Hey there! I'm Sean, and I break down what makes Blue Lock tick.
In-depth Blue Lock analysis every other week. For an overview of my analysis per character and arc: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-leEJSNpViEyKuBqhofVFVzq5-C6Lv7aN0Bx1UQPTV8
For my new videos on other series, see my second channel Suzels Essays (ru-vid.com/show-UCZZDa6WiAydU9gn4eYgBGVA).
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12:01 And In The Current Episode Nagi Chapters We See Nagi Outwit Karasu a Smarter Player Than Him and Scored There First Goal So I'll Say Nagi Getting Ideas 💡 Out of Nowhere is just "Burst Of Intelligence" Or Him Getting "Heated" As He Likes to Call it
Appreciate the message, glad you enjoyed it! It's funny because Nagi and Reo weren't among my favourites at first but I've really come around to them as I've been rereading the manga, there's some real depth to their characters and relationship imo that I'm still grappling with haha
Oh yeah, this was a lovely analysis of Nagi's character. Nagi's lack of introspection has always been big part of his character, and fits his entire allegory to being a chick that just hatched, experiencing the world for the first time and being curious about everything, but I always expected that it would be something that the author would make him grow into, learning to dig deep into himself, but I've never thought of that perspective of his self-discovery being prompted by his relationships with others, and it makes a lot of sense, as you can see from the start of epinagi how much more person-oriented he is in contrast to Isagi (the best example is the parallel panels of what they imagined hearing Ego's speech, and how while Isagi's ego flares as he imagines shooting to score the goal, Nagi's eyes flare when he visualizes Reo as the teammate beside him), and with how he talks of the difference between Bachira's and Reo's passes. ( This is info from the 2023 exposition guide wrote by the author, not direct from the manga, so it wouldn't surprise me if you haven't seen it, but Nagi essentially explains to Reo how Bachira's passes feel like ideas pushing into his head and it's a bit addicting, and he enjoys being able to play out these ideas, while Reo's feel like he is free to do whatever comes to mind, because the pass he needs will always come exactly where he wants it to, and so it always feels easy to play with him). I also think he is genuinely a very creative guy, he thinks outside the box a lot during matches (as we've seen even early on like the second match vs. Rin in the second selection) and likes to experiment and challenge himself, so it makes sense that Manshine's approach wasn't working with him, as that is not the core of his problems. Honestly I feel like you gave me some hope there for the final match against Barcha and these two managing to pull themselves back up together (whereas I was thinking they would probably either fail again as a duo, or Reo would finally listen to Agi's advice and step back from their partnership to stop focusing on Nagi, which tbh might still happen), who knows, they might actually manage to cook something good during that match! (I will be so heartbroken if the author just skips it and gives us the final score, I'm far more invested in this match than in whatever is going on in the current BM vs PXG match hahaha)
For sure! I talked about this to another commentor but imo the problem is that Manshine had a very limited understanding of creativity because it's mad to claim that Nagi isn't incredibly creative. I'd also be shocked if we didn't get proper closure on the Nagi/Reo NEL storyline with the way it's been built up so conscientiously throughout the arc. Maybe not super long (I wouldn't be surprised if it's about the same length as Manshine vs Ubers) but there will surely be a meaningful Nagi-Bachira interaction at the very least!
