O_O

wow this might be the best cover ever...rin just standing in the corner and acting nonchalant as usual while bachira buries isagi sdhdhs. also off-topic but i don't really know why reo bothers tying his hair up in a tiny ponytail on his head when his bangs are still all in his face, like what even is the point? 😭

wow they're both actually so fucking stupid. they thrive off on miscommunication tropes and needless angst.

here he goes again, acting like a toxic entitled jealous ex-boyfriend...i actually really enjoy this aspect of his character, like obviously he's hurt, but he needs to let go of the mindset of nagi as a prized possession and start considering nagi as an equal individual (which he kind of does honestly, it's more-so a projection on his part since he's afraid he can't match up to nagi and stand side-by-side with him in the world cup). obviously all of this is a natural outcome and thought process developed based on his childhood and background (rich lonely billionaire who's also an over-achiever), but i do like how the narrative punishes him for this and pushes him in the right direction (so far). and i do think that he does value and love nagi as a person btw, nagi is probably the first person reo's ever considered as a friend and likewise from nagi's side, it might have started off as "transactional" but both of them do really care for each other. at this point in time though, it's obvious that nagi is aware of the fact that their relationship is only holding both of them back from improving as players and people, and reo's also aware of that fact but he's terrified that he'll never match upto nagi's level as a player/be an equal with nagi. it's all some sort of fucked up projection LOL but it's also really funny how he considers isagi with an arguably higher level of respect than nagi in this match.

ignore reo's jealous pining, this is quite literally yaoi from hell SDHSDH

it's almost poetic on how blue lock ruined and yet, set their relationship on a better path at the same time. i don't have too many points to add but it's nice to see nagi finally feel motivated and out of his depressed slump, and of course, it's awesome making reo realize that he's emulating his dad's mindset.

the author genuinely loves to make reo suffer, it's incredibly funny. good for him though because it builds character and i'd be lying if i said that reo wasn't my favourite character in episode nagi so far. in the end of the day, he does love nagi and i really like how he's self aware of his own flaws as a person.

reo stuck in a perpetual torture cycle because he loves nagi but he's insecure and not a genius help meee...& I think that's where his ego lies in the end of the day. he's never ever satisfied with himself, he constantly has that aching desire to prove himself to everyone (whether its his family or nagi), and i think it's sweet that he supports and accepts nagi regardless of how he is, but nagi himself knows that it's limiting and wants to surpass reo's expectations of him. reo just needs to have enough faith in himself and trust in nagi, because nagi literally has an unwavering belief in reo (at least from the previous scenes lol).

boy you are so self-destructive, let go of this self-saboteur behaviour and let me study you under a petri dish right now...but i think it's another interesting scene, because nagi's most probably offended at reo making nagi "responsible" for breaking their relationship apart, when in nagi's perspective, reo is one of the main motivators for his interest in soccer (like a thought process similar to "you dragged me into this field and now you expect me to break things off?"). reo also feels responsible for nagi in blue lock, and actually since the moment he met nagi itself, considering how he's coddled nagi since the beginning of their relationship.

LOL this scene is so corny HDSHDHS moments like these remind me that this is just a manga about high schoolers playing soccer scratching head...

so cuteee

he had to gag reo for me here i guess...hooray for nagi actually realizing his own potential and desires and gaining one motivation despite his depressed state of mind. also wtf the art is crazy good omg

off-topic, but i genuinely don't care for blue lock's rinsagi push even if i think both individual characters and their dynamic is fine. it's not like it's unsalvageable or anything, it's just genuinely boring to me. maybe its because i've seen tons of other media with rivalry tropes which are just executed way more interestingly. also omfg can nagi stop relating to bachisagi himself and reo, like free him. bachira genuinely doesn't give a fuck about your stupid relationship drama bye, isagi would've still picked bachira at this point in time.

