Blue Lock’s second season ended on December 28, 2024, and while the hype was real, the animation was not exactly what fans expected.
A lot of people complained that the anime felt more like manga panels moving instead of actual animation. Some even called it just still frames with minimal motion.
Even with these issues, most episodes still managed to score above 8 on IMDB. But the complaints did not stop, and a lot of fans kept calling out the studio for dropping the ball on animation quality.
What Went Wrong With Blue Lock’s Animation?
During all this, an animator from the second season, Martin Reyes, stepped up to explain what really happened.
He worked on the second episode and shared how things went behind the scenes. He was originally assigned to work on five episodes, but after finishing Episode 2, he decided to leave.
According to him, the biggest problem wasn’t the animators, it was the production system. He said that he and other animators put in the work, but their original animations did not even make it to the final cut.
Many frames were removed, movement was cut down, and some scenes were completely changed. This was not because of the animators, but because of the way production committees handle these projects.
He mentioned that studios like Eight Bit, just like what happened with Jujutsu Kaisen’s production, are being pushed to deliver content fast without proper time or pay for animators. The final result ends up looking rushed, and the people working on it don’t even feel proud of their work.
But despite all this, Blue Lock Season 3 is not canceled, and Eight Bit has not shut down. The third season, which will cover the Neo Egoist League, was teased at the end of Episode 14.
There is also going to be a Blue Lock panel at Anime Japan in March 2025, so that is where we will probably get the official announcement.
Why Are There Rumors About Blue Lock’s Studio Shutting Down?
There have been rumors going around that Blue Lock’s animation studio, Eight Bit is shutting down. But it is all just a misunderstanding
A US-based outsourcing studio, Tonari Animation, shut down due to financial problems. Tonari worked on many famous Anime Projects, including Black Clover, One Piece, and Blue Lock.
Tonari’s founder, Jarrett Martin confirmed that the studio completely shut down because they could not keep up financially.
Now, here is where the confusion starts. Tonari did work on Blue Lock Season 1, helping with Episodes 3 and 9, but they had zero involvement in Season 2. Still, some people are using Tonari shutting down as clickbait to make it seem like Eight Bit is closing too, which is not true at all.
Eight Bit is still handling everything related to Blue Lock and will most likely continue working on Season 3 as well.
Final Words
A lot of anime studios get overworked because production committees only care about finishing on time and making money. Animators do not get enough time or proper pay so the quality suffers in the end.
Even if the animators are really good the final product still ends up looking rushed. A lot of scenes get downgraded movement gets cut and what we see on screen is way different from what was originally animated. This is also why some anime get canceled and some studios shut down.
But even with these issues, Blue Lock managed to stay popular, all thanks to its loyal fanbase.
