🪼 @magicians-purelove - Tumblr Blog

Chihiro Natsuyaki Novel - “Choose Me!”

Track 1 - 1st Round

[English Subs DL] Banana Fish Stage Play Part 1 & Part 2

Hello, friends~! I come to you this time with English subs for the Banana Fish stage plays~! Thank you to @emerald-trashart for requesting me to do both plays! I had such a blast working on it even though it got a bit overwhelming and heavy at times (because Banana Fish (╥_╥))

The stage play is just so amazing, and beautifully made...! I went into this not knowing what to expect, and I came out of it just mesmerized. If you're familiar with Banana Fish, of course it will be as heavy as its source material, but I think that you would enjoy it! The production did a really great job respecting and staying true to the events of its source, and I think long-time fans would love it ^^

The actors, too...! They were so great at their roles, and gosh the emotions and intensity they portrayed were really convincing. Mizue Kenta and Okamiya Kurumu were so perfect as Ash and Eiji, and their chemistry was just beautiful T^T>

Alright, enough rambling! I'll let the stage play speak for itself! (￣▽￣)

For those who are interested in getting the Blu-rays for themselves, I’ll provide links below~ BD Purchase Links: (From Animate JP) BANANA FISH PART 1 | BANANA FISH PART 2 * Purchase links would require proxy since the BDs are sold-out on CDJapan and were requested through proxy either way. I couldn't find them on Animate International either ^^;

Notes, disclaimers, trigger warnings, and link under the cut, enjoy~! (Long post ahead ^^;)

otomehoneyybearr

Act 12

Episode 1: The Bing Bang Dream

Working w/ Maybelle Lace

Note: As you read, you will see that some sentences highlighted in a different color, this is what they indicate.

Pink: Flashback of the past

Blue: The Character(s) is/are acting

Lets Begin

the-himawari

A3! Promotion Event Translation - Haunted Western-style House (1/9)

mynameisguenda-deactivated20200

Japanese Theatre Terminology

I thought I’d make this reference post for myself and for everybody who, reading the translations on this blog, may have run across these technical theatre terms and wish to better understand their full meaning.

From now on, I’ll refer to each of these terms in Japanese for the sake of brevity.

※ Please note this isn’t supposed to be an extensive guide of all the steps leading up to a stage performance, but only a summary of the main stages, as explained by Tamaki Yūki in his posts and on this detailed text.

Needless to say, if you run across any mistakes or misinterpretations, please point those out to me! Thank you very much!!

顔合わせ = kao-awase - All the people involved in the play meet up for the first time. It’s also the opportunity for the Cast to get to know each other and to read through the script for the first time.

稽古 = kēko - It simply means “rehearsal”. It’s actually an umbrella term, as there are many different types of kēko. These are:

読み合わせ = yomi-awase - It’s a formal reading of the script. The Cast and the producers sit around a table and the actors simply run their lines. No props nor sets involved at this stage.

立ち稽古 = tachi-gēko - A “stand-up rehearsal”. It’s the first rehearsal where the actors run their lines standing up and perform each scene. At this stage, they don’t perform the play from start to finish, but instead they go over each scene/act separately many times. It’s a very important stage, where the actor will receive all the necessary corrections from the Director.

通し稽古 = tōshi-gēko - Once every scene has been properly rehearsed, the Cast performs the entire play without interruptions. This stage is divided into three parts:

粗通し稽古 = ara-tōshi-gēko - At the beginning of a tōshigēko it is alright if the actor forgets his lines or improvises.

スッタフ見せ通し稽古 = staff-mise-tōshi-gēko - Similar to an ara-tōshi-gēko. It takes place in front of the entire Production and the whole Crew in order for them to understand the full structure of the play.

衣装付き通し = ishō-tsuki-tōshi - After the fitting, the actors finally perform wearing their costumes.

小屋入り = koya-iri - All rehearsals on set are over and it’s time to step into the actual theatre for the first time.

仕込み = shi-komi - On the appointed day of koyairi, the staff prepares the dressing rooms and the technical staff sets up the stage and all the props to allow the Cast to perform.

場当たり = ba-atari - It is the first rehearsal where the actors, in full makeup & costume, get to familiarise with all the props and the stage. It is time for them to finalise positioning with the Director, as they go over their scenes. It’s not a full rehearsal, instead it focuses on a few specific scenes/acts of the play. It is also the chance for the technical staff to run sound & lighting checks while the Cast is on stage.

テクニカルリハーサル = technical rehearsal - The technical staff is involved in this. The Cast doesn’t take part in this type of rehearsal.

