#Furudate U genius

[goldennika]

bro furudate rly got me choked up over a high school volleyball team AGAIN

(haikyuu spoilers ahead; read right to left)

LIKE TELL ME WHY I HAVE TEARS IN MY EYES OVER KAGEYAMA CAREFULLY SETTING THE BALL FOR TANAKA WHEN THEY WERE UP AGAINST INARIZAKI EVEN AFTER TANAKA SAID TO PASS HIM THE BALL LESS

AND KAGEYAMA WAS REASONING THAT IT ISN’T UP TO HIM TO TELL TANAKA WHAT HITS TO MAKE SO AS LONG AS HE SHOWS THEM WHY HE KEEPS BELIEVING IN HIS ABILITY

LIKE??? BRO 😭😭😭

[crowtobio]

3 platonic haikyuu dynamics you love!

tobio and shouyou!!! i go back and forth over whether i prefer them romantically or platonically but i just really really love their dynamic,,,, their relationship and development over the series is just so so special to me. the way they help the other to accept themselves for who they really are instead of striving to be someone they aren’t (tobio trying to emulate oikawa and shouyou trying to be the little giant, instead of both of them playing to their actual strengths) is just so important to me ,,, i love them so much hhdjfjf they are just so so special to me and i could probably ramble about them all day if prompted hdjfjf

yachi & tobio !!!! they don’t interact tons in canon but i just think they’re really cute hhdjdjf people who write tobio & yachi on ao3 i love u with my whole heart

adlers trio (tobio hoshiumi and ushijima) furudate was a genius for putting these three on the same team hdjdkf i adore them,, they’re 3 of my favourite characters of all time and their dynamic is just so fun imo. also i love every panel of hoshiumi just looking so very tired of them. and then when he finally thinks hes free kuroo puts him on a team with them again, giving us this panel which i think about far too often,, someone please save this man

[forlix]

im always excited whenever i get asked about my fav teams/arc i am so normal.. but nekoma/inarizaki!!! and for the arc it's def the final arc :'> something about seeing them all grown up and doing their own thing MAN.

ofc im so down to add u!! i'm pretty sure i'm clogging ur tl and ask box hlkasdh i'll message you my uids if that's ok!! <33

NOOO PLS UR SO CUTE (and so real) feel free to be as abnormal about haikyuu as u want with me, i am so down to gush over that series whenever and wherever!! and ur picks are so valid. i love nekoma too (kuroo and kenma r prob my favorite duo in the series) but i'm kinda old fashioned i am a karasuma and seijoh girly before i am human. and you mean the timeskip right? i get what you mean, it feels like we got to watch our kids grow up :') furudate is a genius

and you are not clogging my inbox or my anything hello!! your user is such a joy for me to see on my screen. yes feel free to message me your uids so they're not just on public display dkflks i failed to consider that when i asked for yours

[alicemitch09writes]

[sniffs] i.... i jus love samu sm 😭😭😭😭 im screaming crying throwing up you are sooo right having him as an ideal man but also ideal best friend tbh he’s just THAT great ,,, everyday i mourn the fact that he is fictional 😖😖😖😖 it is very sad... so sad..... samu let me luv u .... huhuhu

like, tbh i did not expect him to have that much of a hold on me until read on the manga. like, furudate clearly stated that they planned to make atsumu an only child, only for the concept of twins coming in last minute. that was just a stroke of genius, i tell you.

also, it might be because i'm so old-fashioned that i want myself a male wife kinda guy with a bit of sass, which is a bit funny because kansai-ben is technically the japanese version of bisaya here in the philippines.

ooooor, when i found out atsumu had a polar opposite in the form of his twin, immediately i fell in love.

just

UGHHHHH

he is my everything (next to kuroo, hirugami, and iwaizumi)

[rhetorical-ink]

Haikyuu!! SPOILERS: Chapter 401, How We Connect the Dots.

**PENULTIMATE SPOILERS BELOW**

I just posted a video with my live reactions to the chapter, but here are my highlights, because FURUDATE YOU MADMAN GENIUS. This chapter connected so much together. So, let’s do:

My Top 10 Thoughts on Haikyuu!! Chapter 401:

10. Of course. In true Furudate fashion, he has Kageyama block the spike from Hinata, BUT, what Kageyama doesn’t realize is all the training on the beach Shoyo has done to prepare for such a moment. And that heel kick! *swoons* Also, someone reacting to Season 4, Episode 9 of the anime, where Hinata kicks the ball back to himself called this happening all those months ago...Furudate is next level at foreshadowing. Not that we didn’t already know that.

9. Hey, remember how in the VERY FIRST chapter of Haikyuu!! Shoyo did this crazy run across the court to score? Yeah, Furudate knows we remember. And he pulls this -- and Kageyama’s beautiful reaction, only for --

-- Only for it to all be a DECOY. Kageyama, you made this monster, you know. I love that Shoyo has come all this way from wanting to score all the points to accepting that the decoy DOES have a vital role to play, and in this instance, it’s allowing Bokuto to score the winning point for the MSBY Black Jackals. Just look at that smile! And of course, Tanaka and Asahi KNOW the power of Hinata as a Decoy...because they’ve been in Bokuto’s shoes before. 

8. UGH, the aftermath of that moment is glorious, which will detail down below -- but I love Shoyo and Kageyama’s interaction, though. How they’re still keeping track of each other’s wins and losses, exhausting Miya, hilariously, and showing that they’re on equal footing now, after all these years. This chapter is just cementing the last several chapters’ worth of character development. 

