Because names in fiction often have meaning and can even be insightful, I decided to take a look at the names of the main characters of 2.43 Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-bu. Note that I am not a native Japanese speaker (and am, in fact, still learning), and I relied on the imiwa? and Shirabe Jisho apps for many of the kanji meanings.
Kenritsu Nanafu Seiin Koukou [Nanafu Seiin Prefectural High School]
県立七符清陰高校
Nanafu is the fictional city where the school is located. It’s written with “seven” and a kanji that can mean “charm/talisman; tally; mark.”
‘Seiin’ is written with “(to make) clear; pure/purify; exorcise” and “shadow; darkness,” so it could be taken to mean “to clear away the shadows.” Seems pretty fitting for the dark horse, breaking out of obscurity.
As a whole, the school’s name has a sense of “the #7 charm that clears away the shadows” (thanks, @foodandfandom, for helping me figure that out), with 七 being a reference to Yuni’s uniform number. Chika may be the setter who starts to bring the best out of them as players and a team, but without Yuni as their ace, they never would have gotten to that point. Even if Chika had joined the team, he wouldn’t have gotten along with the other players, and it would have been a repeat of Meisei and Monshiro with no one to rely on. Yuni is the one who brings them together, his dependability as the ace once he steels his resolve the catalyst that allows them to evolve as a team, the charm that makes them capable of clearing away the shadows of an unknown name to step into the spotlight of the Nationals stage.
The city’s name is twofold, though. Along with lending the meaning of “the #7 charm” to the school name, 七符市 (Nanafu-shi, Nanafu City) is read the same way as ナナフシ/七節/竹節虫 (nanafushi), which refer to walking sticks/stick insects and fits the themes of all the towns being named after bugs (more on that later in the post).
Oda Shin’ichirou
小田 伸一郎
His surname means “small rice field.” His given name is written with “expand; stretch” and a common masculine name ending meaning “first son.” 'Rou' (whether written as 郎 “son” or 朗 “clear; bright; melodious”) is a very common masculine name ending, sometimes with a number in front of it if it can’t directly follow the first character. The number used to indicate birth order for sons (Ancient Romans would do something similar), but this isn’t always necessarily the case nowadays. However, as he’s an only child, it actually is in his case.
He’s the shortest out of all the characters, standing at only 163 cm (5′4″), which 小 is a pretty obvious reference to. Because he’s not as tall as the other players, and because he loves being a wing spiker so much and doesn’t want to switch to libero where his lack of height would put him at less of a disadvantage, he has to try and find ways to push himself further to retain his foothold on that playing field, which is where I think the 伸 is fitting, particularly with the “stretch” meaning, both figuratively and literally: Chika does comment that he jumps high for his height.
Aoki Misao
青木 操
His surname can mean “blue tree” or “green tree.” Though there are kanji specifically meaning “green” (緑 and 翠), they’re more recent, and the various kanji meaning “blue” have also always been used to mean “green.” This usage is less common now, but it does still usually mean “green” in compound words and/or in reference to plants, so it’s more likely that in this case it means “green.” The tree in his name certainly befits his tall stature; at 193 cm (just under 6′4″), he’s the tallest out of all the characters by a good 3 cm (about an inch and a half), the second-tallest being Takasugi Jungo of Fukuhou. It also goes along with the giraffe he’s compared to in the light novels by Ibara.
His given name is a kanji meaning “fidelity; honor;” it can also mean “manipulate.” While on the surface the first set of meanings may not seem to suit his scheming personality, considering that many of the things he does are out of his strong sense of loyalty and devotion toward Oda (and, by extension, the team—Oda’s team), I find them all pretty apt.
Uchimura Naoyasu
内村 直泰
His surname means “within the village,” while his given name means “earnest calm.”
Kanno Akito
棺野 秋人
His surname is written with the kanji for “coffin” and “field.” “Coffin” fits with him being referred to as “Dracula” and “Dracky” in the light novels due to his sun allergy, while the “field” is likely just a common surname component that doesn’t lend any symbolism in this case.
His given name is written with “autumn” and a masculine name ending meaning “person.” The “autumn” likely goes along with his allergy as well. In the fall, the hours of sunlight grow shorter, and the sunlight grows less intense and direct, a reprieve for someone who’s sensitive to it. It does certainly suit the reddish color of his hair, though.
Hokao Kazuma
外尾 一馬
His surname is written with the kanji for “other; outside” and “tail/tail end.” It’s likely a reference to how the libero is listed last in the lineup, even if their uniform number is lower than other starting players’. The libero is also the player most skilled at defending and serves as the team’s last line of defense. 外 could also be a nod toward his position as libero, which is completely different (or “other”) to the rest of the positions; they focus entirely on defense and are not allowed to attack (no spiking, no serving, can only set overhand from behind the back line), and once they reach the front line in the rotation, they are switched out for another player. The libero wears the opposite uniform shirt from the rest of the team to make them more visible because they’re constantly moving on and off the court and because their role is so specialized.