ゲネプロ = genepro - It’s short for the German “Generalprobe”, i.e. “General Rehearsal”. It’s the very last full rehearsal and it looks exactly the way the audience will experience it. It is generally at this stage that the Media and the Press are invited in to interview the Cast and to take pictures (囲み取材 - kakomi-shuzai), and sometimes to film part of the performance in order to promote the show. For the record, a genepro can be omitted; if so, that is if the Production decides to go from baatari straight to the performance, the process is called 乗り打ち (noriuchi).

稽古打ち = kēko-uchi - It’s a nomikai a.k.a. a drinking party where the entire Cast meet up to pump each other up for the show - generally, they all drink much less than after the end of the run (lol)!

本番 = honban - The play is finally performed in front of an audience.

打ち上げ = uchi-age - When the last show is over (千穐楽 - senshūraku), it’s time to celebrate! Truth be told, it’s just another nomikai.

freee4all

Free! The Final Stroke Part 1: English Subtitles!

There aren’t adequate words to express my happiness

Keep reading

rosemariiie

A3! Flower Meanings: Harugumi

Incase you haven’t been able to tell by my blog, I am really passionate about flowers! (+ flower language)

In A3! every character has a flower associated with them. As you might have heard Tsumugi talk about from time to time, almost all flowers have some sort of meaning to them. What Tsumugi is talking about is something called Hanakotoba (花言葉), which is Japan’s language for flowers!

Japanese flower language can differ from time to time from Western flower language, so incase you were ever wondering what your favorite A3! character’s flower means I am here to tell you! (This will be split up into 4 parts, one for each troupe, or else this would have been one REAALLLYYY long post 😅)

Warning: Long Post Ahead

Keep reading

itstaruchi

Harugumi In A Nutshell

Number of brain cells

Most: Sakuya - probably the most down to earth and level-headed out of all of them

Masumi - only because he loses some around Izumi

Itaru - the adult who has a questionable lack of brain cells because it’s all lost to gaming

Tsuzuru - that college kid who perpetually runs on 2 hours of sleep, w’dya think he has left to run on

Least: Citron - do i need to explain

HOWEVER,

Harugumi Stage Actors In A Nutshell

Number of brain cells

Most: Ryugi Yokota (Sakuya) - wholesome and good-natured, as responsible as Sakuya

Yukki Maekawa (Tsuzuru) - does his job properly, realistic chap

Toshiki Tateishi (Itaru) - number of brain cells compared to the first two fall by a huge margin, will start laughing at something and will never stop until someone scolds him (cite example: Mankai Stage Radio he was grouped with Sho Jinnai (stage!Tenma) and Akazawa Ryotaro (stage!Taichi) and he couldn’t stop laughing while doing his intro)

Yamato Furuya (Citron) - can be serious at times but 99.999999% of the time his energy is comparable to that kid who makes loud noises when you call your parents (cite example: mankai stage radio, yukki was trying to finish his recording and yamato was in the background coughing violently and kept interrupting yukki)

Least: Hikaru Makishima (Masumi) - just look at the picture above and you’ll know who Hikaru is within a split second and if you follow his social media you’ll see that sometimes he has close to none

itstaruchi

A3! Mankai Stage Spring 2019

Se-Kyo Manzai Banri got R O L L E D by Sakyo

AHAHAHHA RIP KENTA’S THROAT THO

total-sister-disaster

[DOWNLOAD] A3!! downloads masterpost

I have some requests about “A3!!” stages so I made masterpost for all who asked.

Warning! To get access to the links from Tenimyutopia community you should make account on LJ and join this community.

Mankai Stage “A3!” ~Spring & Summer 2018~

https://tenimyutopia.livejournal.com/535214.html

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av40031423?share_medium=android&share_source=copy_link&bbid=XY115031D20E057A91B935AA3C6506D78FEE4&ts=1570354908587

Mankai Stage ”A3!” Spring 2019

https://tenimyutopia.livejournal.com/527291.html

Mankai Stage “A3!” Autumn & Winter – 2019

https://tenimyutopia.livejournal.com/511813.html

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1TJ41117G2/?spm_id_from=333.788.videocard.1

STAGE FES 2019-2020

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1UJ411h7XP?from=search&seid=5752202508839104063

“A3!!” Kanpai Tansan – 4

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Wb411479w/?spm_id_from=333.788.videocard.10

“A3!!” + Orangina Kanpai Tansan – 4

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Rb411w7Jr/?spm_id_from=333.788.videocard.0

Mankai Stage “A3!” – Summer – 2019 Natsu-Kumi Hitori De Kouen Uchiage Party Seihaishin

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1xE411X7tk/?spm_id_from=333.788.videocard.3

Okay so my Tatsunari Photo Collection has just arrived at my house. And I’m now totally devastated. HE IS SO CUTE SO BEAUTIFUL HOW CAN I NOT LOVE HIM?!

