Haikyu!!

– Being Good to Be Able to to Everything

“Is “Defeat” proof that you are weak? Isn’t “Defeat” more like a trial to overcome?
Of whether you can stand up and walk again after falling to your knees. If you remain on
your knees like that, then it would be a sign of weakness.”
This quote is one of the few yet stunning and remarkable quotes I liked in the
completed manga “Haikyu!!” by Furudate Haruichi, with a total of 402 chapters and 45
volumes, published in Feb 20, 2012 and finished last July 20, 2020, and it is under the
genre of comedy, and sports. The story rectify around the main character Hinata,
Shouyou and his partner Kageyama, Tobio. In the Volleyball Nationals of Japan’s High
Schools, a player nicknamed as the “Little Giant” from Karasuno High School that was
participating in the tournament caught a passer-by’s attention which was one of the
protagonist, Hinata Shouyou, as the “Little Giant” that was standing only with 170 cm
overcomes towering net and opposing blockers.
After witnessing that moment Shouyou who only stand 164 cm, decided to start
his volleyball journey by participating the volleyball of his middle school, and even
joining a local volleyball tourney with his friends, and there is where he met Kageyama
Tobio playing as the setter the opponent team. Because of his teammates’ lack of
experience in playing volleyball, Hinata’s team got dominated, but that doesn’t stop the
main protagonist and instead he even enrolled to Karasuno High to join the volleyball
team that the “Little Giant” used to play and get his revenged to Tobio, but upon
entering the court he got surprised to see Kageyama practicing and wearing the same
uniform as his. At first they doesn’t seem to sync up, until Kageyama told Hinata to put
all of his trust to him and close his eyes while attacking, and all of the people practicing
got surprised by the attack of the “Freak Twins”. After more practice matches, their most
awaited Inter-High came, Karasuno High won their first two official match and
everything seems to go smoothly, not until their next match, Aoba Jousai High School,
led by Kageyama’s senior and mentor from middle school, Oikawa Tooru, which is
playing the same position as him, due to Kageyema’s anxiety and, they lost the match
and ended their tournaments journey.
But after that lost, they even go past their limits and started practicing right away
and even participating away-games training camp with top calibre High Schools from
other region. With over two months of preparation for the Spring High Tournament, they
added their new skills and combos to surprised their opponents, they played the prelims
and quarterfinals smoothly, then they were at the semi-finals where they faced with
Aoba Jousai once again, and with their new moves they managed to get the win over
their opponents this time. And in the finals, they were up against the perennial
champions, Shiratorizawa High School, led by the number three ace spiker in the whole
Nation, Ushijima Wakatoshi. They were struggling at first until their first-year middle
blocker Tsukishima Kei step up and even scored a block-point against Ushijima. They
managed to extend it to a fifth and decider set, where they shocked all the audience as
they stole the championship against the defending champions and get their ticket to the
Nationals. After that Kageyama and Tsukishima was surprised to get invited in two
different training camps, while Hinata tagged along with Kei to practice and learn
receiving.
After practicing and the Nationals came to date, with their new skills and tricks up
in their sleeves they produced shocking results as they eliminate the favorites to win the
Nationals, Inarizaki High School, and their destined rival school and “Guardian Cats”,
Nekoma High School, it surprised everyone because they never won any of the practice
matches they’ve done with them. At the quarterfinals, they were battling head-to-head
with Kamomedai High School and Hinata was having his peak performance, he
suddenly collapsed, and then Kageyama tell them that Shouyou have a high fever yet
still playing at his most. Due to the incident, the head coach, Sir Takeda, decided to
sub-out Hinata and send him to the hospital immediately. With Hinata missing in action,
the team doesn’t bow down grieving over it and still battle Kamomedei even in
disadvantage state, and yet they lost and ended their Nationals’ journey. Years came
by, and in their last year as a high school student, the “Freak Twins” conquered the
Nationals and ended their high school volleyball career as top three team in the nation
and Hinata earned the title “Greatest Decoy”. After that, Hinata decided to gop to the
other side of the world, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to play beach volleyball.
Two years after playing beach volleyball in Brazil, the “Greatest Decoy” returned
home to Japan to join the professional volleyball league, and to his surprised his first
opponent is none other than his “Twin” Kageyama Tobio. They were now playing
alongside their past enemies and now their teammates, Hinata playing for MSBY
Jackals and Kageyama playing for Schweiden Adlers. With his new floor defense skills
and faster mobility and mid-air form stability in his arsenal, Hinata dominated the match
and won over his “Twin” and its teammates. After that they conquer the world together
again as teammates as they represent Japan in the World Tournament.
The excellent plot, hardships, struggles, inspirational and relatable story of
“Haikyu!!” made me tear up and relate to Shouyou as if I was with him in his journey. It
also gives a new perspective as in the first part he only wanted to stand in the same
stage as the “Little Giant”, and yet he became better and a renowned volleyball player
that him, it means that overcoming your set limit can show your best form.