Haikyuu!! SPOILERS: Chapter 401, How We Connect the Dots.
**PENULTIMATE SPOILERS BELOW**
I just posted a video with my live reactions to the chapter, but here are my highlights, because FURUDATE YOU MADMAN GENIUS. This chapter connected so much together. So, let’s do:
My Top 10 Thoughts on Haikyuu!! Chapter 401:
10. Of course. In true Furudate fashion, he has Kageyama block the spike from Hinata, BUT, what Kageyama doesn’t realize is all the training on the beach Shoyo has done to prepare for such a moment. And that heel kick! *swoons* Also, someone reacting to Season 4, Episode 9 of the anime, where Hinata kicks the ball back to himself called this happening all those months ago…Furudate is next level at foreshadowing. Not that we didn’t already know that.
9. Hey, remember how in the VERY FIRST chapter of Haikyuu!! Shoyo did this crazy run across the court to score? Yeah, Furudate knows we remember. And he pulls this – and Kageyama’s beautiful reaction, only for –
– Only for it to all be a DECOY. Kageyama, you made this monster, you know. I love that Shoyo has come all this way from wanting to score all the points to accepting that the decoy DOES have a vital role to play, and in this instance, it’s allowing Bokuto to score the winning point for the MSBY Black Jackals. Just look at that smile! And of course, Tanaka and Asahi KNOW the power of Hinata as a Decoy…because they’ve been in Bokuto’s shoes before.
8. UGH, the aftermath of that moment is glorious, which will detail down below – but I love Shoyo and Kageyama’s interaction, though. How they’re still keeping track of each other’s wins and losses, exhausting Miya, hilariously, and showing that they’re on equal footing now, after all these years. This chapter is just cementing the last several chapters’ worth of character development.
7. ARE YOU SHIPPERS READY FOR YOUR FOOD?!
Because these next few pages were healing my shipper heart. I mean, yes, the Kagehina fanbase is raving right now, but let’s talk about THESE ships below, starting with:
So, Tsukishima, of course, is not sappy about any of this and just points out how the season’s just getting started (ready the fanfics, y’all).
And of course, Yamaguchi wants to watch Tsuki play! Yachi says she’ll come too! I LOVE how just like he was with Akiteru, he doesn’t want them to come watch (even though we all know he’ll love it when they’re there). Now, some people have commented that Yamaguchi could be with Yachi, but y’all…Yachi is in Tokyo. Yamaguchi and Tsuki both live in Miyagi. I can’t wait for all the Sendai Frog/TsukiYama fanfics!
If you’re looking for an extra Kagehina crumble, just look at the end of this adorable exchange between Romero, smol adorable Rubens, and Shoyo (who perfectly crouches down to talk to him MY HEART I CAN’T), to see Kageyama notice that Shoyo can speak multiple languages…oh, honey! If only you know about Hinata and Pedro’s marathons of DBZ in Portugese and English! ^^
Also, Furudate WE SEE YOU. We see you being meta and implying that now Haikyuu!! is over, he’s moving on…Akaashi’s line about going forward hit me hard…it’s like he’s telling us, the fandom, that going on to start something new isn’t so bad. SO YOU SAY.
BOKUAKA NATION – WE CANON NOW, RIGHT?!
I love that Akaashi gets to interview Bokuto (IS HE GOING TO BE THE STAR of the Volleyball manga Tenma Udai is writing?! He would be PERFECT for it!) and how happy Akaashi looks, even if he and Bokuto realize how differently they view the term “normal.”
ALSO, it’s implied above that Akaashi, Bokuto, and Tenma were going out for drinks…which now….we know that it’s just Bokuto and Akaashi, since Tenma was going home. Uhm, FAN FIC WRITERS ASSEMBLE!
I also love that Udai joins the club, along with Fukurodani’s coach and manager, of people who realize that Bokuto and Akaashi are weirdos but they are weirdos together, so it’s fine.
Keeping the “Ship Train” going, we get little bits of Shimizu x Yachi from the bathhouse before the Inarizaki Match, where Kiyoko finally acknowledges she is okay showing her legs…thanks to Yachi’s words. I also find Suga wanting to know “the tea” on the situation to be adorable.
I was spoiled with Kuroo’s return, but seriously, Furudate, you saved him for the end here so INTENTIONALLY.
Because OF COURSE Kuroo would work for the JVA. As a promoter. CONNECTING people…with Volleyball…because that’s the Nekoma way.
