Blue Lock Ch. 311 Meta: A Clash of Perspectives
Warning: Contains Blue Lock 311 spoiler.
Been seeing some Discourse (not really here on Tumblr, thankfully) on Isagi and Karasu's argument in ch. 311 for the past week or so: hot takes, heated opinions, and ungenerous readings hurled at strangers on the internet, (in an almost comical and meta way) at an intensity and harshness exponentially more than what this exchange was really about in the first place: two perceptive, well-intentioned teenager boys clashed over different perspectives.
Over here at the English-speaking side of the Blue Lock fandom, the initial English translation that came with Blue Lock 311 leaks (now deleted) on Twitter for this particular exchange was riddled with errors. This added more insult to the injury and was why I held off writing this until the official English translation came out.
Obviously, I am human and have my own opinions, bias, and perspectives. This is my attempt at an analysis of this exchange in good faith.
The Argument: A Beat-by-Beat Breakdown
From the upset win over the former U20 Japan national team to the widely televised NEL program, Blue Lock had garnered a ton of attention and hyped up everyone's expectation, and U20 World Cup was the time for Blue Lock to prove its worth.
The Blue Lock kids were clearly under a lot of pressure. At just one day (!) until the U20 world cup, they were still working very hard in preparation. The training seemed intense: almost everyone is visibly huffing and puffing.
Just one page earlier, Isagi scored a goal in their practice match, made possible with an assist from Hiori. Like a good, supportive teammate, Chigiri complimented Isagi's goal ("Nice Shot!").
Isagi did not quite respond to this and instead commented on Hiori's performance, noting that Hiori's tempo was off.
Hiori did not deny it and acknowledged Isagi's point. He did, however, gently push back, communicating both his physical limitations ("I can't pull it off right away", "I am not a robot") and practical concerns ("I don't wanna get worn-out before the game").
Karasu joined the conversation and said Isagi was "asking too much".
Three things to note here: 1) Karasu's eyeline was on Hiori (more on this later), 2) Karasu had with a smile on his face and a relaxed expression/gesture, 3) Isagi's background went black, and he has the spiral eyes: an indication of heightened emotions.
I think it's fair to say that Karasu isn't necessarily trying to provoke or even nitpick Isagi. While Karasu had his own perspective (more on this later) and opinions unsaid, his smile suggests that this was more meant to be a tease—a lighthearted jab at most. But Isagi saw his words in a different light.
My interpretation of what happened here:
Karasu intended it to be a lighthearted jab, but it inadvertently came off as a little accusatory—implying that Isagi was in the wrong and being unreasonable. Isagi had a strong reaction to it: he had an intense, serious expression as he responded, saying that what Karasu said (and perhaps also how Hiori pushed back) was "tepid".
Hiori, noticing Isagi's strong feelings, tried to deescalate. Note how Hiori initially pushed back on Isagi's feedback but now chose to acknowledge and agree with where Isagi is coming from. He's taking a step back.
Karasu was still mostly keeping his cool here. Hiori took a step back, but Karasu's point still stood: Isagi could've given the feedback to Hiori in a nicer way, that Isagi could've handled it better. That being said, Karasu did not immediately react to being called "tepid" (the white background also supports this); it wasn't really a deliberate deescalation, but it didn't seem like he was trying to keep fanning the flames either. Maybe he was expecting that Isagi would back down, knowing that Isagi is generally also cool-headed and reasonable.
Isagi did not think he was wrong and insisted that he was not trying to be harsh and just providing an honest opinion. Note the black background.
Karasu snapped (note the black background) and hurled an insult at Isagi. "Dumbass" for Karasu is usually used a) playfully, more or less, at teammates, or b) as an insult used to provoke his opponents during a game. In this instance, this was 100% an intentional insult.
Aiku then intervened and physically separated Isagi and Karasu. They both cooled down and apologized.
