Two years after the release of Season 1 of soccer anime BLUELOCK, season two will finally air this coming October. Manga illustrator Yusuke Nomura drew and posted new art to commemorate the announcement.

A relatively new addition to the sports anime/manga genre, BLUELOCK is growing in popularity and won Kodansha’s Best Shounen Manga award back in 2021. The animated film for the spinoff manga BLUELOCK-Episode Nagi- ranked No 2 at the Japanese box office on its opening weekend, and is set to premiere next month on June 28 in North America.

As the English publisher and distributer Kodansha USA describes:

After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan’s team struggles to regroup. But what’s missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match…and to do so, they’ve gathered 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team…and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?

Trailer for Season 1: