TV-Series
Description
Gurimu Igarashi, who is often referred to by the nickname Igaguri, is a participant in the Blue Lock project and appears in the second season of the anime. He is easily recognized by his cleanly shaved head, which has earned him nicknames related to chestnuts, as well as his thick eyebrows and wide, dark-colored eyes. He has a short and slim build, standing at 172 centimeters tall. His jersey number has changed throughout his time in the facility, starting with number 13 for Team Z, then number 108 for Team White, and eventually number 76 when he plays for the German team, Bastard München.
Igarashi's personality is a distinct blend of awkwardness, determination, and pragmatism. His primary and overpowering motivation comes from his upbringing in a temple household in Aichi Prefecture. As an only child, he is expected to inherit the family temple, a future he desperately wants to avoid. A deal was struck with his father: if Igarashi can become a professional player for the Japanese national team, he will be exempted from his temple duties. This singular goal is the driving force behind his every action in Blue Lock, leading to a personal motto of "I will not inherit the temple".
Because of his limitations in technical skill and athleticism compared to other prodigies, Igarashi entered Blue Lock as the lowest-ranked player in the entire facility. He is acutely aware that his natural talent is lacking, which has forged a highly pragmatic and survivalist mindset. There is very little he will not do to remain in the competition. This was evident from the very first entrance exam, where he used other players as human shields and took any available cheap shot to avoid being tagged. While often providing comic relief due to his exaggerated reactions and desperate schemes, he also serves as a relatable "ordinary person" perspective amidst a sea of geniuses. He craves recognition, even in small doses, and is open about his fears of his dream ending, frequently confiding in others.
In terms of abilities, Igarashi has developed a unique and cunning skill set to compensate for his lack of natural talent. His most notable weapon is his Malicia Style, a form of dribbling specifically designed to draw fouls from opponents. He makes his movements obvious and telegraphed, luring a defender in before deliberately initiating slight contact and falling, effectively tricking the referee into awarding a free kick. He has refined this technique to the point where he can reliably draw fouls from aggressive players, a skill that has proven surprisingly useful in critical matches, such as the game against Paris X-Gen where he repeatedly drew fouls from Rin Itoshi. Another basic skill is diving to intercept passes or block shots, as seen when he blocked a shot from Seishiro Nagi during the First Selection. His persistence, a "never-give-up" attitude he initially claimed as his only weapon, is arguably his greatest asset, allowing a player of his modest caliber to survive elimination round after round when many stronger players have fallen.
Igarashi forms one of his few close relationships with Yoichi Isagi. Both started as the lowest-ranked players on Team Z, and Igarashi immediately opened up to Isagi about his temple background and his fears, finding a kindred spirit in another underdog. Isagi is one of the few people who listens to him and, during the tag game, chose to target stronger opponents rather than exploit Igarashi's weakness. During the Second Selection, he briefly partnered with the volatile Ryusei Shidou and used his Malicia Style to help Shidou win a match against Rensuke Kunigami and Reo Mikage, demonstrating his willingness to serve as a disruptive utility player. For the Neo Egoist League, Igarashi chose to join Bastard München, believing the German club's philosophy would best suit a Japanese player like himself. Although he initially remained on the bench, he eventually got his chance to play, using his foul-drawing abilities as a defensive midfielder to disrupt the opposing team's rhythm. Despite managing to survive for a significant portion of the intense selection process, he ultimately ranked 36th in the final Neo Egoist League rankings and was eliminated.
Igarashi's personality is a distinct blend of awkwardness, determination, and pragmatism. His primary and overpowering motivation comes from his upbringing in a temple household in Aichi Prefecture. As an only child, he is expected to inherit the family temple, a future he desperately wants to avoid. A deal was struck with his father: if Igarashi can become a professional player for the Japanese national team, he will be exempted from his temple duties. This singular goal is the driving force behind his every action in Blue Lock, leading to a personal motto of "I will not inherit the temple".
Because of his limitations in technical skill and athleticism compared to other prodigies, Igarashi entered Blue Lock as the lowest-ranked player in the entire facility. He is acutely aware that his natural talent is lacking, which has forged a highly pragmatic and survivalist mindset. There is very little he will not do to remain in the competition. This was evident from the very first entrance exam, where he used other players as human shields and took any available cheap shot to avoid being tagged. While often providing comic relief due to his exaggerated reactions and desperate schemes, he also serves as a relatable "ordinary person" perspective amidst a sea of geniuses. He craves recognition, even in small doses, and is open about his fears of his dream ending, frequently confiding in others.
In terms of abilities, Igarashi has developed a unique and cunning skill set to compensate for his lack of natural talent. His most notable weapon is his Malicia Style, a form of dribbling specifically designed to draw fouls from opponents. He makes his movements obvious and telegraphed, luring a defender in before deliberately initiating slight contact and falling, effectively tricking the referee into awarding a free kick. He has refined this technique to the point where he can reliably draw fouls from aggressive players, a skill that has proven surprisingly useful in critical matches, such as the game against Paris X-Gen where he repeatedly drew fouls from Rin Itoshi. Another basic skill is diving to intercept passes or block shots, as seen when he blocked a shot from Seishiro Nagi during the First Selection. His persistence, a "never-give-up" attitude he initially claimed as his only weapon, is arguably his greatest asset, allowing a player of his modest caliber to survive elimination round after round when many stronger players have fallen.
Igarashi forms one of his few close relationships with Yoichi Isagi. Both started as the lowest-ranked players on Team Z, and Igarashi immediately opened up to Isagi about his temple background and his fears, finding a kindred spirit in another underdog. Isagi is one of the few people who listens to him and, during the tag game, chose to target stronger opponents rather than exploit Igarashi's weakness. During the Second Selection, he briefly partnered with the volatile Ryusei Shidou and used his Malicia Style to help Shidou win a match against Rensuke Kunigami and Reo Mikage, demonstrating his willingness to serve as a disruptive utility player. For the Neo Egoist League, Igarashi chose to join Bastard München, believing the German club's philosophy would best suit a Japanese player like himself. Although he initially remained on the bench, he eventually got his chance to play, using his foul-drawing abilities as a defensive midfielder to disrupt the opposing team's rhythm. Despite managing to survive for a significant portion of the intense selection process, he ultimately ranked 36th in the final Neo Egoist League rankings and was eliminated.