4 Years Later, Netflix Is Finally Streaming Controversial Sports Anime

As the exciting April 2026 draws near its end, Netflix is all set for its May calendar. The platform will be returning with another set of new releases and, most of all, the return of some of the biggest anime ever. As the first month of the Spring 2026 anime season, April brought in several new shows on the platform, including Gintama creator’s Dandelion and the second season of Dorohedoro. While May doesn’t have any new confirmed series, the platform is bringing some of the best shows of all time. Shortly before April ends, the platform begins streaming the first season of Blue Lock. The anime premiered in October 2022, following the manga debut in 2018. The manga has over 50 million copies in circulation worldwide and even won the 45th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shonen category in 2021, along with receiving several praises from critics and fans alike.

In 2023, after gaining fame from the anime debut, Blue Lock became the best-selling manga of the year, surpassing the popularity of Shonen Jump hits such as Jujutsu Kaisen and One Piece in that particular year. The manga series, written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura, is still releasing weekly chapters in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine. Netflix began streaming the first season of the anime on April 25th, making no announcement of the controversial second season.

What Is Blue Lock About?

The story follows Isagi Yoichi, who was about to score a goal that could’ve sent his high school soccer team to the nationals. Unfortunately, the decision to pass the ball to his teammate cost him the match, making him wonder if things could’ve been different if he hadn’t trusted that teammate. While dealing with the disappointment, he returns to see an invitation from the Japan Football Union. Isagi happens to be one of the 300 U-18 strikers chosen for a sketchy and controversial project named Blue Lock.

The candidates are chosen through an arbitrary and biased decision-making process. The goal of the project is to turn one of the players into the star striker for the Japanese national team, which is why they all compete against one another. The candidates go through a series of solo and team competitions as they aim for the top. While there are questions about the morality of the project, Isagi doesn’t hesitate to accept the offer, hoping to fight his way to the top by crushing the 299 aspiring young strikers.

The second season aired in 2024 and sparked massive controversy due to the animation. Despite Blue Lock‘s popularity, Season 2 received one of the worst animations. The animation by Studio 8bit was criticized for having minimal dynamic movement, and it was mostly with character images sliding across the screen instead of fluidly interacting. Amid the controversy, an animator revealed the production issues and tight schedules, which led to such a disappointing adaptation. The anime has also been confirmed for a third season, but its release window has yet to be revealed.

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