The BLUE LOCK live action movie brings the hugely popular soccer manga to the big screen, with its cast determined to honor the original work while showing audiences what can only be achieved through live action.
Fumiya Takahashi, who stars as protagonist Yoichi Isagi, joined Kaito Sakurai as Meguru Bachira, Kyohei Takahashi of Naniwa Danshi as Hyoma Chigiri, and Kota Nomura as Rensuke Kunigami for an interview about the film, which is now playing in theaters in Japan.
Live action BLUE LOCK movie, now playing in theaters. From left: Kota Nomura, Kaito Sakurai, Fumiya Takahashi, and Kyohei Takahashi. Photo by Natsuki Matsuo. ©ORICON NewS inc.
The four actors, who took on the challenge of adapting a manga series with more than 60 million copies in circulation, spoke about their deep respect for the original work and the determination they brought to the production.
Taking on the World of BLUE LOCK
BLUE LOCK is set around the Blue Lock project, launched by the Japan Football Union to develop a striker capable of leading Japan to victory at the World Cup.
Three hundred high school forwards from across Japan are brought together to compete in a fierce survival contest in which they fight to remain in the program.
All four actors were already familiar with the original manga or TV anime before being cast in the film.
Fumiya Takahashi recalled that he first discovered BLUE LOCK through the anime.
“I originally got into the series through the TV anime,” he said.
He received the offer to appear in the movie while he was still watching the anime and immediately bought the original manga afterward.
“With sports stories, because there is so much movement, I often find the anime more entertaining. But the BLUE LOCK manga was genuinely fascinating, and the artwork had incredible power.”
That appreciation also strengthened his resolve when it came to portraying the series in live action.
“I knew there would definitely be areas where live action could not compete with the unique impact and intensity of the manga. The only people who could bridge that gap were us, the actors. Of course, I had to make the character my own, but when it came to the movement, the soccer, and the facial expressions, I approached the role wanting to respect the original work as much as possible while showing the appeal that only live action can deliver.”
Kaito Sakurai: “Everyone Had an Incredible Level of Passion”
Kaito Sakurai similarly recalled how seriously everyone involved in the production approached the source material.
“I think everyone involved in this project had read the original manga thoroughly. That is how passionate everyone was,” Sakurai said.
“We wanted to incorporate as much information as possible from the manga and TV anime. Even when something was not written in the script, we valued details such as noticing that a character was making a particular movement in the background of the original scene and deciding that we should try doing the same thing.”
Yoichi Isagi and Meguru Bachira ©Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura/Kodansha ©CK WORKS
Kyohei Takahashi Was Already a Chigiri Fan
Kyohei Takahashi revealed that he had already read the manga and watched the TV anime before being cast.
“Of all the characters, Chigiri was my favorite. I never imagined that I would actually get to play him, so I was genuinely happy.”
Precisely because he loved the series so much, however, he also felt considerable pressure over how far he could go in bringing the character to life.
“I had no soccer experience, so rather than shooting, what I found difficult was figuring out how to express the smaller movements when facing an opponent and how to handle the ball.”
Hyoma Chigiri (left) ©Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura/Kodansha ©CK WORKS
Kota Nomura Watched Kunigami Scenes Around 100 Times
Kota Nomura had also watched the TV anime before joining the film. After being cast as Rensuke Kunigami, he read the manga extensively while repeatedly returning to the anime for reference.
“I think I watched the scenes where Kunigami speaks around 100 times. I listened to the voice actor’s delivery over and over and tried to incorporate elements of it. I also wanted to make his victory pose as close to the manga and anime as possible, so I would stand in front of a mirror and practice it again and again while shouting, ‘All right!’”
Fumiya Takahashi, who witnessed Nomura’s dedication firsthand, confirmed just how closely he studied the original work.
Rensuke Kunigami (left) ©Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura/Kodansha ©CK WORKS
“Kota really was constantly looking at the after they were over too.”
Nomura added, “I even asked Fumiya, ‘What do you think of this victory pose?’ I filmed it from all kinds of angles and had him look at every one.”
The other cast members laughed as they recalled, “He kept practicing and shouting ‘All right!’ the whole time. He was so loud.”
The Production Staff Shared the Cast’s Respect for the Manga
That love for the original BLUE LOCK was not limited to the actors.
According to Fumiya Takahashi, dozens of reference sheets were prepared on set for the scenes being filmed each day, placing the screenplay alongside corresponding panels from the original manga.
“When I saw them on the first day of filming, I really felt how much the staff respected the original work. Instead of simply explaining verbally, ‘This is the kind of shot we want,’ they would place the original manga panels alongside the material and share them with us. Because the staff approached the production that way, it naturally made us want to get even closer to the original.”
The BLUE LOCK live action movie was created with the cast drawing inspiration from the original manga, the TV anime, and the passion of the entire production team.
While carrying the pressure that comes with adapting such a popular series, the four actors’ comments reveal a production in which cast and staff worked together with deep respect for thef BLUE LOCK
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