You can buy this photo collection on sumabo jp, I wonder if Amazon has this but you can check (＾∀＾)

#kimura tatsunari #tatsunari #木村達成

Celebrating my Tatsu’s 28th Birthday!

I bought a cake but having eaten it before taking this photo 😭 I will buy another one tomorrow 😭🎂

#kimura tatsunari #tatsunari #tacchan’s birthday #木村達成

[CLOSED] Hypnosis Mic: Rule the Stage -Battle of Pride- DVD SPLIT

Hello everyone, I will be doing a Hypnosis Mic: Rule the Stage BoP DVD split!

The DVD contains:

- Live stage in Yokohama (2021/08/25)

- Rule the Stage -Flava Edition- (Battle between Akabane Division and Asakusa Division)

- Documentary of BoP

DVD released & shipping date: 2022/01/05 (in Japan)

It will spend about 1 month for me receiving the DVD after shipping done in Japan.

I will rip the files asap after receiving it and send the link of the files to who split this DVD with me.

For now, there are 4 people joining. When the slots are full I will announce about closing this split. Once I do so, there will be no additional slots.

Please DM if you’re interested or have any question about the split. You can contact me through DM on Tumblr!

After contacting me, I will put together the split information for you such as the fee, and the MOST IMPORTANT: THE RULES. Please understand and follow the rules before joining!

I don’t use Paypal due to the expensive fee, instead, payment is through TransferWise.

I’m looking forward to your contact!

Reblogs are greatly appreciated 🙇🏻‍♀️

#hypsute #hypnosis mic #rule the stage #battle of pride #hypmic #hypnosis mic rule the stage #ヒプマイ #ヒプステ #ヒプノシスマイク #BoP

fly2haeven

[TRANS] Lý do vì sao các bạn nên stan NamJoon: Khả năng vận dụng ngôn ngữ và chơi chữ với Tiếng Hàn

Hãy đảm bảo bạn có thời gian để đọc bài viết ngày một cách chậm rãi và kĩ lưỡng, nếu như bạn chưa thực sự có thời gian rảnh, hãy lưu lại trước rồi sau này đọc tiếp vì bài viết này theo cá nhân mình – từ lúc đọc được bản Eng tới lúc tìm tư liệu để dịch bài vẫn luôn tâm đắc, và dù quá trình dịch bài và xác nhận thông tin khá vất vả nhưng mình vẫn muốn dịch để mong các bạn hiểu hơn về lời nhạc của BTS nói chung và NamJoon nói riêng có ý nghĩa sâu sắc thế nào, và vì nó khá khó hiểu đối với những fan girl không rành tiếng Hàn nên mình mong các bạn hãy đọc kĩ. Cám ơn bạn thejoonmoon đã viết bài và cho phép mình dịch bài này, cám ơn bạn Bẹp đã giúp đỡ mình trong việc xác nhận một số cấu trúc ngữ pháp tiếng Hàn, mong các bạn không mang bài dịch của mình ra ngoài nếu chưa có sự cho phép của mình.

1) 흥탄소년단/Fun Boyz

저 위 정상들이 보이지 일상에 상을 하나 더해 난 이상해지지 정상인 상태로는 정상에 못 가요 baby

“Cậu thấy đỉnh núi ở xa kia phải không? Thêm một giải thưởng nữa vào cuộc sống thường nhật của tôi, tôi sẽ trở nên kì lạ. Cậu không thể chạm tới đỉnh nếu như cứ bình thường vậy đâu cưng ạ”

Trong phần này NamJoon sử dụng từ “정상” - từ này có 2 nghĩa khác nhau phụ thuộc vào việc bạn dùng nó theo nghĩa là danh từ hay tính từ. Nếu là danh từ thì nó có nghĩa là “Đỉnh núi” (Như kiểu điểm cao nhất của một thứ gì đó) nhưng nếu là tính từ thì nó có nghĩa là “Bình thường”. Trong câu thứ nhất NamJoon dùng từ “정상” với nghĩa là danh từ để hỏi mọi người có nhìn thấy đỉnh núi không. Tới câu thứ 3 thì cậu ấy sử dụng từ này theo cả 2 nghĩa. Nếu dịch thô dòng cuối thì nó sẽ là: “Ở trạng thái bình thường thì thì bạn chẳng thể nào chạm tới đỉnh núi”.

