u/Kirihgat0

As per a request, here’s an analysis on an element within “A Stepmother’s Märchen” that I believe deserves some attention and exploration. I will be using a very prevalent dynamic within the story to showcase this element; that has been very vital for the very trajectory the story has always followed.

Shuri von Neuschwanstein was given a duty that came with the role she had been given within the house she adopted the name of. I will be exploring what shape this duty to the name of Neuschwanstein takes, and how it ties back to the 2 most important figures in her life. Without further ado, here is an analysis on the very first chapter. However I will naturally allude to elements that appear upwards to chapter 100, so spoilers be warned.

The story of A Stepmother’s Märchen opens with a sequence this very analysis is predicated on. We are exposed to the circumstances and views that are normal to our protagonist, alongside with the immediate long-/shorterm goals she holds. The abnormality that is Johannes von Neuschwanstein turns the entire trajectory of the story on its head.

Her Nomal

The Abnormal

He is the first connection that ties our protagonist towards understanding what it means to be involved in the world where people give and take. To give and take is to measure what comes out of the very transaction someone is subject to. Yes. Subject to. No matter how many laws, codes of conducts or even norms are instilled into human beings, everyone is forced into this rule of “give and take” – even children.

We see this within an exchange that is presumably between herself and her mother – she is asked to do better, to specifically move her hands quicker. Her own mother is measuring her child's performance based on either past experiences or the current self who is raising our young protagonist. To measure what she can give, so that she can reasonably speaking, take.

Performance

This moment is difficult to see in a positive light. While many may agree that some negative reinforcement can lead towards positive results, that is less than ideal. We see this expressed within her brother Lucas von Ighöfer here, and in the future. Who exhibits many unsavoury qualities as a man from that era. Those qualities can naturally be traced back from how he was raised. He was smarter than our protagonist all things considered.

He knew his place, and knew when to wonder, but not to ask questions. Yet our protagonist who at this stage was but a kid, who wondered and asked, but planned. Yet when she was told by her mother to move her hands quicker, she did not ask why, we do not even see her wonder. What is important is that she has no voice, internally nor externally.

Until she was found with a friend, an equal ally, most importantly a companion. What can be seen here is how they are willing to ponder, rationalise and verbalise how they will enter the world of give and take. However as noted; even children are subject to this rule of give and take – what makes the abnormal Johannes special amongst the presented figures? He saw what we did. Her.

He was listenig

It is that he is not just subject to, but has embarked on a quest to give and take himself. To measure his worth and that of others. So when does such a quest begin? When does someone know they are ready to embark?

The funny thing is.

They don't.

It's purely by sheer chance that someone is ready and immediately enters the world they are preparing for. A parent is supposed to guide, ask and engage with their child, yet her own mother does not. She never peers into what Johannes has installed for Shuri. She eagerly sends her child away and does not wonder why she protested. She made a mistake in the eyes of the story. Unlike our Stepmother Shuri, she lost what could ever connect her with her own daughter. To wonder, to ask and finally to plan together. To see.

No caution in the face of greed

She failed her duty as a mother, and did not prepare her daughter for what is to come. Luckily, Shuri was dumb. Unlike her brother, in the eyes of her mother, one can assume that she was inept and that is exactly what made her survive for so long. She retained dearly what was supposed to be discarded.

To now dispel an idea that may have settled but has not been clear – our protagonist is not dumb. She in actuality is quite adept at reasoning, yet lacks the capacity to act on what she had not seen. Her mother, her family, made a choice but they did not plan. They assumed that the position their youngest would hold would benefit them.

He was truly measuring her worth

Johannes came with a plan, a plan no one could truly measure, yet in contrast the Ighöfer’s had none and there was nothing to be measured. They were, completely so, taken advantage of by someone who is truly adept at giving and taking. Is it unfair? Yes. However, they always have the opportunity to adapt, but they never did. They sat and waited, they saw but never acted.

