Admittedly, I thought the interest and excitement for volleyball games in high school intramurals would remain fleeting and temporal since this was an event we’re innately compelled to anticipate and cheer for. Little did I know that an anime with multi-colored haired boys would prove me wrong.
‘Haikyuu!’ is a Japanese manga and anime written and illustrated by Furudate Haruichi in 2012. The ongoing series circulates over a persevering protagonist, Hinata Shoyo, and his unfaltering endeavors in being a volleyball player despite his small frame in Karasuno High.
Well-deserving of its growing anticipation and popularity, the sports anime transforms the mundane intricacies and technicalities of sports into vibrant, humane, and compelling plot and characters with impeccable development — the show’s strongest theme. This aspect is introspectively written, that the perspectives of each team are balanced out, allowing the audience to empathize and connect with all characters, without overshadowing the main protagonists, Karasuno High. Paired with its uplifting soundtrack, it perfectly captivates elements of comedy, relatability, and meaningful narratives in each stroke of the beautifully animated scenes. Moreover, the show seamlessly writes and philosophizes characters that touch the inner conflicts and doubts that the audience can resonate and empathize with the most.
So, who are some of these characters that make the show so compelling and what do they represent?
1. Hinata Shoyo
Screengrab from Haikyuu!!
Freshman underdog Hinata Shoyo is the epitome of what a perceivably main character exudes—undermined yet determined. Despite his miniature height and inadequate skills in the sport, the middle-blocker’s fast reflexes and ability to jump high compensates for this, surprising fellow teammates and opponents by his quick attacks.
Amidst his optimistic and extroverted persona, Hinata faces an internal battle of doubt and insecurity on his abilities. From being deemed as a mere decoy that is only valuable with the coexistence of his setter to being belittled as a ball-boy, these have taken an emotional and mental toll on his psyche. However, he gradually overcomes these shortcomings by continually learning and observing techniques and skills from different angles, which magnificently displays his monumental growth and self-determination on the court.
2. Kageyama Tobio
Screengrab from Haikyuu!!
Depicted as the deuteragonist, freshman Kageyama Tobio is the setter for Karasuno High who has formed a friendly rivalry with Hinata, perfectly complementing their dynamics. Despite his naturally gifted abilities, his tyrannical and egocentric nature has clouded his true potential, making his previous teammates abandon and label him as “King of the Court”. Utter trauma and regret ensued with Kageyama since his perfectionist viewpoint of succeeding was never intended to hurt his team. Rather, he only lacked communication.
Along the way, he faces the dilemma of demanding or adjusting to his team. As the story crafts his redemption into gauging the strengths of his spikers, learning new strategies, and assessing what’s best for the team, he cultivates a newfound philosophy of being a setter — openness to setbacks but a refined understanding of a team that assures his sets will be hit and that they will be there for him. As he is symbolically recrowned into a new King, Kageyama’s smooth redemption is gratifying as he embarks on a mental journey of encapsulating the virtue of leadership, communication, and adaptation — the key components of a setter.
3. Oikawa Tooru
Screengrab from Haikyuu!!
Does hard work beat talent? A character that I perceivably see myself in the most is Kageyama’s opposing foil, Oikawa Tooru, a junior, captain, and setter from Aoba Johsai High. The evident layers of his character are first presented as prideful and flamboyant. His beaming talentry on the court is vividly admired due to his inherent ability of drawing the best from any team — the elements of an ideal setter that Kageyama lacked.
Painstakingly so, the disparity between Oikawa’s pompous persona and inner depths of his character were unveiled, humanizing his archetypal rival role. Repressed envy towards the naturally gifted in the sport had rendered his impostor syndrome destructive, as his ambitiousness made him fall into an abyss of desperation and overexertion to make up for his lack of natural talent. His wish to be a prodigy only made him feel like a fraud.
