BLUE LOCK

Sports anime isn't really my thing for some reason, but I watched this because my friend is obsessed with it. It's completely carried by the soundtrack and edgy story, but it manages to be a fun and not boring kind of edgy. Who needs animation when you can just overlay a graphic or switch to a visual? I swear these visuals are better animated than the actual soccer scenes, and some visuals and graphics have the unnecessary element of added text that isn't character names. For season one: Never before have I seen something ping pong between insane visual depictions of inner thoughts and awful animation with 3D character models, which is saved by that edgy plot. It also feels really gay most of the time, so considering it doomed yaoi is really entertaining. For season 2: It's really a shame that Bandai Namco is unable to get its act together when managing anime production. Studio Eight Bit had no time to make decent animation, and you can clearly see the impact of this. The bad 3d models are back, but this time intercut with normal animation that has completely static characters, where they either don't move or slide across the screen. It also feels like there is an overreliance on visuals that cut away from the soccer. There are moments with lines on the screen to simulate fast motion or high energy, but that's still a result of having no time. Even if I'm not really the biggest fan of the lower detail animation style showcased in one sequence of the season finale, I won't deny that it does still look pretty good and a thousand times better than the rest of the anime. It would have been so cool to see Blue Lock have fluid scenes like that, especially if the visuals were to be hyperdetailed. Unfortunately, that is not the reality we live in, and I'm placing the blame for this on Bandai Namco because of their track record. One Punch Man is one of the lowest-rated anime ever because of poor animation after six years of production. However, Reincarnated as a Slime seems to be taking up most of their schedule and budget. Also weirdly, seemingly pointless projects like Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon look decent. Bandai Namco seems only focused on established brands, yet OPM and Blue Lock ARE established brands. Plus, the fact that Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon has decent production quality for what is most likely a seasonal throwaway that only generated hype because of the absurd, long full title shows probable mismanagement.