Summary
Of all the various players on the Karasuno volleyball team in theHaikyuu!!series, Tsukishima initially stood out for a different reason compared to the likes of Hinata and Kageyama. Unlike them, he displayed little passion for volleyball and was, in general, antagonistic toward a lot of things. Despite his antagonistic and laid-back attitude to the sport, Tsukishima evolved into being one of Karasuno’s most valuable players, and he proved it by being the most valuable player when the team faced off against Shiratorizawa inthe Haikyuu!! series.
While he initially started as a laid-back player in Karasuno, he gradually found himself feeling more riled up when it came to matches and eventually found his place in the team. However, it didn’t happen overnight.
A Reluctant Start To Volleyball
Impact Of His Brother On His Attitude
When he joined Karasuno, Tsukishima wasn’t the most enthusiastic volleyball player. As a child, he loved volleyball, but something had changed since then. This change was due to his brother’s experience with volleyball. When they were younger, Tsukishima greatlylooked up to his elder brother, Akiteru Tsukishima, a volleyball player. Oftentimes, Akiteru would tell him great things about the sport and how he participated and trained every day. Unfortunately, despite training every day, Akiteru never became a starting regular on the Karasuno High team. This broke him, and he was unable to confront Tsukishima with this fact. Because of that, he continually portrayed the false narrative of him being a regular and an ace. To keep up the front, he never allowed Tsukishima to come to see him practice or in matches.
Knowing his brother wouldn’t allow him to come to watch him, Tsukishima secretly attended Karasuno’s last high school volleyball match. Discovering his brother wasn’t a regular and had been putting up a front all this while, he became distant from his brother, and he himself never passionately played volleyball, afraid he would only end up like Akiteru with his heart broken.
Karasuno’s Challenge
Tsukishima’s Struggles With Team Spirit
Due to his lack of passion for the sport,Tsukishima wasn’t the most enthusiasticabout training and hardly ever gave his 100% in a match. Despite seeming antagonistic, unkind, and confident, he actually bore insecurities within him. Whenever a parallel was drawn between him and Hinata, he always accepted that the shorty was above him, believing himself to be not that good.
Outside his personal struggles, Tsukishima viewed volleyball as a sport where blind enthusiasm could easily lead to disappointment, drawing upon the example of his brother. Seeingteammates like Kageyama and Hinatagetting fired up, Tsukishima only saw them as immature rather than passionate. His overall attitude toward volleyball created a barrier between him and the other team members. While they were committed to improving, he lacked the same dedication, causing a disconnect in their growth and approach toward the sport. Rather than simply leave the team, Tsukishima stayed and continued practicing, showing that while he may not have been as passionate as his teammates, he liked volleyball.
The Block Against Ushijima
Tsukishima’s Rise As A Key Player
Every single one of Karasuno’s official matches right from when the new freshmen joined has had a number of things on the line, whether it be pride, the confidence the players have in themselves, or the need to advance in a tournament. Of these matches, the match against Shiratorizawa and their ace, Ushijima, was going to determine who would go on to participate in the nationals, making it even more of a deal breaker for the team. Hinata, Kageyama, and the rest of the team undoubtedly played very important roles in thematch, which led to their winning, but the MVP was undoubtedly Kei Tsukishima.
Perhaps because he was constantly alongside Hinata, Kageyama, and the other passionate Karasuno volleyball team members, Tsukishima’s passion was beginning to get reignited, and during the match against Shiratorizawa, he gave it his all. Playing as a middle blocker, Tsukishima had the responsibility to block Ushijima,an individual known as a super aceamong high schools for his power and technique in spiking. Playing against him, Tsukishima was determined to block him and eventually left the confines of what would normally be his comfort zone. By giving it his all, Tsukishima Kei got excited about the sport for the first time in a long time and dreaded the loss just as much. By making subtle moves to force the opposition to make the wrong play, Tsukishima bonded with his teammates during this match, not by words but through pure feelings and actions. In the end, Tsukishima managed to block Ushijima, a prerequisite for winning the match and found his place in the team.
From Indifference To Passion
Tsukishima’s Full Commitment To Volleyball
For Tsukishima, going from indifferent to fully committed to volleyball didn’t happen in one night. It took several instances that all culminated over the course of the series. One such instance was the Special Training Camp for First Years hosted by Shiratorizawa after their match. During this training camp, Tsukishima Kei truly grew as a player and teammate, increasing both his skill set and passion. After high school, Tsukishima’s passion for volleyball didn’t wane, as he continued playing even in college.
Tsukishima Kei’s growth as a volleyball player was heavily influenced first by his brother’s failure and later by discovering how much passion he had for the sport and how the fear of failure was holding him back. Coming to terms with both his brother’s lies and his passion for the sport, Tsukishima managed to fully embrace volleyball on his own, rather thanbeing weighed down by others, making him a very passionate and skilled player.
Haikyuu!!is available to watch onCrunchyroll.
Haikyu!!
Based on Haruichi Furudate’s Weekly Shonen Jump manga, Haikyu!! is a popular sports anime that revolves around volleyball. Despite being shorter than most players, Hinata dreams of taking the court and following in the footsteps of his idol, The Little Giant. To achieve his dream, he will need to work alongside Karasuno High School’s club members, including the selfish Kageyama.
