Haikyu Whispers Comfort

It's been a long time since I've updated something on my blog. To be honest, I didn't really know what to write about, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I want to talk about things that actually make me happy.

There have been a lot of times when I'm upset or sad, or in general, just low. During those times, the only thing that has always helped me feel better is anime. To be more specific, it's 'Haikyu!!.'

I do know that most of you who don't watch anime would be wondering what 'Haikyu!!' is and how exactly it helps me feel better. Well, let me just first give you a brief introduction about this anime. According to Wikipedia, 'Haikyu!!' follows Shoyo Hinata, a boy determined to become a great volleyball player despite his small stature [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haikyu!!].

It's so much more than just an anime about volleyball. It teaches you so much about life that it's almost unbelievable that it's not based on real life.

The first episode starts with Hinata Shoyo watching a volleyball match on TV where someone with small height, such as his, manages to overpower everyone in a game that is centered around height. This particular scene has a huge influence on his life and the whole series in general. He then proceeds to learn about volleyball and works hard to get better at it. The whole series revolves around people who live and breathe volleyball and how they work hard to be better than everyone playing the game.

By now, I think you guys would've gotten a basic idea about Haikyu. Now, this piece of writing is not about what Haikyu is, but instead, it's about how Haikyu has always been there for me.

To most anime watchers, Haikyu might just be another Shonen Jump/sports anime, but to me, it's basically my home—the one place I can completely be myself without having to worry about anything that goes on in my life. Haikyu is my comfort. I still clearly remember how Haikyu made me feel the very first time I watched it. It made me feel happy, sad, motivated, and most importantly, gave me the hope that everything will get better as time goes on.

"Haikyu!!" was certainly not the first anime I watched, but it is definitely the anime that has made me feel every emotion out there. The reason being that it is very realistic. It's that one anime where the main character, or rather every character, is portrayed as a normal human being with faults rather than someone with god-given or superhuman powers. No character overshadows the other; no character is better than the other. Each one of them is given the same amount of limelight. The character development of each character by the end of the series is astonishing. Each one of them goes from being someone not relying on others to finally learning to trust and rely on others.

Hinata's sunshine-like positive personality has always made me feel happy and at ease. He's that one character that has made me realize that in life, even during our toughest times, it's important to have a positive attitude in order to be okay. He has also taught me not to care about what others say or think about me because at the end of the day, what matters is that only I know who I am and how I can become a better person. He taught me that being kind is not weak but one of the biggest strengths anyone can have. I always felt like life would be so much better with someone like Hinata by your side.

Well, when we talk about Hinata, Kageyama always comes to my mind. Kageyama as a character, I think, represents most of us, especially me (though I definitely do not have his genius-like volleyball skills). His past made him feel like he was the problem, he's alone, and has no one to rely on. All of this changed when he joined Karasuno's volleyball club and met everyone. As the story progresses, we see him going from a solitary king to a king that helps and takes help from people around him. He learns to trust and rely on people around him. He realizes that he is no longer alone and the right people will understand him and help him. Kageyama as a character teaches you that you are not always alone and the right people will understand you. He also teaches you to not be arrogant or overconfident just because you are a genius; people will become better than you if you don't stay humble and hardworking.

You know, Tanaka is an amazing character in Haikyu who is very underrated. He is someone who I definitely look up to. He is funny, smart, empathic, and most importantly, hardworking. His mental strength is something that I wish I had. He teaches us that just because there are people better than you, it gives you no reason to become lazy. We must always work hard until our last breath, no matter what the result might be or in Tanaka's words, "I’m not number one in anything at this point in time. But that’s not enough of a reason to quit, nor is it an excuse." There's so much to learn from him that I might have to write a completely different blog for him.

When we think about hardworking, Oikawa always comes to my mind. There are a lot of hardworking characters in Haikyu, but Oikawa always is on the top because he is someone who has worked his knees to braces inorder to achieve his dreams. He is ready to sacrifice everything dear to him in order to fulfill his dreams. He always tried his best but was always one step behind a few, such as Kageyama or Ushijima, who were good since day one or in other words "geniuses." He is smart and works hard just the same as the geniuses but always ends up losing to them. But he never takes excuses as a reason to stop. He was told that he would never equal those so-called geniuses. He did not let this affect him and always worked hard, and soon enough in the future, was on par with those so-called geniuses. He teaches us that talent is never something that you're born with but something that you make bloom through hard work. His quotes such as, “Today might be the chance to grasp the chance to let your talent bloom. Maybe tomorrow, the day after, or next year… Maybe even when you’re thirty. I’m not sure if physique has anything to do with it, but if you think that it will never come, it probably never will.”, “Talent is something you make bloom, instinct is something you polish.” will always have a special place in my heart. He motivates me to work hard and grasp every opportunity that comes my way. He's often idolized by the fandom for his good looks, but I think his hard work deserves more appreciation.

Let us talk about the one person who doesn't get enough appreciation, Takeda-The sensei (teacher) who always believed in his students. He was the one who never gave up on Karasuno when everyone did. He sought out a coach, practiced matches with powerhouse schools through begging them and keeping his self-respect aside. He was ready to spend every penny of his savings on his students or rather his kids so that they could reach their goals. He is the kind of teacher that everyone needs. I do think that he deserves more appreciation than he gets.

Tsukishima, Nishinoya, Asahi, and almost every Haikyu character make us realize that we can achieve great things by going out of our comfort zone, keeping our past aside, and working hard will always help you get the results you wanted.

I could go on forever about how each Haikyuu character is amazing and how they have a great influence on everyone who watches them, but I think that would make the blog way too big to read. So, I decided to talk about the few that have inspired me the most (others have also influenced me a lot, but these characters are at the top of the list).

"Haikyu" as an anime is inspiring and teaches you a lot about life. It makes you realize that everyone out there has their own worries, and each worry always has a solution. Things will get better in due time, so there's no need to worry too much about anything. It's always better to have a calm mind and take time. "Haikyu" is more than just a volleyball anime; it teaches us a lot about life and is a must-watch for everyone out there.

Even though the "Haikyu" series has officially ended, "Haikyu" is and always will be my comfort.

Thank you, Haruichi Furudate Sensei, for giving the world a masterpiece .