King Barou experiences his peasant donkey arc, forcing him into awakening. Nagi and Isagi completely dominate the field against Reo, Kunigami, and Princess Chigiri.
Check out Last Week’s Episode Review.
Blue Lock Episode 17 & 18 Review
King Barou Awakening
They say that we have to hit our lowest point to experience the greatest amount of change, and boy did Barou look pathetic these past two episodes. I was actually laughing out loud at the former king rolling around in the grass on the ground like a peasant, desperately reaching for the ball.
Who knew the chemical reaction for Isagi’s team would be simply outdoing each other?
It’s funny, Nagi and Isagi work so well together because their playstyles are similar. Isagi can adapt on a dime and Nagi can basically do anything on the field to make their chemical reaction count. In order to get a rise out of Barou, they literally had to gang up on him, and bully the bully into taking action.
That’s really something though – through what looks like middle school all the way to high school nobody could challenge Barou? This guy has really been bulldozing everybody out of the way without recoil for that long? I don’t even fully think it was Isagi’s plays that brought Barou to his knees, but his ego buckling over the fact that a “donkey” was one-upping him.
Don’t get me wrong – Isagi was absolutely magnificent in this game. Using spatial awareness and reading where player’s eyes go was the icing on his already OP special weapons. Setting up plays solely to utilize his direct shot while bruising Barou’s ego forced this man to awaken…a dribbling technique.
Barou, the guy who refuses to pass the ball…awakened a special technique focused on dribbling across the field. The sheer irony is simply far too hilarious.
Ego’s Take on Dream Doping
I really liked Ego’s explanation of ‘dream doping’. It gives more insight into why Blue Lock Project is so harsh and competitive to its players.
In my last review I forgot to mention it, but during the investor meeting Anri and Ego were questioned about creating a genius. Ego gave a great explanation of why Japanese soccer players rarely make it big on the international stage: they don’t push themselves enough.
Barou is a player that would fit into this category.
Due to the “constraints of Japanese society” most players were initially intimidated by his aggressive and domineering playstyle. Instead, everybody has fallen in line behind him his whole life – making Barou believe that he is a king on the field sent to solely crush other’s dreams and careers. So, when Isagi – a player who could serve as a proxy for a foreigner or international player – went toe to toe with Barou, he buckled.
Barou almost decided to quick soccer, rather than adapt, change, and pass the ball.
If Barou had been overseas, the shame and humiliation at losing face coupled with the inability or desire to improve would be excused by “social and cultural differences” between the countries. Barou would then be popular in his home league but never evolve further than what he is now.
Ego wants to change that – by breaking the mindset of Japanese youths to embrace the hunger and desire to win they feel, rather than suppress it as society dictates. Instead of lying to yourself and making your unattainable dream into chasing your unattainable dream, you are forced in BL Project to either make it once or give up. There are no do-overs, just like in real life.
Ego may seem like a maniac at times, but I really think he’s onto something here.
Anyway, tell me your thoughts.
Would Barou have suffered from dream doping without a defeat from Isagi?
Who will Team Isagi pick as their fourth member?
And…Is Reo done being the jealous, vindictive ex-boyfriend now? ☺
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