7. ARE YOU SHIPPERS READY FOR YOUR FOOD?!

Because these next few pages were healing my shipper heart. I mean, yes, the Kagehina fanbase is raving right now, but let’s talk about THESE ships below, starting with:

Tsukishima x Yamaguchi:

So, Tsukishima, of course, is not sappy about any of this and just points out how the season’s just getting started (ready the fanfics, y’all). 

And of course, Yamaguchi wants to watch Tsuki play! Yachi says she’ll come too! I LOVE how just like he was with Akiteru, he doesn’t want them to come watch (even though we all know he’ll love it when they’re there). Now, some people have commented that Yamaguchi could be with Yachi, but y’all...Yachi is in Tokyo. Yamaguchi and Tsuki both live in Miyagi. I can’t wait for all the Sendai Frog/TsukiYama fanfics!

If you’re looking for an extra Kagehina crumble, just look at the end of this adorable exchange between Romero, smol adorable Rubens, and Shoyo (who perfectly crouches down to talk to him MY HEART I CAN’T), to see Kageyama notice that Shoyo can speak multiple languages...oh, honey! If only you know about Hinata and Pedro’s marathons of DBZ in Portugese and English! ^^

Also, Furudate WE SEE YOU. We see you being meta and implying that now Haikyuu!! is over, he’s moving on...Akaashi’s line about going forward hit me hard...it’s like he’s telling us, the fandom, that going on to start something new isn’t so bad. SO YOU SAY. 

BOKUAKA NATION -- WE CANON NOW, RIGHT?!

I love that Akaashi gets to interview Bokuto (IS HE GOING TO BE THE STAR of the Volleyball manga Tenma Udai is writing?! He would be PERFECT for it!) and how happy Akaashi looks, even if he and Bokuto realize how differently they view the term “normal.” 

ALSO, it’s implied above that Akaashi, Bokuto, and Tenma were going out for drinks...which now....we know that it’s just Bokuto and Akaashi, since Tenma was going home. Uhm, FAN FIC WRITERS ASSEMBLE!

I also love that Udai joins the club, along with Fukurodani’s coach and manager, of people who realize that Bokuto and Akaashi are weirdos but they are weirdos together, so it’s fine. 

Keeping the “Ship Train” going, we get little bits of Shimizu x Yachi from the bathhouse before the Inarizaki Match, where Kiyoko finally acknowledges she is okay showing her legs...thanks to Yachi’s words. I also find Suga wanting to know “the tea” on the situation to be adorable. 

AND FINALLY, YES, Y’ALL:

I was spoiled with Kuroo’s return, but seriously, Furudate, you saved him for the end here so INTENTIONALLY. 

Because OF COURSE Kuroo would work for the JVA. As a promoter. CONNECTING people...with Volleyball...because that’s the Nekoma way.

And FURUDATE ARE YOU SUGGESTING TO US THAT KUROO AND KENMA ARE BUSINESS PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS BECAUSE MY KUROKEN HEART IS SOARING -- 

-- and let it be known Atsumu Miya rightfully doesn’t trust Kuroo, and neither does Sakusa. A nice SakuAtsu crumb where we actually see Sakusa agree with Miya without sacrasm or question! Poor Shoyo is a salesman’s dream, though. I mean, Kuroo does look a little sketchy in some of those shots...BUT....

6. Kuroo’s speech about sports was SO fitting. Seriously, everything he says here is BASICALLY what makes Haikyuu!! such a great series. I DID laugh out loud at the line about “hardly anybody dies.” 

*Flashbacks to “Dead Daichi” meme*

5. It’s taken us the ENTIRE series, but Kageyama finally talks to Kindaichi and Kunimi. This was so heartwarming, seeing Kageyama wanting to play WITH THEM. AS A TEAM. This made my heart expand three sizes. The character development on Kageyama, and Kindaichi, is through the roof.

I also LOVE Kunimi the most in these panels. Kunimi is a MOOD. 

Y’ALL. I’VE WAITED 400 CHAPTERS FOR THIS PANEL OF THESE THREE HAPPY AND BECOMING FRIENDS AGAIN.

4. I love that Hoshiumi doesn’t see Hinata as a Rival, but as someone that is going to help him show the rest of the world the strength of someone who doesn’t have height. I also find it interesting that we see the Japanese Olympic Coach walking out just as Hoshiumi gives us that beautiful gaze. So...does Hoshiumi know he’s going to be on the Olympic team, with Hinata, maybe? Foreshadowing, perhaps?

3. Okay, okay, I held it together until this page. 

It wasn’t Ushijima’s panel with Washijo that got me.

It wasn’t Saeko and Akane reuniting, though that was sweet. 

It wasn’t the three “Pure Captains” reuniting, though it made my heart happy.

It honestly wasn’t the five first years together, either. They’re all so happy and having a laugh at Kageyama’s expense, and as beautiful as that panel is.

SUGAWARA IN LINE TO GET KAGEYAMA’S AUTOGRAPH.

That is what got me. 

Him in line, so meekly, to get the autograph of his kouhai, the man Suga joked would have to tell about how much he learned from HIM when he was giving out interviews and autographs...I just...Sugawara made me cry. That is all. 

2. Then there’s this last page. 2021. 

"We overcame difficulties and stand here.”

Furudate really said “screw you” to Covid messing up the timeline.

Yes, seeing Kageyama and Hinata in their original jersey numbers was amazing, but I think we all saw that coming if these two happened to get on the Olympic team. 

What I want to focus on are the two countries we see included in the bottom corner here. We see: 

Brazil -- and some fluffy haired man carrying the flag for the team.