His given name is written with “one” and a masculine name ending meaning “horse.”
Ookuma Yuusuke
大隈 優介
His surname means “large corner” or “large recess.” The 'kuma' is also a homophone for “bear” (くま/熊), which befits his image as someone large and intimidating. His given name is written with a kanji meaning “gentle; affectionate” or “superior” and a common masculine name ending meaning “mediate.”
Kuroba Yuni
黒羽 祐仁
His surname means “black feathers” or “black wings” (anyone else feel like they should be seeing wings whenever he spikes, particularly during those back attacks of his? I’ve been spoiled by Haikyuu). There are two words that I know that mean “wing(s),” tsubasa (翼) and hane (羽/羽根). I don’t know which is more common (Google Translate says 翼 but you can’t always trust it so I don’t know if that’s true), but his name being written with 羽 is why Chika uses hane when he tells him that he has wings in ep12.
His given name means “charity”—the first character means “help” while the second means “benevolence; compassion; charity.” ゆに (Yuni) is a unique reading of the characters, which would more commonly be read as ゆうじ (Yuuji) or ひろひと (Hirohito); according to chapter 3-1 of First Season, FRESHERS, it comes from the English word universe, written in kana as ユニバース (yunibaasu). His grandfather wanted his name to have the sense of “you will reach the universe” (and by god will Chika make sure he does).
On the banner that Itoko made for him in ep02—
はばたけ
★黒羽★
UNIVERSE
(”Fly / ★Kuroba★ / Universe”)—she tells him, “Fly, Kuroba Yuni!” using only his name. はばたけ can also be written with kanji as 羽ばたけ/羽撃け/羽搏け (though the meaning is less “fly” and more “spread your wings”). “UNIVERSE” is, of course, a reference to the reading of his given name, and is also somewhat its secondary meaning.
Haijima Kimichika
灰島 公誓
His surname means “island of ash.”
In part 4 of the Season 1 epilogue, STAND BY ME, it’s stated that his given name comes from the phrase 公に誓う, “to promise to the public,” which has the meaning of “有言実行,” “making good on one’s promise; being as good as one’s word.” As someone who doesn’t make promises lightly and doesn’t go back on his word, it undeniably suits him. But 公 can also mean “prince,” and I feel like this sense plays a bigger part in his character.
Taking this alternate meaning into consideration, ‘公誓’ could also be taken to mean “prince’s vow/promise,” which is certainly apt considering his skill and personality set him apart from the others (his skill and game sense put him on a higher level than most other players, and his difficult personality and poor social skills prevent him from being particularly close with anyone unless they’ve decided to take the time to get to know him; the 島 [“island”] in his surname also alludes to this) and his promise to take the team to Nationals. 公, which has meanings such as “prince" “monarch” and “sovereign,” also fits with Fukuhou saying that he wouldn’t fit on their team since they only need one person on the throne, as Subaru’s name has a similar theme (see below).
His father’s name is Kiminobu, written 公信, the second character meaning “faith; belief; truth; sincerity; fidelity; trust.” In-universe, Chika was likely at least partially named after his father.
His mother’s name was 大江 小百合 (Ooe Sayuri). Her maiden name means “large inlet,” and her given name is the poetic name for “lily” (which is usually called simply yuri, 百合/ユリ).
Suemori Ibara
末森 荊
Her surname means “end of the forest.” Her given name refers to a thorny shrub, such as a rose bush or briar patch, hence her being referred to as いばら姫 (Princess Briar Rose) in the title of the second chapter of First Season, and again as Sleeping Beauty in part 2 of the book’s epilogue.
Fukuhou Kougyou Koukou [Fukuhou Technical High School]
福蜂工業高校
Written with kanji meaning “lucky; fortunate” and “bee; wasp; hornet.” The ‘fuku’ is also the same as the one in Fukui (福井), as in both the prefecture and its capital city where Fukuhou is located, so it could also be taken to mean “wasps of Fukui.” I can’t articulate why, but wasps do seem to fit Fukuhou. At least, comparing them to wasps or hornets doesn’t feel off. Bee colonies also have a queen, which lends to the monarchy theme that Fukuhou and particularly Subaru have.
Plus, their school being set in a real city, Kabei-sensei had to get the bugs in there somehow lol
Mimura Subaru
三村 統
His surname means “three villages.” Though he’s not named after a tree like the other characters of similar height, the 村 is written with the tree radical.
His given name means “rule,” as in a monarch’s reign. Yes, the title of ep07, コートを統べるヒーロー “The Hero Who Rules the Court” is a pun on his name. Both also go along with him being considered Fukuhou’s “king,” and with Fukuhou themselves being referred to as 赤い王者 “The Red Kings” in the novel.
