#exquisitestrangeness

[engekihaikyuu]

I'm not sure if you already got this kind of question or not lol, but how's Keita? Is there any particular differences that he made that he's back as Daichi? Or if the team dynamics a little bit different than when with Ken-chan? What are your thoughts on this? Thank you for your updates btw! I'm so glad that I got to read your reviews as if I watch the stageplay with you ❤

Full review under the Read More

I’m glad people enjoy reading these, because when it comes to Engeki, I have no idea how to shut up lol.  

I would say that yes, Keita is absolutely a different Daichi now than what he was in the first show.  But there’s also a bigger emotional range for him to play in this show versus that first one, so that definitely helps.  Back in the first show, he used his natural voice when speaking as Daichi, but now he changes it the same way Ken-chan did to try to get a deeper, more commanding sound.  I think his posture’s improved, he tries to stand a little taller now I think.

I have a hard time making a direct comparison to how he was in that first show versus this one honestly.  I never saw that first show live, I only have the DVD version same as everyone, and that first DVD didn’t offer a full-stage view recording, so I don’t know what his stage-blocking was like back then when he wasn’t the focus and I can’t say that I know his whole performance from that time.

But having seen him live three times for this show, I feel like there’s a difference.  Daichi doesn’t circulate himself around the team as much as Suga, but he’s also missing for large parts of Act 2 because of the injury that removes him from the court.  

As I said, we get to see a bigger emotional range from him in this show compared to the first one, and I think that was for the best to help him make a nice impact for his return and warm everyone up to him again.  When Daichi gets frantic about wanting to stay in the game despite his injury, despite the head pain and the blood, grabbing at Takeda-sensei’s knees and screaming that he was fine, it really shows how much Daichi wants to be on the court as much as anyone.  He can be as desperate as Hinata about wanting to play, and he sounds on the verge of tears when he’s telling Suga and Asahi that he’s leaving it to them to hold down the fort while he’s gone.  

I think he had a great rapport on-stage with Ennoshita and with the other third-years, but I don’t have much of an impression of him interacting with the others.  He does yell at Tanaka for trying to make Hinata and Asahi and Yamaguchi throw up when they’re nervous, and I think overall he’s added more humor to Daichi than he had done before.  I see that many aspects of Ken-chan’s Daichi have influenced the changes in how he plays his Daichi now, I think the changes are an improvement, and I’m glad that the story of this play allowed for him to showcase it.  

The team dynamic is different, but that’s because of more than just Daichi.  Suga’s new too, and some of the ways in which Suga used to interact with the team has changed (you can read my review of Naoki for those differences), and also because of Ennoshita’s spotlight, we got to see more of the second-years.  Tsukki’s growth is affecting the way he acts a little, especially with Yamaguchi and even a little with Kageyama (he’s less antagonistic toward him.  I mean, it’s still there, but it’s softened up).  

But overall, yes, Keita is different than the Daichi he used to be, and he’s doing a fantastic job.

[engekihaikyuu]

@exquisitestrangeness

(Kairi after learning the first 6 notes) “Eh?  There’s more?”

Please do not repost my gifs.

[engekihaikyuu]

@exquisitestrangeness

Kouhei also literally has the best calligraphy handwriting of the group!  I tried to find the most smiling footage I could~