And we see the United States -- there’s several American Flags and stars and stripes on the shirts of the crowd, there.

SO, HEADCANON TIME: 

* Oikawa was on the Argentinean League, so could he play for Brazil? It’s not likely, but not impossible....BUT, I don’t think that’s it.

I don’t think Oikawa is on Japan’s National Team for the Olympics.

If he is on the Olympic Team, I think he’ll be on America’s. 

Why? Because, and this could be because I’m the biggest IwaOi shipper, but Iwaizumi was still in the United States with Ushijima’s father at the end of Chapter 395. And if he’s still there, there is no reason why Iwaizumi couldn’t be a physical trainer alongside Ushijima’s father for the U.S. Olympic team. And why wouldn’t Oikawa trek over to the States to be on the same team as Iwa-Chan’s working with? I’m probably wrong, BUT -- 

We also still need to see Seijoh’s banner, and as others have theorized, how fitting would it be to see Hinata, Kageyama, and (probably) Ushijima on the team facing Oikawa? I just....I’m betting money that Oikawa shows up in 402. I hope we at least see him on the Olympic Stage. OIKAWA DESERVES IT. 

1. So, who are we missing that hasn’t been shown yet?

We still need to see the rest of Nekoma (Lev, Yaku, Yamamoto, Kai....could they be in the stands or on the Japan team? I guess we’ll find out!)

We haven’t seen Daishou and Mika -- I would love to see them watching or narrating in the audience during the Olympic game.

And finally, yes, we’ve seen Tendo in the Chapter 395 flashback, but we’ve never seen what he’s DOING. Furudate has shown us with every character what they’ve been doing since the timeskip....EXCEPT TENDO. I’m calling it that he’ll appear one more time next chapter, too.

So....guys....I’m staying off of Social Media from Wednesday to Sunday next week, to prep for the last chapter and not be spoiled. I’m going to do a live reaction for YouTube, and I’ll post it here. You can see the one I did for 401 now. 

Furudate, this series has been immaculate. Time for one more round.

Let’s all cry together next week.

[shingia]

𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 - 𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐨 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

disclaimer : i am not japanese, i only study it in college so please feel free to correct me if i made any mistake !

⇀ hinata shōyō - 日向 翔陽

日向 : the first kanji is 日 (hi), meaning sun, day, light of the sun, which perfectly fits hinata’s personality, obviously

the second kanji is 向 (nata) and has quite a few meanings depending on the context, such as : facing, beyond, confront, defy or approach. overall i think this kanji is perfect to illustrate hinata’s habit to always move forward no matter what stands in front of him

翔陽 : the kanji 翔 (shō) is literally perfect for hinata since it means soar, fly. however, it is different from the kanji we see on karasuno’s banner which is 飛. i’ve done some researches and it seems like 飛 is used to express flying, fluttering or scattering while 翔 is used for things that are currently in flight. 

the second kanji, 陽 (yō) has a similar meaning to 日, they both mean sun and overall express a feeling of positivity

⇀ kageyama tobio - 影山飛雄

影山 : the first kanji 影 (kage) means shadow, silhouette, phantom. in other terms, it’s almost like the opposite of the sun that is so predominant in hinata’s name. i really like that 影 translates to “shadow” because, when you come to think of it, a shadow could not exist without sunlight (this is so wholesome bye) 

the second kanji is 山, which is very common in japanese surnames and means “mountain”. my analysis is that mountains are one of the closest things to the sun, and the higher you stand on the mountain, the bigger the sun. it could be a great metaphor, meaning that tobio’s growth is a way of making hinata shine even brighter. another explanation is that kageyama literally means “the shadow of the mountain”

飛雄 : i mentioned it before but the kanji on karasuno’s banner is 飛, and it’s also the first kanji of kageyama’s first name. so yeah, i love this. it means that shōyō and tobio’s kanjis both mean the same thing, which is very interesting considering that their family names are so different

the second kanji is basically an ego boost from kageyama’s parents. 雄 means “masculine, hero, leader, superiority, excellence”, it’s like his king status follows him to his first name, like he was destined to be do great things

⇀ tsukishima kei - 月島蛍

月島 : you guys might know this already but the first kanji of tsukki’s name (tsuki) means “moon” (how bizarre). in zen buddhism, which is a part of japanese religions and beliefs, the moon is a symbol of enlightenment and truth : sounds perfect for this clever mr. salty. 

the other kanji, 島 (shima) means “island”, which does not seem to have a direct link with tsukki. but trust me when i tell you you won’t be disappointed by the meaning of his first name

蛍 : i had trouble believing at first but the tsukki’s first name means “lightning bug, butterfly”. and i LOVE it. first of all because tsukki’s so desperately trying to be a lone wolf while his name is literally “butterfly”. second of all, i think that it’s a subtle way of expressing that tsukki thrives in the shadow, like a lightning bug. which is another clue telling us that hinata and him are opposite. my analysis is that the sun (aka hinata) is a source of light for everyone, while the moon (aka tsukki) is a source of light for much fewer people (hello yamaguchi), and, if we go even further, a lightning bug basically only produces light for itself which echoes tsukishima’s individualism

⇀ yamaguchi tadashi - 山口忠

山口 : you already know it if you’ve read kags part, 山 means mountain. and if my reasoning applied for kageyama and hinata, it most definitely applies for yamaguchi and tsukki as well. if yamaguchi symbolizes the mountain, then he is one of the few privileged that are allowed to be so close to the moon, who is usually so solitary. 

the kanji 口 means “mouth”. like the “shima” in tsukishima, it does not symbolizes anything relevant to the character, the family name 山口 is just very popular in japan

忠 : in my opinion, this is the most appropriate kanji for yamaguchi’s first name. it means “loyalty, fidelity, faithfulness”. do i have to say more ? i don’t think so.

