Haikyuu Chapter 289... A sort of TAO for me?
I mean... there are things which have hit home base with me...
I had to free such a gorgeous, evil grinning face from all the knots the net had in the original image... This alone is worthy all the rest of the terrible things Furudate has put at the end of the chapter, so all considered this one STILL a positive chapter right?
But just look at him!!!!!
Those eyes... the fact the Lord can look so mischievious and troublesome and dangerous while extruding passion in rivulets makes me... evaporate of passion myself. For all those who dare to say this boy is emotionless... REALLY?
This is the kind of boy who can get you naked with a single glare. It’s just about to know how to IGNITE his passion. Not the fact he has not gotten it, because... man, this guy BURNS with passion.
But okay, let’s start with the chapter.
We have the wonderful thoughts of both Miya twins, who are very well etched and functionally worthy characters, whom I love DEARLY.
Osamu is even saltier than Tsukki sometimes, but beside being very talented, he is a great observer and somehow even a sort of philosopher...
I love the way the twins are competitive with each other, while of course being bonded with that kind of unbreakable bond only twins can have. They look out for each other a lot, and look AT each other a lot, so that the observation we can get through their eyes about themselves are poignant and even poetical sometimes. This of course works wonderfully while they play as well.
And... they have the cutest banters.
Osamu is adorable, but Atsumu... Atsumu is one of the best characters Furudate has put out. He is childlike but also sadistic... a mixture which is just so uniquely mashed one can either fully love or fully hate him.
He also has so much in common with Kags, while being VERY different as manners and general behaviour. But they are the same type of player in more than just some ways.
So it’s natural for me to love Atsumu, of course.
He is a straight up kid with TONS of talent and a ballistic personality. The kind of types I generally like... ;)
This specific play Atsumu does is very beautiful, and very well put in this moment in this draining game. He is a fine strategist, but what comes always off which I like is that he is very creative at what he does, and he has no fears. He is filled with curiosity, which captivates me.
Poor Suna... ;) Here Atsumu is the twin of Kageyama as well. This kind of thoughts... EVERY living setter has gotten them soon or later. It’s just... DNA ;)
All these panels describing the game are thrilling and exciting. They really mirror a game you could see in real life.
Of course the “fans” of Haikyuu created by the poor service Furudate has done with a protagonist who has no real attachment to the truth of volley consider this game “long” “boring” and “uneventful”.
Because in a real game the fictional protagonist of this manga has gotten no much space (and still, it is WAY too much for the space he shall get, which shall be ZERO...) and therefore his fanboys who have no concept of the beauty of the sport for real, they cry rivers of tears at every episode where they feel their “hero” hasn’t gotten any real role.
Of course he has not: in volley you gotta have HEIGHT. BRAIN. POWER. Hinata has none of the three, and never will have them so... why there?
These “fans” are a shame for volley, but since it’s easier to be dull than smart, and there are way more readers who are not particularly bright compared to those who are (in general... it’s a world rule to have less smart individuals than not), we have Furudate keeping glorifying a terrible protagonist just to maintain the appeal for the masses who have no clues about sports at all.
We gotta carry along I guess.
But THIS game still amazing, it is the best game Haikyuu has ever displayed, since in it the wide majority of the players playing are exponentially proving themselves and some of my best babies have come so far. during the sets I get shivers...
And where MY BEST BABY, the one and only, is playing like the GOD of Volley he is, becoming more and more awesome.
Look his form... and notice how the dump can happen fruitfully because despite the ball ain’t easy, both Kags’ teammates and adversaries have learnt in this game there is NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE to the Lord’s class.
So they feel he can and will set that ball while... my perfect perfect Lord instead...
Kunimi’s face is priceless, HONESTLY.
Almost as much as Osamu’s... while I LOVE the way Atsumu just realizes here he had better not called the omnipotent Lord “Goody Two Shoes” a mere month before.