What It Really Is About: The Clashing Perspectives
In my opinion, this is how Isagi's comment to Hiori could've gone: like Chigiri, Isagi tells Hiori "Nice Pass!" and then offers his feedback on Hiori's tempo, followed by a note on how to make the timing of the cross better. (I do NOT know soccer well so I'm pulling this out of thin air, but you get the point) Was it because Hiori hesitated a moment before he made the cross? Was the hesitation due to a lapse in judgement due to exhaution, or a bad habit? This is what I would call a constructive criticism: feedback that is detailed and actionable.
This, unfortunately, is not how things turned out, and I think it is why Isagi's feedback to Hiori can be perceived as being harsh and/or demanding, a stark contrast against his typical polite, considerate demeanor when he's off the pitch. I do believe that, just like what Isagi said, it was not his intention to be harsh and he was just offering an opinion. The way it came out now was a manifestation of 1) the overwhelming pressure, both external and internal, and 2) Isagi's anxiety and frustration over the chasm he sees between him (and his team) with the world's best, and his teammates' perceived unwillingness and/or inability to keep pace with him.
Among the Blue Lock kids, Isagi is the probably the one under the most pressure now. As the one who readily and fully embraced Ego's ideas and whose sensational narrative of diamond-in-the-rough-found-and-sharpened is the embodiment and justification of Blue Lock's existence, Isagi is the face of Blue Lock and chained to its mast: his identity (both as a soccer player and as a person) and career hinge on Blue Lock's success, or, more accurately—considering Japan's placement in the death bracket for the upcoming group stage—survival.
Isagi's personalized training was to analyze compilations of game-changing moments and watch La Liga matches in person. After the exposure to world-level play, Isagi has hit a certain stage in his journey where there's a noticeable—perhaps near intolerable—discrepancy between his perception of what is good and what he (and the team) is currently at. Kind of like when us writers/artists hit that "ugh i SUCK i KNOW what's good but i somehow just cant execute it" slump. It's a period that will show up many times throughout the journey—a clear indication of growth. It is also, however, a period ripe with anxiety, insecurity, and frustration.
We know that Isagi is a driven and determined kid: on the pitch, he is ruthless to his opponents but also ruthless to himself. Mentally, he adapts and adjusts to new ideals and environments quickly, performs well under pressure and even hostility; he is willing to completely destroy previous versions of himself in order to evolve. Physically, in the past (BM vs. Manshine) he had pushed himself to complete exhaustion and collapsed almost as soon as the match ended. Isagi also holds onto frustration and regrets quite a bit (remember the flashback to that one game where he passed instead of shooting and lost?). They fuel his desperation for evolution, which Isagi also pushes onto his teammates (in the form of "devouring each other"), and historically it's worked well.
In Isagi's point of view, as Isagi was shouldering all these things, his teammates were underperforming (Hiori), refusing to keep pace (Hiori and Karasu), and accusing him for being unreasonable (Karasu). Isagi, understandably, felt very frustrated over it: How am I the one in the wrong here? Do they not understand what is at stakes now? How could we possibly win if other people are dropping their balls? Isagi is also known for being THE egotistical player—one who stays truthful and unapologetic to their philosophy and desire—of Blue Lock, and his growth over the course of NEL further hardened his determination to stick to his guns. It makes complete sense, then, for Isagi to tense up, and to double down instead of backing down.
In Egoist Bible vol. 2, Hiori mentioned practicing with Isagi one day before the U20 match, noticing how Isagi "reminds him of Karasu". This sounds pretty wild at first, given their drastically different (outward) personality and the first impression they gave to readers. But Hiori's comparison actually makes sense the more you think about it, because Karasu and Isagi do have quite a bit in common: cool-headed, perceptive, considerate, emotionally and tactically intelligent. (And this, my friend, is precisely what made this whole thing interesting)
Karasu's intention, IMO, is clear as day: to defend Hiori, and how he behaved in this exchange was perfectly in-character.
