u/Accomplished_Eye7802

At first, I felt a bit annoyed with Karasu. I couldn’t really understand why he wanted to switch positions with Isagi and take over as the one controlling the team. So I went back and reread the chapters where he appears, both in the main story and in Episode Nagi, and I realized he’s a more interesting character than I thought.

He has a very high level of self awareness, and he’s known since he was a kid that he’s just… mediocre. But because he was bullied by his friends, instead of trying to improve himself, he chose to hide that mediocrity. He was afraid people would see it, afraid of getting hurt again. So he started observing other people’s weaknesses and using them to push others down below him. That habit of labeling people as “ordinary ” or “not” wasn’t really about them, it was something he created to hide his own mediocrity.

And even though, at this point, you could say he’s no longer mediocre, considering how sharp his analytical ability is, I think Ego could still see right through him. That might be why he ended up ranked the lowest and became the Oni in the tag game.

The reason Karasu can’t become Isagi, in my opinion, is because he’s never truly loved himself. Not only does he look down on others, he also looks down on himself. Even in chapter 342, it’s mentioned that he doesn’t like his own calm personality, even though it’s actually one of his strengths.

Overall, he’s just someone mediocre… who wants to be seen. He wants a place, he wants to matter on the field, even though he doesn’t even take interest in himself. He keeps thinking he has to sacrifice himself just to be noticed. He never chooses to take high risk, high reward bets, because he doesn’t believe he can pull them off. But when it comes to others, people he sees as more interesting than him, he believes they definitely can.

In the end, I find him more pitiful than hateable.
I just want him to learn how to love himself more… and be able to stand on the same field as Isagi.

Note: As of now, my coach has followed Blue Lock up to Volume 38 (Chapter 338). He doesn’t read it weekly.

At first, I asked him to rank them based on skill, but he said he couldn’t do that because it’s quite ambiguous and could be influenced by bias. So instead, he ranked them based on the idea of who he would choose if he were building a team himself.

Since he doesn’t have much time, he will only explain the top two tiers.

- Players he would definitely pick in every match (irreplaceable)

1. Itoshi Rin: He said Rin is a very well-rounded striker with no particular weaknesses, so there’s no reason not to start him.
2. Isagi Yoichi: He said Isagi can play as a second striker or an attacking midfielder. He described him as an intelligent player with excellent link-up ability, and said having him in the team increases the number of options for everyone.
3. Itoshi Sae: He said Sae is the main playmaker with outstanding dribbling and passing, and that he can score as well. Just like his younger brother, he said there’s no reason not to start him.
4. Karasu Tabito: He said Karasu is a very composed CDM with strong leadership and excellent ball retention. He explained that Karasu helps connect the defense and attack smoothly, and that without him, the midfield would be easily broken through. He also added that he doesn’t understand why some people say Karasu would be replaced by Sae, since Karasu is a key player and they play completely different roles.
5. Oliver Aiku: He said Aiku has both a strong physique and excellent game-reading ability, and that he would definitely be his first choice in defense.
6. Gagamaru Gin: He said Gagamaru has great reflexes, but his average save rate is about one save per game, except for the match against U-20 Japan. He commented that while this looks impressive in Blue Lock, it’s fairly average from his perspective. He added that the only reason Gagamaru is in this tier is because Fukaku hasn’t shown enough to prove he can replace him.

- Players he is very likely to pick (replaceable)

1. Nagi Seishiro: He said Nagi’s ball control is incredible, and that he can function as both a playmaker and a forward, similar to Isagi. However, he mentioned that Nagi is not very consistent.
2. Bachira Meguru: He said Bachira’s dribbling allows him to carry the ball forward with ease. However, he explained that Bachira can be replaced by Yukimiya depending on what the team needs. If the team needs better passing, he would choose Bachira; if it needs better finishing, he would choose Yukimiya. Overall, he said he would usually pick Bachira because their finishing ability is not very different, but Bachira’s passing is clearly superior.
3. Chigiri Hyoma: He said Chigiri is extremely fast and has very good crosses, and that he can play as a fullback or a winger. However, he mentioned that Chigiri can be replaced by Kurona if the team needs more playmaking. He also pointed out that Chigiri has some stamina issues, so using him as a substitute in the middle of the game could be a good option.
4. Reo Mikage: He said Reo is a well-rounded and versatile player who can be used in almost any position. However, since he doesn’t excel in one extreme area, he said Reo is not absolutely necessary in every match like the players in the tier above. He added that Reo would likely play in every game, but might start on the bench in some matches.
5. Aryu Jyubei: He said Aryu doesn’t do much on the field, but his height (195 cm) and long limbs make him more useful than Niko. He explained that just by standing in front of the goal, Aryu can block shooting angles. He also said that if the formation uses two center-backs, Aryu would usually be his second choice after Aiku.