will you be making a part 2 of this vid including other duos? amazing and coherent analysis by the way, really enjoyed it and will def be checking your other videos :))
Thanks a lot, really glad you liked it! I'm not sure yet tbh. I really enjoyed making this and I was very positively surprised by how well this was received, but I would only do another one if I found a different angle that would give other ships narrative/thematic significance. I have and definitely will continue to analyse different duos without explicitly labeling it as romance though (I'd recommend my new video on Nagi, also Why Bachira is Isagi's first friend for Bachira-Isagi and Nagi-Reo, Shidou's Freedom for Shidou-Sae, The King and the Kingmaker for Isagi-Hiori, The Magic of Blue Lock's Backstories for Ness-Kaiser and The Beauty of Destruction for Isagi-Rin)
Hi! Another great video, and since it's centered around Nagi, I love it even more. I've noticed you usually don't write a lot of character-centered analysis, focusing more on the bigger picture and the overall themes of the manga, but I hope you'll keep on making these types of videos too because your point of view is always refreshing. I appreciated your insistence on Nagi's curiosity because I consider it the purest personality trait he's shown so far. Before meeting Reo, Nagi was just barely existing into his own little bubble, a comfort zone where he couldn't get hurt nor he could genuinely form connections with other people. He didn't want to, he didn't feel the need to have interpersonal relationships and yet, when that particular door opened thanks to his first true friendship, his curiosity has only grown. If I may add just a little parenthesis to your analysis it would be that Nagi's character is centered around the concept of knowledge. Knowledge is basically everything Nagi lacks because he's someone who just started living, like a baby chick. He's inexperienced not only in soccer, but also in what makes other humans thick. He doesn't know a lot about the sport, he doesn't know how to convey his feelings properly, he doesn't understand the people around him because he's not used to connect with others, and lastly, he doesn't Know himself. My opinion is that Nagi's lack of self-awareness is what hinders his growth. His story is one of self-discovery, just like Isagi's, but they have different ways of coming to understand their true ego. Nagi uses connections because that's basically our natural first step: humans tend to understand themselves by comparison, by recognizing the "other" outside of the "self", what's different and what's the same, what's the right distance to not get hurt or hurt the other etc... Nagi is gradually learning to understand others, yes, but he aims to understand *himself* *through* others first and foremost. In order to understand what he's feeling and why, he asks other people about their joirney, although I don't think it's a completely conscious process. His curiosity about the world,reflects his deep curiosity about himself. So I think Nagi has to discover himself first and foremost. If he does this, he'll be able to find his unique and personal hunger, the innate desire that will keep him motivated. As for his relationship with Reo, I completely agree that Agi's suggestion of breaking up was wrong. Reo understood Nagi's hunger in the Mashine game and by doing so, he helped Nagi to build up his own path to the goal. Nagi has to grow up personally, though, and Reo needs to understand that he should become a playmaker capable of working with everyone, not just Nagi. The secret to their partnership is to find the right distance between one another, like in the hedgehog dilemma, which is incredibly realistic, to be honest (If I think about how messy my teenage relationships were...). Nagi has never had any friends before and neither has Reo (he never considered his lackeys actual friends), they are so caught up in each other that their partnership can become overbearing, but when it works, it really really works. Sorry for this extremely long-winded and messy comment, I hope you won't mind it too much and you'll forgive my sloppy grammar. Have a nice day 😊
Thanks so much, glad to hear you enjoyed it and lots of great points in here! I really like the idea that Nagi is learning to understand himself through others, that's a great way to cast his entire arc with Isagi. As said in the video I will at some point do a video on Reo's POV as well because there's a lot to be said about him as well, it's really such a fascinating dynamic.
This made so many things click for me about Nagi's character. I always felt that Chris Princes teachings were a bit off when it came to him, and I was even more confused when the story seemed to agree with Chris Prince. I can't wait to see how this is resolved in the manga. I think Nagi is being set up as a one of if not the Penultimate challenges to Blue Lock/Ego's philosophy, but currently not nearly enough to say for certain. Also Nagi's relationship with Barou, Isagi, and Reo are all goated. Really liked the vid much thanks
Thanks a mill! Completely agreed on Nagi/Reo being one of the most fundamental challenges to Blue Lock's philosophy. I've got some half-baked ideas that I'll probably turn into a video at some point. Funnily enough my biggest take-away from doing this video was actually how productive the comparison between Nagi and Barou is, especially because it's never really in your face