Ở dòng thứ 2 cậu ấy cũng dùng một kiểu chơi chữ khác, từ “일상” là danh từ nghĩa là “Hàng ngày” trong khi từ “이상” là tính từ có nghĩa “Kì cục”. Cậu ấy đã dùng cách chơi chữ kết nối ở dòng này. Âm đầu tiên của từ “일상” là “일” nghĩa là số 1, âm đầu của từ “이상” là “이” có nghĩa là số 2.

Cụ thể ở câu thứ hai này mình có thể giải nghĩa như sau: 하나: nghĩa là 1 더해: cộng Vậy nghĩa đen câu “일상에 상을 하나 더해 난 이상해지지” là

“nếu cộng thêm một (하나=일) vào từ “일상” thì tôi sẽ có từ “이상” (1 + 1 = 2).

Và hãy chú ý sự lặp đi lặp lại (gieo vần) của từ “상” trong suốt phần rap của NamJoon nữa nhé.

2) 고엽/ Dead Leaves

모든 낙엽은 떨어지듯이 영원할 듯하던 모든 건 멀어지듯이 너는 나의 다섯 번째 계절 널 보려 해도 볼 수 없잖아 봐 넌 아직 내겐 푸른색이야 마음은 걷지 않아도 저절로 걸어지네 미련이 빨래처럼 조각조각 널어지네 붉은 추억들만 더러운 내 위에 덜어지네 내 가지를 떨지 않아도 자꾸만 떨어지네 그래 내 사랑은 오르기 위해 떨어지네 가까이 있어도 나의 두 눈은 멀어지네 벌어지네 이렇게 버려지네 추억 속에서 난 또 어려지네

“Như thể từng chiếc là thu đã rơi rụng, tưởng như mọi thứ ngỡ là mãi mãi cũng dần biến mất, em là mùa thứ năm của anh. Dù anh có cố gắng để nhìn thấy em nhưng vẫn chẳng thể nào làm được. Nhìn xem, với anh em vẫn là màu thiên thanh. Dù cho trái trái tim chúng ta chẳng muốn cất bước nhưng vẫn phải bước đi theo bản năng. Sự ngu ngốc của đôi mình như quần áo cần giặt giũ, từng mảnh từng mảnh bị treo lên. Chỉ còn những ký ức màu đỏ thắm rơi rụng trên một anh đã vấy bẩn. Dù cho anh chẳng rung cành cây của mình, lá vẫn cứ thế mà rụng. Đúng vậy, để tình yêu của anh dâng lên thì nó phải rơi xuống thôi. Dù mình có ở gần bên, đôi mắt anh vẫn trở nên xa dần xa dần. Cứ như vậy, anh bị vứt bỏ. Anh một lần nữa trở về ngày còn trẻ trong những ký ức của mình”

Toàn bộ phần rap của cậu ấy không những vô cùng đầy ý thơ với cách lặp vần và nhân hóa cùng toàn bộ cách sử dụng từ ngữ mà điều bạn cần phải chú ý hơn là cậu ấy rap theo thứ tự alphabe. Bắt đầu từ câu “마음은 걷지 않아도 저절로 걸어지네” trở xuống, động từ cuối mỗi câu đều được sử dụng theo thứ tự bảng chữ cái.

Một phần bảng chữ cái tiếng Hàn mà NamJoon sử dụng *từ trái qua phải* là:ㄱㄴㄷㄹㅁㅂㅅㅇ - Nó cũng như thứ tự abcdefgh trong bảng chữ cái tiếng Anh vậy (Tức là những từ này trong bảng chữ cái tiếng Hàn có thứ tự tương đương với abcdefgh trong bảng chữ cái tiếng Anh chứ không phải chữ “ㄱ” nghĩa là chữ “a” nhé, thực chất “ㄱ” là chữ “k/g” trong tiếng Hàn cơ ^^)

Bây giờ các cậu hãy chú ý đến phụ âm đầu trong âm tiết đầu tiên ở cuối mỗi dòng nhé.

걸 어지네 , 널 어지네 , 덜 어지네 , 떨 어지네 ,떨 어지네 ,멀 어지네 , 버 려지네 ,어 려지네

ㄱ,ㄴ,ㄷ,ㄸ*,ㄸ,ㅁ,ㅂ,ㅇ

a,b,c,cc*,cc,e,f,h

*ㄸ là phụ âm đôi, là nhấn âm của ㄷ. Trong 1 số bảng chữ cái thì phụ âm đôi sẽ đi sau phụ âm đơn nên Namjoon vẫn đang sử dụng từ đúng với thứ tự bảng chữ cái tiếng Hàn.