⇀ nishinoya yū - 西谷夕

西谷 : the first kanji is 西 (nishi) and means « west ». the second is 谷 (noya), meaning valley. nothing spectacular, right ? JUST WAIT (many of you guys probably know where i’m getting at)

夕 : noya’s first name, 夕 (yū) means evening.  WAIT A BIT MORE

⇀ azumane asahi - 東峰旭

東峰 : ok so i’m typing really fast because i think what furudate did is amazing : the kanjis of asahi’s last name are 東 which means « east » and 峰 which means « valley », « peak ». HOW GREAT IS THAT ? it’s literally written in their names that noya and asahi complement each other. also, choosing to name the ace with a kanji meaning « peak » is very clever. and as you can guess, their first names are also genius :

旭 : the kanji 旭 (asahi) means rising sun (literally, asa means morning and is written 朝, and hi means sun, written 日). but i think there’s more than a link between noya and asahi’s names. indeed, hinata said to asahi in season 1 that he really wanted to become an ace. and both characters have the kanji 日 somewhere in their name. it’s like they both aim so high (literally and figuratively) that the comparison with the sun is inevitable

⇀ tanaka ryūnosuke - 田中龍之助

田中 : this last name is one of the most popular in japan, and i don’t think it symbolizes anything particular for the character. but his name…

龍之助 : the first kanji is 龍 (ryū) and means « dragon, imperial ». obviously it fits really well tanaka’s fiery temperament. the second kanji is 之 (no) and it means « of, this » ; from what i read, it’s basically the kanji equivalent of の, which can be considered an equivalent of the « ’s » in english. and the third kanji, 助 (suke) means « help, rescue, assist ». so tanaka’s name is « the dragon that rescues » and i think it fits him so well ! it might be a reference to his protective behavior towards kiyoko. so basically, tanaka attacks to protect

⇀ sawamura daichi - 澤村大地

澤村 : i’ll admit it, daichi’s last name is definitely not the most stylish. the first kanji (sawa) means « swamp » and the second kanji (mura) means « town, village ». luckily, his first name is a bit more symbolic :

大地 : the first kanji, 大 (dai), means « large, big » and the second kanji is 地, meaning « ground, earth ». when the two of them are put together, it creates the noun 大地 which can be translated as « solid earth » which is obviously, very appropriated for our captain

⇀ sugawara kōshi - 菅原孝支

菅原 : sugawara is a japanese family name that means « sedge field », unless i’m forgetting something about suga i don’t think that it symbolizes something specific about him

孝支 : the first kanji 孝 (kō) means « filial piety, child’s respect », so according to his name, suga is a respectful child, which honestly does not surprise anyone. the second kanji is 支 (shi) means « support, branch, sustain ». like daichi, suga’s first name alludes to something strong on which others can rely for support. i mean, they’re not captain and vice-captain for nothing

⇀ ennoshita chikara - 縁下力

縁下 : ok i really like ennoshita’s name. the first kanji is 縁 (en) and means « affinity, relation, connection », which seems to be a reference to ennoshita being the one that, first of all, brings the second years together and also the one that will « connect » with daichi’s status of captain when the third years will be gone. it’s like he’s the bridge between the third years and the upperclassmen.

the second kanji is 下 (shita) which means « below, down, low, inferior ». my guess is that furudate either wanted to represent ennoshita’s tendency to doubt himself or simply the fact that ennoshita is right below daichi when it comes to the position of captain. like if there was a pyramid, daichi would be at the top and ennoshita would be right below

力 : the kanji of his first name means « power, strength, bear up » and i love that it compensates for the meaning of the second kanji of his family name. i like to picture that daichi is the « solid ground » as we’ve seen before while ennoshita is still underground but nonetheless really strong. moreover, if you combine daichi’s last kanji 地 and ennoshita’s 力, it creates the word 地力  (jiriki) which means « one’s own potential, real ability »

⇀ ukai keishin - 烏養繋心

UKAI’S NAME IS SO GREAT JUST WAIT I’LL SHOW YOU

烏養 (keep in mind that this is the last name so everything i’m saying here also applies to ikkei ukai) : you might have already recognized it but the first kanji is 烏 which can be read as « u » or « karasu ». see my point ? exactly. ukai literally shares a part of his name with karasuno, and this kanji means « crow, raven » (obviously)

the second kanji is 養 and means « foster, bring up, rear, develop, nurture » : such a great choice for this lovely coach, isn’t it ? but that’s not it :

繋心 : the first kanji is 繋 which means « tie, fasten, chain, connect », here again we are reminded that ukai is the one that brings the team together. also, he shares this kanji with his grandfather whose name is 一繋 (the first kanji means « one » so we can suppose that ikkei ukai was « the first to tie the team together ») . the second kanji is 心 which means « heart, mind, spirit ». i see this as a way of expressing that ukai is « the heart and mind of the team » thanks to his coach status

i rly rly enjoyed making this post because it was a way for me to study and improve my japanese so i hope you liked it! i will make another post with other names because there’s just so much to say about them

keep in mind that these are just my personal theories and analysis, i might be wrong and honestly i was too lazy to look it up on google to see if i was right

[conartisthaiji]