My hot take is that Karasu would've come to his teammate's defense even if it was NOT Hiori. Contrary to how he brands himself—insulting his opponents, exploiting other people's weaknesses—Karasu is, in fact, a sensitive, considerate person who looks out and stands up for his teammates: he patted Otoya's head after their loss to Nagi's team in Second Selection (epinagi), argued with the ref to card Shidou after he punched Rin in the face during the U20 match, (technically also his job as a DMF) stalled Sae to create chances for other teammates. He is a team-oriented player.
However, this scene is more loaded and impactful because it was Hiori. While Blue Lock manga mostly showed Karasu's importance to Hiori (via the infamous Karasu-in-sunset.jpg, which iirc has appeared at least FOUR times over the course of NEL), there's a lot of evidence showing that Karasu cares about Hiori quite a bit. Most of them are on the more subtle side: "Show me how you excel" (u20), "I've been waiting for this" (PXG), or "It was good to see that [Hiori] looked healthy. And I was able to meet him again." (Egoist Bible vol. 2). There's even some in this specific scene, too: Karasu's eyeline, fixed on Hiori before he entered the conversation, was a telltale sign and an intentional narrative choice. A coolheaded, reasonable character showing tenderness and losing his cool for one hot minute over someone he cares about is NOT automatically "bad writing" or OOC—often times, it's these very surprising, seemingly-contradictory moments that create tension and give flesh to characters.
While what motivated Karasu to step in was probably more personal than not at its core, the point Karasu raised was pragmatic and reasonable—they are just ONE DAY (!!) away until U20 World Cup! They could be up for their first match as soon as tomorrow. (For reference, the 2019 U20 WC started on May 23rd, and all teams played their first match between May 23rd to May 25th). This is not the right time for intense training regimen that would wear out your players and/or risk injuries when this squad needs to last and stay sustainable for up to 7 matches (3 for group stage + 4 from round-of-16 to final). This is also not exactly the right time to stress out your teammates further by telling them how they are still not enough compared to world's top players: they are dealing with enough stress already, attending (for most of them) their first international match AND knowing they are in the death bracket. I don't think anyone is underestimating the opponents they will be facing and/or slacking off—everyone is already giving their all. This is why Isagi's words—his initial feedback for Hiori, saying that Karasu being "tepid" because "aren't we all here to win"—can come across as discouraging and out-of-line.
Not-to-be-That-One-Person-looking-for-Realism-in-a-superpower-soccer-manga: Blue Lock Kids vs. World's Top U20 Players
Isagi is gunning to be the No. 1 striker in the world and, naturally, is probably expecting both himself and his teammates will be able to reach the level of "world's top players".
In my honest opinion, this is a pretty high standard for the Blue Lock kids at their current level of abilities and experiences. Senior level professional soccer is a completely different beast compared to youth level, so I'm going to make the more realistic assumption that Isagi is talking about "world's top players still eligible for U20". But even so, the gap between them is still significant.
After all, the Blue Lock kids, have just barely managed to put maybe half of one foot down into the world of professional soccer. Among them, it's likely that only Aiku, Sendou, and Fukaku have represented Japan internationally at the U20 level. Not counting the ex-U20 Japan members, Karasu and Hiori are the only two known players who came from a youth team associated with a professional club (in a world without Blue Lock, these two + Rin would arguably be the closest to a pro contract). The rest of them probably only have experiences playing domestically at the high-school level.
On the other hand, there's a good chance that the actual world's top players (who are still eligible for U20) wouldn't even be in the U20 WC! A famous example would be Kylian Mbappé (yes, the real life counterpart of Julian Loki!), who did not get called up to France's 2017 U20 WC squad, as he was busy playing with his club and in the World Cup qualifiers with the senior team that summer. What's the point of going to a youth-level tournament, when they are already playing professionally at the senior level (some of them would've gotten their first-team offer with a pro club at as young as 16 years old) and with the senior national team?
Blue Lock kids, compared to the world's best players of their age, are still mostly spring chicken. It's not something that can be made up with their current pre-U20 WC training program, let alone a day before the tournament starts.