See, Atsumu... You think YOU are smug and manipulative? The Lord is pure and not manipulative BUT... he can send you home (and he will) if it’s about playing until the very end of possible resources and tricks.
I love the way Atsumu just seems to feel content in seeing THIS side of Kags.
Now, you two... become best buddies and exploit the chances of life ;)
But the best output of Lord Kags’ winning smug play is Salt Master Tsukki’s evolution after it.
I ADORE Kei’s face in these. He is so aware, so focused, so registered, and DEADLY LETHAL.
I mean... if you like volley and don’t adore Tsukishima Kei, YOU ARE WRONG.
Of the basic things I mean... You don’t like Tsukki? You are automatically disqualified from reason.
Now dear Tsukki please, set up a daily routine of physical training with the Lord and put up some muscles on your bones.
And then you’ll be the Lancelot to Lord Kags’ King Arthur role.
Sadly while the chapter was being good, Furudate had to do something idiotic to give the midget some space.
since he cannot make him grow magically at a worthy height for his supposed role, he is making a fuss out of trivial and basic volley things when done by Boku No Hero Karasuno, to trick those light head people who like the midget into believing what he does is anything remarkable (NEWSFLASH: It’s NOT).
It makes me angry because here for instance Tsukishima does a great receive (and also Tsukki wasn’t the best with those some months before...), but do you see ordeals of sqwaking choruses for him like we had for the midget last time?
Of course NOT. You know, Tsukki is tall, and seems born to play volley and is very smart... so the simpletons cannot make a fuss out of him.
They don’t relate enough... (rolling eyes).
And from here onwards, Furudate really does a number in making the episode go like what Hinata does in it is some sort of magic miracle.
Of course it’s just a BASIC REQUIRED ACTION PLAY at any level in volley.
But Boku No Hero Karasuno is very short, so ehi... that means anything he does is “fantastiiiiiiiiiic!!!!” (cut the sarcasm... well not. keep it. It’s band aid...)
At least here and there there was still something good to see...
But now cut into the panels the fact that while Tanaka does THIS action (before it, feast your eyes at Lord Kags impeccable butt and low lining toss, thank you very much...)
Okay, sorry I was drooling... where were we? Ah, yeah, I was saying how Tanaka is already ANALYZING and slowing down an imperfect play, being him VERY good at playing the right way, and while he was doing this (a thing which would have been worthy of peanas when only done by the midget... ):
... we had the right words of Ukai, trying to slow down too fast plays (a thing which is common in real volley, when points get well fought and the game gets late).
Because instead of just cut it there, and let the action develop, Furudate creates the comedy (NOT) and makes a SIMPLE and OBVIOUS play a thing worthy of a NASA explanation:
So basically the midget for once decides to slow down a play.
Hinata plays at a competitive level since YEARS. All the rest of the team knows already what he is just learning to do.
Hinata should have learned it AGES PRIOR, all of it, all that he is doing now and even all that he will do ater this game, because HE IS STILL MEDIOCRE AT MANY FUNDAMENTALS OF VOLLEY.
But then we have that useless entity called Sugawara EVEN CRYING at such a triviality the midget has done and I cannot take it, and even less I will stand to see MY CAPTAIN SAWAMURA trying to sell me that what Hinata has done is anything different than a normal eye blink.
Really Furudate... this you’ve drawn in this final panel is not even funny.
I fear what we will see in final point next chapter.
There are no boundaries with the way the obvious gets glorified if performed by an annoying orange midget who shall never be part of a manga about volleyball, let alone being its protagonist.
Furudate... I am expecting that next chapter you will outperform yourself and probably make Hinata instantly grow 15 centimeters just to piss me off.
In some ways it would still MORE BELIEVABLE than the shock you have poured all over all the characters for such an idiocity in the last two pages of this chapter 289.
I still have this to look at... at least:
Which is some kind of painkiller and it’s worthy of a repetition.
Time to get ready for Friday Disco time with friends I guess ;)