And FURUDATE ARE YOU SUGGESTING TO US THAT KUROO AND KENMA ARE BUSINESS PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS BECAUSE MY KUROKEN HEART IS SOARING –
– and let it be known Atsumu Miya rightfully doesn’t trust Kuroo, and neither does Sakusa. A nice SakuAtsu crumb where we actually see Sakusa agree with Miya without sacrasm or question! Poor Shoyo is a salesman’s dream, though. I mean, Kuroo does look a little sketchy in some of those shots…BUT….
6. Kuroo’s speech about sports was SO fitting. Seriously, everything he says here is BASICALLY what makes Haikyuu!! such a great series. I DID laugh out loud at the line about “hardly anybody dies.”
*Flashbacks to “Dead Daichi” meme*
5. It’s taken us the ENTIRE series, but Kageyama finally talks to Kindaichi and Kunimi. This was so heartwarming, seeing Kageyama wanting to play WITH THEM. AS A TEAM. This made my heart expand three sizes. The character development on Kageyama, and Kindaichi, is through the roof.
I also LOVE Kunimi the most in these panels. Kunimi is a MOOD.
Y’ALL. I’VE WAITED 400 CHAPTERS FOR THIS PANEL OF THESE THREE HAPPY AND BECOMING FRIENDS AGAIN.
4. I love that Hoshiumi doesn’t see Hinata as a Rival, but as someone that is going to help him show the rest of the world the strength of someone who doesn’t have height. I also find it interesting that we see the Japanese Olympic Coach walking out just as Hoshiumi gives us that beautiful gaze. So…does Hoshiumi know he’s going to be on the Olympic team, with Hinata, maybe? Foreshadowing, perhaps?
3. Okay, okay, I held it together until this page.
It wasn’t Ushijima’s panel with Washijo that got me.
It wasn’t Saeko and Akane reuniting, though that was sweet.
It wasn’t the three “Pure Captains” reuniting, though it made my heart happy.
It honestly wasn’t the five first years together, either. They’re all so happy and having a laugh at Kageyama’s expense, and as beautiful as that panel is.
SUGAWARA IN LINE TO GET KAGEYAMA’S AUTOGRAPH.
Him in line, so meekly, to get the autograph of his kouhai, the man Suga joked would have to tell about how much he learned from HIM when he was giving out interviews and autographs…I just…Sugawara made me cry. That is all.
2. Then there’s this last page. 2021.
“We overcame difficulties and stand here.”
Furudate really said “screw you” to Covid messing up the timeline.
Yes, seeing Kageyama and Hinata in their original jersey numbers was amazing, but I think we all saw that coming if these two happened to get on the Olympic team.
What I want to focus on are the two countries we see included in the bottom corner here. We see:
Brazil – and some fluffy haired man carrying the flag for the team.
And we see the United States – there’s several American Flags and stars and stripes on the shirts of the crowd, there.
* Oikawa was on the Argentinean League, so could he play for Brazil? It’s not likely, but not impossible….BUT, I don’t think that’s it.
I don’t think Oikawa is on Japan’s National Team for the Olympics.
If he is on the Olympic Team, I think he’ll be on America’s.
Why? Because, and this could be because I’m the biggest IwaOi shipper, but Iwaizumi was still in the United States with Ushijima’s father at the end of Chapter 395. And if he’s still there, there is no reason why Iwaizumi couldn’t be a physical trainer alongside Ushijima’s father for the U.S. Olympic team. And why wouldn’t Oikawa trek over to the States to be on the same team as Iwa-Chan’s working with? I’m probably wrong, BUT –
We also still need to see Seijoh’s banner, and as others have theorized, how fitting would it be to see Hinata, Kageyama, and (probably) Ushijima on the team facing Oikawa? I just….I’m betting money that Oikawa shows up in 402. I hope we at least see him on the Olympic Stage. OIKAWA DESERVES IT.
1. So, who are we missing that hasn’t been shown yet?
We still need to see the rest of Nekoma (Lev, Yaku, Yamamoto, Kai….could they be in the stands or on the Japan team? I guess we’ll find out!)
We haven’t seen Daishou and Mika – I would love to see them watching or narrating in the audience during the Olympic game.
And finally, yes, we’ve seen Tendo in the Chapter 395 flashback, but we’ve never seen what he’s DOING. Furudate has shown us with every character what they’ve been doing since the timeskip….EXCEPT TENDO. I’m calling it that he’ll appear one more time next chapter, too.
So….guys….I’m staying off of Social Media from Wednesday to Sunday next week, to prep for the last chapter and not be spoiled. I’m going to do a live reaction for YouTube, and I’ll post it here. You can see the one I did for 401 now.
Furudate, this series has been immaculate. Time for one more round.
Let’s all cry together next week.
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