This is really interesting, and definitely brings a fresh perspective to the Nagi/Reo relationship and how it might eventually grow on the field! I don’t necessarily think Prince and Agi chose the “wrong” approach by encouraging Nagi to play “active” football, but I think Nagi’s own inexperience with football and lack of self awareness means he isn’t getting the most out of this play style. As you say, he doesn’t realise that he has already been playing active football, especially during the second selection. And because of that lack of self awareness, he interprets this as neng to completely rebuild himself to be more like Reo or Isagi, rather than adapting this idea of “creativity” to suit himself - which would be to use his other teammates’ ideas as “inspiration” for his own moves (for example, the way that he gains new ideas from the way Bachira passes him the ball). If Reo can realise this about Nagi, I think he can be the catalyst for this change. It might require some sort of temporary “discarding” of Nagi to play more actively with others on his end, and would also require Reo to genuinely accept Nagi’s reasoning for choosing Isagi over him in the second selection, which I don’t think he has. (There’s also some moments in the special chapters of Episode Nagi that suggest that Nagi and Reo view their relationship very differently, which actively stifles their growth together in Manshine, but that’s a separate discussion) The end goal, in my opinion, for their on field relationship is one that re-frames that “co-dependent” side of their relationship (they work together unconditionally and exclusive of others) to one where they both play as part of the whole 11, both including others in their “chemical reactions” and even combining with other players without the other being involved (e.g., a Reo-Chigiri combination play, a Nagi-Agi combination play, or even a Nagi-Reo-Chigiri combination play)
Great comment here! Creativity was a rabbit hole I couldn't go down if I wanted to finish this script on time, but I completely agree that the problem here is that Manshine had a somewhat limited understanding of what being 'creative' means. Nagi is a genuinely creative person, but his creativity shines in the ways he approaches a given situation (e.g. realising that he can trap the ball with his back to deal with a defender) rather than the kind of bigger-picture strategising that Isagi specialises in and that Manshine wanted to bring out in Nagi. And Reo actually brought out Nagi's creativity to the full by forcing Nagi to directly confront Isagi - and that gave rise to the five-feint volley, which was extraordinarily creative. Also completely agree that there is friction between what Nagi wants and what Reo wants from their partnership. As said I'll do a video from Reo's POV at some point because there's a lot to be said about him as well. Reo is certainly holding himself back with his single-minded focus on Nagi, because as you said he's got tons of potential and having more than just the pair-up would make him shine. Also (and this is for the upcoming video) the odd things is that Reo is the one who's 'supposed' to have everything and yet he's not laying claim on the entire world, which I can imagine being his final development.
So this is the video you talked about under my last comment? Honestly, I'm very impressed by your points! I've never thought about Nagi's curiosity being the (possible) core of his ego, and now many things make so much sense. Thanks for the great analysis!
This definitely one of your best characters analysis videos in my opinion, and definitely the best video I’ve seen about Nagi seishiro by far. Loved how you tied in the theme of curiosity, I feel like I have more clarity over the Nagi’s decision to ask for reo’s help and it gives me hope that we will actually see the conclusion of the Bacha Vs Manshine match that’s also currently undergoing. Great vid as usual man!
Wow, thanks so much! I'd be shocked if we didn't get to see at least some snippets of Barcha vs Manshine (probably something similar to Manshine vs Ubers) given the way this storyline has been built up for the entire NEL, don't give up hope!
I have noticed one thing about his eyes. Whenever he is not trying, his eyes are always dark but when he starts trying, his eyes bloom more showing signs of his ego
Another Suzels W never considered Nagis curiosity, but it does make so much sense! That makes Nagi even more layered and gives reason to why Reo and Nagi "dont work" as well as if Nagi teams up with someone who pushes his creativity... thanks for pointing it out! I particularly loved the Nagi/Barou parallel you mentioned when it came to receiving a potential pass from Bachira. Your understanding of the story, characters and the themes of BL never fail to impress me. Been rereading BL this year too and i got til the U20 arc, concurrently reading Episode Nagi and Nagis POV gives us SO MUCH. Both Nagi and Isagi are my faves so its great to follow the story through their eyes. THANKS FOR THE VID MY MAN.
Love this video! Such a wonderful way to pull at the theme of curiosity. I've always imagined Nagi as a curious kid who will pull the legs off a bug or something, not out of malice, but a mixture of curiosity and not knowing what he's doing is wrong. His blunt questions put others off guard, but he wouldn't blink if someone asked him that, so he assumes it's okay. Or he just doesn't think about the repercussions all the time.
