His masterplan to lead Japan to stardom is Blue Lock, a training regimen designed to create the world's greatest egotistic striker.

Yoichi Isagi, an unknown high school football player who is conflicted about his playing style, decides to join the program to become the best striker in the world.

Written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura [ja], Blue Lock started in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine on August 1, 2018.

[23] In January 2021, Kodansha USA announced that they had licensed the manga for English digital release in North America, starting on March 16, 2021.

[2] The series' first season ran for 24 episodes from October 9, 2022, to March 26, 2023, on TV Asahi's NUMAnimation [ja] programming block.

[36][14] Titled vs. U-20 Japan, the season aired from October 5 to December 28, 2024, on TV Asahi's brand new IMAnimation [ja] block.

The cast included Ryōhei Takenaka as Yoichi Isagi, Nobunaga Satō as Meguru Bachira, Shōta Matsuda as Rensuke Kunigami, and Ryō Saeki as Hyōma Chigiri.

[55][13] A third play, subtitled 3rd Stage, ran on August 9–12, 2024, at the Higashi-Osaka Cultural Creation Hall Dream House Great Hall and on August 17–25 at Tokyo's Theater H. The new cast members including Ryono Kusachi, Gaku Matsuda, Kosuke Asuma, and Kairi Miura.

[57] A smartphone game based on the series, titled Blue Lock: Blaze Battle, was released on March 1, 2024 for both iOS and Android devices.

[58][59][60] Another smartphone game, titled Blue Lock Project: World Champion, was released in English for both iOS and Android devices on April 23, 2024.

'Blue Lock: Before the Fight, We are Aryu, Barō, Yukimiya'), penned by Momo Moegi and Yusuke Nomura, was published on July 17, 2024.

[85] The series was recommended by manga author Hajime Isayama of Attack on Titan fame, for whom Yusuke Nomura previously worked as an assistant.

[86] Blue Lock was one of the Top 3 Sports Manga Series of the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2020" by Honya Club.

Silverman praised its art, noting Tite Kubo's overtones, and concluded that while the first two volumes are not perfect, there is enough going to make her want to read more.

Dong praised the action scenes, noting that these plays are a "genuine thrill to watch", although she felt there are times when the consistency and quality dip.

However, the games are interesting, filled with their own storylines, and each match showcases new and unique strikers with their own style and narrative they bring to the story.

The writer described the animation, noting that "it has moments, but with players moving around the field playing a game of soccer, it's not always clean and crisp."

[94] Rafael Motamayor of IGN compared the show to 2021's Squid Game while describing it as "a fairly typical sports anime."