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Blue Lock is trending on Twitter after Japan pulled off a shocking upset against Spain in the World Cup today. For those unaware, Blue Lock is a sports anime that recently started gaining traction.
Series creator Muneyuki Kaneshiro is clearly a fan of football, since the plot revolves around Japan's comeback after the 2018 World Cup. Of course, reality is often stranger than fiction.
Japan had already surprised everybody in the World Cup after they defeated Germany in the first round of the group stage. They somehow did it again in today's matchup with Spain. Unsurprisingly, social media users couldn't help but make further comparisons to Blue Lock.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.
Blue Lock trends yet again after Japan pulls off another upset in World Cup 2022
Japan pulls off a shocking upset against Spain in the World Cup
Betting odds heavily favored Spain in this matchup. Álvaro Morata scored the first goal within the 11th minute, putting even more pressure on Japan. However, that all changed in the second half. Japanese winger Ritsu Doan made a strong comeback in the 48th minute with a splendid goal.
Three minutes later, right before the ball went out of bounds, winger Kaoru Mitoma just barely managed to kick it towards midfielder Ao Tanaka. The assist resulted in another goal for Japan. After a few minutes of checking the VAR footage, FIFA officials allowed it to go through.
Needless to say, it proved to be a decisive moment in the World Cup tournament. By the end of the match, Japan beat Span 2-1 in the group stage. Both teams have qualified for the next rounds. Of course, anime fans on social media couldn't help but make comparisons to Blue Lock.
"Blue Lock is Real" trends on Twitter minutes after the game
Blue Lock is best described as a psychological thriller. Only the strongest players will reach their full potential. Nonetheless, the national Japanese team embodied that fighting spirit in their most recent game. Ao Tanaka truly became main protagonist Yoichi Isagi with the second goal.
Japan's performance in the World Cup 2022 has drawn a lot of attention to Blue Lock. Now that it's trending on Twitter once again, manga sales can be expected to rise over its newfound popularity. The Crunchyroll website might also get a few more hits for people looking to watch the anime.
Speaking of anime, My Hero Academia fans couldn't help but notice Tanaka's point was very similar to All Might's in a climactic scene. Anime comparisons will always be drawn when comparing the national Japanese football team, considering the medium is extremely popular over there.
Spain and Germany were previous World Cup winners in 2010 and 2014, respectively. For this exact reason, most viewers expected them to advance to the knockout stage fairly easily. Instead, Japan defeated both teams and sent Germany packing.
Without a doubt, Muneyuki Kaneshiro would be very proud of his country's performance. Nobody could've expected Japan to get this far against such legendary titans on the field.
Indeed, the country stood tall in the Group E rankings, having placed first with six points. Japan really shocked everybody with how good they were playing. Sometimes the real world can match the excitement of anime.
As long as Japan continues to get far in this heated tournament, viewers can expect Blue Lock to keep trending on Twitter. Japan will face previous runner-ups Croatia on December 5, 2022.
Blue Lock fans can only look forward to another special illustration
Series illustrator Yusuke Nomura is definitely watching the World Cup with fierce intensity. In fact, he even drew a celebratory sketch after scoring a victory over Germany in the group stage. There is a very strong possibility that he could always sketch another drawing after Japan's win against Spain.
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