One of the things that Haikyuu consistently
presents throughout it’s narrative is that getting better is a struggle. Learning new techniques, improving and polishing
styles of play, and integrating it all with team-mates during games is far from easy,
and you can point to any multitude of events in the story to see this. Karasuno’s loss to Seijoh, which served
as the foundation for newfound inspiration for the team. The team then subsequently losing dozens and
dozens of practice games and becoming used to punishment as a result of finding a new
gear during the camp in Tokyo. Hinata suffering sheer humiliation after desperately
accepting the role as ball-boy, only to come out of it with a new sense of perspective
and a greater field of vision for the sport. Haikyuu understands that evolution and progression
and improvement are all extremely messy. It’s imperfect by nature as you stumble
around and find how to grasp hold of an identity - as teams and individuals. And this theme is applied to Kageyama’s
journey as well - although due to his immense skill, his problem was more of a psychological
and personal hurdle than a technical one. After being invited to the All-Japan Youth
Training camp for elite talents, Kageyama had his eyes opened in a sense. As good as his team-mates at Karasuno are,
here he was being pushed to his limit by others who were just as good or even better than
he was. He found it exhilirating to be able to fit
into a practice dynamic full of the best that the country had to offer, and he savoured
that feeling, developing a sort of growing hunger to be able to play with and against
top talent. And one of those talents was Miya Atsumu,
who deeply impressed Kageyama with how beautifully he was able to perform as a setter, so much
so that he sort of became an example for Kageyama to learn from in a short amount of time. However, thanks to some key words, Atsumu’s
lasting impression on Kageyama ended up being one of confusion. Atsumu is conceited and egoistic - he’s
a special player, and he knows it. Yet with these words, he also proves to be
deeply intuitive. Because while Kageyama’s talent speaks for
itself, his demeanor on the court keys Atsumu into his mentality and strikes him deep because
of how much it rings true. Kageyama is filled with regret, shame and
fear at his experience in middle school, where he would constantly berate his teammates for
not living up to his standards and not keeping up with him. He never had bad intentions, but his will
to win and drive to continue to stay on the court were so fierce that he failed to treat
those he was setting to with any tact or respect. And this lead to him being given an infamous
nickname: the King of the Court. The Tyrannical, egocentric King who would
never settle for anything less than perfection from his teammates, and who disregarded anyone
who couldn’t keep up as a commoner. Kageyama never intended to be viewed in this
way and he never truly felt those things, but the way his passion manifested made that
an accurate label. These bad habits of his lead to his team-mates
abandoning and losing faith in him, and his coaches lamenting his wasted potential. Kageyama never wanted to feel this again,
and so in joining Karasuno, he did his best to stifle this Kingly nature of his, wanting
to ensure that his team-mates would always be there for him. He never wanted to feel lonely, and so although
his habits did crop up on rare occasions, he became someone who rarely ever criticized
his team-mates.. apart from Hinata. He let go of any and all ego on the court. And to add to that, in trying to discover
the key to perfecting a new quick set, Kageyama sought advice from his long-time role-model
and rival of sorts in Oikawa. All of this ingrained an idea in Kageyama’s
mind, a new philosophy. That he is there in the service of his team. That if his spiker demands something from
him, it is up to him to supply exactly what is required, and not the other way around. It is a combination of a sort of opposite
reaction and compensation in fear of being left behind by his team-mates, and of his
admiration of Oikawa’s attributes. And it manifests in an on-court personality
that is.. a bit of a goodie-two-shoes. And because he approaches his game in a completely
different way, it’s something Atsumu is able to pick up on and make note of to Kageyama
immediately. Naturally, this was all a bit of a shock. Atsumu is clearly one of the best players
of his age, and playing with him was such a thrill and example for Kageyama. But here he is saying something completely
opposite to what he had learned was the right way to go about things, something that reaffirms
his middle-school mentality in a sense. But it brings up a huge conflict - of the
two setters that are currently the biggest influence on him, who is correct? Could Kageyama be limiting himself and his
team by not pushing them to be better? Or was Oikawa right? He’s tried so hard to not be the king, tried
so hard to not criticize his team-mates. But the setter’s job is to get the most
offensive potential out of the team. Could the team be better in this regard? Can they go up another level if Kageyama challenges
them, if he asserts more authority? His greatest fear is to have no one to set
to, but he is driven by such a fervent passion that he can’t stand the idea of not trying
to improve. Can he push them in a healthy way, without
being abandoned? He doesn’t know. Luckily, the practice match against Dateko
comes at the perfect time to put everything out there. A great and difficult opponent, Kageyama playing
well but his team-mates struggling.. it all makes for a great time to take Atsumu’s
words into consideration. But again, his old habits get the better of
him, he explodes, and he immediately regrets the things he said. It’s a scary situation for Kageyama, one
where he doesn’t quite have the perspective to understand how to approach things. He isn’t being entirely selfish here - he
truly cares for Karasuno and wants to win for both himself and them, but in searching
for a way to improve them, he slips into old, selfish and prideful habits. And he gets stuck - does he try and be ambitious
and turn into the old, tyrannical king? Or does he give up on that and settle, even
if he thinks his personality isn’t suited for that? Oikawa or Atsumu? What type of setter does he want to be? However, Kageyama’s mistake here is even
