Rissa’s Corner

Let’s keep in mind I haven’t caught up to the recent stuff (because I’m scared) but have read almost all of BlueLock. ALL MY OPINIONS

Reo Mikage hesitates just for a second but in Blue Lock, a second is a death sentence. He hesitates because for once, there’s no one to mimic. Without Nagi to lean on or someone else's style to borrow, he’s a blank canvas with no brush.

In a desperate final play, He would try to pull an Isagi-style spatial read out of thin air, but it backfires- badly. The misplay costs his team the winning goal.

That point on the opposing teams side isn’t just a point on the scoreboard; it’s the final nail in the coffin of his illusion.

Ego wouldn’t suger coat it, “BlueLock isn’t here to create a “Jack-of-all-trades” it’s here to make the world’s best striker. And that would never be you Mikage”

Now, I’m not saying Damian and the others don’t matter; let’s not get into a fight about that. Damian and the others have a place. With Damian’s arc it shows that even when you think you’ve learned the right lessons, it’s still incredibly hard to raise a child, especially when that child has already been raised with some of the wrong ones.

His Robins again are a big part of his story, Batman’s growth is stitched into the fabric of the Robins, like the threads in his suit. Grayson shapes him, Jason shatters him, Tim helps piece him back together and Damian teaches him.

When people say, “Batman’s better without Robin,” I don’t understand it. He needs his Robins to grow, to change, and to reach his full potential. Without them, he’s stuck in the same cycle, never really evolving.

This is exactly why Pattinson’s Batman works in the DCU. When Batman has a Robin by his side, he changes he becomes more merciful, less angsty. Robin is there to ground him, to pull him back from the brink when he starts to lose himself.

And that whole “Batman is a loner” thing? It’s a misunderstanding. Batman isn’t a loner; he’s avoidant. It’s not that he doesn’t want people around he just doesn’t know how to let them in. He wants connections more than he lets on, but his broken compass thanks to his parents death it keeps pointing him to isolation. He’s not cold; he’s just terrified of getting burned.

Sae Itoshi is, to me, one of Blue Lock's most complex and compelling forces of nature. At just 13, life didn’t hand him a dream it packed it into a suitcase, put him on a plane, and left him to weather a foreign storm alone. No safety net, no familiar voices just cold pitches and colder shoulders. In those four years, he didn’t just grow up; he cracked, reformed, and quietly buried the wide-eyed boy who once believed in dreams.

He lost it all. His purpose, his passion, that naive spark he once called ambition. And when he finally returned, it wasn’t to cheers or reunion hugs, but to Rin’s disappointment: like handing someone a star and watching them ask why it’s not the moon.

Despite being perpetually alone emotionally, if not physically he never crumbled. If anything, he became sharper, more composed. The kind of person who walks through a storm and doesn’t bother mentioning the rain.

Sae Itoshi- just a prodigy right?

From a young age, we see Sae being treated as a prodigy. Adults, interviewers, and coaches constantly singled him out. He was clearly levels above his teammates. Think about it, he was invited to play with Re AI team when he was only about 13 years old. Thirteen. He left Japan and moved to a completely new country just to pursue soccer because everyone believed he was that good. He was a child boarding a plane with nothing but a dream stitched into his heart.

Considering how Japan is often portrayed in Blue Lock as being weak in the world of soccer not producing top players ; Sae being selected like that is a big deal. So, of course, he grew up believing he needed to be the best. And honestly? He didn’t just believe in his dream he breathed it.

There's a panel at the airport when he leaves for Spain: his eyes are bright and full of hope. He’s smiling, excited, and determined. Now compare that to when he comes back his eyes are dull, his presence heavier. Something clearly changed.

There’s a quote where people argue is proof that he’s cocky. “I want to be the best in the world. The depth of your desires is nowhere near mine.”
People hear arrogance. I hear hunger. But that doesn’t make him cocky. It shows his ambition. He doesn't just want to be good he wants to be the best. He had a passion turned into a wildfire that he was willing to let consume him.

People love to paint Sae as the cold, cruel older brother. A lot of people say Sae is mean because of how he acts towards Rin. But that’s not really fair. He doesn't hate his younger brother. In fact I’d argue he cares about Rin in his own way. He didn’t want Rin to live in his shadow or play just to catch up to him. He wanted Rin to find his own reason to play soccer.

That’s not cruelty that's respect.

And ironically, Sae pushing Rin away probably helped Rin build his own ego something essential in bluelock. That pain drove him forward.

What’s also interesting is how opposite the Itoshi brothers are. Sae's playstyle is described as “beautiful,” while Rin's is described as “destructive.” They reflect two sides of genius creation and destruction.

Despite everything we know about Sae as a player and as Rin’s brother, we still know very little about Sae Itoshi as a person. We know what he’s become, but not what broke him. What really happened in Spain? Why did he give up on being a striker? What changed him?

Which is why he frustrates the hell out of me sometimes.

Like, I don’t hate him - I actually like his character a lot but bro. He’s supposed to be the smartest Robin. The one who can piece together a villain’s master plan from a coffee stain and a loose thread. So why can’t he figure out his OWN sexuality? How are you out here solving mysteries across Gotham but can’t solve the one happening inside your own head?

He does eventually get there, and that’s great. But the journey just felt so... slow. Especially for someone who’s usually ten steps ahead of everyone else.

He’s not only one of the best Robins, he’s one of the most complete heroes(vigilante) in the DC Universe. Considering he has no actual super powers he’s amazing.

He’s also an incredible leader, he’s led the Teen Titans, stepped into Batman’s shoes (literally and figuratively), and even guided the Justice League. He’s one of the best Robins, but the truth is, he’s even better when he’s Nightwing.

Nightwing wasn’t just a new name it was the birth of a new chapter for him. Dick Grayson chose the name “Nightwing” because of Superman. He’s honestly the best mix of Batman and Superman.

The real beauty of Dick Grayson, though, is that he’s everything Bruce Wayne could have been if he had let go of the pain and embraced the possibility of hope (get over his parents death).

In the end, Nightwing is the proof that the brightest lights often come from the darkest places. He’s a symbol that no matter how broken you are, there’s always a way to rise stronger, better, and fully yourself.