BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI- is out now in Irish cinemas and tells the full story of everyone’s favourite genius striker Seishiro Nagi before and during the events of Blue Lock.
Event anime films have become the new norm. When an especially popular anime rises to a certain level one of these films is inevitable. Look at Demon Slayer, they’re ending the series with a cinematic trilogy. These are bold choices and can be a fan’s delight, so how do they stack up? After all, a lot of homework has to go into these when they come out. I know that I usually try to do a rewatch beforehand. I didn’t get to this time, did that affect my enjoyment of BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI-? That’s one of the many questions I had going into this film.
It’s a hassle
As I stated before BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI- follows Nagi before and during the events of Blue Lock. We get to see his meeting with Reo fleshed out, their humble beginnings as a duo and how they enter the Blue Lock Project.
Having watched a large portion of the anime I have to say I really enjoyed this film. Seeing a story retold through the eyes of a different character with vastly different beliefs than the original protagonist is a trippy experience, especially when it’s done right. Knowing what events Nagi and Reo would have to go through was fun. The icing on the cake was seeing how these two tackled the same hurdles Isagi and his team tackled in the series and how they overcame them. As a unique kind of recap this film excels, as a story to introduce newcomers and laymen, it’s pretty great.
The animation quality of BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI- is decent, similar in style to the anime. What the film does better than the series is in the execution of its score. It’s superior to the series in every way. The music composition bolsters the emotional highs and lows of the film exceptionally. This is bolstered by the sound quality that can only be achieved on a cinema screen.
If you’re a fan of the series you likely already have your favourite characters. What BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI- achieves is expanding on some of the lesser-developed characters. What I was impressed by in the film was how it further fleshed out Nagi and Reo’s friendship. Reo and Nagi’s rapport is compelling and at times comes across as a romance. It makes what happens between them all the more tragic and makes the story feel all the more melodramatic in nature.
BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI- achieves so much. It is a stellar recap for fans prepping for season 2 and I believe a compelling watch for the uninitiated.
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