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Reo Mikage was introduced early on in theBlue Lockanime series and showed sufficient talent. Known as an all-rounder, Reo is capable of excelling in any position in the field. As friends with theoverwhelming lazy genius Nagi Seishiro, Reo was eventually left behind in terms of skill.
Seeking to one day return to Nagi’s side, Reo developed a killer technique (weapon) for himself—the Chameleon. Just like it sounds, Reo’s abilities make him capable of replicating various plays from other people. But in the competitive and high-stakes world ofBlue Lock, what are the limits to his weapon, and how far can it take him in the Blue Lock project?
Understanding Reo Mikage And His Drive
Reo’s Desire To Match Nagi Side By Side
Unlikeother players like Isagi Yoichi, before the Blue Lock project, Reo and Nagi had only been playing soccer for a few months. While he was born into a wealthy family and excelled at various things, he wanted something more. Something that could both fulfill and challenge him and soccer happened to be just that.
Reo may not be one of Blue Lock’s starting 11, but he’s a talented player no doubt. If anything, his ego is not as intense as the others, but he’s by no means an average player. Unlike other players whose strengths lie in one area or another, Reo is a perfectly balanced player, scoring above-average points in every area. This allows him to effectively function in any area he finds himself in. As with most players ofBlue Lock, Reo started playing soccer, aiming to become the best striker in the world along with his buddy, Nagi Seishiro. However, the lazy genius developed his skills and ego so quickly that he literally left Reo behind. Thissowed a seed of insecurityin Reo, and initially, he set out to have his revenge on Nagi. However, as he and Nagi progressed, albeit at different paces,Reo accepted reality and his feelingsand sought to once again stand by Nagi’s side as a capable player.
Reo’s Role In The Blue Lock System
The Chameleon Striker In The System
Reo’s role in the Blue Lock system is very different from the standard programming, which isto create egoist strikers. As a well-balanced player, Reo essentially serves as the ultimate form of a utility player who can support anyone anywhere and in any position. For a team that’s extremely attacking-oriented, Reo helps to bring balance to the team and serves as the glue that holds them together.
However, despite being an ultimate utility player, Reo expressed his unique type of ego and developed his chameleon abilities to be capable of providing more than just support. In that scenario, Reo took his versatility to the max and developed his unique playing style that made full use of his well-roundedness, as unlike the others, he lacked a single weapon capable of dominating the field. While Reo’s abilities are still extremely suited for support, now at least he can do more than just that and stand out as a unique striker of his own.
Strengths And Weaknesses Of Reo’s Chameleon Nature
A Versatile Chameleon With A Limit
Due to his incredible versatility and all-roundedness, Reo Mikage is able to reproduce any play once he’s seen it. Whether it be in terms of super passes, amazing striking ability, or even defending, Reo Mikage can do it all. By maxing out his very well-balanced stats, Reo can reproduce a move with a 99% success rate. He has proved the usefulness of this ability, which he dubs “the chameleon” on the field by rapidly positioning himself in places where the Blue Lock team lacks, particularly as the Blue Lock players are incredibly attack-oriented. While his chameleon ability is undoubtedly very useful, it does have some limitations.
These limitations are not necessarily because of a lack of skill but one of physique. Some players, like Gagamaru and Aryu, haveblessed physiques that make them incredibly flexible. These physiques of theirs are well incorporated into their playing styles, and so ifReo lacks the certain physique needed to reproduce a playing style, his efficiency in reproducing such a technique associated with a certain physique drops drastically. This also applies to situations in which theplayers are in “the flow.”An example would be Shidou Ryusei’s incredible long-range overhead kick goal. Replicating it might not be totally impossible, but the sheer difficulty of doing so would be set at incredibly high standards.
Can Reo’s Current Abilities Secure His Path To The Top?
Is Versatility And Skill Reproduction Enough?
While reproducing any play with a 99% success rate isincredible to the average player, the stage that the Blue Lock players find themselves in is anything but average. As fans see it, Reo’s abilities could lead him to two separate outcomes. Either he becomes increasingly unable to replicate plays his adversaries make as a higher stage would lead to more intricate and amazing techniques, or the more likely outcome is that he becomes similar to Kise inKuroko’s Basketballandalways rises to the challenge, but never surpasses it.Of course, the true outcome would be seen asBlue Lockprogresses, but for a series where its players are always expected to surpass 100%, it’ll be interesting to see if, how, and how long someone who can never reach 100% will survive, and Reo himself is aware of it.
I’m a balanced all-rounder without any special weapons, so no matter how much I improve the quality of my plays…my max will cap at 99%.—Reo Mikage
Blue Lockis available to stream onCrunchyroll.
Blue Lock
Based on Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s soccer manga, Blue Lock revolves around a program to develop a world-class Japanese striker. Just about qualifying, Isagi has to face off against the nation’s best young talents and survive selections, while constantly growing as a player.
