Whenever I think of Hinata, I still remember that middle schooler who did everything he could to make volleyball happen for him. Whether it be doing favors for people so they could pay it back by being on his team, playing with the old ladies, and firmly believing he could fly

Even in their first match, Kageyama saw something in Hinata. In fact, he really was the first person who knew volleyball well, looked at Hinata, and treated him like a serious opponent. When they crossed paths at Karasuno, they didn't get along at first, but in each other

They found that partnership that they've been looking for their whole lives. Hinata's never had a setter toss to him. Kageyama has never found someone who loved volleyball so voraciously like Hinata did. Other teammates went home after practice. Kageyama and Hinata would stay

However, the gap in Hinata's love and his skill was always a point brought up by opponents (i.e. the prelims, Seijoh matches, Shiratorizawa.) The Ball Boy arc where Kageyama and Tsukishima got to move forward was something I feared would happen for a long time, and then it did

Where most people would stand in front of an open door, Hinata forced it open. I always see people talk about how hard the Ball Boy arc is to watch and "secondhand embarrassment." But here's the thing. There are more Ball Boy arcs in this world than perfectly orchestrated wins

The front seat view into how much Hinata struggled was hard to watch of course. He was existing vibrantly in an area he wasn't welcome in, one that people told him he didn't belong in. He had to serve his opponents, trek up the mountain every day to do it and his pride was broken

Instead of falling apart with his pride, he built a new foundation over it. Hinata watched and learned, asked his rivals for help and advice, and wore the Ball Boy title with so much pride. He left the camp with new friends and knowledge. That to me, shows he is amazingly strong

The scene where Hinata "recrowns" Kageyama is another beautiful gesture that I think is a testament to his emotional strength and empathy. He gives Kageyama the confidence to be himself. He's the spiker who is strong enough to see Kageyama's words as they are and match him

Though his skills were incomplete, it was Hinata's ability to be wild, free, and different that made Karasuno such a force to play with. He is unpredictable, he has inhuman reflexes that can span the court, and syncs up with Kageyama's precise sets.

Hinata is also immensely grateful for any volleyball experience he gets, he is never "above" anything. He plays with children and learns about tempo from them. He practices drills at home. He and Kageyama had different beginnings but they share this trait wholeheartedly.

Thanks to Kageyama's implicit faith in him that showcases his full power, Hinata has such a loud presence during the Nationals arc that it changes the people he crosses paths with. Like Sugawara says, it's just like love. When people see Hinata--

It's like a voice calling out to them that yells, "match me!" I think. You know how watching someone do what they love is a magical experience? You see veterans like Atsumu, Bokuto, and Hoshiumi get shaken to the core watching him play. The national team coach never forgets him.

But with the Kamomedai match, we still see what Hinata is still and it catches up to him. Like the Ball Boy arc, we see that even though Hinata is a force of nature, he's not free of life's consequences, which I think is such an important lesson. He's a monster and yet, human.

His unbridled energy towards moving forward has limits just like anyone else. Succumbing to illness and having to leave the match was such a heart breaking moment, but also a startling reminder of reality. Falling to the bottom is a constant risk for anyone climbing to the top

I think a part of Hinata knew that he had to do something extreme and drastic to get up to the level where he could do what he loved as a job. He has lost time to make up for and needed a more challenging environment to evolve faster. The next few years he decides to go to Brazil

Leaving behind everything familiar to him, Hinata makes this plan since his second year of high school to go abroad. We see him struggle to find his place, experience homesickness, fight against the sand, and yet, after a fateful meeting with Oikawa he picks himself up again

His beach career doesn't end with a win, but we see that Hinata's won more than that. A lifelong friend and supporter in Heitor and Pedro, a host of new lessons and skills that he can take back with him, and an unshakable mentality.

The way that Hinata styles on the Adlers I think was the triumph that he deserved (even if people find it rushed.) From the Ball Boy arc, he learned how to play smart & receive. In Kamomedai, he learned personal maintenance. In Brazil, he became a complete player in mind and body

It's fitting that the one to welcome him back on the court is the person that has believed in him the whole time, Kageyama. That very match, we get a full display of how STRONG Hinata is as a player, as an opponent, and his impact on the crowd and players. Kageyama has known this

So whenever I think about them on the world stage I can't help but get emotional thinking about Hinata's entire journey. That's someone who has faced the ugliness and messiness of life and made opportunities count. He is the definition of true strength and perseverance.

Hinata is a character that I not only define by his triumphs but also the process. His success stems directly from the times that he's fallen, and it's clear from the glimpses we get of his mind, he has NEVER FORGOTTEN those low points. He took those points, owned them, and flew.

Sorry this really isn't any kind of analysis it's just me emotionally rambling about what I love about Hinata and his story. How he always stands up after he falls and says "bring it on." How he starts out in places he doesn't belong in and turns them into home. Love this guy.