oihina have been connected from the start! thinking back to seijoh 2 towards the end of set 3, after kageyama pulled a setter dump, oikawa requotes the "talent quote" and when he says this ↓ we see hinata, which is hella interesting. +

bc what we learn about oikawa around this time is that he's constantly reminded that he's not a naturally gifted "genius" when it comes to volleyball. he's not "gifted" with talent.

and then we see hinata, who isn't gifted either.

oikawa says "i don't think physique has anything to do with it" in relation to him thinking that his talent might bloom in years to come, even if he's old, but the positioning of hinata in that frame implies that it's not even time that determines it.

no matter where you're at, you will never know when your talent will bloom. there's no formula. oikawa strengthening his mental abilities and hinata compensating for his physique isn't the recipe to talent and success. they can keep doing it and still feel the same.

it's a similar struggle. the two of them have to work against something they each don't have that everyone else in their position does. and they don't know when it'll finally be enough.

that's not easy. and it's exhausting.

taking this in perspective, oihina's brazil moment together where the two of them lift each other up holds a lot more weight. hinata is in brazil chasing limits he desperately needs to reach. oikawa is there through his team with which he, too, is trying to extend his limits.

but that constant chase of how far you can go with no end in sight causes you to forget the reason you started the game in the first place. their ambition to make up for their lackings causes them to lose their first connection with volleyball: fun.

so when two characters with similarly themed paths play together, they're not vying against the other when on the same side of the court. being able to see the other's growth and skill is reassuring and refreshing, and it helps them disconnect for a bit from their endeavors.

this analysis has probably already been done but oh well. i just wanted to talk about how similar, in a sense, hinata and oikawa are, and how this similarity makes their fling in brazil even more impactful and fated.

oh and to add kageyama to the mix, for the both of them, kags serves as a peak they aim to reach and go beyond. for oikawa, it's more direct, but even hinata's looking at kageyama for reference of where he needs to be. after all, he has to return on the same field as the other.

and for that he needs work. and for oikawa to go up against kageyama's "talent", he needs work. kageyama is literally another tie between these two haha.

actually thinking about this, oihina's friendship and reunion at the olympics is sweeter! bc they made it! they really did! they're on the same playing field as the players who were once inherently ahead of them at all times! and here they are, equipped with their skills +

and growth to fight and step ahead of these characters!

they! made! it!

tl;dr stan oihina and their connected, similar journeys