Yoichi Isagi passed the ball instead of shooting in the final moments of a qualifying match, and his team was eliminated from competing at Nationals. He is now a part of the Blue Lock Project, which is an extreme training program aimed at developing the world’s best and most egoistic striker for Japan’s national soccer team.
Blue Lock, in contrast to other sports anime that encourages teamwork, loyalty, and friendship, mocks these ideals and claims that champions must be selfish. The first season of the show will have 24 episodes, with the second half of the season premiering on Sundays beginning in January 2023. Netflix is one of the platforms where you can watch Blue Lock, but you must be in certain countries to do so due to copyright and licensing agreements.
What if Netflix does not have Blue Lock in your country? There is no reason to be worried about it. I’ll show you an easy way to watch Blue Lock on Netflix. Blue Lock is available with English subtitles on Netflix Japan. We’ll use a VPN service to get a Japanese IP address and access Netflix Japan from anywhere in the world.
Analysis: Blue Lock approaches soccer from a fresh perspective as a new contender in the sports genre. The series is available to stream on Netflix. Copyright and licensing agreements, however, limit this possibility to a few countries. The series can be found on Netflix Japan with English subtitles. However, unless you live in Japan, you cannot access Netflix Japan using your local IP address.
Solution: A Japanese IP address is required to access Netflix Japan, and the simplest way to change our IP address is to use a reputable VPN service. When we connect to a VPN server, our online traffic is encrypted, and we are assigned a new IP address based on the server’s location. We will connect to a VPN server in Japanese data centers because we require a Japanese IP address. We can watch Blue Lock on Netflix Japan from anywhere in the world this way.
Here is a quick guide to streaming Blue Lock on Netflix via VPN:
- Visit the official Surfshark VPN website. It has servers in Tokyo, Japan.
- Click the “Get SurfShark” button in the upper right corner to select a plan.
- Enter your email address and select a payment method to complete the transaction. (Surfshark will email you your login information.)
- Sign in to your SurfShark account, and then download and install the VPN app for your device.
- Launch the SurfShark app and log in using the same credentials.
- Enter “Japan” in the search bar of the “Locations” menu and connect to an available server.
When the connection is established, if you followed all of the steps accurately, you will have a Japanese IP address. You can use it to watch Blue Lock on Netflix Japan from anywhere in the world. Here’s a screenshot from Blue Lock’s eighth episode:
Don’t worry, the article isn’t over. If you are unfamiliar with VPN services, I accept responsibility if this guide has confused you. I’ll go over why we can’t watch Blue Lock on Netflix from anywhere in the world, why we should use a VPN service, and what we should look for when selecting a VPN service.
Understanding Netflix geo-restriction
First, let’s look into why Blue Lock isn’t on Netflix. The country in which we live is critical to the issue. When licensing a series, Netflix considers its popularity, audience demand, and, of course, the cost of the deal. Because these conditions differ from country to country, licensing agreements are usually country-specific. So, if you know a show is available on Netflix but can’t find it in your library, it’s because Netflix does not have licensing rights to the show in your country.
In terms of how these restrictions are enforced, Netflix determines its users’ general location using their IP addresses and displays a library corresponding to their country. This is referred to as “geo-restriction,” and it is employed by all platforms that serve more than one country.
When you search for “Blue Lock” in a country where Netflix does not have licensing rights, the following results will appear:
As you can see, I can’t watch Blue Lock on Netflix in my country either. So, what does Netflix have to say about all of this? To find a solution, I combed through all of the legal texts available on the platform and discovered an explanation of the subject in the Terms of Service.
- The statement: “You may access the Netflix content primarily within the country in which you have established your account and only in geographic locations where we offer your subscription plan and have licensed such content. The content that may be available will vary by geographic location and will change from time to time.”
Rather than offering a solution, Netflix simply explains the situation. But that doesn’t make us powerless. In the following section, we will begin working on a solution.
Watch Blue Lock on Netflix via VPN
Netflix has licensed Blue Lock in a few Asian countries, including Japan and India, as I personally confirmed. Blue Lock is available in both of these countries with English subtitles, but I prefer Netflix Japan for a few reasons. To begin with, there are more VPN services available in Japan, allowing us to look for alternatives. Second, new Blue Lock episodes will be available on Netflix Japan before anywhere else.
We know Netflix bases its catalog on our IP address, and all we need to access Netflix Japan is a Japanese IP address. This is where VPN services come into play as using a VPN service is the simplest and safest way to change our local IP address.
VPNs are helpful tools for maintaining online privacy and security. Our online traffic is rerouted through a secure tunnel when we connect to a VPN server. This process encrypts our data, masks our local IP address, and assigns us a new IP address based on the VPN server’s location. This means that, as long as we are connected to a VPN server in Japan, we can watch Blue Lock on Netflix from anywhere in the world.
Choosing the best VPN for Blue Lock
We should first pick a VPN service. However, with so many options on the market, all claiming to be the best, how are we supposed to choose? First and foremost, we must ensure that the VPN service we plan to use has servers in Japanese data centers. Because that is the only way we will be able to obtain a Japanese IP address.
Second, the greater the distance between us and the server, the slower our connection. Given that Japan is an island country, the server to which we will connect must be equipped with the technology to provide us with an uninterrupted streaming experience. Of course, we can’t ignore issues like subscription costs and service quality.
Considering all these criteria, I conducted market research and determined the alternatives that we can use. Among these alternatives, my favorite is SurfShark for streaming Blue Lock on Netflix. SurfShark provides dedicated servers for streaming, and by connecting to SurfShark’s Japan server, you can watch Netflix at the highest quality available. As a benchmark, I got a download speed of 94 Mbps from SurfShark’s Tokyo server.