Thêm 1 điều các bạn cần chú ý ở đây là sự lặp đi lặp lại của cấu trúc kết câu với “-네”. Cấu trúc này được sử dụng khi người nói chỉ vừa mới chú ý tới điều gì đó và mang hàm ý bạn bị bất ngờ với điều xảy ra. Ví dụ như bạn đã lâu không gặp một ai đó, bạn sẽ nói kiểu như là: “Cậu trông xinh ra/đẹp trai hơn đó”. Trong tiếng Hàn, bạn sẽ sử dụng động từ cuối câu “네” cho trường hợp này theo cấu trúc câu “__ 예뻐졌네” *xinh* hoặc “__ 더잘생겨졌네” *đẹp trai*

Tương tự như vậy trong phần này, nó có ý như NamJoon là người đầu tiên phát hiện ra trái tim sẽ bước đi theo bản năng, rằng sự ngu ngốc được treo lên từng chiếc một, rằng tình yêu của cậu ấy phải có lúc trầm thì mới đâm chồi nảy lộc được hay cậu ấy đã trở nên trẻ lại trong miền ký ức của mình và nhiều nhiều nữa. *Cậu ấy bị bất ngờ về những điều ấy* Tuy không có gì nhiều nhặn *vì chỉ là cấu trúc giao tiếp thông thường* nhưng đã thêm cho chúng ta một mức độ mới để diễn giải sâu hơn lời nhạc của cậu ấy.

3) Always

난 세상을 이해하기 위해 사는데 세상은 날 이해한 적이 없어 왜 아니 딱 절반이 모자라 날 해하려 하잖아

“Tôi sống để thấu hiểu thế giới này nhưng thế giới lại chẳng bao giờ chịu hiểu tôi. Tại sao thế? Không, chính xác là một nửa đã bị mất đi. Nó đang cố làm tổn thương tôi.”

Ở đoạn này, NamJoon sử dụng động từ “이해” có nghĩa là “thấu hiểu”. Khi cậu ấy nói “chính xác là một nửa đã bị mất đi”, NamJoon đang ngụ ý một nửa của từ “이해” ý là chữ “해”. Động từ “해하다” nghĩa là “làm tổn thương” đó là lý do vì sao mà cậu ấy nói “Nó *thế giới này* đang cố làm tổn thương tôi”. Thế giới này thiếu một nửa trong việc thấu hiểu cậu ấy, vì vậy nó đang cố tổn thương cậu.

Ngoài ra mình còn muốn nói về việc cậu ấy sử dụng cấu trúc câu “날 해하려 하잖아”. Thông thường cấu trúc câu với từ 잖아(요) được sử dụng để nói đến vấn đề mà cả người nói lẫn người nghe đều biết rõ hoặc để nhấn mạnh/ xác nhận vấn đề mà hai bên đều biết đã rõ đó

Bằng cách nói: “날 해하려 하잖아” ý NamJoon muốn hỏi lại người nghe rằng chúng ta có thấy rằng thế giới này đang cố để làm tổn thương cậu ấy không. Điều này đã thêm toàn bộ cảm xúc mới cho lời nhạc của Namjoon và tớ rất muốn mọi người có thể thấu hiểu những điều mà cậu ấy gửi gắm.

Source: thejoonmoon

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rawr-ily

A Stupidly Long Oikawa Analysis

The main issue with Oikawa is that he's not naturally gifted, which is emphasized a lot in the show. For example, the last episode of the season one match of Karasuno vs Seijoh was named "Oikawa Tooru is not a Genius". Despite that, he's still the best player on Seijoh, and is highly respected by his teammates as a setter and their captain. Due to not having any natural skill or technique, Oikawa resorted to compensating with his own tactics. He knew that, no matter how hard he tried, he would never have the same technical skill as a genius like Kageyama. Instead, he used his own skills in analysis and communication to bring out the best in his spikers.

This is why, despite being called Grand King, Oikawa is depicted as a mighty general. He leads his soldiers, and in return, they trust him with their lives and fight with him. The amazing thing about Oikawa's leadership is that his teammates trust him because they know he can lead them. They understand that Oikawa has honed their skills and improved them all as players. He's helped them all, and when a game comes, they understand that all he asks of them is to keep trusting him. Trust that he'll send them a good toss, trust the strategies he'll formulate, trust his leadership.

