Nekoma's vice captain fanpage

A place to ramble about Kai Nobuyuki

[kai0408]

Masterlist

Analysis

- Kai Nobuyuki's Nightmare (special one-shot)

- One of Nekomas top receivers

- Kai Nobuyuki & Inuoka Sou's mentor/disciple relationship

Translations

- Kai Nobuyuki's profile

- Haikyuu!! Magazine 2024 — interview with Kai Nobuyuki

Others

- 2 fun facts about Kai

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Made this blog to gather all my Kai thoughts as I really want to compile all the current knowledge I have of him by his birthday in April 🫠

I'm very very new to Tumblr but I hope if you stumbled across this page, you'd end up liking him a little more with each new info you learnt here.

[kai0408]

Happy birthday, Kai <3

[kai0408]

Kai Nobuyuki & Inuoka Sou's mentor/disciple relationship

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It's a well known fact that Kuroo was the mentor for Tsukishima & Lev, but did you know Kai was also a mentor for one of the Nekoma 1st years?

From the pages above, we can kinda tell Inuoka taking over Kai's position after his graduation was pretty set in place. But why did Kai point out receiving specifically?

It was Not because Inuoka is a weak receiver. Kai himself is a wing spiker who's also one of the stronger receivers in Nekoma (a school known for receiving and "connecting" the ball). Anyone taking over Kai's position needs to be above average in receiving.

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While Inuoka himself thinks he "lost" to Lev as a MB, I don't think that is entirely true. Lev was completely new to volleyball and realistically, Lev would have A Lot of trouble mastering blocks & receiving at the same time, whereas Inuoka himself mentioned that he never had too much trouble with defense, despite being a MB.

This is a skill Inuoka could brush up on alongside his blocks, something he was already familiar with.

So I personally feel that Inuoka changing positions was more intentional, and something that was only proposed to Inuoka because of the trust placed on him as a stable player, rather than losing to Lev as a middle blocker.

I do get where Inuoka is coming from however. It doesn't feel good to have your original position stripped away, even if it's not meant to be a bad change.

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Personally, I find Tanaka's reaction of "!" so important, as it shows how unexpected that bump was for him, and by extension Karasuno.

Tanaka was very much aiming for Inuoka in this scene. He may have assumed Inuoka was weaker in defense due to his previous MB position.

It's great to keep in mind that not every character sees the behind the scenes like us readers, so Karasuno may not be aware of the subtle changes and swaps made in Nekoma prior to their match.

Kai being a little harsh with Inuoka's receiving also shows how high his expectations are as his mentor, and the unwavering faith Kai has in Inuoka to do much better, as the person who has been there to watch Inuoka grow as a WS since the very beginning.

There were also tiny details scattered in the manga, with Inuoka attentively watching Kais receives, learning from him even in an official match.

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and finally, Inuoka who managed to bump the ball perfectly in the late half of the dumpster battle and gained an approval from his mentor.

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Not too sure how I should end this ramble, but it'd be so cool if Inuoka was Nekoma's vice captain in his 3rd year, Kai and Inuoka parallels... I hope there will be a confirmation on that one day.

[kai0408]

[Translation] Haikyuu!! Magazine 2024 — interview with Kai Nobuyuki

Kai Nobuyuki. Born on 8th April. Hometown in Tokyo.

Played as a Wing Spiker.

He was considerate & an observant player, who supported the team with his high defensive skills.

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Q&A

Q. Please tell us a memorable story of Kozume-san and Kuroo-san from high school.

A. Kuroo's sleeping position took me aback when I first saw it at our training camp.

I recall laughing at an annoyed & exhausted Kenma, who lost his temper at gravity in the midst of a match.

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Q. What is your current occupation?

A. I'm an Arborist.

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Q. Are you still playing volleyball?

A. I watch volleyball matches regularly.

[kai0408]

Kai being one of Nekoma's top receivers + 2 examples

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I think one really interesting fact about Kai as a player is how he is one of Nekomas top few receivers.

