haikyuucollective

[haikyuucollective]

Part 1/? - Bokuto, The Ultimate Supporter

Bokuto is most definitely one of the many key characters in haikyuu. His influence on others is immense, as he's constantly being one to push others to their limit. Akaashi even describes him as “the type of person to make others feel like they have to answer his passion with passion,”(Furudate 331) which is a simple sentence that sums up a huge portion of Bokuto's character wonderfully.

We can see Bokuto proving Akaashi's statement to be true in a variety of ways. For example, Tsukishima. Most of us can recall on how much the Third Gym Arc changed him, and I'd be stupid to not include it.

Throughout the Third Gym Arc, Bokuto helps Tsukishima in two main ways: skill wise, and motivation wise. We'll be honing in on the latter today.

In chapter 89, Bokuto invites Tsukishima to practice with him and his companions again. When Tsukishima eventually comes around, he ends up asking them a question* that baffles Bokuto.

*We the readers are aware of Tsukishima's resentment of treating volleyball more than just a club along with the reasons behind it, however we won't be diving into that today.

After grasping what Tsukishima was trying to convey, Bokuto gives him his answer. He tells Tsukishima of his own experiences playing volleyball, telling him how “it wasn't until recently that” he “started thinking volleyball was fun”(Furudate 89). He goes on to explain how he had to improve and get better in order to find more joy in the game. Along with this, he drops a giant ball of wisdom right onto Tsukishimas head.

We see how these words affect Tsukishima later on in the series, not only through Tsukishimas actions, but specifically in chapter 163. Right after doing his set-taking block, Tsukishima recalls Bokutos words :

This goes to show just how much Bokutos words impacted Tsukishima. From asking him a simple question, Tsukishima recieved words that changed his entire stance on volleyball.* "Thank you, Bokuto," we all say in unison.

*Tsukishima also pursues volleyball in college, so I think that also speaks volumes lol.

P.S. sorry for the lack of indents again. Tumblr still hates me

Citations

Furudate, Haruichi. "Haikyu!!" Shounen Jump, January 4th 2013, vol. 4 Chapter 89

Furudate, Haruichi. "Haikyu!!" Shounen Jump, February 6th 2018, vol. 20 Chapter 163

[haikyuucollective]

Part 2/? - The "World" and His "Star"

Hi again! We're back with Akaashi and his lovely thoughts. Last time we left off on akaashis first encounter with Bokuto, and I'd like to pick up right where we left off.

After being starstruck by Bokuto, we see akaashi showing up to the Fukurodani volleyball team tryouts, showing wordlessly how he decided to choose Fukurodani between the two high schools he was pondering over attending. While his choice may have been partially influenced by the fact that he has received a scholarship from Fukurodani, it was obvious that even with that knowledge he had still been on the fence; however, seeing a certain someone on the court seemingly gave him that final push.

We see how Bokuto takes an immediate interest in Akaashi as well, most likely thanks to the fact that he mentions his position as a setter. Without hearing anything else, he jumps to ask Akaashi to help him practice, to which Akaashi agrees to. They seem to practice for hours* due to a panel directly showing the darkness outside of the gym. However, this fact doesn't seem to bother Bokuto, the thumping of the Mikasa balls slamming onto the ground highlighted.

*Akaashi is seen mopping the floors when Bokuto approaches him, implying that their practice had already ended as they were cleaning up. The sky is shown in the background as well, signifying it still being day. It goes to show that this practice was not during club hours at all, but rather it being extra work the two chose to do voluntarily for hours on end. These guys were practicing for a *while*.

I'd also like to remind everyone that Akaashi is a fresh first year! As stated earlier in the chapter, Akaashi isnt a player that particularly stands out. He also wasn't someone who was particularly motivated with volleyball either, unlike Bokuto here. This practice must've drained him to hell and back, especially since he was participating in it with Bokuto of all people.

And, of course, it did. We see poor Akaashi, hunched over and tired, quietly validating Bokuto while internally screaming. Also, Bokuto is still pronouncing his name wrong and I find that silly.

However, despite his about-to-pass-out composure, Akaashis mood visibly lighten when Bokuto compliments him.

Having his inner monologue more longer and advanced than what he actually speaks is an interesting characteristic of Akaashis. From the readers perspective Akaashi had always seemed more calm and slightly reserved, his face usually passive. Being able to read from his perspective and see what he's truly thinking opens doors for Akaashis character; we now know that he isn't just someone who's quiet, but he's moreso someone who is selective of what he says. When he gives his thanks to Bokuto, he's not simply saying thanks to be polite. He genuinely does thank Bokuto for his compliment.