At the end of the day, Oikawa knows he doesn't have the technical skill of a genius, so he dedicates his focus to improving his whole team. The origin of this focus would probably come from the episode where he almost backhands Kageyama in middle school. Iwaizumi intervenes and literally knocks some sense into him. They fight and yell, but then Iwaizumi tells Oikawa, "There are six people on court! The team with the best six players is the best!" Oikawa seems to have an epiphany then. He seems to realize exactly what his best friend is saying. It seems very straightforward at first, but it clearly not all that simple. Oikawa thought that he had to improve himself as a setter so he could carry his team to victory. He was trying to be a king. Luckily, he had Iwaizumi to cut off that train of thought very early on.

I loved how the show compared what Iwaizumi said to multiplication and addition. Oikawa thought that he had to improve himself because he thought you just mushed together the strengths of each player. That's wrong. He learned that you multiply the strengths of each player instead. It took me a bit to understand that one too. The way I look at that, it means that each player will affect one another when in a team. They can't just play as individuals that happen to be on the same side of the court. By trying to add the powers of your team, you just stack them on top of each other. By multiplying, you take what you already have and make it greater by merging it with something else.

If you like visuals, think of oil and water vs baking soda and vinegar. Adding oil to water increases the overall volume of liquid, but they never combine. If there is a cup of water and a cup of oil, you get two cups of liquid. Baking soda and vinegar doesn't just stack; it explodes. If you have a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda, they'll make way more than two cups when they combine. The players get stronger when together.

So, Oikawa stops trying to become a king. He obviously does keep trying to improve as a player, but he starts to focus more on his spikers. He realizes that he can compensate for his lack of natural technical skill by using his own natural skill of reading people and adjusting his responses adequately. Oikawa is a versatile player, and a very flexible setter. He gives his energy to improve his team, and they respond by giving their energy to get better and win. I found it interesting how loyal his teammates were to him. It brings me back to Oikawa being a general and not a king. Kageyama is high, untouchable, and barks out orders as the king, while Oikawa is the brave general who leads the soldiers. Oikawa fights alongside his soldiers. Kageyama stays in his palace, highly revered, but alone. The difference between them is that people are forced to follow Kageyama because of his unparalleled power. People follow Oikawa because they trust him with their life.

It's actually one of my favorite pieces of symbolism in Haikyuu. Kageyama was a genius from the beginning. His skill was something he was born with, and now he's king. When the eldest prince is born they have the birthright to become king. Kageyama got his title simply because he was lucky (

I love Kageyama, and I know he worked very hard, but he was mainly able to get there because he's a natural born genius. Generals have to rise through the ranks and work for their position. Some soldiers in history were actually more loyal to their general than to their king. Generals risk their lives with their soldiers. The king commands from the palace. The analogy doesn't really work for their relationship, but it's great for their individual characters.

As for Oikawa's relationship with Kageyama? It's complicated, as most things with Oikawa are. Oikawa is Kageyama's upperclassman, and It's evident that Kageyama once looked up to him. At first, I never understood why Oikawa hated Kageyama so much. It was fairly obvious that his underclassman basically worshipped him, and I thought it would do wonders for his ego. However, it seems so much more obvious after a bit of rewatching. Middle school Kageyama was a natural from the start, and middle school Oikawa was just a mess of overworking, burning out, and crippling insecurity masked by egoism.

Oikawa hated that he worked himself to death to make the cut, then some random bright eyed prodigy first year just comes in and steals the show. Maybe it wasn't reasonable to hate him so much, but middle schoolers aren't reasonable. Some people say Oikawa was supposed act more mature and responsible, an that he should have had more self control with his feelings. They seem to forget he was a CHILD. He was a literal child; he just entered adolescence, and he was still learning. He shouldn't be expected to handle things like an adult when he isn't one. Oikawa was just SCARED. He loved volleyball and didn't want to be replaced by Kageyama. He overworked himself so he wouldn't be dispensable. I agree that he should not have tried to hit Kageyama. However, you can't say that it makes him a bad person or character.

Oikawa wasn't really in his right mind at the time. It was clear that he was in the middle of an adrenaline rush of sorts from overworking himself. He was visibly agitated and overwhelmed, but, Kageyama approached him. This isn't Kageyama's fault either. While I do think he should have been able to tell it was a bad time to ask, Kageyama was an even younger child. He was never good at reading people either, so Kageyama can't be held accountable. Imagine, though, how Oikawa felt. He was in the middle of training so he wouldn't be replaced, and who decides to interrupt? The person he's trying not to be replaced by. Again, not Kageyama's fault, but you must understand that Oikawa was afraid. He was stuck in this swarm of negative thinking, and the very source of so much of his fear and insecurity was suddenly right in front of him. It wasn't right of him to do that, but you can understand why he did it.