Following these events, Shuri swears to never talk about beans again. The beginnings of her plans and what they will grow to become. This is where the well had begun to be poisoned. Johannes asks Shuri something important following this, to climb stairs that she sees no end to. She is asked to commit to something but is unable to measure the distance she has to travel. Yet he believes in her, for reasons that should become more and more clear.

She begins to hide her visions for the future, closing her heart ever so slightly

We see her ask, but there was no plan, no vision

He saw what no one else could, yet hardship is never perfectly measured

Her quality, her ability to perform is now being put to a test. The twins ask her twice how she could be so weak? She could only be fake – be fraudulent. To further add to this, a prank of little consequence was initiated by the second oldest, she lost her composure, the single most important quality found when making decisions. No matter the pain, grief or even in sadness one must not waver but remain steadfast.

And steadfast she is, for duty came naturally to her - Unfortunately so

Even when something new comes she doesn't yield - Unfortunately so

Lastly, the reason for why she even took on this deal. Her integrity is being questioned. Challenged by the eldest who cannot help but embody the doubts that can be found within this family. What exists behind performance, and duty. Jeremy von Neuschwanstein is asking why he was not burdened with the responsibility of looking after his own father. For his father should know that he cares. He felt like he was ready, but as said, it rarely comes to you when you ask for it.

The passing of the torch.

This element takes so many shapes and forms within this story, some may bond over a shared experience with this element, some may resent each other for having either experienced the same way or in different ways, and finally for having not experienced it at all.

We see this from how Johannes passes the opportunity towards the youngest two, who passes it towards the second eldest and how the second eldest passes to the eldest. The duty to challenge who will become their mother and whether she is even worthy. Whether she can perform the duty of becoming their mother. It is unfair. Why must she prove it? It is because they don't know.

In fact, we see that she had wondered whether or not she’d be capable of this feat. To close the gap between herself and those supposedly closest to her – her companions, her new found family. It seemed far more insurmountable than those endless flights of stairs.

A duty she could seemingly never perform which seals their fate

Johannes gave Shuri his torch, for what she has that the children could learn from. From where she succeeded and from where she failed. However, where does that leave the eldest? The eldest who hears but only the whispers of those who cannot do anything but sit and wait, with their very integrity being compromised? Jeremey von Neuschwanstein is not ready. Not now.

There was no vision for him, only doubts clouded his judgment

Responsibility, which asks humans to perform duties that we are not always aware of, which can only be measured by the guilt that the children felt once the dust had already settled, will always reap what it asked for. Oftentimes, in the form of tragedy. Which she mostly evades, for everyone but herself. A feat Johannes himself could presumably not guarantee.

Guilt often times come late

That is the gift that lies within Shuri von Neuschwanstein: her life will never be easy, even when she is given a second chance. Maybe it's another life? Maybe it was a premonition in the form of a dream? Maybe foresight so great it could only be called clairvoyance? Who knows, but what can be said for certain is that in the world where give and take is the sole measurement humans can place their trust in people, but also find themselves most wary of at the same time – Shuri von Neuschwanstein must rise to the occasion and avoid tragedy. For the sake of the unjust duty she was given and asked to perform.

To stop remaining dormant, and grow

She will always preserve but it is not certain whether it will lead her to her own demise. Survival is never truly on her mind. Performance is the sole quality that is left, which will leave her with nothing. In the absence of performance and duty, who is Shuri von Neuschwanstein? She could only be not human, an evil power hungry fiend, a witch that must be slain. A mistake in human form, unjustly born, unjustly raised and unjustly slain.

Taken down by her greatest evil, misdeeds - by her own mistakes

She will pass the torch when the time is right, and hopefully unlike her predecessor and the protagonist we saw in the future, maybe this time, she can give Jeremy von Neuschwanstein a torch that is given at the right moment, so that he too can move ahead and meet the world. And so that she can too, can be someone beyond the idea of duty and succeed her predecessor who was a woman beyond just her duty to care.