Also! I love how you frame Nagi and Reo's relationship as not purely negative. The way they are written and drawn is so endearing it makes me want to see them figure out how to healthily be there for each other. I've always had a feeling that Manshine wasn't the "correct" path as well
Thanks so much Reilly! Yeah this video mainly came about because I wanted to propose an alternative to the codependency bad discourse since as you said that feels like such a limited conclusion about the most complex relationship in the series. I find the bluntness really endearing as well, the idea that egoism can also manifest in exploring your curiosity without caring about social conventions
great video suzels im gonna be honest nagi isnt really my favorite character in blue lock but I feel like I can like him a bit more now. And Im also curious on what you think nagis ego type is
Same actually, Nagi isn't one of my faves either but making this video made me appreciate him a lot more! Also in terms of ego type, I'd say self/freedom is the most likely
The way i always thought of nagi in his first appearance is a stand in for the nihilism that Isagi felt in the first chapter. That he simply couldnt be better than kira, and everything he believed in was nothing. So it makes sense that his arc could be related to bonds and relations since thats what allowed team Z to survive. Social contracts and junk
when I first came across this video I thought, “this is definitely either going to be forced or fujo bait” but watching the video now… damn, I was wrong. mad respect for everything from the research to how you worded everything accurately and respectfully. definitely something the community needs to see haha
curiosity: the author of blue lock already said that nagi and reo can be seen as a couple and their Japanese VAs ship them too, there are several statements from people on the team involved in blue lock that practically canonized them both, super accurate
I'm finally pushing myself to watch this video wish me good luck, lads and im not saying this as I dislike the concept or anything im just having no idea what im getting into and lastly a persons sexuality doesn’t really make me change my mind on how i view the person just felt i had to clarify
Just saying this because you're a long-time viewer, but it's a bit odd to me to claim that you need to be 'wished luck' to 'push yourself' for the strenuous task of... watching a free video on the internet? Like, it's totally cool if someone isn't interested in the topic or doesn't think it's a good video, it's just that putting it that way doesn't really give off the impression that you're particularly comfortable with the topic
@suzelsmanga you have a good point the way I worded that statement was wrong but truthfully I didn't know what to expect but the video surprised me and the memes on Twitter where throwing me off until I saw the one who said you did a good job which had 603 followers on Twitter that's what gave me the thought that OK this video is actually going to be good
I also would love to mention Nagi/Isagi duo and the way Nagi literally chases after Isagi while the latter doesn't even look at him because he has other rivals (Rin and Kaiser) who he finds more interesting to fight against. Like, Isagi is quite literally the reason why Nagi & Reo broke up in the first place, so it's hard to talk about this duo without delving into Nagi-Isagi relationships at least for a moment. P.S. Anyway, thanks for the video, it was a very interesting analysis!
That's actually a really interesting perspective! Hadn't really considered the Isagi-Nagi dynamic in this light as much but I think you've got a great point there, thanks a ton!
@@suzelsmanga I think that they're incredibly overlooked, and that makes me very sad since Isagi is the reason for everything Nagi does: he broke up with Reo because of Isagi, got back with Reo again also because of Isagi, his ideal soccer is just beating Isagi in the game... Isagi influenced him so much Nagi doesn't even know what comes after he "reached" his goal (beating Isagi) because he was never interested in the game but in Isagi and the emotions (e.g. frustration after defeat) he made him feel. At least that's how I see it...
@@xxempathy6328I felt like they're incredible overlooked bcs of the petty nagi/reo shippers tbh, I always sees them disregard nagi/isagi relationship that they have no "chemistry" for the sake of their own ship.
@@ranphic I also think it's interesting the difference between Nagi being intrigued by Isagi's football ability but being totally uninterested in him as a person.
great video! always loved deep and thorough analysis of characters and metaphors that can be easily overlooked while reading, and i really enjoyed how much attention you paid to the small details like rin's toys. didn't even think about some perspectives until you brought the up. keep up the good work!
it's also just intresting to note that Kaneshiro's other works have the same homoeroticism, heck two guys even kiss in one of them, but I find it important to note that it's not just something he does for fujobait/fanservice (a thing I was worried about) but it's something he really thinks about when writing stories. I find it that Kaneshiro's biggest strenght is characters and character dynamics, as it is one of the biggest elements of blue lock. One thing I also find funny is how Isagi has the most boring character design, so I half expected him to have the personality of an isekai protag, but he's very much his own character and has flaws and goals.
