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Since my old account is gone, I am uploading this old thread on here, because Iwa-chan is very important to me and I want to. So, here are my thoughts on Iwaizumi Hajime, Seijoh& #39;s knight and king of my heart.
As much as I spend most of my time talking about Oikawa, the reality is that he and Iwaizumi are tied as my favorite characters in this series and Oikawa may have made his way into my heart first, but Iwaizumi is just as deeply entrenched there and always will be.
He is often overlooked by the fandom and is frequently considered a mere extension of Oikawa, rather than as an individual with his own strengths and value. That said, their characters *are* deeply intertwined, so this thread will serve both as an examination of Iwaizumi& #39;s +
unique persona and also as an examination of how he works in tandem with Oikawa. 阿吽 is a word that is associated with these two, both in the fandom and in canon (Kageyama uses this to describe them) and I think it is extraordinarily apt for their relationship. It is not that +
Hajime and Tooru cannot exist outside of each other or that their bond defines their individual characters. That said, their relationship *is* one of perfect harmony and unity (both on and off the court) and the way that they complement each other is essential both to their +
individual growth and also to the success of their team. The 岩 kanji in Iwaizumi& #39;s name means "rock". Oikawa (whose name contains 川, the kanji for "stream") is a turbulent, capricious, constantly shifting and flowing river, while Iwaizumi is a steady, stable, secure force +
that keeps him grounded. Whereas Oikawa is flamboyant, flirtatious and with a flair for the dramatic (at least on a surface level) and on the flipside, volatile, unpredictable and ferocious, Iwaizumi is practical, stern, earnest and level-headed. He hasn& #39;t experienced the +
struggles and desperation that Oikawa has and his steady personality means that he isn& #39;t prone to emotional outbursts and is instead able to remain composed, both during the most stressful parts of each match and during the moments where Oikawa& #39;s distress gets the better +
of him and he lashes out. When Oikawa loses his way or becomes distracted by his own internal struggles, Iwaizumi is able to step up without even a moment of hesitation and hold the team together until their captain has a chance to regroup.
Do I think that Oikawa was the best possible captain for Seijoh? Yes. But do I also think that part of his success as captain is due to having a vice captain who was capable of stepping in during the moments when Oikawa let himself be controlled by his insecurities? Also yes.
Iwaizumi has a quiet, unshakeable confidence to him that I liken to Kita (they are both the pillars of their respective teams), and this makes him an ideal vice captain and foil to Oikawa. The rare moments where his composure breaks are almost always in response to his best +
friend& #39;s antics (with one exception that I& #39;ll get to later), but there is no malice behind his threats of violence and incessant name-calling, so some of the fandom& #39;s claims that he is abusive are unfounded and blatantly false. Rather, these things are a disguise for his true +
feelings, which are, many times, fear and concern for Oikawa& #39;s self-destructive behavior and a desire to prevent his best friend from doing anything that would cause undue harm to both himself or others. Belying his intimidating and thought appearance, Hajime is truly +
one of the more thoughtful and genuinely kind and compassionate characters in the series. He is friendly, considerate, thoughtful, and deeply attentive to the needs of the people in his life. This is not limited to Oikawa; he extends the same measure of care to every member +
of his team, particularly his kouhai, namely Kindaichi and Kyoutani, who he recognizes as needing the most amount of support. He is constantly vigilant and watchful, and as much as Takeda gives Oikawa credit for paying close attention to each of his teammates, the same can +
easily be said of Iwaizumi. Where Oikawa has a firm grasp on his teammates& #39; physical state and knows how to observe minute changes in this on any given day, so Iwaizumi has a firm grasp on his team& #39;s mental health and he is there to provide moral support and reassurance +
should any member of his found family begin to waver or fall (he is very much like Suga in this respect). He& #39;s perceptive, astute and understands people, and he knows precisely what to say to keep his team focused and operating at their best. The fact that he went on to pursue +
sports science is only further proof of the extreme value he places on tending to people& #39;s wellbeing. While many fans might say that he decided to enter this field because of constantly watching Oikawa overwork himself to the point of injury and mental distress, I think that +
his passion for providing aid and support is just an inherent, fundamental part of who he is. He demonstrates concern and profound care for every single member of Aoba Johsai, so it is my belief that he is simply innately driven by a desire to protect and nurture the people +
around him. Oikawa may be the recipient of his care and concern most frequently, but he is not the sole reason for its existence. Hajime was just born with a big heart.
He is also an ace in every sense of the word. He may not receive as much praise as the other aces in the series, but he is dependable and capable. He will jump for every toss, and, like Bokuto, he will give 120% of his effort every single time. Oikawa knows this better than +
anyone, which is why, when pressured, he will always toss to Iwaizumi. If a ball is sent his way, Iwaizumi will do the absolute best he can to make that play count. As much as he values his comrades, he also values his role within the team and seeks to fulfill it to the best +
of his ability. This, unfortunately, does come at a cost, because he is still human and the only thing that can shatter his unshakeable confidence and strength is the idea that he has somehow failed in his duties. The defeat at the hands of Karasuno was itself far less painful +
than the thought that he had let down his teammates, cost them their victory and wasted the final opportunity that Oikawa had given him. As much as Iwaizumi may not be as focused on winning as his best friend, he is still driven by the knowledge that he can (and perhaps should) +
support the people he cares about, and he only breaks down when he feels that he has not succeeded in this. His role as Seijoh& #39;s support system and frontline defender is something he takes very seriously, and the thought of failing them is more devastating to him than any loss +
could ever be. But Seijoh is a family and a unit. They may struggle at times, but in the end, their gears fit together perfectly and when one of them falters, the others are there to reach out a helping hand. When Aoba Johsai& #39;s foundation began to crumble, the third years +
were there in an instant, no hesitation and no words necessary, to prevent that foundation from breaking apart. Oikawa may be Seijoh& #39;s king and general, but Iwaizumi is their loyal knight and defender, protecting every member of the team, including its king, in ways that only +
he can. Oikawa is only able to rule as effectively as he does because Iwaizumi is standing beside him as a pillar of strength and Seijoh& #39;s sturdy, steadfast foundation and backbone. When people seek to criticize Aoba Johsai& #39;s strength as a team, they often say that it would +
crumble without Oikawa. Well, if it would crumble without him, it would just as surely crumble without Iwaizumi. He may not be as flashy as his best friend, either on or off the court, but that doesn& #39;t diminish his importance in any way. He is an immensely skilled and powerful +