"Isn't there somebody you forgot to ask?": Hiori's Perspective
Hiori has grown significantly over the course of NEL, having discovered what his ego is for soccer, and has gotten very close to Isagi. In this scene, Hiori initially pushed back on Isagi's criticism—citing physical limitations and practical concerns—but later expressed agreement with Isagi ("Ha-ha, well, I can't argue with that.") as things started to get heated, and said that he "doesn't really mind [Isagi's criticism]" as Karasu and Isagi were on the verge of a fistfight.
The most common interpretation takes Hiori's words in this scene very literally: Hiori thought Isagi was 100% correct and truly didn't mind Isagi's words because this is just what their dynamics is like—they don't mince words with each other.
Personally, I think Hiori's perspective here might be a little more nuanced. Had Hiori agreed fully with what Isagi said initially and thought it was perfectly reasonable, he would not have said "...but I can't pull it off right away. I'm not a robot." It's a gentle but firm way of saying, "I heard you, but this ask is not what I'm capable of at the moment". Karasu picked up on the sentiment and made the point even more direct (albeit in a way that could come across as accusatory—implying that Isagi was in the wrong—despite the lighthearted delivery. And, as we know, it was not received well.)
How truthful was Hiori's "I don't mind, though"? I think this is up for interpretation, and I argue that, even if he thought Isagi was going bananas, Hiori probably would've said the same thing. Similar to both Karasu and Isagi, Hiori is also a sensitive, considerate person. His true personality, according to his prequel novel, is "calm and cooperative". (We are also talking about the same kid who forced himself to keep playing soccer so that his parents won't divorce.) The moment Isagi tensed up, Hiori's priority was no longer about who's-right-who's-wrong or his true feelings—it was de-escalation. I think this is why Hiori expressed his agreement with Isagi: an acknowledgement/validation of Isagi's argument and feelings, and a gesture of "taking a step back".
And Hiori is in a pretty interesting spot here, and I think Hiori was well aware of it: this fight started between two otherwise very reasonable people who are both close to him, and started because of him. And both people's points are valid. It's your best friend against your best friend, your youth-team senpai who is well aware of your history and came to your defense out of concern for your well-being vs. your newfound partner-in-crime who wants to be the best in the world with you as you keep each other on your toes at all times during your collective journey. Are you really going to take a strong side here? Would there be a point to that?
"FOR REAL, Isn't there somebody you forgot to ask?": Rin's Perspective
Moment after Isagi and Karasu apologized to each other (thanks to Aiku's intervention) Itoshi Rin has joined the conversation! And in the most Itoshi Rin TM way possible.
Contrary to how he usually presents himself, Rin is incredibly sensitive and perceptive, and considerate in his own way. (Maybe this is why Rin, Hiori, and Karasu were voted as the top 3 Blue Lock kids with the most psychic power.) While his words tend to come off a little Funny, Rin generally makes very astute observations (for example, seeing through Bachira's fear of loneliness). In my opinion, Rin's words was, indeed, a jab at Isagi. It was a subtle criticism ("Chill out - you look like you are trying to boss around your teammates") followed by a recognition of Isagi's ambition to succeed and an invitation for Isagi to keep going at it ("I see you, and I know you want to be the best, so try and keep up with me").
Buratsuta barged in and made his announcement before Isagi had more time to react and respond, but I do think that Isagi received it well, and not just because he had some time to cool down. Rin packaged and presented his point as a provocation, a dynamic that Isagi, who thrives under pressure and challenges, is intimately familiar and comfortable with. Moreover, Rin is Isagi's most respected rival: their ongoing rivalry is the most long-lasting one among Isagi's past and current rivals, and Isagi has always seen Rin as an ideal to strive towards. Naturally, Rin's words will have more weight, and Isagi is more likely to receive instead of react.
it really just be hiori's harem infighting teenage boys arguing for a hot min. nobody is exactly right or wrong and tbh it's not that important anyways. it's not that big of a deal, friends!!
If you made it all the way here, THANK YOU for reading!