So I realized that I really like Daichi bc of how fucking passionate he is??? Like everyone’s like “Hinata and Kageyama really said head empty only volleyball” but I genuinely think Daichi lowkey said the same thing,,,like this man goes to Karasuno bc he ALSO saw them play on tv and wanted to go to nationals with them, only when he gets there Karasuno is coach-less and manager-less and they have lost all their connections. And he looks at this meager team and declares that he wants to go to nationals, and Suga and Asahi are both like hell yeah and so it becomes the three of them practicing to make this dream a reality??? and then in his second year they get five new players, one of whom is an insanely talented libero?? and then when Daichi’s a third year Karasuno gets this fancy genius setter (and Suga deserves his own post for how gracefully he handled that situation but that’s for another time) and a tiny bouncy volleyball idiot but together those two have a remarkable quick?? Suddenly Daichi’s dreams of going to nationals with Karasuno aren’t so far-fetched. Takeda finally brings them a proper coach, the ace and the libero return, and suddenly he really really can go to nationals?? like he has a proper team now. And so?? He does?? Like he worked his ass off for it for the past three years and then he gets there and it’s all he wanted from his time on the Karasuno volleyball team and im just,,,tearing up like how could furudate make this man become a cop when honestly Daichi was just as passionate and talented as Hinata and Kageyama and he totally should have continued with volleyball. He could have done it, after all he was like the solid reliable foundation that Karasuno was built on and we see that!! Its discussed in the Johzenji match (Terushima says that Karasuno was only able to play like they did because Daichi had provided them with such a stable foundation) and the Wakunan match (which is also about ennoshita but much as I love him, ennoshita is for another day, this is about daichi) but that’s like the whole thing?? Daichi is their solid reliable dedicated captain and its bc of his hard work that Karasuno was able to fly as they did. 

Like sure not everyone continues volleyball and I get that!! But I also think that Daichi is just as much of a “head empty only volleyball” boy and he had the talent to continue on professionally like Hinata and Kageyama. His receives are solid and his captaincy skills are on point (ok i dont know shit about volleyball), plus he clearly loves volleyball (he refused to consider quitting after the Interhighs!). There’s no reason why he couldn’t have continued playing.

Tl;dr: Daichi should have continued volleyball, thank u for coming to my ted talk

[caxsthetic]

first of all, im kinda wondering, have you play volleyball as a regular player? 👀👀

second, im curious about what made you an inarizaki stan in general

third, whats youre favorite team (beside inarizaki)?

thats all! and just want to say i love your work and please do take care of yourself! ♡♡

salam dari indonesia www (๑°꒵°๑)·*♡

HELLO BABY AAAA THANK YOU FOR LOVING MY WORK UWU🥺🥺🥺 and omg whutt hello Indonesia peeps🥳 Astaga aku baru aja megap2 kek ikan mas gara2 fanart Atsumu mo nanges keinget itu yatuhan makhluk terindah... Oke njut—

Have you play volleyball as a regular player? Sorry to dissappoint but I never in a sports club except for archery... I just kinda proud with my brain when it comes to PE since anime/manga taught me lots about sport🥳

What made you Inarizaki stan? BWAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH BOIII U MAKE ME WANT TO WRITE AN ESSAY OVER THIS... But okay in general, I just love how everything is connected. Like the bond between them? Everything just perfect and each member had their own characteristic🥺 Akagi? Omimi? Kosaku? Damn all of them is just so loveable and I love how they always take on a new challenge... Everyone balance each other so well too! Like there are member who could "control" the others, there are canonball member, "genius" member... They have each other's back and I just... So so in love with their dynamic AND TIMESKIP?! SUNA STILL RAMBLING ABOUT SHINSUKE, STILL COMMENTING SHIT ABOUT ATSUMU, AND GOD NEW CHAPTER THE 402 KILLS ME LIKE MY GOD THEY ARE ALL THERE STILL TOGETHER TO WATCH ARAN AND SUMU PLAYING IN THE SAME COURT AS THE SAME TEAM! I love Inarizaki so much, 2017 is the best year in my life because Furudate create them all💕💕💕

What's your favourite team beside Inarizaki? 👁👄👁 The way I don't even know... I... Uhm... Ugh... Maybe nekoma, yeah maybe Nekoma... Nekoma or Seijoh, I love Nekoma dynamic too! They are precious and overall fun to see🥺

U make me ramble a lot... OMG BABY PLEASE SLEEP ITS ALMOST 12 AM😤😤😤 Have a good restt okaayy?? Love uu mwahh!

Ask me three questions, anything! Imma answer it!

[waka-chan-out]

tsukishima liking getting spat on is canon i just know it u are so genius about that 😡❤️

🚨furudate told me themself so y’all better start adding it to your stories STAT🚨

on a serious note, thank you. i just wanna put tsukki in his place so bad lmao

[koutawoo]

Hi Woo-chan. How are u cutie? Hope u are doing great and SLEEPING WELL. LET ME SAY I AGREE WITH U AND BRE SAN SO MUCH LIKE. I swear I had the exact thoughts about Kuroo. Like not only he has almost every aspect of a fav chara I ever wanted, he has many more I didn't know I needed. He feels like the chara I was always looking for but I thought I wanted sth so specific that I couldn't really find. Also u mentioning him as a older bro jskdk._cognizant anon (part 1 jskaldjalk)

I was literally thinking how great it would be to have sb like him in your life. As a friend or senpai. Like I used to think that the captain I would like to be with was Daichi but later I noticed that Kuroo is pretty similar to him but he feels much more approachable. Like definitely I would respect him but he seems super close to him teammates and cares about every single one and I jsakdjkld. Rambling yup. _cognizant anon (part 2. yup not done. in rambling mood sorry jfdlsj)

