Never underestimate the power of joy. In shounen manga, anyway.
I just drank a vintage 2013 beer (St. Amatus, from Struise Brewers in Belgium). And I feel like I just watched a vintage 2014 Haikyuu, because this is the Haikyuu I like the best. This is the glory and the majesty of this series – the stuff that made it one of the most arresting sports anime of the 2010’s. And is it a coincidence that this renaissance was achieved through a focus on Shouyou? I think not – and it reminds us how much is lost when the narrative ignores him, as it has through so much of “To the Top”.
I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that Inarizaka has gotten more interesting with a focus on Osamu. He may be the “bland” Miya twin – no glamorous seiyuu idol like Miyano Mamoru for Osamu – but he’s the more relatable of the two. When he does something extraordinary it feels more important. And his presence frames Atsumu in a more interesting way than if he’s set off on his own. This was really the first episode where I’ve felt like Inarizaka was an opponent worthy of this much narrative focus (though I still know they’re going to lose).
That reverse quick the Miya twins pulled off was one of the most interesting volleyball moments of the season. It was a momentum-shifter, no question about it. And this episode sees most of the momentum shift to Inarizaka’s side, after they trailed through most of the first half of the decisive third set. Another key moment here was when the Crows were penalized for a reach – Hinata contacts a ball on the Inarizaka side of the net after Atsumu baits him into thinking it’s going to be a dump.
All this is building, though, to what may be Shouyou’s finest moment as a volleyballer. And ironically it comes on a point Karasuno doesn’t even win – but what a point it is. It features sensational defense on both sides – the Foxes’ libero saves the point with his foot. But it’s Hinata who steals the show after that miraculous save, returning what should have been an easy putaway on a ferocious Aran spike to an empty court. And not only that, he cushions the force of the ball with his body and manages to float a perfect ball to his teammates. Even Tobio is forced to concede a “nice receive”.
If it ended there, it’s still be a memorable point. But it goes on, with Shouyou offering another miraculous rescue on a deflected spike well behind his baseline. Eventually Inarizaka does win the point when their own desperate save clips the net and falls for a winner in the Crows’ court. But while Karasuno immediately takes a time out and it seems like a huge momentum shift, Shouyou saves the day yet again – this time with sheer force of personality. It’s Osamu who grasps the moment of course – unlike his twin he’s not forever looking inward. Hinata’s sheer joy at his own miraculous play deflates the tension in the Crows’ huddle and re-focuses them on the moment at-hand.
I suppose this is the payoff for the training arc at the beginning of the season’s first cour. That’s when Shouyou learned to trust his instincts – which have always been good – and harness them as a player. Sure he’s a jumping bean, but Shouyou is more than that. He loves the game more than anyone else on his team, and has a natural feel for it that’s carried him despite his lack on conventional expertise. He’s just a volleyball jones, a boy who surfs the waves of emotion and takes pleasure in anything cool he sees on the court, whether it’s his team pulling it off or not. He’s the heart and soul of Haikyuu, even if it seems like the series sometimes forgets that (to its detriment).
leongsh
November 28, 2020 at 6:46 pmAs a manga reader for Haikyuu, I was so hoping that the production do not flub the content for this episode knowing that this is the episode where Hinata shows off what he has given so much to learn. They did not disappoint. They probably saved their budget and animation chops for the latter half of this cour.
So many times I have squirmed and bit my tongue, so to speak, to post on the previous episodes knowing full well what will happen in this episode. The anime production even followed what Furudate sensei did with the manga, they distracted us from Hinata by setting him aside to focus on the others and give a more rounded story. The manga readers then were worried about Hinata and when he will recover to show his presence again. Some were waiting for what will he show from what he learned during the ball boy training arc. This was because it was already hinted in the first set of the match where he got into the right place but not in position/posture to receive the spikes. In that chapter when this receive happened, that spike by Alan ended the left page of the chapter and it looked like it was a foregone conclusion but when you turned the page, lo-and-behold, a double spreader of Hinata perfectly receiving the spike – the anime equivalent made is that white screen. The eruption in manga fan discussions for that chapter went through the roof. Now with the anime adaptation of the chapter in this episode, it has Hinata and Haikyuu trending in Twitter shortly after its broadcast.
Now, with that perfect receive done, there is no one that can doubt Hinata’s right to be on the volleyball court and to be a starter. Even when the Johzenji coach, Anabara, considered calling it a fluke but what he saw in Hinata’s preparation, placement, and in cushioning the spike made him question his calling of it as a fluke.
Guardian Enzo
November 28, 2020 at 9:13 pmWell, I certainly never doubted Hinata’s right to be at the heart of the Crows. His mojo is the fuel that drives the bus. And I heartily wished we could have gotten this payoff without a whole season of basically having him AWOL. But it delivered in the moment to be sure.
Stöt
December 4, 2020 at 6:26 amThanks for that dramatic write-up! Quality comment, leongsh.
Red
November 28, 2020 at 8:16 pmI’m not sure if it’s the same director as the one who did that Tsukishima episode in season 3 with the closeup to the eyes but the vibe feels similar here. Once the camera shifted to Hinata’s eyes, I kinda feel that yep this is one of those Haikyuu moments, the Haikyuu that we’ve come to know and love.
Proto
November 29, 2020 at 3:00 amAs an aside I really loved the reference to the Tachibana twins’ sky lab hurricane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gz2n55MNlQ
The comments about bottom and top do make more… ehem sense with that in mind :p
Princess Usagi
November 29, 2020 at 3:27 amI was so happy that Hinata got his “moment” with that amazing save and it made it so worthwhile to root for him and see his hard work and determination pay off after the training arc when he was overlooked and overshadowed by others! There were so many times when out of passion for the sport, he did things the unconventional way, like entering the middle school tournament without a well practiced volleyball team or crashing the training camp to be the ball boy, it feels good to see him be recognized on the court. At the end, I loved the comparison of food to Hinata’s love for volleyball, which was quite accurate.
Riv
November 29, 2020 at 4:50 amThese past two eps definitely rekindled my interest in Haikyuu, that’s for sure. Which is a relief, because it’s always been a favorite. I hope the rest of the season stays strong.
Yann
November 29, 2020 at 12:30 pmYAAAASSSSHHHHAAAAA!! 😀
KumaShock
November 30, 2020 at 9:44 amThank god for Hinata. From an anime watcher’s perspective this has been a flat arc up to now with too much focus on Inarizaka and their predictably quirky twins and perhaps an overly drawn out match. I accept that holding Hinata back has been a dramatic artifice but it has subjected us to some somewhat dull anime (by Haikyuu standards) in the meantime. However Shouyou’s glorious receive changed all that with a resurgence of energy and focus it lacked when the irrepressible Hinata was largely absent. I’m thinking the next episode is going to be a beauty with Hinata front and centre in the Crow’s resurgence.
Haha It was good see old Washijō in Hinata’s flashback too. I hope in upcoming episodes he gets to see the monster he unintentionally helped to create!