The manga series Blue Lock appeared as the opening color feature in the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Magazine, released on the 24th. The illustration quickly drew widespread attention, as it depicted the series’ characters sitting on stylish chairs that were later revealed to be real products from a Japanese furniture brand.

According to illustrator Yusuke Nomura, who shared details on his official X account, the chairs featured in the opening color illustration belong to Ritzwell, a real Japanese furniture manufacturer. After his post went live, the official Ritzwell website became difficult to access due to a sudden surge in traffic.

The illustration shows the characters, all striving to become the world’s greatest soccer striker, seated on elegant and carefully selected chairs. Nomura explained that this was the final Blue Lock opening color feature of the year, and that he personally requested permission from Ritzwell, a furniture brand he deeply admires, to depict the eleven elite players sitting on their chairs.

He further noted that each chair was chosen and arranged to match the image and personality of each character, encouraging interested fans to visit Ritzwell’s official website to learn more about the designs.

Shortly after Nomura’s post was published at 2:55 p.m., Ritzwell’s website experienced connection issues. As of 4:25 p.m., the site remained difficult to access, highlighting the strong influence of the series.

Fans reacted enthusiastically online, posting comments such as “I want to see it but the site is down,” “I had no idea there was that much attention to detail,” and “Thank you for such a beautiful illustration.”

About Blue Lock

Blue Lock is a soccer manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine. The story follows Yoichi Isagi, an unknown high school forward, as he competes against fierce rivals in the Blue Lock project, an intense survival training program created to develop a striker capable of leading Japan to a World Cup victory. The series has surpassed 50 million copies in circulation.

The franchise has expanded beyond manga, with the first TV anime season airing from October 2022 to March 2023, followed by a second season from October to December 2024. The series has also inspired a game adaptation in 2022, a stage play in 2023, an upcoming anime sequel, and a live action film scheduled for release in summer 2026.

Source : ORICON NEWS