Kunigami becomes the defensive tank for Japan.
The latest chapter of the Blue Lock manga gave us a look into why Ego brought Kunigami, Barou, and Shidou into the match. Kunigami is able to stop Loki’s goal with his tank defensive techniques. On the other hand, Barou moves on to another target when he stops smelling goals from Isagi. Karasu plans to use Shidou as a key player in his next move.
Blue Lock
Author: Muneyuki Kaneshiro
Illustrator: Yosuke Nomura
Publisher: Kodansha
Where to read: KManga
What happened in Blue Lock Chapter 341?
At the start of the chapter, we are reminded that Kunigami trained in hand-to-hand combat before coming to the U20 World Cup. Ego’s special training for him focused on honing the sense of spacing one needs for combat sports and also building a physique that will keep him on his feet during collisions. Although they’re useful assets for a striker, his skills make him a good fit for any position. And that’s why he is currently playing as a defensive midfielder. He is Blue Lock’s defensive tank against France’s attacks, which Kunigami proves by stopping Loki’s goal.
Jyubei takes the ball then, and passes it away from Japan’s goalpost. The tables have turned in Blue Lock’s favour and Ego’s plan is working. Isagi thinks that since Karasu is still the centre of their attacks, he will just focus on moving behind the main formation and attack the enemy’s weak spots. Hiori and Reo pass the ball around and Isagi thinks about how they’re playing better than the first half. But there’s a sense of discomfort that he can’t shake, and it originates from not being able to visualise how to beat Hugo. Just then, the French player catches up with Reo.
Isagi knows it will be easier for him to play as the second best, but he doesn’t want to do what Hugo described and go against Blue Lock’s philosophy. He needs to find a new theory to beat Hugo with his own goals.
Suddenly, Barou appears beside him and says that Isagi is not himself because he can’t smell a goal from him anymore. It was Ego’s plan to have Barou exploit Isagi’s moves to score a goal, but right now, he is useless. In this match, Isagi is not the king. Barou moves on to find another prey and Isagi wonders how he could actually know how weak his vision of the future was.
We then see a monologue from Karasu, where he says how he and Isagi are alike. They have similar football IQs and came to Blue Lock with the same worries. Like him, Karasu also wanted to be a striker. But there was always an uncomfortable gap between his dream and the roles he was forced to fill. He knew that he is better suited to be a midfielder and manipulate the attacks. But he couldn’t give up on his dream to become a striker and stayed in Blue Lock. Yet the growing chasm between him and Isagi is bothersome, especially when Isagi became the main striker of the team. He started to question if Isagi has something that he doesn’t. Karasu is grateful for Ego, but doesn’t feel like he needs his philosophy anymore.
That’s why Hugo’s words cut him so deep, and why he realised that this was Blue Lock’s limit with Isagi as the number one. He calls for Reo, who passes him the ball. Karasu realises that he can change Blue Lock if he is second best, and Hugo praises his abilities. Karasu doesn’t think this method is the complete answer, but for now, it’s a choice for the future where he doesn’t have to give up on his dream to become the world’s best striker. If he can create a goal here, he can beat Isagi. Karasu kicks the ball towards another player with an impeccable pass and promises to make Blue Lock his own team. We see Shidou taking the ball as he is revealed to be Karasu’s new weapon. The unpredictable player says that his Ego is ready to burst!
What to expect from Blue Lock Chapter 342?
Karasu’s frustrations are understandable, especially if he thinks he will always be stuck being a midfielder who lives in Isagi’s shadows. He needs to evolve beyond Blue Lock’s philosophy while also keeping his aim of becoming the world’s best striker alive. It’s a tough line to tread, but so far, Karasu is doing well. On the other hand, Isagi seems to be a bit lost after being faced with a bigger egoist than him. Hugo seems to be dominating the field right now, and only Karasu can counter him with Shidou and the other players. But I’m still not sure if we will see another goal from Blue Lock in this match again. Because I don’t think Hugo has shown us all of his abilities yet.
When is Blue Lock Chapter 342 coming?
The next chapter of the manga will be out on Tuesday, 7 April, 2026.
Where can I read the Blue Lock manga?
Kodansha’s KManga platform releases English translations of the Blue Lock manga chapters.
What is the current match in Blue Lock?
Blue Lock is currently playing their second match in the U-20 World Cup series against the defending world champion France.