History Recap / BlueLockInvitationToBlueLock

Meanwhile, Isagi is seen playing in a high-school football qualifier match where his Team Ichinan faces off against Team Matsukaze Kukuo to reach Nationals. In the final minutes down 0-1, Isagi has the ball driving to tie the game up, and stands before the goal. However, Isagi believing in teamwork causes him to pass at the last second to his teammate, Tada Tomonari, who ends up missing the shot at the goal. Matsukaze Kukuo then gets the ball back, which their star player, Ryousuke Kira, goes down and scores against Ichinan. As a result, Team Ichinan ends up losing to Team Matsukaze Kukuo 0-2.

Meanwhile, Isagi is seen playing in a high-school football qualifier match where his Team Ichinan faces off against Team Matsukaze Kukuo to reach Nationals. In the final minutes down 0-1, Isagi had the ball driving to tie the game up, and stands before the goal. However, Isagi believing in teamwork causes him to pass at the last second to his teammate, Tada Tomonari, who ends up missing the shot at the goal. Matsukaze Kukuo then gets the ball back, which their star player, Ryousuke Kira, goes down and scores against Ichinan. As a result, Team Ichinan ends up losing to Team Matsukaze Kukuo 0-2.

Meanwhile, Isagi is seen playing in a high-school football qualifier match between his Team Ichinan faces off against Team Matsukaze Kukuo to reach Nationals. In the final minutes down 0-1, Isagi had the ball driving to tie the game up, and stands before the goal. However, Isagi believing in teamwork causes him to pass at the last second to his teammate, Tada Tomonari, who ends up missing the shot at the goal. Matsukaze Kukuo then gets the ball back, which their star player, Ryousuke Kira, goes down and scores against Ichinan. As a result, Team Ichinan ends up losing to Team Matsukaze Kukuo 0-2.

A starting narration is provided that in the world of football, it's possible to forge elite goalkeepers, defenders, and midfielders. However, first-rate strikers are those who appear at the most critical moments. The story then begins shortly after Japan's National Football Team had lost in the 16th Round of the 2018 World Cup. The Japan Football Association (JFA) holds a meeting regarding the future development of their program, which its newest member, Anri Teieri, desires to form a new plan. The JFA's President Hirotoshi Buratsuta shows lack of interest since football is just business, and feels that no change is necessary since they're already bringing in good enough profits, which leaves the rest of the board satisfied. However, Anri makes it clear that this attitude will never win Japan a World Cup, and that it's her dream to finally see Japan at the top. Thus, she introduces the board to Jinpachi Ego, the new coach that will build the foundations of the current national team.

Meanwhile, a National High School Football Qualifier is going on. In the Saitama Prefecture Finals where the winning team goes on to Nationals, the Matsukaze Kokuo football team is currently leading against Ichinan 1-0. The main character, Yoichi Isagi, is introduced playing as the 2nd-year foward for Ichinan. In the final minutes of the game, Isagi manages to drive past everyone and has a shot at the goal. However, instead of having the confidence to just take the shot himself, he passes it off to a teammate believing it to be a team sport. The result is his teammate missing by hitting the goal post. The ball is then passed to Matsukaze Kokuo's star 2nd-year forward, Ryosuke Kira, who goes down and scores; resulting in Matsukaze Kokuo winning 2-0, and earning the right to play for Japan's U-18 National Team. As Kira is interviewed being the winning star, Isagi's Ichinan coach wishes his team better luck next year, and bids the 3rd-year graduates farewell.

Isagi rides his bike home disappointed that he failed at living up to his dream of one day becoming a pro football player. With only one year left before graduating high school, Isagi regrets not being the one to kick the tying goal. He tries to assure himself that he shouldn't take what-ifs into account, but he still breaks down into tears knowing that he really wanted to win. Upon arriving home, Isagi's parents show him a letter sent to him by the JFA, which upon reading it, Isagi is surprised to find that he's been selected for something called the Player Improvement Project. Some time after, Isagi arrives at the building of Japan's Football Union, which he's surprised to see Kira arriving as well having also been scouted by the JFA. After Kira acknowledges Isagi as a player with potential, the two of them enter the Union building only to find hundreds of other scouted students waiting inside. Recognizing many familiar faces, Isagi catches on that many of them appear to be forwards.

