#that one inarizaki pinch server is on here

[hq-analysis]

Haikyuu!! Chapter 249: Cacophony and Silence

This chapter is EPIC.

No, not because of this, though I’ve been waiting for Hinata emulating Hoshiumi.

But because of THIS.

Hinata, dramatic much? I don’t realize you could be such a drama queen.

I honestly cackle, cackle seeing these panels as prone as I am to second-hand embarrassment. 

Everyone’s perfect reaction is perfect. Suga and Yamaguchi’s being adorable. Kageyama being Kageyama. But interestingly, he only scolds Hinata for trying it during spiking/scoring.

It’s just so Hinata, who just wants to practice his jump.

(You should have given him the chance Daichi)

Honestly, the nerve to pull off a new, untried move in the middle of Nationals, against the second strongest team. But thanks to that…

Oh hello. Hinata, you put yourself in their radar. Just like you always do. Good job, despite your epic fail. You’ll get it soon and knock people’s socks off, as usual.

Now that we’re done rolling on the floor laughing and breaking the tension. Let’s dig into the chapter.

@spring-emerald noted that Inarizaki has managed to get to Nationals in THREE times consecutively, which… makes at least half of the team National regulars, and this current lineup is the one that gets the the farthest, and closest to the top. While Hinata gives us the impression that it’s business as usual, it’s kinda hard when we’re given so many hints how strong this team is. It’ll be Shiratorizawa all over again?

The only difference, other than being in the Nationals, is that Inarizaki has eighth player.

Additional psychological pressure actively using the supporters. It’ll be the first time for Karasuno to experience this. Hopefully they’ll get used to it.

Wait… I feel like we’re missing someone. Why court captain for Inarizaki and team captain for Karasuno? Wait, we’re shown the captain before right?

Wait, he’s not a starter????? I thought with his attitude he will be, but he’s NOT? WHY? Is he injured, like Oikawa? Is he a pinch server? Is the current lineup is not the best/strongest lineup???????? A team captain who is not a starter is more than odd, it’s suspicious for a team as strong as Inarizaki. Damn, this looks like it’s gonna be a long, tough match.

Back to the lineup. Tanaka,  Hinata/Noya, and Daichi are at the back. Kageyama, Tsukishima and Asahi are in the vanguard. Interestingly, they are not using the same order used against Aoba Josai (Daichi, Asahi, Tsuki/Noya at the back, Hinata, Tanaka, Kageyama) but using the same order used against Shiratorizawa. So Ukai’s strategy is not on the order… or not? What does he have up his sleeve?

On less serious note, I kinda like the brothers dynamics. Osamu gives the impression of the long-suffering brother having a twin like Atsumu. He gives as good as Atsumu, despite his calmer and more disinterested demeanor (rather reminds me the MBs)

Osamu’s toss in the beginning strengthens fandom’s speculation that Inarizaki might be using two setters strategy, despite Osamu stated as Wing Spiker. Who knows? Miya also looks rather normal here? He’s not as irritating, somehow. Just a typical perfectionist (coughOikawacough). The glare is awesome btw.

Lastly, just some random observation.

The annoying girls Miya’s glared into silence are twins with mirroring bangs, just like the Miya twins. And that enlarged Karasuno pre-game cheers shows jumping Noya and Hinata, and oddly fired up Asahi. Despite not losing his habit of writing people on his palm, Asahi is much calmer now and more comfortable as the ace. I’m proud for Asahi.

And it kinda occurs to me, Inarizaki’s name. INARIzaki. Inari, the fox, the trickster god…. Coincidence?

[waka-chan-out]

I did not know that requests were open, wow I'm lucky! Okay so I'm a girl who can be kind of dom-ish most of the time but mommy kinks have always squicked me out personally? However, I'd love to hear your headcanons about which of the Haikyuu guys would be comfortable calling me daddy. (I love your writing so much btw!!!!!! The biggest congratulations on getting to 500 followers!!! You're excellent and you deserve it, you put so much care into your writing and it really shows!!!)

Calling You Daddy

please this was so sweet 😭 thank you so much !! i don’t even know how to express how happy this message made me. thank you for the support !!

i absolutely love this idea !! this is a femdom safe space and i will write literally anything with that in mind :)

post-timeskip, obviously.

content warnings: daddy kink, dom!reader, mentions of edging, brats, and goshiki crying because of course

so the men that work best for this are:

into it (obviously)

secure in their masculinity (that’s basically all of them, but it’s important to take this into consideration.)

kinda submissive men that make it sound natural

this is in order of teams, not how likely they are to say it

Kageyama: i genuinely don’t know how to explain this choice. it makes perfect sense in my head but in practice i don’t know what reasoning or detail to put here. he just doesn’t get embarrassed in the slightest so he wouldn’t think anything of it. you ask him once and he’s just down. he doesn’t quite get when to use it yet, but when he does it’s so good.