Also a few days ago I was thinking about Bokuto's way of interpreting what is fun and how it isn't that "if u can do this it's fun" but "if u don't do it properly then it's no fun". Like that's a damn impressive way to look at what's fun. Damn Bokuto's quotes and talks really get to me. If there are quotes that must affect me (as a person who isn't really motivated I really want to take in what he says (hopefully one day i will)). _cognizant anon (part 3)

(part 4 jfdskfs) Like I kinda relate to Tsukki and I think I need to listen to Bokuto even tho he is talking about vb and I wanna take it in as studying advice jdkjs. Even in studying if u succeed then it can be more fun right? HE IS SO INSPIRATIONAL PLS UNDERSTAND "ME" hahaha. Honestly the true "genius" of hq is Furudate. AND AT LAST LET ME FREE U FROM THIS SPEECH. _cognizant anon

furudate checking off their character list like ✔️✔️✔️ every character shall be liked ✔️✔️✔️ they will top everyone’s favorites list ✔️✔️✔️ they will have so many characteristics that everyone is looking for ✔️✔️✔️ perfection, even when flawed ✔️✔️✔️

bokuto is big brain, even if he’s a bit clumsy with his words! it’s the idea rather than the articulation that matters :3 but yeah... it is definitely more fun when you succeed! also, the correlation between people enjoying a subject and receiving higher grades ✔️ hope you take his word to heart and actually succeed LOL

[chiyuukiaru]

Again, I won’t say I’m happy with how “abrupt” everything ends. But, idk, maybe it’s a blind trust to Furudate on my part or just me “taking it easy” (callback to Hinata’s advice to Hyakuzawa and his high first touch in the match with Inarizaki), I’m honestly not mad.

Yes, we got robbed of the approximately 5 years of Karasuno and other teams that we love so much, but given the build-ups (I’m talking about the Brazil panel on chapter 15, Kageyama and Hinata talking about a showdown on international level, Furudate’s message about writing an Olympic arc and other things), this “Final Arc” actually makes sense. Furudate has planned this from a long time ago, from the very beginning I might say.

A lot of people been saying this, but yes, it’ll be too repetitive and maybe uninteresting to some people if we move on to 2nd and 3rd years. Why? Coz we’d have same InterHigh preliminary, same Spring Tourney preliminary, same Nationals, and obviously, same rival schools (maybe add more). Personally, I don’t mind if these happened. I mean, more developments for the other characters? Sign me up! My other favorite sport mangas also followed this pattern (Daiya no Ace and Yowamushi Pedal). But I can’t deny, some of my friends thought that it’s “boring” (I disagree but I respect their opinion).

While this “Final Arc” is so sudden and I still can’t bring myself to say goodbye to Haikyuu!! yet, it is happening. There’s no way Haikyuu!! still running until I’m 80 (I wish). Tho, keep in mind that it takes 7 years for Furudate to finish 1 high school year. Therefore, this final arc won’t just end in months. Take it easy and relax, guys. It’d probably take a minimum a year (my bet is actually more than 2 years lol).

If this still doesn’t convince you, you can follow my coping mechanism. Drop Haikyuu!! for a while. Pick it up later (say 3 months) and read it from the last arc. It’ll make much more sense that way. It might even soothe your longing and pain.

Now, moving on to explanations and predictions:

Kageyama in a National team and fought in 2016 Olympic honestly surprised no one. He is a volleyball-sexual (to all shippers out there, me included, puh-lease, we need to admit it) and he’s that good. His stats is one of the highest and he was still a first year at that time. Once Furudate gives us the updated stats, I know it’ll be even higher. He’s a genius/prodigy/whatever else you wanna call him.

As for Hinata, okay, I know this will surprise people, but I always have a headcanon that he’d live in a foreign country lol. It turned out to be true, even though the backstory might be different. My reason for this is because we never see his dad (tbh we almost never see the members’ parents, hence why my imagination goes wild) and it’s not impossible for his dad to work overseas. So I always headcanoned that maybe, once Hinata graduated high school, he might want to/have to live with his dad in that faraway country. ‘Have to’ is probably more than 'Want to’ but because this is Brazil we’re talking about and volleyball is big there, Hinata might want to challenge himself more tho. I saw someone commented in Reddit that Hinata possibly went to Brazil coz he didn’t get invitations from universities. Tbh, I’m a bit doubtful. As Coach Hibarida said, the small players don’t just sit around and do nothing. They showed themselves and their abilities and those qualities caught the attention of the scouting agents. Hinata made a name for himself in Nationals. Oikawa once said that he’s the kind of player that a setter wants to toss to (and Miya Atsumu kinda confirmed this with his line of “I’ll toss to you one of these days”). Bokuto also said how even though he’s tiny, his presence is huge. Hell, Hinata probably became a hero for people (especially small people) who saw him on TV. Similar to how Little Giant became his hero. There’s no way no university is interested in him. That’s why I think he has a personal reason for coming to Brazil.

This is probably a stretch and just my hopeful self screaming, but as a callback to Kageyama when he said he wanted to win with this team (this team as in, the current Karasuno), my prediction is that it could be a foreshadowing on Furudate’s part. It could be that somehow, someway, the current Karasuno would be placed in a same team again (probably with some of the rival teams’ members too) and they will fight together in whatever the match Furudate has planned to happen. I just wanted to see my children again, okay, so lemme hope.

