Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s Blue Lock has taken the anime world by storm, and some believe that the series is destined to be the next big thing in the sports genre. The smooth one-two passes, epic duels between two players who are equally striving to become the greatest egoists in the world, and the ability to convert goals have made it a go-to choice among football fans.
The series took a ton of criticism under its name, where many called out the show for presenting subpar animation, which made the fans question if this was the same show that made them fall in love with it. However, the gripping storyline of the series has kept its viewers close, who continue to watch how the story unfolds.
Interestingly, the random has an interesting take; they ardently believe that Kaneshiro-Sensei’s magnum opus was heavily inspired by Shaolin Soccer. Fans have stood by their word as they shared a clip on Reddit, claiming the evergreen film to be the original Blue Lock.
Blue Lock Faces Tough Competition From Shaolin Soccer In Terms of Originality
Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer has grown to be one of the most beloved action comedy sports films in the history of cinema. The flick has been a major hit since 2001, grossing a total of $42.7 million at the worldwide box office via The Numbers.
The film is iconic and features some of the best and most visually exhilarating cinema, which has been beautifully sewn together. Thus, bringing together the best of martial arts and the love for the beautiful game, leaving a lasting impression on the viewers as they keep returning to the film.
This made the anime fans feel that the series is what a live-action anime sports flick would be like. Thus, many believe it to be the original Blue Lock that was released on the big screen ages ago rather than the anime masterpiece.
The 2001 movie did not follow official FIFA regulations, showcasing only one rule – that the ball must be kicked into the net to be considered a goal. The players would jump high into the air, doing acrobatic moves, before they kicked the ball hard enough to catch fire that dug a hole into the ground as it moved towards the goal.
Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s Blue Lock follows a similar path, where it showcases a different take on football, where they defenestrate the idea of team play and prioritize selfish play to become the best striker in Japan. However, when a fan shared a clip on Reddit claiming Chow’s film to be the original film that has overshadowed the anime, fans came forward to share their opinion.
The Otaku Community Reacts to Shaolin Soccer Being the “Original Blue Lock”
The film has elevated itself to a film that has overcome the test of time and has cemented its legacy in the film industry. Hence, when a Reddit user uploaded a post in the subreddit r/BlueLock with the in-video caption “Shaolin Soccer is the original Blue Lock.“
The Otaku community resonated with the same thought, where they felt that the instances featured in the film were better than the ones in the anime. Some even feel that the film shadowed the anime in terms of the moves featured throughout the film. They commented,
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Nevertheless, the anime overcame the backlash in its recent episode, where the internet praised the series for making a comeback in the animation department, where the producer once explained why it was so mediocre in the second season of the anime.
Blue Lock can be streamed on Hulu.
Shaolin Soccer can be rented on Apple TV.
