Which Anime Influenced The Japanese Team Jersey For FIFA World Cup 2022?

Following Germany’s devastating 2-1 loss to the Japanese squad at the FIFA World Cup 2022, anime fans have taken over social media. ‘Blue Lock’ is one of the top fandoms in this movement. People are starting to recall that the Japanese team’s shirt was created in partnership with the artists of ‘Blue Lock’ and ‘Giant Killing,’ which adds to the intrigue. 

Although ‘Blue Lock’ takes a more radical stance than the other manga, both focus on football and have similar goals of revolutionizing the sport. The illustrators of the two series worked together to create various posters with recognizable characters after contributing to the creation of the classic blue jersey with an origami pattern. 

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Japanese Football Team Wore Clothes Featuring ‘Blue Lock’ And ‘Giant Killing’ 

While ‘Blue Lock’ is written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura. ‘Giant Killing‘ is illustrated by Tsujitomo and written by Masaya Tsunamoto. Tsujimoto and Nomura, who both contributed to the shirt, acknowledged their delight in being a part of the endeavor. 

Adidas, the sponsor, explained the procedure in a marketing video posted on their YouTube page. Tsujimoto further explained that they loved the concept of the blue shirt and white pants worn by the Japanese team during the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany for the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. 

Both franchises’ characters have worn this shirt on the covers of special editions. Isagi Yoichi, the main character in ‘Blue Lock,’ may be seen wearing this jersey at the front of chapter 186. Both mangas hope to inspire a national passion for the sport through this effort, much like Haikyuu did for volleyball. 

What Did The Illustrators Think About This? 

Yusuke Nomura, the illustrator of ‘Blue Lock,’ said, “I hope that this project will serve as an entry point for people to become familiar with the sport. I would be very happy if many people got interested in soccer through Blue Lock.” 

Before Japan defeated Germany, the football world didn’t really pay much attention to Japanese football. Despite Gundogan’s goal from a penalty in the 33rd minute. Japan was able to tie the score in the second half thanks to Ritsu Doan’s goal in the 75th. The game-winning goal for his country was then scored in the 87th minute by Takuma Asano. 

Japan, is mostly renowned as the birthplace of anime. It is usually made fun of by sports enthusiasts for its fantastical portrayal of reality in sports anime or manga. However, this collaboration between the cartoonists and the national football team has revealed a more gratifying relationship. Along with the increased interest in the game among anime viewers, football fans are beginning to engage with the anime and manga community. It should be obvious that this change has been heavily impacted by ‘Blue Lock’ and ‘Giant Killing’ both. 

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