The official website of the anime film "BLUELOCK -Episode Nagi-", based on the football manga "Blue Lock" created by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yūsuke Nomura, revealed in a video on Sunday that the movie will make its debut in Japan on April 19.
The returning cast and creative team are introduced in the film. Shunsuke Ishikawa, assistant director in the anime series, takes the helm as the director at 8-Bit. Taku Kishimoto (Haikyu!!, Silver Spoon, 2019 Fruits Basket) oversees and writes the scripts, while Kaneshiro oversees the plot. Nomura is credited as the character designer, and Jun Murayama is composing the soundtrack.
The stars leading the film include Nobunaga Shimazaki as Seishirō Nagi, Yuma Uchida as Reo Mikage, Kazuyuki Okitsu as Zantetsu Tsurugi, Kazuki Ura as Yoichi Isagi, Tasuku Kaito as Meguru Bachira, Yuki Ono as Rensuke Kunigami, Soma Saito as Hyoma Chigiri, Kouki Uchiyama as Rin Itoshi, Hiroshi Kamiya as Jinpachi Ego, and Subaru Kimura as Ryō Nameoka.
The derivative manga focuses on Seishirō Nagi before his entry into the iconic Blue Lock facilities. Kodansha USA Publishing announced in October that it will publish the derivative manga in print format in the fall of 2024.
Kodansha USA Publishing releases both the original "Blue Lock" manga in English digitally and in print. The story follows the Japanese football team, which, after a devastating defeat in the 2018 World Cup, seeks to rebuild. The Japan Football Union is determined to create a star forward who can turn the tide of a lost game, gathering the top 300 players in Japan and young talents. The question is: who will emerge to lead the team and overcome all obstacles with strength and determination?
Kaneshiro and Nomura launched the manga in Weekly Shōnen magazine in August 2018. The anime adaptation, "BLUELOCK TV," premiered in Japan in October 2022.