Asahi: i never write for him and don’t really plan to, but he’d be so down. the man desperately wants someone to care for him, and breathlessly asking daddy for more, no matter their gender, is absolutely a way for him to express that.

Oikawa: it’d be remarkably easy to get tooru to call you daddy, but lord help you if you think it’s going to work out in your favor. you know this clip of kyoya calling tamaki daddy? that’s how he says it every time and he’s such a brat. asks you to put him in his place in the most teasing tone, it’s really ridiculous. tooru i swear to god i’m gonna break you.

Kindaichi: for the love of god somebody dom this man. i feel like he’s REALLY into edging but once he crosses a certain line his frustration will turn into almost panicked begging. that’s when the honorifics come out, and he is more than willing to roll with daddy if it makes you feel most comfortable. it rolls off his tongue in a shockingly natural way and it’s one word he can call you in the bedroom makes his brain absolutely buzz.

Kenma: i kinda juggled this choice around, but daddy would sound so pretty coming out of his mouth. he’d have absolutely no shame about it either. this man can have an attitude, but there’s nothing sarcastic or underhanded about the way he gasps it out. he’s also the most likely on this list to use it outside of the bedroom as well.

Yaku: i feel like this is a controversial pick, but i headcanon yaku as having a mommy kink and a daddy kink is not much of a stretch. yaku just SCREAMS “i want a hot woman to dom me” and nothing will deter him from getting that.

Lev: he’s honestly confused, but as soon as he gets the idea in his head he’s confusingly into it. he doesn’t get why he likes saying it so much or why you like it, but that absolutely does not mean he’s going to stop. he’s also so so tall, and something about being bigger but also having someone be in charge of

Bokuto: god, i put him on every single list i make, but that’s literally because he’s so flexible. if you are into something he will try it, and i almost guarantee he’ll like it. i can’t think of much he wouldn’t be into, and calling his partner daddy is certainly not one of them.

Akaashi: he teases you about it a little bit, but he’s another pretty boy that just looks so breathless and gorgeous saying it that i have to include him. like imagine this gorgeous boy hiding his face and using the word daddy while asking for permission to finish. am i right? i’m right.

GOSHIKI: lord have mercy. i genuinely think he’s near tears about 70% of the time when you’re in bed together. he’d be so whiny and willing to do anything you asked, so if you wanted him to call you daddy he would with no hesitation. i can’t imagine anything as pretty as that word coming out of his mouth. so much begging.

Atsumu: deadass gonna put the brat of all brats on this list. he’s a little bastard but i think he’d be into it. i mean, why not? if you like it after he tries it out what’s the harm?? i don’t think he uses it often but if you pull on his hair a little and make him listen he’ll say it with a giant grin on his face.

Riseki Heisuke: you know that pinch server that got booed in the inarizaki match? yep. i feel so sad for him that he’s going on this list. mans has a praise kink and will call you anything you ask him to. this makes no sense but he has the presence of a bisexual man so he’s willing to call you whatever you ask. he’s into all manner of honorifics and doesn’t view them as gendered.

Sachiro Hirugami: pretty boy likes having his hair pulled and will act a little bratty while calling you your chosen honorific, in this case daddy. absolutely no reservations. he’s gentle and precious and just wants to feel like a pliant mess to anyone who will have him. he gets really down on himself so he definitely has a praise kink and likes being called baby in a sort of teasing, but still soft, way.

Gao: people always write this man as a hard dom. i disagree wholeheartedly !! giant man ranges from a smiley sub to a very soft service dom and loves being told what to do. will lay his head in your lap and use it out of context to get a rise out of you. once he’s got you, he’s so compliant and ready to ask permission for things.

