Summary

  • Initial team disjoint led to team members struggling with trust and synergy.
  • Building trust was vital for the team's growth and improvement in synergy.
  • Leadership from coaches and the rest of the team played a significant role in the team's development.

Haikyuu!! Is a fan-favorite anime and one of the best sports anime ever made. The popularity of the anime cannot be overstated. It has multiple seasons, movies, and merchandise centering on the dynamic teamwork of Karasuno High’s volleyball club. The team members are talented individuals and a compact team that competed at the national level in their prime. The awe-inspiring team gave fans emotional and hype moments with their practice, dedication, and, particularly, their incredible teamwork. But they didn’t always have the best team dynamic.

The Karasuno volleyball team had plenty to work on in the teamwork department, especially in the beginning phase, where Hinata and Kageyama appeared in the story. The anime Haikyuu centers around the journey of Karasuno High’s enthusiastic team as they attempt to bring past glory to their club. The team grows throughout the show through practice, playing games with other schools, and improving synergy through interpersonal bonds. Little changes made by the team highlight the improvement in the skill of individual players and the collective team, showing fans the crucial parts of the team's journey.

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Haikyuu!!: Every Main Character's Age, Height, And Birthday

Sports anime Haikyuu!! Focuses not just on volleyball, but also on the players and their personal lives. Here's everyone's age, height, and birthday.

Initial Team Disjoint

Good Players But Not Quite A Team

Many characters are introduced at the start of the anime with one problem or the other. The protagonist Hinata Shoyo first appeared as a boy who loved volleyball but couldn’t practice seriously and reach his full potential due to his former school not having a volleyball club. Regardless, Hinata still practiced alone and banded together some members of his school to form a team. Hinata was extremely athletic, even with his short build, but severely lacked experience as he began in Karasuno.

The protagonist, Kageyama Tobio, had issues that affected the team’s synergy as well, but not from a lack of experience. Popularly known as the King of the Court, Kageyama had a perfectionist approach to his setting. He expected people to play to his precise sets, or he would get frustrated and complain. His mentality made him disliked by players in his other school and presented some problems with Karasuno’s initial synergy. Other people like Tsukishima Kei had issues with Kageyama specifically, but all this changed during Karasuno’s practice game with Aoba Johsai. Critical individual changes in Kageyama and Hinata would be the main reason this team would form a cohesive synergy in the future.

Building Trust

Trust Is A Factor For Synergy

Trust between teammates was a factor that helped build the team’s synergy as the anime progressed. One of the most notable changes in trust within the team was Kageyama’s approach to volleyball and his attitude towards his teammates. His King of the Court persona was there because he mistrusted other players' skills and lacked the spirit of teamwork. This mentality began to change when Kageyama realized that Hinata’s raw athleticism allowed him to receive his sets so Kageyama could trust in Hinata’s ability to deliver.

Similarly, Hinata calibrated after playing nervously during the first few sets in Karasuno’s practice game with Aoba Johsai. During the match with Aoba Johsai, Hinata found a new sense of belonging with his team and realized he could fully trust his team to deliver. Problems also emerged with the team’s Libero Asahi Azumane and Ace Yu Nishinoya. A brief argument between these two led to Nishinoya’s suspension. The argument between these members led to a temporary disjoint in the team but was eventually resolved. Kei Tsukishima had issues with trust in himself. He lacked confidence in his ability as a player, even though he was very competent. He eventually found his confidence and got a newfound drive to play.

Leadership Around The Team

The Role Of Coaches And Captains

anime teacher Coach Keishin Ukai (Haikyuu)

Keishin Ukai, the current coach of Karasuno’s volleyball team, is a competitive and hardworking coach who plays a crucial role in the team’s improvement. Although laid back, he is passionate about his team and is analytical about volleyball. Being an alumnus and a former setter for the team, he coaches with first-hand experience and knowledge. Additionally, Keishin’s grandfather was the former coach who took Karasuno to the nationals. Keishin is a very dedicated coach and takes time to analyze games for his team, often honing his team’s skills and illustrating their roles depending on the team they are up against.

The team captain Daichi Sawamura, was another significant contributor to the team’s dynamic and trust-building over time. Daichi was a respected and competent team captain. He was often level-headed and kept the team in check, especially at critical moments. He constantly encouraged the team and kept everyone motivated when they lacked the drive. The Karasuno team eventually got to a higher level of play facilitated by these leadership figures. Through the highs and lows of the team and in times of doubt and disarray, the team always had people to look to.

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A Complete Team

All The Pieces Fit Together

haikyuu anime

The improvement of the team and the change in dynamics over time is something that fans loved to witness. The emotions accompanied by the trials of the team are why Haikyuu!! It is a fan-favorite sports anime. The team started without much cohesiveness but over time began to come together and improve through constant practice. This change is seen through subtle individual conflicts and setbacks like Kageyama’s inability to play with his team or Kei’s lack of confidence in his abilities. The conflicts of individual members are resolved, eventually leading to their respective improvements.

Other things, such as their adaptability as a team, led them to the final stages of their development. With individual problems out of the way, the members focused more heavily on strategies and adapting to troublesome players and problematic strategies they encountered in their opposition. At the height of their skill, Karasuno’s volleyball team reached the national level of play, being at the pinnacle of high school volleyball and almost bringing back the past glory of their school team. Unfortunately, they lost to Kamomedai’s unbreakable defense, losing in Nationals. The team’s journey was remarkable nonetheless and showed the growth and tenacity of boys who love volleyball.

Haikyuu!! Is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

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Haikyu!! (2014)
Haikyu!!
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Release Date
2014 - 2020-00-00
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Based on Haruichi Furudate's Weekly Shonen Jump manga, Haikyu!! Is a popular sports anime that revolves around volleyball. Despite being shorter than most players, Hinata dreams of taking the court and following in the footsteps of his idol, The Little Giant. To achieve his dream, he will need to work alongside Karasuno High School's club members, including the selfish Kageyama.

Studio
Production I.G
Creator
Haruichi Furudate
Number of Episodes
90
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll