Haikyuu!! Chapter 331: The Ace’s Awakening
FINALLY IT’S HERE!! Finally we get the Fukurodani flashback we’ve been waiting for! No, Bokuto and Akaashi’s backstory that we’ve been waiting for!
WE’VE GOT YOUNG BOKUTO AND AKAASHI!! HELL YEAH!!
Once again Furudate mercilessly smashes fanon into pieces lol. Why am I not surprised? In just two pages, we’ve got new understanding of Akaashi. That Akaashi is not particularly ambitious. He’s just an obedient child. He does what’s asked of him without question. He doesn’t feel much towards volleyball. Until one day it changes…
It’s love at first sight. Platonic or romantic, whatever floats your boat (or ship). Bokuto has won Akaashi over without even trying. Akaashi has such high opinion of Bokuto that he sees Bokuto and sees a star.
This story feels familiar because it is familiar. Shirabu also sees Ushijima in action in his third year and decides that it’s the Ace he wants to set to. In this case, Akaashi wants to set to Bokuto, which leads him to Fukurodani.
(meanwhile, bokuto hasn’t changed much from the bokuto we’ve come to love. he’s still a ball of sunshine, bringing joy and excitement wherever he goes. he expresses himself openly and freely. and he’s surrounded by good people. fukurodani is a good team. look at the back-then ace coming up to congratulate him without a shred of envy. look at the coach chest bumping shamelessly with Bokuto)
Then we’re seeing more young Fukurodani! We see Komi, Washio and Konoha! During the first years introduction to the club, Bokuto immediately zooms into Akaashi by the virtue of being a setter, making me wonder whether Fukurodani has a shortage of setter, or simply a setter to Bokuto’s liking.
(it’s cute how bokuto mistakenly calls akaashi’s name in the beginning)
Akaashi quickly gets a sense of Bokuto’s a little bit of practice, but in exchange, he gets more: a direct, genuine praise, which makes him incredibly happy. (…er what???? does akaashi come from a background with so little positive encouragement? or such a constrained one? the latter sounds more likely since… his lack of expression that bokuto has to ask him to sound more fired up lol)
Konoha is the mom friend. He worries over the first year setter that Bokuto’s sunk his claws in. However, get this: Akaashi is lumped together with Bokuto as fellow weirdo, giving a sense he’s not the normal or sane one among the Fukurodani. But at the same time, him openly stating that Bokuto is a star player and the reaction to it shows that no one has greater respect and admiration to Bokuto than him.
Akaashi is #1 Bokuto fan: confirmed.
Somewhere along the way, when Bokuto has become the Ace, and Akaashi’s his setter, Bokuto hits a wall. He keeps getting blocked that Fukurodani loses… and Bokuto gets so down that he hides under the table for god knows how long.
However, Bokuto manages to pick himself up. Giving his all to overcome the wall, not hesitating to ask for help, learning and improving himself over and over again…
Until he doesn’t just over come the wall, he breaks it.
And Akaashi’s right there, all along, right by Bokuto’s side. And he cannot be prouder, more excited for Bokuto.
We are the protagonists of the world.
Wow, that’s… such inspiring words. The power is in our hands.
But wait, that scene looks familiar somehow…
It’s that moment! It’s that moment he shared with Tsukishima! The moment that hooks him to volleyball. We’re seeing it now from Akaashi’s perspective! And it seems… it’s not only Bokuto’s moment, but also Akaashi’s. Because look at Akaashi’s expression! It’s the most expressive we’ve ever seen him! This is the moment that transforms him from that docile boy into that cunning setter we all know.
Back to the match though, like a blast of water, we’re reminded cruelly of what happened last chapter. Akaashi’s failed dump.
And worse, that Usuri has read Akaashi like a book and has been manipulating the situation to back him into a corner.
Akaashi is not as calm as he looks. This has been made clearer in this match.
However, the best part of these panels are Nekoma’s commentary, particularly the looks Kuroo and Yamamoto give at Kenma. If looks can kill, Kenma’s died twice over already.
I’m cackling, because I know why they send him those looks. Kenma expresses his disgust at it, but he has used the same tactic against Fukurodani!
Self-aware Kenma is not. Do not forget what he’d done when it comes to dealing with Hinata in the Nekoma-Karasuno match. Kenma and Usuri’s similarity ends there as shown how the Mujinazaka’s setter basks in his success. In that his personality seems more similar to Atsumu lol. Kenma is more indifferent. He sees it more black and white, he doesn’t take particular pride or pleasure other than having his ploy worked.
And Usuri’s ploy works. Akaashi hasn’t regained his composure, visibly shaken, affecting his toss.
That even Hinata from the sidelines can see how his toss is too low. And Kageyama, being Akaashi’s fanboy that he is, defends the older setter, when he would have given scathing remark to anyone else.
Usuri doesn’t stop there, keep putting pressure on Akaashi, and Akaashi… is barely keeping up.
But somehow Bokuto is there!! To give support that is sorely needed, closing the path for the spike. And he doesn’t stop there.
You mess with the wrong people, Usuri.
Feel the fear. Remember that. Carve that into your soul.
Bokuto will make you regret you’ve ever born.
SHOW THEM WHAT YOU’VE GOT BOKUTO!!
MAKE THEM QUAKE IN FEAR. LOOK AT YOU IN AWE.
That’s one hell of spike. Dammit Bokuto. You’re so cool!!!
But Bokuto’s words stop me.
Up till now I’ve been “An Ace that is coddled by the team,” but in a few days we’re all going to say goodbye to each other and go our separate ways, so it’s about time I become just, “An Ace.”
Because the exact words are used to describe Bokuto in the beginning, which is reinforced by others’ observation! Since it’s from outsiders’ perspective, not to mention Bokuto’s single-mindedness, it gives the impression that Bokuto might not realize how the team dynamics looks. However, I forget that single-mindedness doesn’t necessarily equate oblivious, it’s just they have different definition of what is important and should be given full attention to.
Bokuto is aware that he’s coddled by the team, most of all, Akaashi, who is currently struggling, which is important, because it gives him the strength and resolution to become The Ace.
