While most sports manga emphasize things like teamwork, camaraderie, and treating every victory as a collective triumph, Blue Lock, by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, chooses to flip the script by leaning all in on individualism and ego. Every player in Blue Lock is hell-bent on following their ambitions instead of cooperating with their team, and this makes for an interesting narrative.

But why did Kaneshiro choose to create such selfish characters? We found the answer to this question in his interview with Animania, and we are here to dissect it for you.

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Why would you read a sports manga with routine narratives that emphasize teamwork and friendship, when Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s Blue Lock gives you a fresh narrative filled with selfishness and (takes a deep breath) ego?...