Hopefully this post was an enjoyable read with me presenting the crux this story is built upon from the very first chapter alone. While it feels incomplete for now, I will expand on the foundation in the future. One of the most well executed first chapters I have ever had the pleasure of reading and revisiting after every arc, Shuri von Neuschwanstein survives, and builds who she is as a person. I hope she can find her happiness past all the hardships unlike her predecessor.

Spoilers for following Chapters: C44; C49; C93; C118; C124; C143-144; C151; C157; C80; C146; 157; C196; C251; C273

This time I would like to dive deeply into a perspective that goes extremely unnoticed within one of Blue Lock's most prominent characters, and in service of the story as a whole. His responses are exceptionally key to understanding from which various directions the many characters of the story are coming from.

Itoshi Rin is, strangely enough, Blue Lock's eldest brother. The brother who has the most expectations placed upon him – the expectation of success for his brothers and himself. To be the trailblazer for his younger siblings, to succeed him, and make something of themselves.

I would like to use Itoshi Rin, and to a lesser extent his relationship with his elder brother, as the core for this analysis and this theme. This also means I can reintroduce this theme with nearly every single Blue Locker that I might even use for this very analysis – presenting their perspectives with his being strongly rejection.

Without further ado, the question this time is:

“Is rejection really the end all be all”

Starting from an important point with the introduction of both Itoshi Rin and us the audience to Blue Lock as a story. This relationship is very important for us to make, first, before we do anything else. I. Rin is introduced to us with his aloof demeanor, this aloofness is not only directed towards the present characters, but to us the audience as well.

We, the audience, have had, presumably, a constant investment in the story up to the stage where Itoshi Rin was first introduced – with I. Rin’s lack of interest in not only the characters, but the environment we find ourselves invested in; he stands there as a sort of challenge questioning our reasons for our investment in this small scale project – this story. 

Left C44 / Middle C44 / Right C49

This institution is nothing really to him, and by extension this entire story we have been following for 40 chapters is whatever. What Isagi had achieved, what team Z survived through and what Ego has been spewing is inconsequential. Whatever they may try to do, it is of little consequence to him.

To justify why he feels this way, the story shows us directly why with his competitive ability – which far exceeds that of any player within this facility at that moment. Making his entire outlook on why he is in here fundamentally different. Meanwhile the story also shows us indirectly a different kind of justification in how its technological advancements are presented, the fate-like prestige from other nations, or even simple perspectives from characters unaffiliated with Blue Lock – beyond characters such as Kira Ryosuke who are still Japanese.

Blue Lock is not simply the sole technologically advancing institution with the existence of VR, AR and greater advancements we all crave to be accessible – we the audience have subconsciously viewed Blue Lock as something special. The Mikage Corporation created earbuds with real-time translations for the languages it supports. (See to C157)

This primes the audience to be more receptive of different ideologies beyond the many different interpretations of Blue Lock. If there is a Blue Lock in Isagi Yoichi’s mind, then the Blue Lock within Bachira Meguru’s must be different, and on top of that, there must be no such thing as a Blue Lock to someone like Shidou Ryusei, at the same time.

Something strongly gets spelled out then for not only the characters but also us the audience regarding Itoshi Rin; he will always determine the terms for how he views and interacts with any given thing. He talks back, and he is incredibly stubborn doing so as well. For better and worse, he actually acts on what he desires, a vast majority of the time. (See to C80)

Left 273 / Right C80

It rings very strongly to what ego was referring to when he tried to describe the egotists that made it to the top of the world; if Noel Noa would rather lose 3:4 and not win 1:0, that is because he would rather lose on his own terms rather than win losing himself – not meeting his own standards or goals. (See to C196)

The Itoshi Rin within Itoshi Sae’s mind should mean absolutely nothing to the Itoshi Rin within Itoshi Rin’s mind. For better or worse, his character follows the logical trend that people find themselves very often – to forcefully make him acknowledge the reality of the situation. Where he is at now. That is a consistent story of those who wrestle with reality all the time.