[kageyahma-remade]

please talk more about the inarizaki banner and how it was used as a motif 🙏

first of all thank you SO MUCH for indulging me because I think about this banner all the time gdjfgkjd

second, have a look at @suckishima’s gifset! It’s a really great demonstration/summary of how it was used throughout the Inarizaki vs Karasuno match

i want to start by mentioning that there’s a really interesting difference in how the banner was used in the manga vs in the anime. The anime often cuts to Inarizaki’s cheer section, which is seated directly above the banner so the banner’s presence was made known to us since the very beginning of the game. But, it wasn’t given significance until episode 22. From this moment onwards, we start to see it in a new light:

However, in the manga, the banner was completely absent until the very end of chapter 280. Inarizaki’s coach explains what it means, and Riseki, Inarizaki’s pinch server, looks at it himself, but the readers are held back from feeling its full effect:

The core of this chapter is an explanation of what the banner means for Inarizaki and the twins:

Considering Atsumu and Osamu’s plays in particular: they pull off the freak quick attack Hinata and Kageyama have been uniquely using this whole series. They pull off a “reverse” version where Osamu sets to Atsumu. The attack isn’t completely reliable (because they do it without having practiced it first), but they still try it again and again. There are a handful of times when Atsumu jumps in front of the receiver and sets on the first touch, catching even his own teammates off guard. Atsumu is able to make sets count off of poor receives in general. They are constantly doing the unexpected and challenging themselves, every step of the way.

Now that we understand their personal philosophy, we are finally allowed to see the entirety of the banner:

This banner is great because it’s not just a philosophy the team holds but -- circling back to what Riseki learned -- it’s a mentality that can be good to have, a reflection of task focus that has been emphasized all throughout the series. It’s impossible not to make any sort of mistake. You can reflect on the game after it’s over but in this moment, what you can do today is to focus on the next point. Karasuno is down on themselves because they fail to score a point off of Hinata’s receive, until Hinata tells them, “You’d better be watching when I do it again!”. They haven’t lost yet; there’s always a next time.

Next is a really interesting exchange between Kita and Daichi. Kita expresses a dislike of the banner because it doesn’t mesh well with his personal philosophy. He is a much more conservative player than those he watches over. He says after the game that he would prefer if the twins didn’t try out new things in a game without having practiced them first. He says, “The road that brought us here doesn’t just stretch out in front of us. Challenging yourself is one thing -- being reckless is another.” The twins try the reverse minus tempo quick again but miss, and Kita is right there to save the ball.

There’s another battle of concepts to challenge Kita’s outlook on what the banner means. Karasuno constantly does four- or five-man synchro attacks, making almost everyone a decoy in an attack and leaving next to no one to follow up on a potential block. Kita criticizes this as he sees Daichi make his approach among everyone else -- “In the Shiratorizawa game, they didn’t pass to the back row on this attack a single time ... we know you aren’t gonna get the ball, so what’s the point? Why abandon your post as backup to your teammates just to be a decoy?”

Kageyama sets the ball to Daichi, Daichi thinks, “I’m not just here to play defense and back up my teammates. All of us are on this court to score.” and his spike bounces off of Kita’s arms and into the Inarizaki banner.

It almost plays out like a conversation.

There’s another subtle yet deliberate use of the banner at the very end of the game: Tsukishima looks at it before his serve and smirks. Aran just barely receives it and thinks, “Where the heck did that come from?! That glasses kid has been all about the ‘just get it in’ serve until now!”

The banner is shown one more time with the last point, when the twins attempt a back row minus tempo quick set that they have never done before, and they are blocked by the players who are most familiar with it, who know perfectly well that the unexpected is not invincible.

Thematically the banner is a great fit with the motifs of food, hunger, and growth presented all throughout this match. I especially like how it plays into Kita’s monsters’ ball speech, referring to the Miya twins and Kageyama and Hinata, who have been paralleled to each other for the entire match.

On Hinata: “Even when you’re dead tired, even when everything hurts and you just want to stop ... The drive ... to take one more step forward.” and “He plays volleyball like I eat my food”.

and on Kageyama: “Who is this kid? Where’d sweet lil Mr. Goody Two-Shoes go? What happened in the few weeks since camp?”

While they have not directly been shown along with the banner like the Miyas, it’s a really nice underlying statement to their growth and to their character, as both the banner and the payoffs to their respective training camp arcs have been focused on in this match. They always look to run ahead and challenge themselves but there’s an importance in learning from their mistakes and keeping a balance.

When you consider it in the story overall, “WHO NEEDS MEMORIES” is one of the many expressions that reminds you not to dwell on mistakes or fall into regret, because yesterday is food that has all gone towards nourishing you and building up your muscle. What is important is not necessarily your past, but how you stand back up from a fall and what you decide to do today. There is always a new you to nurture.

[tartagliove]

Hello everyone! It’s only been a couple of months since I started this new blog, but so many of you have joined me here already! I’m so thankful for each and every one of you, and I want to interact with you all a bit more. So for my first ever celebration on this blog, I’m doing some normal, aesthetic, and fandom blogrates!

Before I continue, Aimee (@ererokii​​) is also hosting her first ever celebration for a huge follower milestone, so be sure to check out her blog and join her event! Another friend, Summer (@sleepysnk​​) is also hosting an event, so take a look here!

