#kuroo's too much of a volleyball nerd to seriously do drugs but he was the first one who came to mind for this meme

[dodofoge]

That one squid game meme:

[kenma-loves-pie]

Here’s the thing. I don’t get the whole canon Kuroo is a weed loving stoner and party loving jock who gets stoned all the time and drunk at parties every weed and who would disrespect Kenma.

The biggest problem I have with it is the weed. Kuroo doing weed just doesn’t seem likely at all. If he was in America, maybe. But he’s not.

Statistically, drug use in Japan is much lower than America, but we know what’s reported doesn’t match the truth. Even still, the numbers are very different so it’s probably still a bit lower. But that’s not the biggest reason Kuroo being a pothead doesn’t make sense.

Possibly the biggest reason starts with the fact that weed isn’t that big in Japan. In America, weed is the most popular illegal drug. Everyone knows or knows of someone who has done weed or does it. You may even know where to buy it. In fact, that’s true of a lot of countries. But in Japan? Not the case.

In Japan, stimulants make up more than 80% of the drug use. Methamphetamine is considered the big drug, but stimulants in general are popular. Ecstasy and LSD are fairly popular in nightclubs and some other circles too. But weed only makes up a small percentage and, while I’m not sure how true it is, I’ve heard it’s not that easy to find.

This is thought to be due to the culture. Japanese culture is big on long work/study hours, community service, family obligations, and being thin. People literally die from overwork so often there is a word for it and being fat in Japan is worse than in America. Stimulants can help get through the hours or lose weight to be socially accepted much better than weed. Weed is for relaxing, but, unless it’s the weekend, there isn’t a lot of time for that. You’re talking 12 or more hours of obligations for many students and workers. So it’s not surprising that the top drugs are something that would help people focus and work longer. Weed doesn’t do that.

On top of that, Japan has some of the strictest drug laws of any democratic first world country. Getting caught with even a small amount of drugs doesn’t only carry legal consequences, but serious social ones too. Getting caught with a tiny bit of weed can cause you to lose your family, your career, your social standing, everything. Celebrities have been blacklisted for having a little bit of weed. It’s very serious. A lot of people won’t take the risk unless they feel they can’t do what they need to do without it.

(Btw, you can largely blame America for this as weed was a common and valued thing apparently until world war 2. America then imposed it’s views on drugs and that became the norm in Japan and is only just starting to shift in recent years.)

Really, most people just stick to alcohol and tobacco. No one frowns on that. In fact, it’s pretty much encouraged to smoke and drink so it’s the better choice.

In schools, the most popular substance abuse issues tend to be stimulants and inhalants like sniffing glue, paint thinner, etc. People who sniff tend to move onto amphetamines for a better high later. But only a small percentage uses weed compared to that of U.S. teens.

So, especially for someone like Kuroo, weed doesn’t seem likely. It’s not popular in Japan and when does he have time to get stoned five times a week? He’s in college prep classes which means he probably studies A LOT. He’s the captain of a sports team which means long practice hours and extra responsibility. His dad is a single parent and it’s unclear how able his grandparents are, so he may have extra responsibilities at home. He also helps Kenma with school and hangs out with friends. Even in countries where weed is popular, he’s not your typical daily stoner. Tried it once? Maybe. Does it all the time? Not likely.

If Kuroo abuses anything, it’s probably caffeine. Maybe stimulants if you really want some extra angst. I’m not sure he’d risk getting caught with that and ruining his future or that he could afford it, drugs are more expensive in Japan than America, but maybe.

As for partying, sure. On the weekend sometimes. I don’t think he’d be doing a lot of drinking in high school. He’s a volleyball player and takes it very seriously, but maybe some. But going during the week, getting super drunk, and doing other drugs? In high school? That doesn’t fit.

I see that more being something he does his college years maybe. If he got burnt out and went a little crazy, I wouldn’t question it then. But in high school? He’s a somewhat shy nerd that studies way too much, probably likes watching science documentaries, and wants to play volleyball to the best of his ability. He takes care of himself and trains hard. A lot of partying and drugs doesn’t fit that. Especially drugs that wouldn’t help him be better at what he does.

And disrespecting Kenma? That makes no sense. I’ve seen people write canon Kuroo calling Kenma his bitch and acting like Kenma is some weak loser that he keeps around out of pity. That makes no sense. Kuroo repeatedly acknowledges that Kenma’s talented and he respects those talents. He’s even awed by them sometimes. He cares about Kenma and knows Kenma is strong and capable, maybe even more than Kenma thinks. Even if you don’t believe they are romantic, Kuroo respects and cares about Kenma.

Also, I’m not getting into the sex god thing. I mean, I think he still could be. He’s a total nerd and his hair is a mess but there is no reason a nerd can’t be a god in bed. So that doesn’t really bother me. Do I think he’s had tons of relationships? No. Again, where is the time? Also, I’ve heard Japanese high schoolers are discouraged from dating but I haven’t researched it so Idk. Either way, nerds can be good at sex so I don’t see why he can’t. But the stoner thing seems way off base.

Anyway, you can interpret characters how you want. If you like Kuroo that way, that’s your right. I just think it doesn’t make sense. For an AU? Sure. But canon high school Kuroo? Not at all.