BLUELOCK Reveals Second Selection Arc Key Visual & New OP Theme Song

The production team for the currently airing sports anime BLUELOCK has revealed a key visual for the upcoming Second Selection story arc. The anime’s second cour will begin with the 13th episode on January 7, 2023. 

The second cour will also feature a new opening theme song titled “Judgement” by Japanese singer-songwriter ASH DA HERO. 

The production staff for BLUELOCK includes Tetsuaki Watanabe (Mahoujin Guru Guru assistant director) as director, Shunsuke Ishikawa (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 2 episode director) as co-director, Taku Kishimoto (Ranking of Kings) as series screenwriter, Kenji Tanabe (The 8th son? Are you kidding me?) and Kento Toya (Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night) as character designers, and Masaru Shindou (Fruits Basket The Final character designer) as main character designer. Tanabe, Toya, and Shindou are also chief animation directors.

Other staff members include Hisashi Higashijima (Mahoujin Guru Guru co-main animator) as chief action director, Hiromi Sakamoto (Caligula co-main animator) as action director, Sakura Komatsu (The Irregular at Magic High School: Reminiscence Arc) as color designer, Takagi Sawako (Dropkick on My Devil!) as art director, Asagi Yasuhiro (Kageki Shoujo!!) as photography director, and Jun Murayama as music composer. Akane is credited with the animation special effects and Eight Bit is the animation production company.

The main voice cast includes Kazuki Ura as Yoichi Isagi, Tasuku Kaito as Meguru Bachira, Yuuki Ono as Rensuke Kunigami, and Souma Saitou as Hyoma Chigiri. 

BLUELOCK premiered in Japan on October 8, 2022 and is based on the manga written by Munemuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yuusuke Nomura. The series was first serialized on August 1, 2018 in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine under the Kodansha Comics label. Twenty-two tankoubon volumes have been released as of December 2022. 

Crunchyroll is streaming the anime series and describes the premise as: 

Japan’s desire for World Cup glory leads the Japanese Football Association to launch a new rigorous training program to find the national team’s next striker. Three hundred high school players are pitted against each other for the position, but only one will come out on top. Who among them will be the striker to usher in a new era of Japanese soccer?

Source: BLUELOCK Official Anime Twitter