C146

The Number One will almost always have to meet its match within someone who seeks to take something they grew complacent in. Their competency within their competitive ability. That is what happens with Itoshi Rin, Michael Kaiser, Sendou Shuto, Barou Shohei, Nagi Seishiro, Isagi Yoichi and Itoshi Sae.

Blue Lock as a story believes Itoshi Rin to be short-sighted in his aloof demeanor. Aloofness is not the same as composure under pressure. That is why the story acknowledges Isagi as the primary spearhead, with others following suit, in challenging I. Rin and making him acknowledge that he cannot grow complacent with his ability to compete, and standing.

Which is exactly what Noel Noa, someone who also shares the title of “Number One”, seeks to remedy preemptively by grooming Michael Kaiser into the Isagi Yoichi who faced off against Itoshi Rin and lost to him in their second bout. So that he, the current World’s Best Striker, grows and stays at the top. Not growing complacent and ideally, growing even more powerful –  attempting to defy the troupe of the strongest waiting and not preparing for what is to come.

C157

This is also a quality that can be found within Michael Kaiser’s reason for entering the NEL; asking to be messed with, and for why Isagi is the connective thread between the two – since Isagi acts exactly like Noel Noa himself with their motive of growth. If Isagi is like both I. Rin and M. Kaiser, that must mean Itoshi Rin and Michael Kaiser must be alike. Which can be seen in how both of them pick up players to act as their imposed, incomplete, No. 2’s – in Nanase Nijiro and Alexis Ness.

Left C261 / Right 251

This rebuttal to the justification for why I. Rin shows such a consistent lack of interest in other people shows that it is not sustainable. His lack of interest is rooted in arrogance and extreme belief that he will, that he has to, reach his elder brother – Itoshi Sae. He believes that he deserves to ruin his life, since he has taken something from him.

Which shows one more connection he has, a quality he shares yet again; but hasn’t understood why it was applied to him. This is where Itoshi Sae, the eldest brother to the older brother, is introduced. He is one of the most staunchest critics within the entire story – his standards are so high that even fans do not know what the f*ck he is talking about; when he said Japan should’ve won 8-0 against Nigeria.

Itoshi Sae left a mark on his younger brother, a mark that repeatedly shows itself. He rejected I. Rin from his own journey towards the top because he was poisoned – by a culture he himself doesn’t know how to fix. So like many elder siblings, he became independent and left home – leaving his younger sibling(s) behind.

Which shows itself in his introduction into the story. As the first one to show total disinterest in his home country's ability to compete – disinterest in what Itoshi Rin, Sendou Shuto, Kira Ryosuke, Barou Shohei, Seishiro Nagi and so on, can offer – to the world stage. That is why he was challenged, like his younger brother, to acknowledge those around him in the U20s match. To see them, and see what he had left behind – grasping hope for a better home again.

The most important thing in any story when it comes to us people is community. Something Itoshi Sae had left behind. The existence of something beyond “Me” – a them. This is especially present in Blue Lock which is a sports manga with the sport being played by a group of Eleven people, against another group of Eleven. In many games of football, they play with at least 22 people at the same time.

Yet as I said, he left it behind. Beyond that even, players like I. Rin, Shidou Ryusei, Barou S., and a few others, do not seem so invested in what exists beyond themselves. It is inaccurate to describe what the Blue Lockers are experiencing and are always facing when meeting each other as camaraderie or as sportsmanship. At its foundation before these boys were athletes, they were that, boys. Boys who are athletes. In that order.

C93

It is difficult to argue that athletes can have athletic hobbies; it is simply easier to say that they are men, or better yet people, who have interests beyond their passion. This means it is difficult to find a way to describe the dynamics in Blue Lock with a term that includes those who do not want to be included or simply do not care – like Itoshi Rin.