I always think about Kageyama’s line too much: "What have you been doing these past 3 years?!”. Yes, what have you been doing these past 2-3 years in Brazil, Hinata?! Hinata’s also a volleyball-sexual, so he must be doing some training himself. I don’t believe that he has lost his passion for volleyball (like The Little Giant). And he has a promise with Kageyama too. He could be running and jumping around the sandy beaches in Brazil and it made his speed, stamina, and jump even more impressive (hey, just make him has the highest spiking point please).

Personally, this is the thing I’m most curious about. I have no idea, why in 2017? So it's a 3 years journey to 2020 Olympic? Why Coach Washijou said the limit is 2 years? So does it mean Hinata will transfer back to Japan after 2 years in Rio? Oh my, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Yachi went to the same university is adorable.

Okay, so when did U-19 match happen? Would we get a flashback about this? After so many build-ups and introductions, we should at least get a flashback, yes? Oh, and this is connected with my (until now) last point:

Idk if people noticed this, but in chapter 369, Kageyama and Hinata weren’t shown in the panel when the new Karasuno team was training/running. Where were they? Were they invited in the Dream Team match that always happens after Nationals? I know that there’s a Dream Team match consisted of 52 hand-picked players divided into 4 teams after Spring Nationals, one of the members in each team is a middle schooler. Were Kageyama and Hinata there? Or maybe they went to U-19 championship? Maybe I was just looking too deep into it, lmao.

[goldennika]

only four chapters in the haikyuu manga and i’m already emotional???

furudate u r a mad genius

it’s when kageyama set the ball for hinata for the first time ever and then suga recalled his conversation with hinata about having friends but never a partner 🥺

aaaand when suga offered to practice setting for hinata *sobbing noises* i love suga-mama

[boylikeanangel]

What do u love most about haikyuu?? Seeing someone so passionate about something they love always makes me happy plus I know literally nothing abt it

that's such a difficult question omg....I guess I just love the character writing???? it literally has the best character writing I've ever seen and not just for the main characters, every single character has something to love about them,,, furudate puts so much effort into making EVERY character likeable and there really is something for everyone!!! I love hearing who everyone's favourite character is just because you can make a solid argument for any of them about who is best. with so many characters you'd think it'd get tired after a while but none of them feel particularly tropey at all, you have obvious archetypes like the spunky bright-eyed protagonist and his grumpy genius foil, but all of them feel genuine and like they could be real people with real personalities and motivations (with a bit of wiggle room for the normal kind of dramatics every anime has). and it's wonderful how they still all manage to centre around volleyball!! you learn about each new character through their abilities and play style and feelings about volleyball and that leads to really interesting interpersonal conflicts between characters or entire teams, and the main characters can learn from or develop from their interaction with other players. there are so many characters with so many different personalities and motivations and yet they all feel very grounded and close-knit, like they all exist in one very small universe where everything fits together perfectly but no one concept is overused. half the fun of the show is getting to see the new teams and characters and thinking "how is our main cast gonna interact with and learn from them?" and it's ALWAYS fascinating and super fun to watch and I'm really rambling now and I haven't even got into the metaphors about how each team is characterised by a particular animal and how that translates to their play style in volleyball which is the most GENIUS thing I've ever seen no fucking lie but TLDR basically the characters are what make the show as good as it is and I love every single one of them and a show about fucking VOLLEYBALL has no right to have character writing as excellent as it does

[ryodan]

What's Haikyuu about? I already know it's about volleyball.

Hmm. Okay, i’ll try to explain it.

it’s basically the story of these two guys trying to make their school team be the best in Japan??

The story basically begins with the lead character (and my second favourite character of all time) hinata shouyou on his way to junior high school when he is momentarily taken by a volleyball nationals match between a school called Karasuno and some other irrelevant filler school playing on tv inside a shop’s window..namely, he’s taken by this short player from Karasuno nicknamed ‘the little giant’ who seems to be scoring points despite his obvious height disadvantage. In that moment little shouyou falls in love with volleyball and starts idolizing the little giant, so he asks about the club at school and it turns out no one signed up and everything is really sad and he can’t play volleyball in a team and he is literally the only sad ass member?? he still practices alone though, and asks annoys  his friends to help him occasionally. All of this in hopes that he will once get lucky enough to compete on a court one day..and when the day finally comes, he and his little chibi ass friends (whom he dragged to play with him despite them literally knowing 0 about volleyball) get SMASHED to pieces by the strongest junior high team in the prefecture. Worth mentioning, hinata and his anxious pee habit made him meet this guy nicknamed ‘the king of the court’ (supposedly just because he is an insanely gifted player) next to the bathroom and he ends making this dumb ass promise to literally a genius guy who is backed up by the strongest team while hinata’s best player is a guy who didn’t fuckin know what the position names meant

turns out au volleyball sasuke/haru/depending on what type of anime you like doesn’t like the idea of losing so he FIRES back

you’d think because hinata is a shonen protagonist he’d end up pulling some superhuman miracle and win but lol

in typical #shonenboiishatelosing fashion he makes this promise to angry intense bathroom guy

kageyama tobio aka king of our hearts is just really confused as to why Frodo the hobbit is crying and telling him all of this

but in good sportsmen ship just tells him to get stronger if he wants to stay on court.

After hinata’s heart glass gets shattered he goes back to practice vv hard, montage and everything, in order to beat the king that cut his career short.

