Thread by @neonmints, to me everything in haikyuu goes down to two concepts that have [...]

to me everything in haikyuu goes down to two concepts that have taken me a very long time to learn. the first is "you become good at what you love", which encompasses both "dont think about whats easy think about whats fun" as well as "working until being okay becomes a habit"

the second is... "if i wasn't alone"

this single phrase, the one that ends up the view from the top speech, the one that closes the second most impactful chapter of hinata's hs career, is to me is the part of haikyuu that's probably even more important than the love of the game

you can practice every day, study every day, keep your health in perfect condition, and... still have nothing. because volleyball is a sport with six people on the court, or if you're doing it outside, two people. no matter what, you cannot play volleyball alone.

"what were you doing these past three years?" well, it's simple, hinata was working on the first half of what makes hq to me, he was working on the "you get good at what you love" side, but its only in meeting karasuno that hinata could truly, honestly, realize his dream

its by having karasuno that kageyama learned to trust, that tsuki learned to love, that yams learned to stand tall, that yachi learned to be brave. asahi had noya, who had tanaka, who had suga, who had daichi. ukai had takeda, who became the net for all of karasuno.

we had saeko and akiteru, tenma and shimada, every single person in that team had each other, even through time.

it's thanks to them that ukai sr realized *his* dream, and through ukai sr that nekomata understood that love, and gave it to kuroo, who gave it to kenma and nekoma

nekoma inspired fukuroudani and bokuto, who inspired the other top 5 aces, like sakusa and ushijima, who gave oikawa, and iwaizumi reasons to work harder, and in turn gave seijohs first years more of those reasons, who gave the other ball boy arc kids their own inspiration.

kogane became a bright light who was inspired by his senpais and who were inspired by him in turn, they gave karasuno the strengths that that they then gave kamomedai and inarizaki

all of whom and more became stronger people, leading upto the fated jackal/alders match.

volleyball is a game where you connect. every play leads onto the next one, and the next one. every game feeds into the next. every action affects someone else. this butterfly affect ripples outwards, to everyones regular lives too.

Haikyuu is a story about a "18 by 8 meter space", panel connecting panel, connecting dialogue, connecting characters, connecting concepts, connecting *people*, audience, viewers, real volleyball players, friends, foes and family alike.

"If i wasnt alone."

would furudate had been able to make this story alone? no. someone had to be there, to inspire and play with them, to talk about it, and assist them, and be there for them.

would we enjoy this story as much alone? no. someone has to be there, to listen to us, and inspire us too.

and... that concept that is so difficult for me to accept, even to this day. its the fear of looking behind you and finding your set untouched, of saying the wrong thing and having to spend your time polishing on your own like you had for years.

to say "you become good at what you love" is easy in comparison to the trust needed to create something truly amazing. it's easy in the face of finding people who stand beside you, laugh with you, play with you, and teach you everything they know.

but if i weren't alone, then maybe i'd be able to embrace it. i could be able to make the stories i always wanted to, and inspire people to finally be happy, the way this story has done for me.

these days im not alone, but it doesnt make it any easier to accept that truth

still, the day im able to hear the call of "im here" and trust in it and the connections it holds, i know i'll be the person i dreamt of being all these years. i'll become my own little giant, or better, my own greatest decoy

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