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the inarizaki match was a turning point in my attachment to haikyuu. it has a lot to do with the concept of "time" in the series. i want to talk about it so here--how furudate finds meaning in the past, present, and future. (a thread ft. kita shinsuke and bokuto koutarou)
haikyuu, from the start, is about the future in theory and the present in action. what i mean by that is that the future is what drives the characters; what intertwines with their dialogue and thought processes. but the actual core of haikyuu has everything to do with the present
haikyuu is a series of moments. we rarely see intricate backstories and homelives (intricate =/= well written)--and we don't need to. all we need to see is who the characters are on the court, how they support one another in the moment, and how they care without knowing the past.
as bokuto puts it, it's one of those many moments that gets you hooked. looking at v*lleyball as a metaphor for life, you never know when the present might turn into the future you long for--when it will feel truly worth it, if only for a moment. and that moment sets a precedent.
to me this is "bokuto's philosophy," because he is the one that most directly introduces the idea of hard work paying off. he has nearly mastered using the future to motivate himself, without forgetting to enjoy the present. he knows it's worth it/the future can always be better
this is kind of summarized by oikawa during the brazil arc, though oikawa's character incorporates the struggle more than the payoff.
"aiming for the top" is a future goal that inspires the present, but the passionate moments within the present are what keep you going.
that being said, haikyuu gives us direct reference to the meaning of the future. the meaning of the present tends to be implied, and found as the story goes on. the past, however, often seems to be treated as something to let go of. in a way, it is.
with kageyama's introduction, his first character development is all about letting go of the past. letting go of the fear that nobody will be there, and accepting that hinata *is* there, in the present. thematically, it fits right in with the rest of haikyuu.
tsukishima as well, has to let go of the past in order to accept the present. but in both instances, the characters are letting go of fear, not memories. it's the emotional affects of the past that they need to relinquish.
so, what about when we continue to grow, and those moments of letting go become part of the past as well? this is where inarizaki comes in. on a larger scale, the controversy of their "who needs memories" motto is about traditionalism vs. modernism[...]
but i want to discuss it on a smaller scale. because hq, after all, is a philosophy of life condensed and applied to a "small" topic. kita says he doesn't like the motto, because the road doesn't only run forward. but nonetheless, moments fueled by fleeting passion excite him.
kita exists, largely, to represent the past. again, this can be applied in many ways. his personal ideology is that the past is what we are made of--our "muscles" of today. the way he holds onto the past, it makes him stronger rather than holding him back.
as far as v*lleyball goes, kita isn't motivated by the prospect of the future. rather, he is motivated by the strength he has built up. "motivation" is a concept that almost doesn't apply to his character, imo. he lives his life as a ritual, because that's what feels good to him.
but the past that makes kita stronger, as we have seen, has held many characters back. the idea of the past hurting is mentioned around the time his character is fully introduced.
the significance of the past is that it is what enables us to be strong in the present, just as the future does. but the past can be heavy, and we have to choose what we hold onto.
i've seen kita called "reverse bokuto" because of character designs, but i'd argue it applies to their roles as well. bokuto is future motivation, while kita is past support. both enable the people around them to be well in the present. (and both are great guys)
bokuto is there to say, "the moment will come." while kita believes something like, "it has always been the moment." combined, we get, "the moment is now." this is haikyuu. and this is how inarizaki ties it together.
so, to me, the inarizaki match is what finally introduces the past to the philosophy of hq in a positive light. it comes full circle with timeskip atsumu. even from a distance, kita provides the food that helps him grow stronger, so he can thrive in the present.
hq is centered around the present, but its ability to portray both the past and future as important parts of said present is what makes it so effective. the inarizaki match felt something like a coming of age for the series. it lets the reader know, "it's ok to hold onto this."
bokuto and kita are like bookends to haikyuu's philosophy. they are able to appreciate the present through the future and the past, respectively. with both of them coexisting within the series, it gains an increased sense of maturity and allows the message to grow with the reader
even when it's over, haikyuu will always be a part of my own personal strength as well 
thx for reading
thx for reading
