#he's literally the same species we aare

[letterex-fyofm]

"(His) best possible partner," Yamaguchi Tadashi.

There are many reasons why I love Tsukishima and Yamaguchi together so much. It's all in the sentiment they carry. And I love seeing the interpretations people give to their relationship, so here I am sharing mine.

Aaa, how can I explain it?

It's all about the trust that Kei has in Tadashi, how he knew Tadashi would be able to make his service ace because "he has been practising serves the most." How Tadashi knew and never doubted that Kei would block Ushijima. And how they rely on each other in the court.

"A level-headed, disciplined shield...and its best possible partner, one that makes its decisions easy...a sharp spear."

Partnership is a recurrent motif in Haikyuu. We see it with Hinata and Kageyama, with Tobio being Shoyo's first real partner and being the person Tobio had been waiting for since he was a kid. We see it with Iwaizumi and Oikawa, who he couldn't be prouder to have as a partner. They are all seen as the best fit for each other, and this is no different for Kei and Tadashi.

It's important to remember how Tadashi was introduced. He literally was behind Tsukki, his face being in the corner of the screen, severely overshadowed by his friend. This, as everything in Haikyuu, is not there for the sake of it.

Tadashi and Kei are introduced as a pair, but there are a lot of questions about their friendship. It's obvious that Tsukishima is Yamaguchi's friend, but is Yamaguchi Tsukishima's? Does Tsukishima appreciate Yamaguchi? Is their relationship one-sided? If so, can it even be called a friendship?

Furudate emphasizes this in the CD drama of the first years walking home after the Shiratorizawa match. Kageyama says to Tadashi, and I quote, that at first, he "used to think that you were just Tsukishima's cheerleader." And, honestly, it really seems like it at first.

At first.

And then Tokyo Training Camp happens.

This is the first time that Yamaguchi is explicitly depicted as being ahead of Tsukki. And I think Tsukishima knows that too. In this panels, it really feels like Tsukki is alone for the first time. There's no Yamaguchi at his side, who was depicted as his sort of yes-man.

But there's something else in these panels that I would like to mention. Tadashi is described in the previous quote as Kei's best possible partner, and I think this explains why.

Tadashi doesn't stop himself from growing and evolving just because Tsukki is not ready to do so himself. And yet, he never doubts that Tsukki will do it. He tells him he will "see him at the top." Without any doubt in his mind. And Kei suddenly has this big expectation that he has to meet, but thinks he isn't able.

Level-headed. Rational, yeah, but there is a fine line with going from rational to pessimistic.

Luckily, he has his best possible partner ahead of him, but facing him face-to-face. The sharp spear who clears his mind:

And he does it again:

And again,