However there is. That is what brotherhood always is.

Brotherhood is never about those who want to belong and those who don’t. It is what you are all afflicted by. Kira Ryosuke may hate Isagi Yoichi but he can never deny the connection they share – as would Itoshi Sae with his home nation. He can never sever the bond of brotherhood between himself and those from there. That is the shame he bears.

That is why Itoshi Rin has the possibility of challenging his brother, and being challenged by those around him. He may not care, but brotherhood does not care that he doesn’t. It will always be. That is why one can say this without it being a contradiction; that Isagi is at his happiest because Blue Lock is the way that it is, the same way Kunigami Rensuke is at his most unhappiest. That is because when someone is at a home, the home will always be different to the siblings who are within it.

C143

C143

We see this acknowledgement of the family, who are at the same time those closest to robbing you of what you desire, in the U20s Japan match with I. Rin – here, he acknowledges that these guys simply won’t leave him be. Even when he finds himself at his most uncomfortable crossroad of facing defeat; he dislikes how they fought so desperately while he almost failed – and simply didn’t, because one of his younger siblings who is supposed to be more unfortunate than he is, bails him out.

It is shameful.

It is dishonorable for someone who thinks as highly of himself as others view him, to make such a blunder under pressure. He was, and is, in a better position than his teammates. It isn’t that they are failures, it is always that he is. He bears the most expectations within this facility. So he involuntarily starts to feel a sense of belonging, the same his brother did when he said it was a shame that he was born – born here.

Which is disgusting to him. He dismissed them all for very valid reasons and yet they still keep finding him – because it is involuntary. Regardless of what he may have believed himself to be; he is part of this whether or not he wants to be – or believe that he isn’t. You truly are not alone in this game.

https://preview.redd.it/15y9clibizxg1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1243210b052fbad8b1dd656cd02179959de4955f

This theme of brotherhood with its many shapes, comes to us the audience many times. Team Z, Barou S. with Ubers inc., Kaiser and inc., Isagi with Bachira M./ Hiyori Yo/etc. – there is always someone around you. Even when I state a character to be alone, like with Itoshi Sae, they seem to find someone they can try to communicate with. Try to see with.

Not even Noel Noa who is truly by himself, shares bonds with the other master strikers and figures in Chris Prince, Ego etc., but do not misunderstand, brotherhood sometimes is the worst.

C118

The Blue Lockers will insult each other, argue, be petty, be borderline cruel and even take each other's dreams. Yet that is what it means to be siblings – they will fight. That is why the Itoshi Brothers are truly siblings as well. Itoshi Sae truly acts like an elder brother with a not so predictable future and a past.

Blue Lock is a story about the individual in a community, and how every single one of these individuals interact with said community differently from the other. It uses brotherhood, honest animosity instead of vague baseless kindness in order to show that you sometimes just hate your sibling. Yet would give everything to see them stand back up when they can.

C151

C124

There are moments when you are with someone, a brother basically, who simply does not see it. See what you have despite having known each other for so long – been with each other for longer than it is comfortable even counting. It is like feeling lost. A world you had once seen certainty in, no longer being there.

However, at the end of the day, they are all brothers and the same way Alexis Ness rebels against M. Kaiser to show that there’s people out there for him – Itoshi Rin also is rebelling against his brother's rejection of the brotherhood he can never escape from, for better or worse, that is part of Itoshi Rin’s story.

To be forced again, and again, and again to acknowledge that there is a world beyond himself, and that only those who are the real deal are able to challenge him. That there is always Egoism found in brotherhood, and that rejection shouldn’t warp his reality into something that it isn’t.

C114

That acceptance should start possibly with coming to terms with how things are and channeling that frustration into asking what is going on again to seek others. That would be Itoshi Rin’s frustrating sense of brotherhood.