Ochi Mitsuomi
越智 光臣
His surname means “surpassing wisdom” or “surpassing intellect.” His given name is written with “light” and “retainer; one who serves” and can be taken to mean “light’s retainer.” He’s Fukuhou’s manager—and a damn good and insightful one at that—and closest to Subaru, who is their “king” and as their ace could also be called their “light.” No, I will never be over how perfect their names are.
Takasugi Jungo
高杉 潤五
As the tallest member of the Fukuhou team and the second-tallest character in the series at 190 cm, it’s quite fitting that, like Aoki, he’s named after a tree; his surname means “tall cedar.”
His given name is written with a kanji that can mean “wet; damp; be watered” or “profit by/benefit from” and the number five.
Asamatsu Issei
朝松 壱成
His surname is written with “morning” and “pine tree.” Unsurprisingly, he is also one of the tallest characters—the fourth-tallest at 188 cm, one cm shorter than Subaru.
His given name is written with the formal numeral “one” (it’s one of multiple kanji used to represent the number one in legal documents, as it’s much more difficult to alter than the simple, informal numeral 一) and a kanji meaning “become; grow.”
Tokura Kouhei
戸倉 工兵
His surname means “warehouse/storehouse/cellar door.” His given name means “combat engineer” or “military engineer.”
Jinno Ryuudai
神野 龍大
His surname means “field of the gods.” His given name is written with a kanji for dragon and “big; large.”
Kakegawa Tomoki
掛川 智紀
His surname is written with “start; hang/suspend” and “river.” His given name is written with “wisdom; intellect; reason” and “chronicle; narrative; history.”
Yanome Keita
矢野目 慶太
His surname is written with “arrow; dart,” “field; plains,” and “eye.” His given name is written with a kanji meaning “jubilation; rejoice; (be) happy” and a masculine name component (it’s often used as an ending or as the middle character before 郎/朗, though sometimes it’ll be the first character as in 太一 [Taichi]) meaning “thick.”
Sawatari Yuuhi
猿渡 勇飛
His surname is written with the kanji for “monkey” and “transit; ford; cross.”
His given name is written with “bravery; courage” and “fly/soar; jump.” It’s also a homophone for “sunset/setting sun” (夕日 or 夕陽), which befits his reddish hair.
Bonus:
Meisei Gakuen Chuugaku [Meisei Academy Middle School]
銘誠学園中学
Written with “inscription; epitaph” and “truth; sincerity; integrity.” Fits Chika, not so much the half of his teammates who thought someone pretending to attempt suicide would be a funny joke to play on him.
Written with “coat of arms; pattern; figure; crest” and “substitution.” With all the change that happens for our two protagonists during their year or so together here, it seems fairly fitting. It’s not as on-the-nose as some of the other names, but it still somewhat has that sense of the team changing up their attitudes toward volleyball and the club after Chika joins and starting to take it seriously. (Though “pattern” seems to be more in the sense of a pattern on clothing, so it’s more like “a leopard can’t change its spots,” except in this case they do. Particularly Yuni.)
It’s located in the city of Monshiro (紋代町 Monshiro-chou), where the Kurobas and Ooes live, which is read the same way as the name for the cabbage white butterfly (紋白蝶 monshirochou, lit. “crested white butterfly”). Chika's parents lived in the neighboring city of Suzumu (鈴無市 Suzumu-shi, lit. “bell-less city”), which has the same reading as the bell cricket (鈴虫 suzumushi, lit. “bell bug”).
Shin’ei Chuugakkou [Shin’ei Middle School]
進英中学校
The middle school that Subaru attended, it’s written with “advance” and the first character from 英雄 (”hero”) and carries the meaning of “becoming the hero.”
Kuroba Yorimichi
黒羽 頼道
His given name is written with “trust; request; reliable” and “road; path.” It’s also a homophone for “detour” (寄り道). Seems pretty indicative of Yuni’s relationship with him—at first, he trusted Yori and followed him, but after he discovered his love of volleyball, they were no longer compatible (and possibly never truly were in the first place). Yori is a “detour” away from who Yuni truly is as a person and who he can become. They’re two completely different types of people.
Kuroba Itoko
黒羽 絃子
Her given name is written with “string (as of an instrument or bow)” and a common feminine name ending meaning “child.” It’s also a homophone for “cousin” (いとこ, along with six different ways to write it in kanji depending on whether they’re older or younger and/or male or female, though they’re all pronounced the same way), which is a source of much misunderstanding in this series.
Yoshino Souta
吉野 爽太
His surname is written with the characters for “good fortune/luck; joy” and “field.” His given name is written with “refreshing; bracing; sweet; clear” and a masculine name component meaning “thick.”
His given name seems to fit his personality, though his fortune hasn’t exactly been the greatest, what with being put under more pressure than he could handle and feeling like his only option to get out was something that would hurt his friend (far more than he had ever intended). It seems he’s doing better after quitting volleyball and joining his high school’s science club, though.
Nagato Ryou
長門 亮
His surname is written with “long” and “door; gate; entrance; window.” His given name can mean “clear” or “help.”