Now, on to the event! If you’d like to participate, here are the guidelines:

✧ I will accept asks for this event between Jan. 2, 1:30pm to Jan. 5, 8:00am (est/gmt -5) ✧ Please be following me ^u^ ✧ Like or reblog this post to spread the word! ✧ Send me an ask with one to three of the following emojis ✧ Include a random fact about yourself so I can get to know you a bit! ✧ Please be off anon, or provide a blog url if you want it for a sideblog!

🌙 for a normal blograte 🌸 for an aesthetic blograte 💥 for a boku no hero academia blograte 🏐 for a haikyuu!! blograte 🗝️ for a shingeki no kyojin blograte ❄️ for a genshin impact blograte

✧ Blacklist #event: blogrates celebration if you don’t want to see these posts!

And that’s it! I hope you’ll think about joining and I’d love to see you in my inbox. Formats are under the cut, but otherwise, I hope you have a lovely day. Thank you all so much for your support! Love you lots!

🌙 normal blograte 🌙

url ✧ don’t get it, sorry! | good | amazing | who did you fight to get it? icon ✧ cute | so pretty | stunning | i’m taking it! mobile theme ✧ default | nice | i love it | how are you so aesthetic? desktop theme ✧ same as mobile | lovely | gorgeous | teach me your ways! content ✧ not my fandoms | decent | outstanding | i could look at it for hours! following ✧ one day i will | just did! | of course! | i’ll follow you forever ❤

🌸 aesthetic blograte 🌸

color ✧ ivory | olive | bubblegum | periwinkle | marigold | azure | ruby | indigo location ✧ mountaintop lake | deep woods | bubbling brook | sunset beach | coral reefs | waterfall flower ✧ lavender | rose | tulip | sunflower | daisy | lily | carnation | poppy scent ✧ vanilla | pine | cinnamon | peppermint | jasmine | citrus  aesthetic blurb ✧ 

💥 boku no hero academia blograte 💥

role ✧ civilian | support engineer | pro hero | sidekick | vigilante | villain quirk ✧ quirkless | emitter | transformation | mutant | specific quirk here age ✧ first year | second year | third year | adult friends ✧ based off of age/role, listed here s/o ✧ aesthetic blurb ✧

🏐 haikyuu!! blograte 🏐

school ✧ karasuno | aoba johsai | nekoma | fukurodani | date tech | inarizaki position ✧ setter | middle blocker | libero | wing spiker | ace | decoy | pinch server | coach | manager age ✧ first year | second year | third year | adult friends ✧ based off school, listed here s/o ✧ aesthetic blurb ✧

🗝️ shingeki no kyojin blograte 🗝️

division ✧ garrison | military police | scout regiment  skills ✧ hand to hand combat | odm gear | firearms | strategy | horse riding assists and kills ✧ xx assists | xx kills friends ✧ based off division, listed here s/o ✧ aesthetic blurb ✧

❄️ genshin impact blograte ❄️

vision ✧ anemo | geo | electro | hydro | pyro | cryo | dendro weapon ✧ sword | bow | polearm | claymore | catalyst location ✧ mondstadt city | dawn winery | springvale | thousand winds temple | dragonspine | liyue harbor | mt. tianheng | dihua marsh | qingce village friends ✧ based off location, listed here s/o ✧ aesthetic blurb ✧

[stylinbreeze60]

Haikyuu Season 4 Reactions

~ A disillusioned ex-film student reacts to the new episodes of Haikyuu ~

Episode 22

I know I say this all the time, but this is now my favorite episode of the season. I dare say it’s one of my favorites of the series

For the longest time, it felt like the episode was about how powerful Inarizaki was. Using the school slogan to convey what makes them so strong was artfully done too

I also sensed a degree of foreshadowing in Coach Anabara’s (the Johzenji coach who led the first-years training camp) observation that Inarizaki struggles with teamwork and being too aggressive sometimes. It reminds me of Kita’s analysis of the weaknesses of the second-years. When Inarizaki returns in whatever capacity, I feel like they will be an even better team

As it did in the manga though, the pinch server Riseki’s subplot feels shoehorned in, and I feel like it’d be hard to care about the time spent on him if I were a casual fan [a/n: as a non-casual fan, however, I beg you, please love Riseki]

I did adore the match cut from Riseki tightening his fist to Asahi loosening his. It was perfect

There were so many exquisite plays from Inarizaki. My faves were the twins’ reverse minus quick and Osamu setting Atsumu’s set (which completely fooled even Tsukishima). But there were so many more good moments to list