considering that settling is an option for Karasuno, a team that continuously strives
for higher heights, whose ambition is only matched by the work they put into achieve
that ambition. And his other mistake is believing that his
only two options were tyrannical king and goodie-two-shoes, neither of which is a role
that truly suits who he is as a person. Oikawa didn’t give him bad advice; he gave
him some very good advice, tips that worked for him personally and that would help Kageyama
to achieve his goals at that moment. But Kageyama believed that that mentality
was to be maintained in all aspects of his game, when that wasn’t the case if he wanted
to become the best he could be and help Karasuno optimize their offensive talents. Every team is different; different things
work for different players, different styles are advantageous. What works for Oikawa is this selflessness. While the man himself is incredibly prideful
and petty at times, what it translates to is a setting style that gets the best out
of his team-mates by learning their likes, dislikes, habits and strengths, and delivering
sets that adhere to those aspects perfectly. It is ironically a setting style without ego. And given what Atsumu tells Kageyama at the
camp, at this point in the story, he is the other end of the spectrum, something similar
to Kageyama’s old mentality, but with a laid back, confident air instead of a scowl
- an egoistic fire and sheer confidence that his sets are ideal, and that anyone who can’t
keep up with them isn’t worth setting to. And clearly this works for him and his team. But Kageyama’s style isn’t exactly either
of these. He has learnt the benefits of accomodating
his team-mates, but his kingly tendencies have been beneficial at points too, and they
are a part of him. He doesn’t need to be Oikawa’s artful
and selfless elegance, and he doesn’t need to be Atsumu’s prideful fire. He can be neither and both, he can be something
in between - and Hinata helps remind him of both this, and of who he really is. The key here is that Hinata has always been
the one at the brunt of Kageyama’s King of the Court nature. While the setter has constantly tried to be
proper to his Karasuno team-mates, even to Tsukishima, and while those efforts have been
beneficial in helping the team operate better and in building bonds and respect, Hinata
is a different case. The two reached many compromises in their
short careers so far, but they have always pushed each other to be better, and as such,
there have been many occasionals in which Hinata reached new heights and learned new
things BECAUSE of Kageyama’s so called tyranny. And because of this, he knows the value of
the King of the Court, and he knows better than anyone that repressing this is not only
stifling who Kageyama is, but it is depriving Karasuno of a great tool. And so, Hinata reminds everyone that being
a king is not necessarily a bad thing. That with the right sort of approach, having
a king of the court on the team can be a tremendous asset. And what’s important is that his team-mates
and coach accept this. They know who Kageyama is - they know he means
well and has a good heart, but they also know that he’s tunnel-visioned and immature at
times, and that he will make mistakes. Karasuno is a team made up of a series of
healthy give-and-take relationships, and they’re fully willing to support Kageyama through
those times and help him - something that his old team at Kitagawa Daiichi was not able
to do, and something that Kindaichi has frequently expressed regret over. Kageyama is a prodigy but his communication
has never been great, and that’s hurt him in the past. But luckily, now he’s at a place where those
around him understand him and will help him find a style that works for him - and Karasuno
as a whole. He’ll stumble, but he’ll never be alone. And most luckily for Kageyama, now he’s
got someone that’s extremely perceptive and emotionally intelligent to bridge any
communication gaps that he might need assistance with, and to help him find a breakthrough
and reach an understanding. Kageyama has given Hinata so much confidence
in the past, telling him that there is nothing wrong with his identity as a decoy and assuring
him that he is invincible on the court as long as he is there to support him. Well, now it works both ways. Now he is telling Kageyama that there is nothing
wrong with being himself, and he is able to use his gifts to return the favor. Hinata wouldn’t be the player he is without
Kageyama, but things work the other way around too. He helps Kageyama realize that he can turn
a moniker that he lamented and was ashamed of into something to be proud of. It’s not as if his sheer unrelenting spirit
and presence have not been a great benefit and saving grace to Kageyama before, but now
is the tangible moment in which he is telling his partner, without words, that he can be
invincible too. In this moment, Kageyama understands what
he needs to do. There will be mistakes and setbacks, but he
understands that his team will support him and he knows the approach he has to take. It’s a mix of it all - authority, respect
and communication. It’s not exactly what works with Oikawa,
and it’s not exactly what works with Atsumu, but it’s perfect for him. And That’s what a setter is - someone who
knows their strengths, and understands how to get the best out of their teammates. He need not serve others without speaking
his mind.. but he needs to assert his authority and learn what works with the team the most. Whether he is going to be a tyrant or a good
ruler is up to him. And as such, this re-crowning of the king
is not only a celebration and acceptance from Hinata and Karasuno of the type of person
that Kageyama is, but it’s a symbolic affirmation that Kageyama need only be genuine. Be respectful and understand the differences
between team-mates, but don’t be afraid to try to push them to be better. Because that’s what this team is all about
- constantly taking risks, always pushing onwards - the perfect home for someone like
Tobio Kageyama. From a lonely, broken tyrant king, to a setter
playing in service of others yet simultaneously holding himself and his team back, to a benevolent
yet authoritative king once more, accepting that this is who he is yet incorporating all
that he has learned to be able to help his team achieve the improbable. Many thanks for watching.