Taking the stage, Jinpachi Ego greets the 300 strikers under the age of 18 that he's chosen, and explains that it's his job to make Japan capable of winning the World Cup. He further explains that his goal is to forge the best striker amongst the 300 he's chosen using a certain project. Said project being Blue Lock. Using the massive television screen behind him, Ego shows off Blue Lock as a massive pentagon-shaped facility that his 300 strikers will live their lives within to take part in his training regime. He then ends with a final statement that the 1 striker who survives Blue Lock and outlasts the other 299 will have become the best striker in the world. Everyone is stunned silent at the idea until Kira disagrees with Ego at the idea of throwing away their team just for themselves. The other strikers begin to show disagreement as well, which leaves Ego dissatisfied at the state of Japan's up-and-coming players. He orders everyone to get lost if they're truly satisfied with just being the champion of a shithole country rather than being known as the best striker in the world.

Ego's explanation continues that while it's true that Japan is the best country when it comes to footballs organizational skills, they're still just second-rate at everything else. He calls his 300 strikers out for believing in bonds and teammates while claiming that what Japan lacks is what football is at its core. That the best player is the one who scores the most goals at the expense of one's teammates. Like everyone else, Isagi is unable to understand what Ego is saying, which an enraged Kira finds it insulting that Ego's calling out Japan's National Team, who've gotten as far as they have thanks to team play. However, Ego just calls them trash as they have yet to actually win a World Cup while his goal aims to become the best in the world. Ego then starts bringing up quotes of famous revolutionary strikers: Noel Noa, Eric Cantona, and Pele, who despite saying awful things like placing themselves over others, they could say such things because they were the best. That what Japan's football lacks compared to them is extraordinary "egoism." Ego makes it clear to his 300 strikers that they will never become the greatest striker in the world without an ego to match.

Isagi thinks to himself that what Ego is saying must be wrong as no one has ever told him the theme of throwing away one's teammates for themselves. He deems such a path impossible as he's just a random no-name striker. Continuing on, Ego calls for his 300 strikers to think of the scenario where they're playing an important game watched by 80,000 spectators. The score is tied 0-0, and down to the final seconds. The last play is the ball carrier in front of the goal, but also has the option to pass to a nearby teammate. Instead of passing, the ball carrier lets their ego take over, and takes the shot themselves as all of Japan's hope rests on their shoulders. Suddenly, a gate opens behind Ego, which he calls for his 300 strikers to step in if they desire to have that rebellious "egoism." He gives them one final reminder to throw away common sense, and think of everyone else as support as football is a sport designed around developing strikers.

Isagi thinks over how he's already failed following the method of passing the ball in the critical moment, and becomes highly interested in following along. Ego continues his speech by reminding them all that strikers live for the excitement of scoring points and nothing else, and asks if they all agree. Isagi admits that the man before him is changing his fate as his ego kicks in desiring to be a striker. Thus, Isagi is the first to start running towards the gate, which results in everyone else charging forward as well. Ego gives off a smile as he watches everyone charge past him through the gate. Another narration is provided as a reminder that while it's possible to forge elite goalkeepers, defenders, and midfielders, first-rate strikers are those who appear at the most critical moments. Ego is left alone in the entrance room as all 300 strikers had decided to participate. Anri appears next to Ego ready to follow along with whatever he orders knowing that Japan's future resides in the chosen 300 strikers. Ego reminds her that they're sacrificing 299 players for this, but the benefit is that Blue Lock will create for them a true striker that stands above all others. He then asks Anri to come along as football's most critical moment is about to begin.

The 1st StoryArc of the ''Blue Lock'' manga series, which centers on the main character, Isagi, and 299 other high-school Japanese football strikers, being invited to take part in the Blue Lock training program. The program is run by an innovative football coach, Jinpachi Ego, who puts one's ego over playing as a team, which the goal of the program is for one egotistical striker to come out of Blue Lock as the best in the world, and will go on to lead Japan to win the World Cup.

The 1st StoryArc of the ''Blue Lock'' manga series, which centers on the main character, Isagi, and 299 other high-school Japanese football strikers being invited to take part in the Blue Lock training program in order to become the best striker in the world that will one day lead Japan to win the World Cup.

The 1st StoryArc of the ''Blue Lock'' manga series, which centers on the main character, Isagi, and 299 other high-school Japanese football strikers being invited to take part in the Blue Lock training program in order to become the best striker in the world that will one day lead Japan to win the World Cup. It makes up chapter 1 of the series.