Is hard-work, fluidity, and admirable work ethics enough to strive in a world where the naturally gifted thrive? It is in this imperfect yet humanizing and transcendent acceptance to defeat that makes the characters of ‘Haikyuu!’ feel so agonizingly realistic when feelings of incompetence and mediocrity blind us from seeing the larger picture of our hard-work.
4. Kenma Kozume
Screengrab from Haikyuu!!
Another relatable character who reflects our inner shyness and attachment to videogames is Kenma Kozume, a sophomore and setter from Nekoma High. If Oikawa is to Kageyama’s antithesis, Kenma is Hinata’s Yin to his Yang.
Established as the brain of Nekoma High, the cat-like and calculated setter perceived volleyball as a mere hobby to pass time by. In contrast to Hinata’s idealism and optimism, Kenma is grounded on rationality and practicality — withdrawn from the absurdity of societal validations and entitlements. However, Hinata’s extroverted and outgoing spirit complements his introverted and reclusive nature. As Hinata slowly entangles him from his comfort zone, he explores his capabilities and sees a newfound perspective for volleyball. By meeting an individual who mirrors his complete opposite, Kenma’s demotivation and incuriousity for the sport is replaced with contending to level up, not only in his video games, but with his growing commitment to his team.
5. Tsukishima Kei
Screengrab from Haikyuu!!
Similarly, the theme of demotivation is beautifully dramatized through Tsukishima Kei, a freshman and middle-blocker from Karasuno High. Despite having the largest advantage in the team due to his height, Tsukishima displays a defeatist attitude towards those who exude the most effort and idealism.
In spite his cynical mindset due to trauma that had instilled yet distilled his admiration for the sport, a certain hunger for succeeding still throttles in him as he competes with Hinata’s exhilarating effort and passion for the same position as a middle blocker — paving for one of the most iconic developments in the show. His metaphorical role as a middle-blocker against a deemed undefeatable opponent has allowed him to eradicate the barriers that have mentally blocked him from unlocking the inner child that once loved volleyball. It is in this cathartic moment that manifests his hard work, sheer growth, and momentous realization for still clinging to the sport.
6. Yamaguchi Tadashi
Screengrab from Haikyuu!!
Tsukishima’s closest ally and childhood friend is Yamaguchi Tadashi, an irregular player and freshman from Karasuno High. First depicted as snarky alongside Tsukishima, the pinch server is more than what meets the eye.
Bullied in his childhood, this affected his self-image and his perception of strong and capable individuals, traits he heeded in Tsukishima. As the only irregular player among the freshmen, this fuels his drive in standing equal with his teammates on the court by crafting his only strength as a pinch server—performing jump floats that either hit or miss. His growth flourishes gracefully, as his dynamics with Tsukishima are ardently written in which the two emotionally push and motivate each other in doing their best. Gradually, confidence looms over the insecurities of Yamaguchi as his tireless spirit of practicing allows him to transcend his fears of ineptitude, rightfully earning his place on the team.
In a sport of height, the court of ‘Haikyuu!!’ is symbolic in the complexity of different players and individuals we meet in real life. The feel-good show ironically brings euphoric and tear-jerking scenes despite its focus on humor, thrill, and motivation. From two-dimensional characters bickering around about meat to dramatically spiking the ball, the show fully explores its creative liberty in realistically depicting cycles of failure and success by giving us a glimpse of how the world of sports is not so cruel when we transcend our limitations and work with others. Its lessons and stories wield inspiration and reason, as we understand that there will be shortcomings, but we always look for ways to fly.
Themes of cheesy motivation, zero-to-hero, and the underdog tropes have never been my cup of tea. However, it is once in a blue moon when shows like ‘Haikyuu!!’ flawlessly deliver the humaneness and spontaneity of finally achieving success and learning how to fly. I am aware that watching volleyball games will never be the same, as these boys feel like friends I’ve known in real life.
So, who’s your favorite character and team? Watch these crows flock together and be in for an adventurous and worthful ride on Netflix now!
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