Seemingly the day after their practice, or perhaps after multiple had already taken place, Komi and Konoha come by Akaashis classroom to inform him that he didn't have to play with Bokuto if he didn't want to.

However, Akaashi politely takes down their offer claiming that, "Its actually rather fun to practice with a star player"(furudate 331) to Konohas and Komis dismay. They even go so far as to ask if akaashi is "also a secret weirdo,"(furudate 331) which is hilarious.

The topic of Akaashi being a secret weirdo is actually(no suprise here) very interesting to me. This could be because it fits Akaashis character extremely well, with his cool exterior being the ultimate camouflage to hide his 'weirdness', although most likely not on purpose.

As I would love to continue writing, my eyes are drooping and I feel a power nap needing to clock in. Please stay tuned for the next part coming very soon!

P.S. sorry for no indents. Tumblr hates me

Citations

Furudate, Haruichi. "Haikyu!!" Shounen Jump, April 4th 2019, vol. 37 Chapter 331

[haikyuucollective]

Part 1/? - Why Volume 37 of Haikyuu is Goated

Rereading Volume 37 never gets old. I'm so confident that I could reread it over 1,000 times and still never tire. The amount of anticipated events unfolding during it is definitely one of the two main factors, but of course, it couldn't have been executed as wonderfully as it did without the author himself. Furudate is amazing at his craft, and in my opinion, I think this volume showcases it extremely well; for starters, lets talk battle. Spoilers ahead!

The End of The Battle of The Garbage Dump

Perhaps one of the biggest attributes to this volume was the greatly anticipated ending to Nekoma vs. Karasuno. I can only imagine the excitement going on during the release of this volume; would Nekoma somehow take the last set? Is Karasuno going to lose against them again? Are they going to win? How will both teams react, regardless of the outcome?

With only a few pages left in the battle, each team pushed themselves to their limit, with even the opposed-to-sweat-and-tiredness Kenma giving it his all. While watching this scene in theaters, I was literally at the edge of my seat, gripping my ICEE cup and armrest as if one of them scoring would cause the theater to crumble. My friends and I were so entranced, that we, along with Hinata, didn't realize that the game was truly over until the scoreboard was shown.

I remember feeling my grip slowly release, gasps from both sides of my seat (along with my own), slapping me back into reality.

Turns out that the slight mishap Kenma had with setting the ball due to the sheer amount of sweat accumulated on it lost Nekoma the game.

However, even though they lost, Nekoma was dedicated the entire time. I figure they knew that this was the last set, and as such, every point mattered 110% more than usual. They forewent being passive and instead chose to try and truly embody their schools' motto: connect.

We can see how they did this until the very end, with Nobuyuki and futakuchi rushing, slamming themselves against the floor in order to have a chance at receiving the ball.

Even though they lost, Nekoma lost knowing they had given it their all.

The ending sequence right after, although having zero dialogue, was perfect. Words didn't need to be said; their actions speaking for them all.

In the panels below we see friends from both teams embracing each other, celebrating Karasunos victory and a match well played. Rivals are respected, kouhais are praised, and our beloved seniors in the bottom left corner are seen holding eachother after winning yet another match during their last season.

We also see supporters from both sides, giving both teams their applause at the very end. While rivals, the respect they hold for each other is clear, and no negative responses were shown. Both sides won, and lost, with grace.

Finally, and in my opinion the most heartwarming, the thanking of the mentors. Similar to the supporters, both of the mentors show obvious respect for the other. However, while this scene may seem sweet to those who have not been keeping up with the series, it's even moreso meaningful when you have. This match may had been highly anticipated by the viewers, but it was even higher for the teams themselves. Finally being able to play each other again at nationals was a defining moment for these players, and especially, coaches.

As we see Nekomata shaking hands with Takeda, our eyes scroll to the next page to find Coach Udai, the retired renowned coach of Karasuno and Nekomatas close friend. He had been watching the match closely with his neighborhood team, and seeing Nekomata with Takeda, both congratulating on a game well played, reached out his hand as well.

In spirit, he is with Nekomata, the two of them standing on the court where their teams finally played against one another again. They shake hands; the cat and crow both satisfied.

