#nel arc

I have so many thoughts and feelings about both of these ships and how similar they are, it's driving me crazy. So I'm gonna spit it all out here into the void, because I don't see enough people talking about these ships together.

So, let's start with the easy stuff. Isagi Yoichi and Michael Kaiser. What lovely little foils these two are. When they first meet, Kaiser thinks of Isagi as nothing more than another ant to crush. An overeager, dime a dozen, promising striker that will fail to live up to his potential after being beaten into the ground. At the same time, Isagi is looking for his next target. Now, he's not as loud about it as Kaiser is, of course, but even if Kaiser hadn't come in and immediately zeroed in on Isagi, they would have been tied together regardless. Through the whole manga, you've seen Isagi trying to level up to become the world's best striker. How does he do that? By picking the strongest person in the room and "devouring" them. Kira, Barou, Nagi, Rin, all of them were at one point the strongest player Isagi had ever met, before he beat them. Not to mention that high that Isagi started getting way back when in the First Selection.

Now, with that being said, there is of course a huge difference between how they both go about crushing their victims. Kaiser's approach is more about complete desolation, while Isagi's actually tends to be more inspirational. Again, you see this in the manga over and over as the opponents that Isagi beats, tend to stick around, and just get pushed to try harder next time. Niko, Barou, Nagi, all of them were inspired to do more after their loss. Even Rin begrudgingly acknowledged that Isagi had pushed him to try harder.

But that's another topic for another void rant. Let's move onto the two I never see anyone talking about together. My boys, my loves, my geniuses, my CAMs:

Bachira Meguru and Alexis Ness.

"But, wait!" You say. "Bachira is a striker!" Yes, yes, he can still be a striker for Barcha, but if Isagi is on the team, he's going to be the CAM. And even before Blue Lock, he was giving out exceptional passes and trying to make plays. The players on his team just couldn't keep up with them or the plays he was trying to create, leaving him to having to do everything alone.

So. Ness and Bachira. Let's talk about them. They have strangely similar childhoods; both lonely, both creating imaginary worlds to escape from that loneliness, finding solace when they discover soccer. And then. Then, they both get their one chance to chase their dreams, and they find there a kindred spirit. Someone with whom they can share the joys of playing soccer with.

And they latch onto these people. Because, for the first time in their lives, they don't feel alone anymore.

Now, here's where I think it gets really interesting. Because Ness was groomed by Kaiser, intrinsically tying their egos together. And I think that Bachira and Isagi would have become very, very similar to them if the 2nd Selection didn't happen.

By the time 2nd Selection rolls around in Blue Lock, Bachira has fully decided to commit to playing with Isagi, even going so far as to immediately assume that they will form a new team. Of course Isagi goes along with it, because they're boyfriends, and when they go up against the Top 3 and Rin, Bachira is the one who is taken with no guarantee that Isagi will be able to make it through to steal him back. This time apart, coupled with the game in which they have to play against each other, forces Bachira to have to choose what he wants his ego to be. And in this, he chooses to rely on himself.

Which I think mirrors Ness' own growth during the PXG game....

Ness specifically chooses to change, to grow. And while yes he is still hoping it is Kaiser who receives the pass, this is him finally coming into his own as a player. He chose to showcase his own abilities rather than dilute them for Kaiser's sake, therefore awakening his true ego.

I think moving forward we are going to see Kaiser and Ness as more equals, more in the same vein that Bachira and Isagi are currently. I'm really looking forward to their return together in the manga.

So I've noticed in the discussions that a lot of people are upset with Nagi's development in the latest chapter but tbh I actually really liked the realizations he was coming to? Like, considering the plot and especially his whole thing he had been exploring throughout the whole NEL arc, his thought process made sense to me and I actually appreciated the way his story is going

it's essentially not different at all.

how many ways can you really say, yes, he has spatial awareness?

we GET it. He can see behind his head.

the main problem for me is that meta vision and analyzing the field end up being VERY long and pointless dialogue explaining Isagi's every muscle twitch.

which we already got too much of. so it's just heaping on extra.

it's really boring, plus, here's the other dirty secret.

Barcha was fine, because it was 9 chapters, and it was mostly just Bachira and Otoya and Lavinho getting to shine. These are fairly likable characters (quirky, you know?), even if they get brushed over.

Manshine was really good, because while it was long-ish, it was exciting because Nagi is always fun to see, since his goals are insane, PLUS he and Reo "fixed" their beef during the match, which was something to get you emotionally invested in Nagi's success.

Plus, Chigiri vs. Kaiser was epic, since we all love Chigiri, and can root for him to beat this smarmy little prick.

Chigiri, Nagi, and Reo have had the most development, since they've been with us from first selection, and are in general, very relatable/interesting people. They have emotional depth. They kept us very invested.

But then you get to Ubers, and it's like...

I like Barou, ok? I think he's great. I didn't like him originally, but being humbled by Isagi made him a pretty good character in my book...

But he can't carry that match alone.

Look at the cast, man.

I'm sorry, but Aryu? A shallow character who can be funny here and there, but has largely lost relevance? Niko, a guy with no backstory, who has always been just a pale imitation of Isagi AND who can't stop yapping too?

Aiku, who was interesting originally, but barely gets to do anything in this match which was SUPPOSED TO BE about how good Ubers is at defense?

I also personally don't like Sendou, although I know some people do (he's too het for me). Not really sure what his character traits are, besides him wanting to date a Hollywood actress.

These are like, the surface level characters.

They don't have the rich history of Nagi and Reo. They don't have the character depth of Bachira or the realism of Chigiri, nor the sympathy that those two characters evoke.

These are like, just opponents Isagi has to surpass.

Like the other characters technically are too, but, at least they felt more personal. These guys, nah.

Now I did like Lorenzo, the ace eater. He's a very interesting idea... but he does lose his relevance, and become nonexistent, the way every character does in these matches.

And Barou, I mean... I like the guy, but something was just missing for me...him changing the plan was...kinda whatever to me. It somehow felt like it went on too long, while also happening way too fast... and that's been all of NEL for me.

And that's the other issue, besides the characters.

The pacing of NEL is pretty bad.

Barcha was super short, and Manshine wasn't so bad until the end... but Ubers is where the drag happens.

Just so much dialogue. No emotional investment, just rambling about where isagi's foot was five minutes ago.

That's the biggest issue, ok?

It always is. You can't expect an audience to care, if you don't give them characters to root for.

Isagi was such a prick during Manshine, that I was starting to dislike him. But Ubers was where he started to feel like he was never going to lose again.

So that's where he became really unlikable to me during this arc...and then we get to Ubers, where he's like a god, and it's like ok... a god who can do no wrong, against characters we don't care about?

great.

why should i care

so you have my condolences, anon.

all i can really say is, get through it.

speed read it if you must. god knows i did.

the only emotional moment in that match is related to Hiori, but it unfortunately is dragged out way too long, and it makes no fucking sense.

plus it's nothing we haven't already seen before?

And it sucks, because I LIKE Hiori. I WISH he had better development...but as he is, he feels kind of flat.

He's just a guy who passes to Isagi, same as Kurona.

so yeah.

i can at least promise that the next match is slightly better. there's more emotional moments, at least.

but it's too fucking long (it's still ongoing) AND worse -

it crams SO MUCH into the match, that you WILL be hoping to die by the halfway mark...so...yeah.

I love Blue Lock, but... this arc, man.

It's been awful.