dream. Kaiser knows very well that he doesn’t always have to give his best to Ness to achieve perfection, he fully understands that even if he gives the minimum he will still get the maximum, since by now he knows that Ness no longer has his own identity but one tied to wanting to make Kaiser succeed. Ness acts this way only because Kaiser was the first to believe in his abilities — meaning the first to make him feel like he mattered, like his magic could actually come true. their problem is that they’re not on the same level: Kaiser has clearly explained (and shown) that he’s willing to erase everything — himself, and even Ness — if that’s what it takes to evolve. meanwhile, Ness knows perfectly well that he could never leave Kaiser for anything or anyone else. as much as their bond is one of codependency, Ness’s dependence on Kaiser is much stronger than the other way around. Ness’s is an emotional dependency, while Kaiser’s is a dependency tied more to wanting to appear a certain way rather than truly striving to become something. what they have isn’t hatred, but it’s quite clear that a healthy relationship between them isn’t possible without dependency. that dependency could only be eliminated if they both worked through their inner issues — especially their shared feeling of not being enough
I was in the process of looking for Yukimiya’s aura because among the KYOH members, I cannot strong recall his aura so I decided to do some back read on the looooong match against Manshine.
I stumbled upon ch. 172 which is the core of Yukimiya’s backstory.
He is carrying this bag that says “Darumasan ga koronda” / だるまさんがころんだ
In English translation means = Daruma Doll Fell Down. It is also a children’s game similar to Red Light, Green Light.
The fact that the Daruma doll symbolises perseverance because no matter how many times it falls, it picks itself back up again. The doll is a wishing doll and strongly associates with things such as luck. To wish, people would colour only one eye of the doll, and when the wish is granted, they colour the other eye.
And we see this in Yukimiya, he doesnt allow his condition to end him and hence will do anything and everything to achieve his goal with his career on his own way (acknowledging that he is abandoning his faith).
At this point my thriller brain ticked in, because Daruma-san or the Daruma doll or even the game itself is already associated with horror/thriller genre. Notably, Squid Games (2021) and As the Gods Will (2014). I just also discovered that Kaneshiro wrote As the Gods Will 👀
This reminds me, that Daruma-san is traditionally a symbol of good luck, but because of its association with horror in contemporary media, it is now a symbol of bad luck that is even attach to one’s fate, this change is called a semantic change or pejoration.
And considering the fact, for whatever reason, according the Egoist Bible 2, Yukimiya has the worse luck.
Correction: Yukimiya is ranked 3rd under having the worst luck. (2nd: Reo, 1st: Rin). The list with the greatest luck: 1st: Isagi, 2nd: Gagamaru, 3rd: Aryu
While it is fated that Yukimiya (and Chigiri) could lose his dreams at any given moment, this is foreshadowed and it is bound to happen.
I view this as Yukimiya being the “it” (oni) in the game. And as he turns, he tries to catch who and what is moving.
Whatever is “moving” are opportunities. In the children’s game, if you are caught by the oni, you are going to attach yourself to it until the other players touch you and rescue you. This, to me, feels like a desperate cry— for Yukimiya, he is against time here, he will do anything and everything just to achieve his goal: to still become the best striker in the world as long as he has time left.
As it stands, like I said, Yukimiya’s faith gradually decreases as his doubt grows louder, the opportunity to achieve his dream came in the form of a letter from the JFU; an invitation to join the Blue Lock program. A bold statement Yukimiya declares that he is abandoning his faith in a god but placing it on Ego. Because this is Blue Lock we’re talking about, Yukimiya placed his fate to Daruma-san, in this case, probably Ego OR even Isagi.
This could also be viewed the other way around, where Isagi is depicted as daruma and “caught” Yukimiya. Because remember that Isagi will do anything and use anyone as a pawn to get to where he needs to be.
I know the two have similarities as I’ve pointed out very briefly before — but not in greater detail as I do not have a good grasp of Isagi’s character just its basics, do feel free to expand on this.