Incredibly impressive considering Nekoma is a school well-known for their defense, so official sources stating that "His receiving skills are top-notch even within Nekoma." is such a high praise, I would never stop reminding people about it (frankly I gloat about this fact more than Kai himself haha.)

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This scene was unfortunately cut from the dumpster batter movie, but in chapter 294 of the manga, during Kageyamas serve (which also marked the start of the game), spectators said "Maybe he (Kageyama) will start off with five service aces in a row!"

And that was reasonable statement, as he did score lots of service aces the day prior. But Kai received Kageyamas ball flawlessly, and spectators became doubtful. Because how did a player who hasn't been highlighted or discussed by the public bump Kageyama's serves so casually? It has to be a fluke.

Then Kai does it again LOL

I think we readers (& the audience) sometimes fail to realise many of the charas shown in the manga (on court) are very skilled, most of them are in starter lineups of very strong teams after all.

Even those who are currently not in the starter lineup, do have A LOT of potential as they continue practicing & playing.

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The scene below also shows Kai receiving the famous supreme line shot.

I have nothing else to add here, but a friend of mine from a completely different fandom reacted to this fact very positively when I pointed it out. Shows that it's impressive even to someone whose current main fixation isn't HQ. (Thank you for always listening to my rambles about Haikyuu)

※Written as super line shot here, but I have cross-checked with the JP ver of the official manga I own and it's the same line shot Tanaka did during the Karasuno vs Inarizaki match.

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This post is in no way pitting the characters against each other, and it is definitely not to say Kai is "better" than anyone mentioned (+ it's not like he bumped every ball Karasuno sent their way too).

Kageyama and Tanaka are Strong, and that is exactly what makes these scenes of Kai so impactful, because he is responding to their skills (offense) with his own (defense).

Karasuno and Nekoma are truly the perfect rivals... I want to reread it now <- it is 2am.

[kai0408]

[Translation] in-depth profile for Kai Nobuyuki

source: Haikyuu!! vol 33.5 (bonus volume from The Dumpster Battle)

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PROFILE

Name: Kai Nobuyuki

Position: Wing Spiker | Volleyball club's vice captain

Uniform Number: 2

Height: 176.5cm | Weight: 68.9kg

(as of April, 3rd year)

Birthday: 8th April

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The considerate and attentive vice captain of Nekoma. While Kai does not stand out among many of his eccentric teammates, he is a bridge-builder* among the team. Namely, acting as a mediator when Kuroo and Yaku fought like cats and dogs at the start of high school.

Kai was also shown to be a supportive mentor when he lent Inuoka, who had recently switched positions, a hand in special training on receives whenever possible.

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His skilled receives and thoughtfulness are part of his charm.

His receiving skills are top-notch even within Nekoma. Proven with his ability to pick up Kageyama's serves several times. He is always calm in matches, and would always remember to take his teammates feelings into consideration, while offering his support for any mistakes made in court.

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rambles

*bridge-builder: someone who improves relationships between people who are very different, or do not get along.

The JP word used here was 潤滑油(的な役割), which metaphorically translates to a bridge-builder, but directly translates to lubricant/oil.

To my understanding, this word is more commonly used to refer to lubricant for machinery gears.

I personally find that pretty interesting as lubricants play an important role in protecting the gears from wear and tear, which does indeed fit Kai's character as neither of them stand out, but plays a major role in ensuring everything goes smoothly within the team/machine.

[kai0408]

An analysis on Haikyuu's special one shot "Kai Nobuyuki's nightmare"

Contains spoilers & screencaps of the chapter. Please read only if you're alright with that!

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"oh... now I see. I don't want it to end"

There are various ways we could interpret this sentence. On the surface, we could say he didn't want this match to end, as Nekoma and the third years wouldn't be able to play more games in the nationals (Which isn't inherently wrong).

But, I personally think Kai was referring more to the memories he made through volleyball for the past 3 years.

No more training camps and club activites with rival schools and his team. No more sitting on the sofa with his peers late at night, engaging in idle chatter. No more volleyball.

It marked the end of his volleyball journey, which also made up most of his high school life.

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"Would things have kept going if he'd gotten it?"