To use this service, please follow the steps below:
- Visit the official website of SurfShark.
- Select a plan and complete the purchase form.
- Make your payment using your preferred method.
Your login information will be emailed to you once your payment is successful. This process may take a few minutes.
VPN app installation
We selected SurfShark as our primary VPN provider, and we now have a subscription. It is time to download and install the VPN app on our device.
- Return to the SurfShark homepage.
- Click the “Log in” button in the upper left corner of the page and enter your login information.
- Navigate to the “Apps and Extensions” menu and download and install the VPN app for your device.
To avoid future complications, make sure to grant the SurfShark VPN app all necessary permissions when installing the app.
Connecting to the Japan VPN server
If everything has gone well thus far, this is the final step before we can begin watching Blue Lock on Netflix Japan. Let us obtain a Japanese IP address.
- Open the SurfShark app on your device.
- Select the “Locations” menu from the app’s interface.
- Enter “Japan” into the search bar and connect to a server that is available.
When your connection to the VPN server is established, your SurfShark icon will turn green. Following that, you can watch Blue Lock on Netflix Japan from any location in the world.
Streaming Blue Lock on Netflix
Now that we’ve completed all the steps in the guide, let’s see together how Netflix will react to our new IP address.
- Make sure you are connected to the SurfShark Japan server.
- Visit Netflix’s official website at https://www.netflix.com/ or open your Netflix app.
- Search for “Blue Lock.”
Our efforts appear to have not been in vain. We were able to bypass geo-restrictions using SurfShark VPN, and Blue Lock is now available on Netflix.
Furthermore, you can use this method to watch all of the popular anime series available on Netflix Japan.
VPNs for streaming Blue Lock on Netflix (3 Alternatives)
We have come this far, and now we know how to watch Blue Lock on Netflix. We will discuss a possibility in this section of the article. VPN services are not tolerated by ISPs or streaming platforms. The two sides are in an endless race, with one trying to find new ways to block VPNs and the other determined to unblock geo-restrictions.
Given all of this, it’s possible that a VPN service that works flawlessly today will be blocked tomorrow. In such a case, I wanted to provide you with alternative options so that you wouldn’t be caught off guard. All three alternatives on the list have Japanese servers, and I’ve confirmed that they can circumvent Netflix’s geo-restrictions.
Aside from that, I’ve researched the benefits and drawbacks of these three alternative VPN services so you can select the best one for you.
AtlasVPN
AtlasVPN is the newest VPN service on our list, and since it was acquired by Nord Security in 2019, we can refer to it as NordVPN’s younger sibling. AtlasVPN, unlike his older brother, focuses on streaming platforms. The service is rapidly expanding its server coverage, with over 750 premium servers operating in 42 different locations. Of course, AtlasVPN has dedicated streaming servers in Japan.
In terms of server performance, I received 34 Mbps of download speed when connecting to AtlasVPN’s Tokyo server. To watch Netflix content in HD quality, all we need is a download speed of 25 Mbps.
Finally, AtlasVPN is the most affordable service on our list. A single AtlasVPN account supports an unlimited number of simultaneous connections and costs only $2.05 per month.
Cyberghost
CyberGhost is a VPN provider based in Romania that specializes in online privacy and streaming services. With over 9000 servers in 91 countries, the company has worldwide coverage. In addition, CyberGhost has 109 dedicated streaming servers in Tokyo, Japan.
With CyberGhost, you can easily obtain a Japanese IP address because the app’s server list includes a “For Streaming” category. Furthermore, in terms of speed performance, CyberGhost does not lag behind AtlasVPN. My most recent test using CyberGhost’s Tokyo servers resulted in a download speed of 43 Mbps.
Finally, CyberGhost charges a fair service fee and offers a 45-day money-back guarantee. A single CyberGhost account can support up to 7 simultaneous connections, and the most basic plan costs just $2.29 per month.
ExpressVPN
Last but not least, there is ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN is one of the market’s biggest names, with over 13 years of experience. The company offers worldwide coverage via thousands of servers in 94 countries. Furthermore, unlike its competitors, ExpressVPN’s Japan servers are spread across Shibuya, Yokohama, and Tokyo.
I connected to ExpressVPN’s Tokyo server for my most recent speed test and received a download speed of 72 Mbps. Given this, ExpressVPN is the fastest alternative on our list.
Finally, when it comes to a price-performance comparison, I cannot fault ExpressVPN. However, the fact that it is the most expensive VPN service on our list does not change. ExpressVPN supports 5 simultaneous connections with a single subscription and charges $6.67 per month for the basic plan.
Summing up the “Blue Lock on Netflix” article
Blue Lock has a unique style that distinguishes it from other anime. While Blue Lock takes soccer as its main theme, it couldn’t care less about teamwork. Blue Lock has something for everyone, even if you aren’t a soccer fan.
Netflix has the series available in HD quality. However, you can only watch the series on Netflix under two conditions. You should either be in a country where Netflix has licensed the show (such as India or Japan) or use a reputable VPN service to connect to a VPN server in one of these countries and enjoy Blue Lock from anywhere in the world.
I demonstrated how to use SurfShark VPN to access Netflix Japan in this article. You can also use AtlasVPN, CyberGhost, or ExpressVPN depending on your needs.
I’ve been a translator for many years. During this time, geo-restriction has always been the most problematic issue in the many countries I’ve visited. I’m here to tell you about my experience.