That's another very interesting part of Oikawa. It was his worst fear come to life when he was subbed out for Kageyama in one of their games. It was too much for him, and he just finally snapped. Thankfully, Iwaizumi's lecture struck a chord in him, and he made an apparent effort to remember it. However, I don't think it made his fear go away. In fact, I think his fear of being replaced originated much before middle school. Obviously, I have no idea when exactly, but I would have to guess it started around the middle of elementary school at the latest. This is mainly because I believe Oikawa's obnoxious personality is a sort of defense mechanism used against this fear. Oikawa is objectively very good-looking, flamboyant and charming; he's also very popular among girls.

I found it very interesting that he was portrayed to be a heartthrob by the media, but was seen to be very immature and honestly quite annoying. Around his friends he acts very childish, but switches again to his charming persona when around fans or other classmates. It was fairly clear that something wasn't right. I wanted to believe it was just inconsistent writing, but one of Furudate's greatest strengths is building characters; I also saw no clear consistency problems with other characters. I believe that Oikawa switches personas depending on what reputation he's trying to uphold. We know Oikawa is insecure at heart, and we see him trying to play it off by being prideful.

If we go back to his fear of being replaced, I find reasonable to believe that Oikawa acts the way he does so that people don't get bored of him. He wants a reputation, because that means people will know about him. Something that is consistent about his personas is that he's very sociable in both. He's childish, loud, and constantly wants attention, or he's always laughing, flirting, and joking. It's almost as if he believes that everybody will find someone new if he doesn't remind them he's still there. He thinks people will get bored of him, so he constantly tries to make sure people stay interested. A lot of people say that Oikawa is too annoying and narcissistic, but he does it because he's afraid people will get rid of him if he doesn't keep their attention.

That also leads to another major part of Oikawa's character. I actually believe this may be the biggest part of his overall character. There's something that sets Oikawa apart from every other character. Regardless of if you like him or not, you can't deny that there's an energy about him that's just different. He's the closest you'll get to an antagonist in Haikyuu, but you also get to see his soft sides. We see the love he has for volleyball and for his teammates. It's strange to see so many different sides of a character. It's also interesting how Ushijima wanted Oikawa join Shiratorizawa. It's understandable, considering Kageyama still hadn't developed and Oikawa was the best setter in the prefecture.

So, the question I always wanted to answer: Why didn't Oikawa go to Shiratorizawa? Yes, the fandom exaggerates it and loves to joke about it, but it was a real question for me at first. Oikawa wanted to go to Nationals, and joining Shiratorizawa would have guaranteed it. Best ace and best setter in the entire prefecture on one team? They would blow the competition away. It would have been much easier if Oikawa had indeed swallowed his pride and joined Shiratorizawa. However, it seems that it wasn't necessarily about all about "worthless pride". Of course it was a factor, but Oikawa wouldn't let his pride get in the way of his dreams; he's smarter than that.

It was then that I started to notice a recurring pattern with Oikawa. He's a direct opposition to the main characters. He refused to join a powerhouse team for an easy ticket to Nationals. He uses his personal strengths to improve instead of being upset over what he doesn't have. Oikawa is an incredibly unique character because of his sheer will to do things the way he wants. Oikawa is a setter; he's a control freak, but in a less direct way than Kageyama. He doesn't force everyone to adapt to him, yelling, "You better follow me!" Rather, he goes his own way and says, "Follow me if you dare."

He carves his own path, regardless of what others say. Seijoh was destined to lose from the beginning. Furudate loves symbolism in Haikyuu. Notice how every national level school is represented by an animal? The mighty eagle of Shiratorizawa, the wild crow of Karasuno, the clever cat of Nekoma, the soaring owl of Fukurodani? What does Aoba Johsai have? A castle. Aoba Johsai translates to Blue Castle. While the other teams fight, jump, and soar, Aoba Johsai is beautiful, strong, and reliable, but they will never fly. It was almost as if Oikawa went to Aoba Johsai simply to prove he didn't need Ushijima to go to Nationals. Looking at it like that, it indeed makes it look like Oikawa refuses to go to Shiratorizawa out of pride. However, I like to see it as more than that.

First of all, Oikawa's greatest wish was to defeat Shiratorizawa in order to go to Nationals. OIKAWA DOES NOT SETTLE. He refuses to settle for only half his dream. Maybe it's too prideful, but it would invalidate the years of hell he put himself through trying to accomplish it. It was like Ushijima was telling him, "Hey, you tried your best, didn't you? You can't beat me, and all your years of work are for nothing. Just join us and give it up." It was insulting to him. Oikawa's sheer perseverance was what got him where he was. He took everything the world threw at him and threw it right back. Suddenly, it all stops and he's offered an olive branch of sorts. The world doesn't offer everything he wants, but it's something. Just enough to get him to stop fighting back.

