Summary
- Nagi Seishiro initially had little interest in competing until being discovered by Reo Mikage for his talent in soccer.
- Nagi's exceptional ball control and ability to make scoring opportunities from challenging situations make him stand out.
- After joining Manshine City, Nagi shifted his focus to seeking greatness independently, pushing his limits further.
In competitive sports, players are fueled by hunger, discipline, and a mighty need to win, but sometimes a player pops up who just appears to be effortlessly talented, standing in stark contrast to the norm.
Throughout Blue Lock, Nagi Seishiro embodies such a player-a genius whose skills really shine despite his overall indifferent nature. Talent paired with his indifference is what has made him one of the more interesting characters in the series.
Blue Lock: Aryu Jyubei’s Style and How It Reflects His Game Performance
Aryu’s obsession with glamour extends to his performance, where he uses his height and skill to turn soccer into an art form
Nagi Seishiro's Awakening
Reo Talks Nagi Into Playing Soccer
Until soccer came into his life, Nagi had little interest in competing and expelling energy in events. He liked being laid-back and indulging in mobile games and such passive hobbies. His life, however, took a complete U-turn after the entry of Reo Mikage, a dedicated soccer player from an affluent family. Reo discovered Nagi's hidden talent and convinced him to join the infamous project Blue Lock that aimed at creating Japan's top striker.
The passion and ambition of Reo pushed Nagi to participate in the Blue Lock project. Considering Nagi was slightly resistant to this, he soon proved to be very talented in this respect and was almost able to manage and manipulate the ball with ease-a great surprise to everybody around him in a way that felt monstrous to others. During his first introduction, even Isagi called him a "monster".
Nagi's Friendship with Reo Mikage
Unstoppable Duo
One of the leading relationships that Nagi has on his journey is with his friend Reo Mikage. Since day one, Reo has thought of Nagi as the perfect partner on the field due to Nagi's gifted talent. Coming from an elite family, Reo is fueled with an ambition to be the greatest striker in the world; he put time and effort into training and developing Nagi's potential. In Blue Lock, the duo were deadly, with Reo serving as the tactical leader and playmaker, while Nagi served as the brilliant finisher.
Of course, their collaboration had its downs too: when Nagi developed a taste for soccer and went ahead to cultivate some personal ambition, fights broke out. After all, Nagi's gradual path towards independence posed a threat to the stability of the two's relationship, as Reo had set things up from the very start so that the two would rise to greatness together. Eventually, Nagi's journey of self-improvement moved him further and further away from Reo, pitting both characters against one another in terms of goals and relationship.
Nagi Seishiro's Skills and Weapon
Nagi Seishiro’s signature skill lies in his exceptional ball control. His first touch is nearly flawless; Nagi can stop and play passes that most other players wouldn't even dare try to tackle. This ability to receive and control the ball in difficult situations often gives him much of an advantageous edge in fast-paced and unpredictable matches. His agility, combined with his height, combines well and makes him versatile enough to operate both on the ground and in aerial situations.
Nagi's ability in Blue Lock is his incredible skill at making a scoring opportunity from what looks impossible. He is creative and can adapt to the field, enabling him to convert any difficult passes into a potentially scoring moment. That makes him unpredictable and dangerous to other defenders because they can never predict his actions. Be it trapping the ball in midair or pulling off an instinctive turn, Nagi's skillset is second to none regarding fluidity and mastery over the ball.
The Lazy Genius's Arsenal
- Trapping: Nagi's trapping skills allowed him to retain possession of the ball in almost any situation. From the toe traps, heel traps, and even up to his back, Nagi managed to make any kind of pass that seemed impossible turn into an opportunity for a score. His traps create space so he can maneuver past defenders with ease.
- Trap Shot: A common factor in Nagi's style of play is that he can kill the velocity of the ball and immediately align a shot. Many times, he scores from impossible angles and positions.
- Flawless Ball Control: Nagi's ball control is impeccable. He can trap the ball with any part of his body and play the toughest moves with finesse. One of his most surreal abilities to date is how he can manage to stop a midair ball and control it with precision, even under pressure.