The conversation between Daishou and Mika here is proof that Nekoma would've lost that point regardless, even if any of the players managed to get to the ball in time.

(Unrelated, but I do find it very adorable that Kai's cat reflexes kicked in, almost like it was his last tribute to being a Nekoma player.)

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"I don't have any regrets, no. But I think I'm going to relive the moment it all ended in my dreams for awhile"

This line links back to the title of this extra chapter "Kai nobuyukis nightmare".

While Kai did not have any regrets, it still did not change the fact that the ball fell right in front of his eyes.

Logically, there was nothing he could've done and I'm sure he's more than aware of that, but it's not something one could simply brush off.

I'd even say it's almost haunting to see the ball slip in front of you in that few seconds. Knowing all you can do is to brace yourself for the ball that's about to hit the ground, followed by the sound of the whistle.

Signifying the end of this match, and the end of a very special part of your life.

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"Kenma-san! If you hadn't patched that ball, how would you have set it?"

Maybe it's a simple question asked on a whim, with no deeper meaning behind it.

But to Kai, who was already prepared to "relive the moment where it all ended in his dreams", it was the start of the Nekoma members (Lev & Kenma) rewriting his nightmare.

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"The rally just won't end! I'm exhausted! Can I quit already, please?!"

A neverending rally formed solely through Kenma's imagination. His face of extreme exhaustion just from thinking about a hypothetical rally, became one of the highlights of the teams day.

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2024

"I still have the occasional nightmare where I jump for a block... But I only get like, two inches off the ground" - Kuroo

"I'll dream about that last rally in our spring tournament against Karasuno. It keeps going on and on forever, until I wake up exhausted."

While dumpster battle was a nice memory to mark the end of his volleyball career, he was confident that he'd relive that final moment of the ball falling in front of him, in his dreams.

But Kenma straight up losing it over a non existent rally left such a lasting impression on Kai, his "nightmare" went from the above^ to a "neverending rally".

Which would certainly classify as a "nightmare" to everyone else with how exhausting it could get.

But maybe to Kai, this may be one of the greatest dreams he could possibly have.

Reliving the match again and again with the best teammates and rivals he could possibly ask for,

and never reliving "the end".

[kai0408]

2 fun facts about Kai Nobuyuki

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Kai is a calm, collected and the kind hearted vice captain of Nekoma... is not what we'll be talking about today. Let's talk about Actual fun facts

1. Kai is a little playful.

He was one of the seniors who tried to scare Yamamoto Taketora by telling him about the rumour of a ghost (Sadako), appearing in their clubroom. He then sent prayers to Tora as if the ghost is really going to get him.

"Dont you think guys like him who say "I don't believe in all these!" in horror films, tend to be the ones who'd get taken out first?" - Yaku

"Yeah... He just raised numerous death flags with that...🙏 Let's pray for him." - Kai

Source: audio drama "The Pudding Head Story" from HQ season 1 DVD

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2. Despite not talking much throughout the series, Kai has a lot of thoughts in his head.

- the scene where the ball slipped from Kenma's hand in dumpster battle. -

"Wow, things are moving awfully slowly."

"Is my volleyball career going to flash before my eyes!?"

"This is the end of it, after all, I'm not playing after high school. Are memories from my whole career going to flash before me now?"

"Okay. Let's just say that's what's happening. How would it normally go? Will I see things like my roughest practice days? Our biggest victories? Times where I was like "If only I'd done this instead"? "

"Wow... It's only breaks in between practices. (*The "volleyball career" he saw.)

All these words in his head between the time Kenma's hand slipped, to him diving for the ball. Frankly hilarious if you ask me. (note: the match is still ongoing.)

Source: Kai Nobuyuki's nightmare (special chapter to commemorate the release of Dumpster Battle movie back in 2024)

I fear he had more lines from these TWO pages alone, compared to season 1~4. (may be overexaggerating)

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I'll end it here today as it's getting late, but I can't wait to share more about Kai.

There are so many things I want to talk about because of how wonderful (and funny) he is as a character... Please love Kai Nobuyuki with me!!!