Thank you for this analysis! It's amazing to see the importance of the queer elements discussed, because one side of the fandom is so adamant that everyone in Blue Lock is completely straight. Even the Episode Nagi movie was so incredibly touching and truly focused on the relationship between Reo and Nagi, I've seen people completely denying the queer themes, that are not even subtle at this point. Like from the dialogue to the cinematography, the movie was more like a romance anime with its soft lighting and tender moments. And how there are some blatant queer dialogues in the manga as well, like Bachira's "I love you, partner" confession in the U-20 match. For us in the community, these lines are clear as day, so it's sad to see all of the evidence being cast away and completely ignored. I would love to see more discussion about diversity, for example Kunigami's canon bisexuality. I feel like it's never really brought up. In the wiki page in the character trivia section it's said that "His fetish is the nape of the neck, and he looks at both men and women there." These facts are mostly from the official Blue Lock bible, so it's pretty safe to say that it's canon.
(Sorry for broken english) I like your video! Kaiser is such a perfect antagonist for Isagi come to think about it. (⚠️ Maybe some spoilers) "The haves and have nots", "Ego is the only weapon that lets you fight back" Isagi = Has strong, purest ego and mental capacity, always moving forward and highly adaptive, just lacking in physical ability and techniques (we see him keep improving in this arc ofc). Kaiser = Definitely one of the strongest opponent so far (ntm him being one of the new gen world XI), but he lacks adaptability, hiding his real self and ego behind malice while only crushing those "clueless rookies", "second rate veterans", and "fading superstars". Kaiser gets triggered when Isagi defy him because he probably thought isagi was just another "clueless rookies" that he could destroy to satisfy his fragile ego, but no. Isagi keeps improving and improving because he doesn't limit himself to only defeat weaker opponents (this shows even in the 1st ep with Kira). Ntm i like how despite them being rivals and enemies, they acknowledge each other's ability : Isagi saying Kaiser is the ideal player and always compliments him/calling him a genius, while Kaiser acknowledge how persistent Isagi is (even before his redemption arc). Kaneshiro knows how to make a suitable antagonist for his MC, my god. Btw, Thanks for making this video!
Since it's in the topic of queerness, i just wanna add : i like how Isagi blushes when he sees Kaiser Impact for the first time 😂 or the fact that (⚠️ spoilers) he's the catalyst of the current development of Kaiser. I love the way Kaiser said "Thank you" and how there's a panel of Isagi being wrapped in Kaiser's rose vines while calling him "Superstar"
commenting this is just another way to say you didn’t even bother watching the video, likely out of pure ignorance and a refusal to acknowledge any kind of analysis that doesn’t align with your preconceived confirmation biases.
as a queer blue lock lover who has struggled with codependency in their deeply intertwined relationships… THANK. YOU. FOR THIS VIDEO. You have NO idea how hard I try to explain to myself and others why I connect so deeply to the “edgy” dialogue, characters, or metaphors in blue lock, especially in relation to the rhythm and dynamics in my relationships. I feel so much less crazy thanks to you guys posting this. YALL ARE REAL ONES.
Wow, I'm truly humbled by your message, thanks so much for reaching out. Btw shameless plug but in case you're interested, I have a fair bit to say about codependancy in my Bachira analysis ('Why Bachira is Isagi's First Friend')
@@suzelsmanga OH GOODNESS Bachira and Isagi's relationship is one of the most impactful on how I viewed my personal life, and truly guided me through a very hard relationship end. I am absolutely binging both of y'alls BL content. Thank you both for existing and putting your work out there!!
@@suzelsmanga Y'all genuinely might've made one of my favorite videos on this entire website. Brings me so much joy and makes me so heartwarmed. Couldn't give enough praise.