- First Touch Pass: Nagi's first touch isn't about control; it's about creating an opportunity. He can manipulate the ball into dangerous areas immediately after receiving it, setting up teammates for success. This particular skill comes in very handy when Nagi is working with skilled players like Isagi or Reo.
- Creative Trap: Nagi has this special trapping skill where he is able to easily flick the ball over defenders or round them. It is termed a creative trap and, as such, starts attacking with the option of confusing an opponent.
- Black Hole Trap: Given space, Nagi could use this skill to trap the ball in midair, kill the momentum, and would have ample time to set up his next move without being hurried by the defenders.
- Hand Spin Breakdance Shot: The showy trick involves Nagi faking a shot in midair, trapping the ball, and then using his hand on the ground to lift himself up with momentum for a volley shot. This is probably the most spectacularly looking play in his repertoire.
- Zero Reset Turn: While being highly pressed by multiple defenders, Nagi can turn with the ball, charging up while turning in one movement to reset the pace.
- Flow State: Nagi tapped into the idea of "Flow", which meant entering a state of complete focus and immersion, one of the Blue Lock project's main goals, where he was fully integrated into the game. He hasn't perfected that exact concept since then. The best and most outstanding flow stunt Nagi pulled off was his Two Stage Fake-Volley Shot in the rematch between the teams of Isagi and Rin, shocking to both friends and foes alike.
- Five-Shot Revolver Fake Volley: The strongest move Nagi can pull off, juggles midair as he dodges defenders, and finishes with a high-powered shot that even the strongest of players cannot anticipate or stop. It is one of those goals that is so impressive that even Ego said it could not be recreated again.
What Happened After The U-20 Match?
Nagi Joining Manshine City Along With Reo
Since the fateful and intense match against the U-20 Japan team, a different perspective has dawned on Nagi. Having enjoyed soccer a lot, Nagi was no longer content with playing just for fun. Nagi started to seek greatness at his own pace, and it was this ambition that now drove him to push the limits even further. Later, Nagi joined Manshine City, one of the teams in the Neo-Egoist League, after the U-20 match. This was a career-shifting move for Nagi, and this marked the beginning of training with players and coaches of international caliber. Under Chris Prince, a world-class standard forward, Nagi began further honing his skills with more perfected ball control, increased speed, and insight into the game. His time at Manshine City taught Nagi to start blossoming independently of Reo.
However, throughout the matches, they mostly suffered losses due to the most overarching concern with this team, the development phase that the core of their offense was going through. Nagi lacks the drive to be creative beyond a point when he needed other people in order for him to excel. This lack of imagination trickles down to the other members of the squad because they are mostly designed around supporting Nagi-which not everyone can do-and their countermeasures become increasingly predictable as time goes on. But it can only go uphill from here, and fans can only wish they gave the lazy genius his well-deserved spotlight.
That being said, we have yet to truly witness Nagi's true potential in the anime. However, as of the more recent chapters in the Blue Lock manga, Nagi has started to fall off as the center focus but still remains one of the most intriguing and unpredictable characters. In fact, Nagi's change in character development from a disinterested genius to a driven player is probably testimony to how Blue Lock pushes its players to discover their potential. Nagi is full of potential in this series, and his creative genius and ever-evolving ambition might just push him to the top of the soccer world. In the future, Nagi's growth as a player and a person will be the driving force in the development of the Blue Lock project. He has greatly influenced his teammates and rivals so far; definitely, he'll go further to make sure that Nagi Seishiro becomes greater.
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2024
- Directors
- Tetsuaki Watanabe, Shunsuke Ishikawa
- Writers
- Taku Kishimoto
Cast
-
Ricco Fajardo -
Drew Breedlove
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on Muneyuki Kaneshiro's soccer manga, Blue Lock revolves around a program to develop a world-class Japanese striker. Just about qualifying, Isagi has to face off against the nation's best young talents and survive selections, while constantly growing as a player.
