Blue Lock season 2's most hyped scene gets overshadowed in a comparison with Uma Musume

Since its release in the Fall 2024 season, Blue Lock season 2 has been the talk of the Internet, though not for good reasons. The anime was scrutinized by the majority of fans for its poor animation. Fans worldwide bashed Studio 8bit for failing to do justice to the highly anticipated U-20 arc of the Blue Lock manga.

That said, one particular moment in the anime that fans on social media collectively agreed on was the saving grace of the entire Blue Lock season 2 — Isagi Yoichi's final goal against the Japan U-20 team, which secured the Blue Lock Eleven's victory.

While there's no denying that Studio 8bit did a surprisingly fantastic job at bringing this scene to life, it got completely overshadowed by a recent comparison on social media to one of the Uma Musume anime's most enthralling scenes.

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Blue Lock season 2's most hyped-up scene couldn't stand against Uma Musume's animation quality

It's safe to say that Blue Lock season 2 was one of the Fall 2024 season's biggest disappointments. Following the success of a captivating first season, the anime adaptation of Blue Lock garnered a massive fanbase, raising the hype and anticipation for its second season.

Blue Lock season 2 was set to adapt arguably the best arc in the manga, i.e., the U-20 arc. As such, fans had extremely high expectations from Studio 8bit. Unfortunately, Blue Lock season 2 fell abnormally short of its expectations and was widely criticized for its poor animation quality.

Fans on social media even claimed that the animation of Blue Lock season 2 felt like a PowerPoint presentation. Such criticism is undoubtedly harsh, but they weren't without reason.

It was eventually claimed that all these issues with Blue Lock's animation were due to significant production problems at the studio, including tight deadlines, budget constraints, and overworked animators. These allegedly led to a considerable lack of movement, frequent still frames, and cuts to animation quality to meet production schedules.

Isagi Yoichi as seen in Blue Lock (image via Studio 8bit)

Martin Reyes, an animator who worked on the project, claimed this information. In a now-viral TikTok video, he shared the details of the events that transpired during the production of Blue Lock's second season.

He claimed many animators were underpaid and had to work under immense pressure to meet deadlines. A report on social media even claimed that a single animator had to work on an entire episode alone. This resulted in the creation of a rushed and abysmal product.

That said, the second season of Blue Lock had one saving grace: the final episode, which met expectations and delivered a surprisingly decent adaptation of the U-20 arc's conclusion.

One of the episode's highlights was Isagi Yoichi's exhilarating final goal against the Japan U-20 team, which secured the Blue Lock Eleven's victory. In the eyes of many, this moment redeemed the entire second season of the anime.

However, recent comparisons to the Uma Musume anime by fans online took the spotlight away from Blue Lock season 2's highlight. This made fans realize that even the best episode of the anime's second season didn't compare to Uma Musume's animation quality.

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How fans reacted to the comparison between Blue Lock season 2 and Uma Musume

As mentioned, the comparison between Blue Lock's second season and Uma Musume deeply overshadowed the former anime's most hyped-up scene. To make things worse, some people even compared the two anime side-by-side, which added to Blue Lock's embarrassment.

"I haven’t seen blue lock but honestly based off that clip idk how people watch that ngl", said one fan.

"Ngl, I’ve never watched either anime. But watching this clip, I forgot the Blue Lock clip was even playing. The Umamusume clip captured me.", said another.

"The sheer difference in animation of Blue Lock and Uma Musume should be studied because why this horsegirl racing anime got me locked in more with their running", one fan claimed.

While many wasted no time critiquing the animation quality of Blue Lock's second season, some tried to justify it. Meanwhile, others praised Uma Musume's breathtaking animation.

"Doesn’t everyone say this is the only good scene of the season?", one fan asked.

"Okay now this is ticking me off, the Blue Lock scene looks FINE, it’s perfectly fine and I personally remember that fondly cuz I liked the change in art style, not everything needs to be over animated", said one fan.

"The Umamusume clip gave me goosebumps", another chimed in.

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Final thoughts

While it's undeniable that Blue Lock season 2 had poor animation quality, fans should consider the terrible work schedule that the animators had to face while working on the project. As for Uma Musume, it remains one of the most detailed and exceptionally animated series of all time.

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