Blue Lock mangaka confirms the real inspiration behind Isagi's club, and it's not just Bayern Munich
Blue Lock volume 18 released on March 21, 2023, and the author revealed the true inspiration behind Isagi's club, which wasn't Bayern Munich. At the start of the volume, the author had revealed that the 'Bastard' part of the football club was inspired by the manga series titled BASTARD!!, as he liked the way the word sounded.
The reason behind choosing such a word was the feeling that the opposition club would feel the pressure about how some 'bastards' were beating them in a game, creating a sense of superiority.
Moreover, the author also explained his love for the German club, hinting that the other word of the club, Munchen, was from Bayern Munich and that he would love to visit the German city one day.
Disclaimer: The article contains potential spoilers from the Blue Lock manga series and has the author's opinion.
Blue Lock's author reveals the inspiration behind Isagi's club, which isn't Bayern Munich
Muneyuki Kaneshiro is a Japanese manga author known for series like Jagaaaaaan, Kami-sama no Iutoori and others.
However, the author's most well-known manga is the sports manga Blue Lock. In this manga series, there exists a football club by the name Bastard Munchen, where the protagonist plays as an author alongside other talented players.
The origins of the club and its name indicate that it's inspired by the German football club Bayern Munich, who are one of the most successful clubs in the country and house some talented players.
However, sometimes the obvious is not the answer, and the same applies in this case because the name of Kaneshiro's football club was inspired by a manga series.
BASTARD!! (English title: Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy) is a dark fantasy manga series, which served as the inspiration behind the 'Bastard' part of Bastard Munchen. As revealed in the starting part of the series volume 18, the author said that he loved the manga series and thought that the 'bastard' word sounded cool.
So, he used it for one of the most promising clubs in his manga series, imagining a situation where the rival club would feel helpless by getting beaten by scoundrels (the meaning of bastard).
Quick summary of Blue Lock volume 18
After beating the U-20 Japanese football team, the Blue-Lock football team was given two weeks off. After relaxing during their holidays, everyone returned after they were notified of a second phase of their football program, hoping to step up their game.
Phase 2 of Blue-Lock was international, and the Japanese players had to choose between four countries to play for this phase. Isagi chose Germany, while the others also went with their guts, choosing countries where they felt like they could showcase their talents.
After everyone chose their countries, Jinpachi Ego revealed the clubs, as Bastard Munchen was introduced for the first time, and their coaches, well-known strikers from around the world. These clubs would compete in a tournament titled the Neo-Egoist League, which is still ongoing in the latest chapters as of this article's publication.
Final thoughts
This revelation doesn't mean that Isagi's team isn't inspired by the real-life German club because the club's name suggests that it's indeed inspired by Bayern Munich.
As the author couldn't use the real name of the German club in his manga, he had to look for inspiration, which is what the BASTARD!! manga series inspiration is all about.
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