Doing a detailed close read of Hoshiumi's backstory because I'm in the mood to talk about him today. I wanted to do a thread to highlight his character as some people struggle to relate to him and overlook some key details of his personality:

Sometimes when people discuss Hoshiumi and dismiss his backstory as "we get it, he's short it's not that deep", I think they forget that his goal is to make a living out of volleyball (not just play for fun) professionally and that height genuinely is a barrier to that.

Tenma Udai's commentary this chapter is so profound because he embodies the harsh reality for players like Hoshiumi and Hinata. Though he had his glory days as a high school ace, he never advanced to the "higher stage" as he realized, his opponents would keep scaling.

And we get a callback to that realization in Chapter 393:

Though this chapter starts out with a Hoshiumi highlight reel, showing off his specialty of tooling blockers and making use of the opponent's height to find an opening, we start learning that he hasn't always been a seasoned veteran.

Even the other Kamomedai teammates are shocked to hear that Hoshiumi was a "bench player" throughout middle school. He's a U19 rep and an ace that took Kamomedai to the Top 8 for Nationals twice in a row, but he is still, essentially a "late bloomer." Something people overlook

As a child, Hoshiumi was like many other children, trying out a variety of sports to find the one that he belonged in. Unable to find a place in basketball as he tries to escape his much taller brother, you would think that he'd search for a sport more suited for his stature-

But instead, falls for yet another height-dominant sport, volleyball. Hoshiumi having tall members in his family is significant because it shows that he's always known he was "different", and yet, still defiantly pursues the path of greatest resistance. Why?

Because he truly loves volleyball. We see glimpses of his childlike wonder when he watches games with his brother, when his mother takes him to his first game, and confirmed when he candidly calls volleyball "what he loves" in Chapter 393.

However, volleyball still doesn't come naturally for him. Even though he later becomes an outsider hitter/spiker himself, spiking still requires a lot of thought for him. He has to put a lot of thought and time into honing things like running approach, timing, and technique.

Then Hoshiumi sees his brother, a person who doesn't even have a passion for volleyball whatsoever, spike perfectly on the first try by virtue of being tall. This childhood memory reminds him that the world is not fair. That hard work can be out-classed by natural ability.

Imagine being intensely passionate about something, working hard at it tirelessly even though it's not easy for you, only to get quickly outclassed by a newcomer who simply is born more advantaged. It's what happens to him here and a relatable fear he carries onto adulthood.

In this flashback, he simply loses his place on his team as his brother takes it. In present day, Hoshiumi can lose his entire livelihood and ability to make money off doing what he loves if he slacks off. I think his backstory is an excellent depiction of how it never ends.

So how does Hoshiumi overcome this fear to become the indomitable opponent we see in the Kamomedai match and on the Schweiden Adlers? His mom's words force him to realize that his height is something he can never change. It's genetics. But there are other ways he can be great.

Hoshiumi's flashback chapter is kind of bittersweet to me, because it's both hopeful and also sad. It's hopeful because you understand why he keeps pushing forward despite the odds being against him. It's sad because you know this is just the beginning of his struggles.

We don't get a Ball Boy arc-esque depiction of Hoshiumi's struggles, but they're implied in flashbacks. He's the kid on the bench who mops floors, who stares too much, and does everyone's laundry. People know Hoshiumi as prideful, but he's had to sacrifice pride for love often.

Right after the flashback, Furudate shows that Hoshiumi's very own teammate Gao, is proof that you can get on a great team despite having no experience and just having a tall body. Gao just started volleyball and is on the same team as Hoshiumi, who's been playing since 2nd grade

In fact, Gao even ends up on the same stage as Hoshiumi when they become adults as a pro player in Division 1 of V.League. I think that his very existence shows that yes, there will be people who work a lot less than you do to get to the same place you are.

But then the rest of the chapter reminds us that Hoshiumi isn't just a spiker that can get easily replaced by the existence of a larger one. He's a true all-arounder with strong receiving skills and even does an amazing set to Gao who agrees he's good. Kageyama calls it "perfect"

The emergency set is a great showcase of how he's an indispensable player to a team. He capitalizes on his utility, and then confirms that the secret behind his success is simple. He practices it all. In the original translation, it's more obvious he says he practices A LOT.

To end the chapter, we get a stunning reflection from Tenma that declares that the world may be unfair, but at the same time, it's fair. Because even if you don't have innate advantage, you can still become strong by practicing and developing other skills from hard work.

Anyways, Chapter 343 is one of my favorites because it sets the groundwork for The Little Giant philosophy introduced later and shows an example of an opponent that like Oikawa, is relatable because he has struggled immensely on the path to pursuing his passions.

Hoshiumi is a character who receives initial hate for his strong reactions to being perceived, and initial pride but once you understand what he has gone through along with the fact he's one of the FIRST short players considered on a National level, he's actually very real

Lastly I feel like it's easy to minimize the concerns that short players like Hinata and Hoshiumi face because of how skilled they become later on. Their stories are proof and examples that success for people like them is earned instead of given. Thanks for reading!