Fast forward to high school and hinata joins his dream school karasuno and he is all ‘im going to get so strong im going to have a great team and im gonna gET MY REVEN- WHAT THE FUCK WHY IS HE HERE’

turns out kageyama is actually rlly fuckin school dumb and his shitty grades (and even shittier personality) kept him from going to the strongest high school in their prefecture despite him being a genius at tossin u the ball (something we all can do but he can apparently do it ingeniously????) so he is stuck here bc of his angsty really bossy social skills mess hated by everyone back story

at first they are all at each others throats but slowly by slowly their relationship develops into some borderline romantic comedy power duo (literally nicknamed the freak duo by their opponents) plot (that a lot of people including me otp bc honestly it gets p gay sometimes like wow is this the power of friendship or the power of boyfriends the line is getting blurry)

like uh they literally communicate like this??? but still understand each other

so using the power of friendship boyfriends and hinatas super fly jump they set out to take karasuno to the nationals. Along the way ofc there are other teams and characters we meet, all of which are explored and amazingly developed by the author. You literally cannot hate any of them even when they are the opposing team???

So that is basically hq??? a lot of volley?? a lot of friendship plots? a lot of amazing side characters that the author actually develops and includes constantly. There is also the bonus of the most chill (v active and full of amazing creators!!!!) fandom that is all in for any type of hc’s, ships, faves etc etc. It’s all love and chillness.

This series is like A+. Dynamic writing that never not once got boring or felt cheap? it’s always authentic and manages to increase the tension while remaining personal to the characters and their goals. Only Furudate manages to give a character a MILE of believable development DURING a match. Great series that will make you laugh 24/7, the animation is AMAZING holy actual heck..To animate a SINGLE frame of Hinata’s eye the animators used SIXTY different drawings??? In contrast to SP that animates using 1 to 2 drawings for FULL body frames??? The OST is also A++. you’ll start the series thinking ‘who cares about volleyball???’ and 10 in episodes you’re crying because you’ve adopted 20 fictional children and because ‘humans don’t have wings so they look for ways to fly’.

Fun fact: in the OFFICIAL made by Japanese people 100 best anime of all time list, Haikyuu!! was there!! Even shows like naruto weren’t!! that is how highly regarded it is…it’s vvvv popular?? specially in Japan it is everywhere.

in summary: 2 boys 1 ball

watch haikyuu!! trust me

[rhetorical-ink]

**SPOILERS** 2020 Mangakas Be Like:

Some mangaka, like Furudate, flexed their skills to cement themselves as one of the greatest sports mangakas with an incredibly wholesome, heart-quenching ending to their volleyball manga series and said, “You know what, 2020? We’re better than you!” 

Meanwhile, some mangaka, like Horikoshi, flexed their skills of madness to take a wholesome, complex superhero manga and crank the darkness, angst, and violence to an ELEVEN, flipping off 2020, while simultaneously drinking his fandom’s tears out of a 68 oz Big Gulp. 

[rhetorical-ink]

Haikyuu!! Observations: Koganegawa and Tsukishima

**SPOILERS FOR ANIME ONLY’S BELOW**

Since season 4 of Haikyuu!! started, I’ve quickly decided I love Kanji Koganegawa from Date Tech. He’s like their version of Shoyo Hinata:

He’s super energetic and Optimistic:

He does mess up, but still gives it his all:

His goal is to be EVERYONE’S friend:

Seriously, this social butterfly wants NAKAMA! *Friends Theme Plays*

And like Hinata, he’s not afraid to ask others for advice, either. It’s interesting that both Shoyo and Koganegawa are the ones showcased for seeking tips from other players during the training camp.

Setting the Stage (pun intended): 

I thought during the pre-Nationals match of Karasuno vs. Date Tech, one of the most interesting asides was Hinata’s side comment that when Koganegawa had been the setter during the Training Camp, that Tsukishima had been made to jump higher because of Kogane’s sets, compared to Kageyama’s. 

Naturally, Kageyama was frustrated, because this meant that Tsukishima could jump higher to hit the ball...he just hadn’t been all this time while Kageyama was setting. 

A lot of readers and viewers may see the “Boy Ball Arc” as having been filler or not necessarily important before the Nationals Arc. However, I maintain that Furudate planted SO MANY seeds of foreshadowing in this mini-arc, and I want to share one of my favorites, here.

The Chicken and the Frog:

In Chapter 378, we learn this about Tsukishima, forever sealing his redemption in the series as one of the best; I’m not crying, you’re crying:

He’s a Middle Blocker for the Sendai Frogs Division 2 League. 

And THEN, eight chapters later in Chapter 385, we get this reveal:

Yeah, so Koganegawa is going to be the SETTER for the Sendai Frogs.

He’s going to toss the ball to Tsukishima.

I have this headcanon that Tsukishima probably thought he was free of Hinata’s endless optimism and energy to annoy him...only to now find himself playing alongside the sunniest rooster of Date Tech.

However, I really think Tsukishima will be fine with it at the end of it all. Why?

Because Koganegawa is from Date Tech, and is opposite Kageyama.

One, Tsukishima definitely respects, though frustrated by, Date Tech’s defensive prowess; particularly since it’s his strongest attribute as a player.

 But also, Koganegawa is probably the most...jovial...of the setters in Haikyuu!! He’s not serious, mysterious, boisterous, or manipulative. He just tries his hardest and is very down to earth. Much like Date Tech. Tsukishima clearly was not Kageyama’s biggest fan on the team, and their lack of being able to “gel” definitely lent to tense moments on the court and Tsukishima not giving “120%” for his sets.

However, with a setter he respects, that simply will do what he can for Tsukishima...THAT could be something intriguing to see. Basically: