Season two of Blue Lock has become a controversial topic within the anime community, not for the thrilling soccer action it promised, but for its noticeable decline in animation quality. The sports anime, which debuted with great success in its first season, has left fans disappointed after its fall return. This time around, Blue Lock’s stiff art style and static animation have raised concerns, prompting one animator to speak out about the troubled production.
Animator EVAKOI, who worked on season one of the anime, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their dismay over the situation. In a candid post, the animator described the state of the series as “very sad” and expressed frustration over the difficult working conditions that led to the subpar animation in the current season.
“Blue Lock’s situation is no longer funny; it’s very sad,” EVAKOI wrote. “I personally know many animators working on the new episodes, and most of them are very skilled, some even excellent.” The animator’s comments suggest that the staff’s talents are not the issue—rather, it is the larger structural and scheduling problems at the production level that are to blame.
Production Struggles and Unrealized Potential
EVAKOI went on to explain that, although animators were still producing quality work, time constraints and a lack of resources severely limited their ability to deliver the animation expected by fans. “In the first season, I worked on an episode where we had similar issues with the schedule. I remember making several layout cuts with movement, nothing extreme, but those were later transformed into stills,” EVAKOI recalled. “The focus was on production, not the quality of the animation, because there simply wasn’t enough time or manpower to handle the later stages.”
The animator urged fans to refrain from directing their anger toward animators or mocking their efforts, noting that the individuals responsible for the animation quality are doing the best they can under difficult circumstances. “They know how to draw and animate well, but they just don’t have the opportunity to do so,” EVAKOI stated. “So, all your concerns should be directed at Kodansha and the Blue Lock production committee.”
A Pattern of Issues: Animator Martin Reyes Speaks Out
EVAKOI’s frustrations echo similar complaints from animator Martin Reyes, who worked on Blue Lock season two before choosing to leave the project. Reyes, who worked on one episode, described a deteriorating production environment as deadlines grew tighter. “At first, things went fine, but problems started to surface as the episodes neared completion,” Reyes explained. “I don’t blame the person who worked on my cuts, but many of my animations were eliminated in the final edit. All the movement was cut, leaving a final product I couldn’t feel proud of.”
Reyes pointed out that these issues stemmed from the production committee’s focus on profits rather than the well-being of the workers. “The production committee took on the project with profit in mind, but didn’t care about the conditions animators were facing,” he said. “Once I completed my work on episode two, I decided to leave. I didn’t want to continue contributing to a project that was headed toward disaster.”
Executive Decisions Under Fire
The grievances shared by both animators underscore a broader issue with the higher-ups in the Blue Lock production chain. Rather than problems stemming from the animators themselves, the blame appears to lie squarely with the executives and the production committee, who set the tight schedules and overlooked the needs of the creative staff.
With both EVAKOI and Reyes speaking out, it is becoming increasingly clear that the animators were doing their best under difficult conditions. As Blue Lock gears up for potential future seasons, these ongoing production issues will need to be addressed if the series hopes to regain the animation quality that made its first season such a success.
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