Critically, many of the awesome plays this episode, as well as Hinata’s receive, showed above-average animation and directing for the standards of season 4 and for part 2 in particular. There are nitpicks, but I am quite impressed with this week’s directing, and it’s part of the reason I like this episode so much

I also have to point out that Yamaguchi’s face in response to the reverse minus quick was the exact face I was making too

Inarizaki is by far the strongest foe Karasuno has faced, and I find it difficult to imagine other teams we know beating them

For all the good animation this time, I was more aware of the use of still shots and still poses this episode, especially in the lulls between the episode’s zeniths. Still shots are of course part of anime’s aesthetic, but in some cases this week it struck me as just a cost-saving measure (or maybe “quality-saving,” given some of the animation issues in other episodes). Maybe it was a result of the effort making the important moments look as good as they did, or maybe it simply stood out more this week because there were so many above-par scenes. In any event, I’m not going to let this nitpick ruin the whole episode

I wouldn’t be disappointed if Karasuno lost. In fact, I’d be excited. I want to see how the second- and first-years would react to a loss here and rebound from it. I dare say it would add a new tension to the desire for a garbage dump fight, since a loss here means next year would be Kenma’s last chance for the face-off and would be emotionally charged without Kuroo being able to take part

But the game isn’t over yet, because...

For the longest time, it felt like the episode was about Inarizaki’s dominance, but then the final few minutes took place. And it would not be wrong to say that Hinata and Hinata alone saved his entire team

Honestly, that Hinata is the one to save the day is appropriate for the main character of a shounen story lol

It ultimately made the episode about Hinata’s growth. I laughed out loud at his excitement over the receive too

We saw cutaways to the people at the first-years training camp after the receive, not coincidentally matching the still shots we’ve seen every week in the ending sequence. It very much communicated that they all recognized the magnitude of Hinata’s growth

As much as he wants to deny it, Kageyama was in awe at Hinata’s athleticism, and that’s such an important sign of growth in Kageyama too

Speaking of Kageyama, I wonder what Tanaka asked Kageyama to do that Tanaka would have to “swallow his pride” for

And further speaking of Kageyama, the next episode is titled “The Birth of the Serene King.” If that title combined with the obvious shot of Oikawa is any indication, we should be ready for some big character development for Kageyama next week, hopefully in the same way this episode elevated Hinata--

--if not more so. After all, as I was reminded at one point during this episode, this match is as much Kageyama vs. Atsumu as it is Karasuno vs. Inarizaki

[pridewon]

@onehope​ said:  ( text to : yama-chan ) watched your latest game. that serve of yours was quite an eye sight! woah woah woah, i wonder who helped you learn that huhuhu (.❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Tiredness doesn’t bear down on him the way it does (most of) his teammates. Tadashi may have found his place on the team, proudly bearing the torch of pinch server, but it is a short-lived glory still. A handful of rallies, as long as he can score off service aces or the blockers can ward off the opponent’s counter attack - he still only gets to stand on the court for a few minutes at best. Even against the Miya twins and Inarizaki, even against the team that boasts of one of the best servers in the country, while getting the chance to shine... there is room for improvement. A lot of it.

On the bus back to their accomodation, the boy snaps out of his reverie, and fishes his phone from his pocket, wondering who might be texting him (maybe his mom asking for news?). A surprised blink follows as he deciphers the message; and an amused smile blooms beneath freckled cheeks. 

[to: oikawa-senpai - 18:38] you did?? haha, thanks! all these efforts and practice are paying off, but i still have a long way to go. next step will be to practice my receives so i can fight back when they try to take the serve away from us!

Yamaguchi has no trouble picturing it: Oikawa’s amused grin, claiming his part of the triumph - and quite rightfully so. He has long stopped questioning why Seijoh’s captain had taken an interest in him in the first place to focus on the unthinkable chance that it was (even Kageyama hadn’t been so lucky, although personal history might have been to blame here). All he’ll remember, for years to come (especially in a few years time, when Oikawa’s name would blaze through sports news and volleyball headlines), would be the Great King’s patient, but strict and meticulous guidance. Still... Tadashi chuckles to himself; there is no harm in a little teasing, is there? 

[to: oikawa-senpai - 18:39] if i ever get interviewed, i’ll be sure to mention shimada-san. he has been such a good mentor!

Hehe.

[to: oikawa-senpai - 18:39] oh, and of course this one captain from another team who happens to be probably the best server in the prefecture and mysteriously decided to help me with my jump serve, and without who my serves would probably never have made it over the net... and who i hope to see play again once he makes it in the pro world!