And there you have it, a game well played. I was planning on going even further with this, however tumblrs 10 image policy politely said "not today". However, with what I have jotted down onto here, I hope your opinion on Volume 37 has been affected at least the teeniest bit. Furudate was able to convey so much with so little, which is inherently a gift most mangakas acquire, however I believe he went above and beyond here. The third years with their backs towards the crowd, facing the future. The players embracing their parallels from the other team, showing friendships and rivalries that continue to stay strong. Nekomata and Udai finally being content, the cat and crow standing passively towards each other, the battle of the garbage dump finally complete. All in all, the ending to The Battle Of The Garbage Dump was one of the key reason why Volume 37 is goated because it wraps up the highly anticipated match in a way that is satisfying and meaningful. I'm sorry I couldn't go into as much detail as I wished to, but I hope you all enjoyed nonetheless.

Thank you for reading! I'll try my best to get the next part out extremely soon.

Citations

Furudate, Haruichi. "Haikyu!!" Shonen Jump, April 4th 2019, vol. 37 chapter 324

[haikyuucollective]

Part 1/? - The "World" and His "Star"

As I mentioned having multiple parts to this discussion in the introduction post, I'd like to elaborate a bit. Within my mind palace, I've organized the five parts to this discussion as follows: the introduction, two entries for Akaashi, one for Bokuto, and then the final one concluding with how their relationship develops after the timeskip. I hope you'll all bear with me as I try to make sense of the hastily done notes scattered across my brain.

To start off for Akaashi, id like for us to time travel back to the year 2008, when it all began. Its currently the time in Japan where middle schoolers are now choosing the prospective high schools that they are interested in attending, and thirteen year old Akaashi Keiji is stuck; specifically, between two different schools: Suzumeoka and Fukurodani Academy.

Now that we've set the scene, it's time to unpack. We already know from the first page in volume 39 that Akaashi is a diligent student, stating from his own opinion that he worked as hard as he could and following directions as spoken to him. This, paired with the fact that he had gotten a scholarship to a renowned private school such as Fukurodani Academy, speaks small but significant volumes for his character. Aside from his academic behavior, Akaashi also mentions how he "played in a way that would upset the fewest of" his "teammates and coaches"(furudate 331), giving us a glimpse at how underneath his usually calm exterior, he valued the emotions and opinions of other s. It also showed us his passiveness towards volleyball before he met Bokuto. This is especially highlighted when he proceeds to say how he "didn't particularly like or dislike volleyball either"(furudate 331).

Being the writer that he is, it's clear that Furudate made these facts immediate within the first opening panels of the chapter in order to speak their importance; its commin knowledge how first impressions, from any angle, are extremely valuable. This may have not been the first time we've seen Akaashi, but its the first time we hear his inner monologue; its what we see in the starting sequence that's setting up for the rest of the chapter, it also being the final one of the volume. Because of this, I believe that we are supposed to take these facts about Akaashi into major accounts when we slowly start to learn more about his character.

Almost exactly after his opening sentences, Akaashi is invited by a suspected classmate to go check out a high school city tournament that was taking place nearby. It's at this tournament that Akaashi sees Bokuto for the first time and falls hook, line, and sinker.

Citations

Furudate, Haruichi. "Haikyu!!" Shounen Jump, April 4th 2019, vol. 37 Chapter 331

[haikyuucollective]

0/? - The "World" and His "Star"

Haikyuu!! is known for many things. However, to save us the time, I'll water it down to what I believe are its eye-catching points: its action, truckloads of symbolization, and dynamic cast. Within this dynamic cast, there are a multitude of duos, from the main characters Hinata and Kageyama, showcasing the classic rivals-slash-allies to Oikawa and Iwaizumi along with Kuroo and Kenma, representing the childhood best friends. These duos are found in almost every single team in the show, usually being almost the representatives of the team, carrying the characteristics of their schools on and off the court.

While I will hopefully be covering other duos, for this particular discussion I'd like for us all to grab our telescopes and zoom in on my personal favorite pair, Akaashi Keiji, also known as the "world", and Bokuto Koutarou, his "star". I'll be expanding their universe over the course of multiple parts, with the goal of five total in mind. I chose to elaborate this much on them due to the fact that analyzing how their relationship as a duo is not something that I can do within one or even two blog entries. The relationship between Akaashi and Bokuto affects their own lives as much as the others, and I'd like to share my peice on both of the matters because of this. They are so intertwined; I cannot stress enough on how it's impossible for their personal stories to be discussed without mentioning the other and the actions driven by them. They are, truly, the epitome of a pair, their futures woven together over the course of 212 chapters.

This is my very first ever blog, so I apologize if it's not up to standard. It's also my first real time using Tumblr, so I'm excited to try this out! Thank you for reading!