The recently released chapter has received a positive reception, but one comment caught my attention.
King0fKitchens:
‘Please put your protagonist in a different group that actually challenges him and helps him improve, because there’s nothing to learn from Isagi’s group.
It’s like putting Sae or Loki on Team Z from the start and expecting them to develop…
It doesn’t make sense and it’s a waste of time and potential to put him in a group with Yukimiya, Rin, Shidou, Otoya, Karasu, etc., who would make your protagonist grow, because he doesn’t have his own philosophy, and that’s something only the other five best players can teach him, playing with them and learning their habits, to then play against the five best in the world at the end.
Damn, your story had so much potential, now it seems wasted and just like 99.99999% of the Blue Lock fanfics around here.
I wish you luck on your journey as a writer.’
I could see your concern and I understand it perfectly; it was expected that someone would say that, but I didn’t want them to.
They’re somewhat insecure, and I have conflicts with myself about it several times.
But let’s go, I’ll give the same answer I gave him.
Group Z only has Hiori as a known character.
Besides that, the other players will really challenge him, because I want it to be challenging.
Although it seems easy at the beginning of the match, it will get difficult because the players will evolve and they aren’t that weak either.
The MC himself isn’t at 100%.
His S-rank attributes and his “Technique” weapon are good, but that’s not enough to beat Rin or Shidou, nor does he easily beat Karasu or Otoya during the first or second selection rounds.
He still has his own philosophy and ego to figure out.
I agree that it would be a waste to leave him in strong groups, so I only put him with Hiori, because he’ll be necessary for both the MC and Hiori.
However, he’s not overpowered; he’s only good because he has a strong and cohesive foundation that fuels his abilities, but that’s far from being the MC’s main weapon.
That was my answer, and I’ll elaborate a bit more to help.
1.
Are physical stats in S a problem?
Answer: No, they are not.
Even though in terms of parameters MC is comparable to Kaiser from NEL, there are differences.
Main weapon, experience, and stability.
MC (Haise Sasaki) has little minimum experience when compared to Kaiser or even Rin before the U-20 match; Rin had already won numerous championships.
MC hasn’t won a single championship because he only started playing soccer a year ago and trained for that entire time for the championship.
Regarding the main weapon, it has already been stated that [Technique] is not the MC’s main weapon, but rather a byproduct of the main weapon that is currently locked.
The lack of a main weapon means that the MC doesn’t have such a solid base, relying on his physicality and advanced techniques as a temporary solid foundation, which in itself is not enough to match other Blue Lock players who have weapons as their base and strength.
He is on a dividing line between the best in Blue Lock and the average players, this during the first selection and until the end of the second selection according to my plans.
The MC is not invincible, nor is he overpowered; he will evolve during the matches just like the others, and he will face difficulties like anyone else.
2.
Will the MC have a strong team?
Is it Team Z from the manga/anime?
No, as seen in the previous chapter, the only competent member of the MC’s team is Hiori, essentially two characters as the focus.
Why not more? This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Because that would be problematic.
King0fKitchens is right about including characters like Karasu, Rin, or Shidou with him.
It doesn’t make sense and is a waste of time and potential.
And no, it’s Team Z from a different stratum.
As everyone knows, there are 5 strata in BLUE LOCK, with teams from V to Z.
Furthermore, Isagi’s team is useless to have there; Isagi’s stratum only has weak characters compared to the MC, so I placed him in a stronger stratum that I could imagine while remaining consistent with the original material.
3.
Is the MC at NEL level?
Yes and no, yes in terms of physique and no in Weapon, Philosophy, Ego, Experience, and IQ in soccer.
What the MC has is a dream and his [Technique], that’s all.
Nothing beyond that, because I say with complete certainty that the MC is not capable of awakening his ego, discovering his philosophy or weapon, or having an IQ level on par with Isagi, Rin, or Kaiser.
He has a good IQ that allows him to see plays and intercept them, or interpret plays, but he can’t read the big picture, something that Isagi and Rin, from the second selection onwards, are literally at the top of the Blue Lock in this regard.
Another thing to note, despite his NEL physique, his lack of experience limits his use; relying solely on his reflexes, instincts, and creativity, he manages to do a few things here and there.
That’s all for now, I think.
I probably forgot a point he made.
Leave your questions or doubts in the comments, and I’ll try to answer them.
The next chapter will be out tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.