Oikawa wants all or nothing when it comes to his passions. It's risky, maybe not a very smart decision, but that's just who he is.He doesn't want the olive branch; he wants the whole damn tree. Oikawa wants to look at Ushijima, to scream from the top of the world, and tell everybody who didn't think he could make it, "I DON'T NEED YOU." He wants to show people they were wrong. No, he's not a genius, but he doesn't need to be one. He wants to follow his dreams his own way or he doesn't want it at all.

Second of all, Oikawa wanted to go to Nationals with Iwaizumi. Oikawa and Iwaizumi were together their entire lives. They played, they laughed, they cried, they won, they lost, but they were always together. Oikawa needs Iwaizumi specifically because he trusts that he'll never be dispensable to his best friend. Iwaizumi is his support, the way he grounds himself when things are too much. Oikawa and Iwaizumi want to go to Nationals together. It's not some fantasy they conjured up; it's their childhood dream. Oikawa wouldn't be willing to let go of that. Again, Oikawa refuses to settle. He wants to lead a team to Nationals with his partner, or he doesn't want it at all.

Oikawa was willing to risk everything. He wanted to go all in. Maybe it was wrong, and maybe it was just worthless pride. Regardless, it shows us his unparalleled passion for the sport. He deserved so much better than what he got, but life isn't fair. Haikyuu shows us that. It's almost discouraging to see Oikawa lose. If you look at it, between Oikawa and Kageyama, Oikawa is actually the underdog. Kageyama is the genius player and Oikawa just tries his best. Haikyuu is an underdog story, but sometimes the roles are not as we think.

(⚠️!!SPOILERS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER!!⚠️)

When Oikawa is seen as the "final boss" as the official setter of Argentina's Olympic team, it's the cherry on top to confirm what type of character he is. THIS MAN WAS SO DAMN PETTY AND DETERMINED TO FOLLOW HIS DREAMS THAT HE IMMIGRATED TO A DIFFERENT HEMISPHERE. He was so determined to make his own path that he made a name for himself on the other side of the world. He was virtually unknown, and had to start from scratch all again. What happened? He actually did it, and now he's the main focus of his team. I have such a ridiculous amount of respect for Oikawa. The determination that man has is unparalleled.

I believe Furidate also uses Oikawa as a model to teach us that, yes, it's discouraging to be surrounded by people better than you, and failure is inevitable. However, it you can use those failures as a lesson to improve yourself, and if you stick to your goals until the very end, the world will get tired and it'll work out in the end. Oikawa tells us that it's okay to be bold; he tells us to understand that it takes time to succeed, and you will succeed. He tells us to treasure those who support us, because the trust they have in you is more than you could ever know. In the end, Oikawa really accomplishes his dreams. Maybe Iwaizumi isn't with him, but Oikawa has learned by then how to live without him and vice versa. Instead, he gets to fulfill his promise of defeating him when they face each other.

Oikawa never got to go Nationals, but now he's at Internationals. Now he finally gets to beat Ushijima, Kageyama, and Iwaizumi all in one spot. We don't even get to see the result of the match, which is actually something I love. Oikawa is the only one we know in Argentina; it would be unrealistic to try to decide a winner between the two teams if we don't know the strengths and weaknesses of each player. Regardless, we finally get to see Oikawa get what he deserves. Maybe it will work out for him, and maybe it won't. Something amazing about leaving an open ending is that we get to analyze the characters as we please, and we get to imagine what happens ourselves. It's actually one of Furudate's best pieces of symbolism in the whole series.

Their stories are not over yet. Maybe Oikawa loses again, but he keeps going. Maybe he finally throws the towel. Who knows? Characters are ever changing, but I believe Oikawa will stick to it. Then again, maybe his knee injury will force him to quit. Life is unpredictable, but Oikawa's determination has been constant throughout the whole show. The way he grew as a person, a player, and leader, just enraptured me to no end. Oikawa is one of the most fascinating characters I've ever come across. I don't like picking favorite characters, but I genuinely believe Oikawa is the most well written and complex.

That concludes my 3,000+ word rant/essay about the wonderful anomaly that is Tooru Oikawa. Honestly, there's definitely more that I forgot to incorporate or have not thought of, but this is what I have!! Thank you for reading through all that?? Also, I'm not going to go through that and edit it, so feel free to comment if anything makes no sense :)