the whole reo chameleon shtick literally came out of nowhere in the anime so i feel like this is the first ever/earliest indication of this ability? i'm still confused but i'll have to read the original manga for that (also reo bleh :P moment).

even nagi had to acknowledge the real best character in blue lock (also bachisagi look so cute in the last panel + isagi swearing is killing me)

i have thoughts...i guess i'll elaborate it later but okay.

thwack kuon for me once again

dsgdsgsdg i can't even lie, the 2nd selection might be my favourite moment in their relationship timeline. reo's entitlement and nagi's growing selfishness at odds...despite my numerous issues with blue lock's writing, i feel like this moment is done really well. also obsessed with nagi fujoing out over bachisagi

i think it's interesting how nagi just postures as doing it for reo when it's not just that, it's also his own selfish growing ego, which is obviously good for him as nagi has spent a good part of life trying to be ordinary and not wanting anything but to thrive in simplicity. it actually changed from him just being obligated to follow reo's dream to actually wanting to pursue that goal for himself with reo, like he's actually allowing himself to want things and to dream. he also has so much faith in reo, like not once has his belief in reo stumbled, it's more so about himself as a player and an individual.

yess reo acknowledging his entitlement...i think a big part of it is that he just feels so responsible for nagi, for dragging nagi into blue lock, into soccer, and finally watching nagi actually develop an interest in soccer and (incorrectly) attributing it all to isagi (in which, while isagi played a small part, most of it is nagi himself developing an interest in soccer and getting frustrated with losing) indicates at just how much he honestly overlooked at nagi as a person, as an equal individual. he refers it to how he's scared of "their dream" ending, but he just doesn't know how much that loss was a big reason on why it actually helped nagi want to dream, to actually want to share reo's dream for the first time, not out of obligation or gratefulness to reo for showing an interest to him, but because he genuinely wants to be the best at soccer, and wants to stand at an equal playing field with reo. it was never their shared dream at the start, but now that it's beginning to actually take shape & form within nagi's mind, he genuinely wants to be strong enough for reo to consider him as an equal, and to not overlook him.

here comes our emo aura farming guy...thank you nagi for assigning supernatural newjeans as rin's theme song (also hooray for bachirin crumbs)

here nagi goes fujoing out over bachisagi and relating it to him and reo once again...just let it go bro

shdsdhs can both of them let go of their pining situationships. also whats with this image of isagi in nagi's head. it's poetic how barou's the next team member who joins them when he's the first one who points out that nagi's "useless" without reo (of course it's false but that's actually when nagi seriously becomes self-aware of the fact that he's too dependent on reo.)

hsdhsd i don't really even understand what chigiri and kunigami were expecting either way like...it's not like bachira and isagi could pick both of them on the team.

okay bisexual colours...reo looks so cute here.

reo is so egoistic right now and it's funny considering just how much of his self-worth later as a player is tied to nagi (at least in the anime). it does make sense considering how entitled he is as a person, he's used to getting whatever (and whoever) he wants in the end of the day.

judging by the blue lock anime at least, i guess isagi is supposed to be the final bait and catalyst to nagi's soccer awakening, but i think it's just that nagi doesn't like to lose in the end of the day. nagi haru (free!) parallels exist...i enjoy and love haru way more as a character than anyone in blue lock though.

reo's really trying to unite his entire team with a singular hamburger dish dshsh (also geez i wonder who the "cool and interesting" guy could possibly refer to)

i think the anime really fumbled the hardest in showing their relationship properly. i don't know too much about the original manga or the ep nagi movie, but it's nice that nagi is grateful to reo overall, but in a roundabout way, he's also pressured to keep up with reo's expectations.

its actually funny how reo doesn't bother acknowledging anyone besides nagi as an equal. boy what is wrong with you

which yaoi manga inspired this. nagi literally comes across as a protective and jealous boyfriend in here lol.

wow i might actually start liking nagi as a character. thanks for aura-farming finally

here comes our real protagonist...