That was a perfect receive.
Could he be...
You're shorter than me?
What the hell did you just say?!
S-Sorry!
Um...
How tall are you?
159 cm!
H-He's in the 150s!
What's with you?
This is the first time I've looked down at someone since I joined a high school team!
Quit shedding tears of joy!
You're barely taller than me!
Oh, hey, Noya!
Hey, Ryuu!
Nishinoya!
Hello!
Oh yeah, you haven't met him before.
This is Nishinoya, a second-year.
Hello!
Yo! You guys are first-years, huh?
You there, the tall guy with the mean look who served earlier.
What junior high are you from?
Kitagawa First.
For real?
That's a powerhouse team!
No wonder you had a killer serve.
I had to play them back in junior high and lost 2-1!
They had a third-year with a killer serve back then too.
He's as loud as ever.
What... What junior high did you go to?
Chidoriyama.
That's a powerhouse in its own right!
Why'd you come to Karasuno?
Was it because you heard that Coach Ukai was coming out of retirement too?
Nah.
The reason I came to Karasuno...
was because the girls' uniform was right down my alley.
Of course, the girls themselves didn't let me down either.
The biggest reason, though,
was the boys' uniform. Guys have gotta wear black, yo.
I had to put up with blazers in junior high, so I always wanted to wear these.
And not in brown or gray, either. It had to be black!
I hear ya!
Karasuno had black uniforms, the girls' uniform was cute, and it was close to my place.
It was an easy decision to make.
Kiyoko!
I crossed the seven seas to come see you!
As usual, the guy's like a hurricane.
More like a guerrilla downpour.
I bet you think he's rowdy.
But, you know, he has a shockingly
calm game.
So, where's Asahi? Is he back yet?
Nah.
That gutless wuss!
Cut that out, Noya!
Don't call your senior a wuss!
Shut up!
A wuss is a wuss!
If Asahi ain't coming back, then neither am I.
Hey, wait!
Noya!
The heat flickers
Sweat glitters on my skin
Shouts echo and shoulders hit
We asked the sky through the open window
Haikyuu !!
what our summer would be like
Haikyuu !!
Tell me, Mr. Future
Come on, come on, come on
The chance is there
Come on, come on, come on
Do it together
Everybody always wants to stand there,
make mistakes, get angry, and struggle
We'll never give up
We don't want it to end
I will continue on with my imagination
I want to struggle and fall and become stronger
I want to persevere, stand back up, do it again,
and never give up
Let me run
I will run to where my imagination leads me
My only job is to keep the rally going.
The skies are the spikers' domain.
It's not a place where I can fight,
but so long as I keep the rally going,
our ace will definitely score.
Even if your spike runs into a brick wall,
I'll dig it out for sure this time.
So please...
Please call for a set once again,
ace!
Episode Eight: The One They Call "Ace"
H-Hey...
Nishiya, you're a libero, right?
A defensive specialist.
The name's Nishinoya.
Why do you think I'm a libero?
Because I'm short?
N-No.
Because you're a good receiver.
And I know libero's a position for good receivers, dude.
Uh, scratch that last part.
Wow, you know your stuff.
Also, the captain called you our guardian angel.
Gua—
Wh-What the hell?
Giving me a fancy title isn't gonna sway me!
Did he really call me that?
Yeah.
That cool title isn't gonna change anything!
I won't give in so easily!
Damn that Daichi!
I still suck at receiving, you see.
Even though it's the most important part of volleyball.
So please teach me how, Nishi—
Nishinoya, sir!
Sir!
Hey...
I'll buy you ice cream after practice.
After all,
I'm your upperclassman!
Does that mean...
No, that doesn't mean I'm rejoining the team.
I'm just gonna teach you, is all.
Thank you!
Look, basically...
You just have go like zoom, whoosh, and bam.
Like so.
This isn't working.
Nobody can understand what he's saying because he moves on pure instinct.
Really?
I kinda got it.
Well, you're one of his kind.
Your explanations are all "bam" and "wham" too!
Nobody ever understands that crap.
If I recall correctly, libero's a specialized position, right?
Right.
Libero
Libero:
a player who specializes in defense.
They're barred from making any offensive plays like serving or spiking,
but they can replace any player in the back row to strengthen the defense.
So he literally is Karasuno's guardian angel.
How cool!
It'd be truly reassuring if he came back.
He may be small in stature, but his presence is overwhelming.
You're pretty big. How tall are you?
Oh, Tsukki's—
Shut up, Yamaguchi.
It gives us peace of mind.
Sorry about that.
Man, Nishinoya hasn't lost his touch at all.
Apparently he was training even while he was suspended.
He played with volleyball moms and stuff.
Sounds like Hinata.
Um, Nishinoya.
Who's this Asahi you were talking about earlier?
Don't bring his name up just like that, moron!
Karasuno's ace. At least on paper.
Ace?
So we do have one.
What's with the blank look?
I wanna be the ace!
The ace? With your height?
I like you, dude!
I hear ya! Being the ace has gotta be so cool, right?
Sure, why not?
Do it! Become the ace!
You seem way more promising than our current one!
But man, everyone dreams of being the ace, huh?
Yeah, aces are cool!
Just the word "ace" has a cool ring to it.
"Setter" and "libero" sound so boring in comparison.
There, there.
But you know what really gets the crowd going wild during a match?
Not an amazing spike, no.
It's when they see an amazing receive.
In volleyball, a sport where height means everything,
libero may be one of the only positions where short players can thrive,
but I didn't become a libero because of my height.
Even if I were two meters tall,
I'd still be a libero.
Because it doesn't matter if you can't spike or block.
So long as you prevent the ball from touching the floor, you can't lose in volleyball.
And the one best equipped for that role...
is the libero.
S-So cool!
Don't just blurt that out, dumbass!
Want two bars of ice cream? Soda- and pear-flavored!
Yessir!
So tell me, wannabe ace.
What's your specialty?
You suck at receiving, but there's gotta be something you're good at.
U-Uh...
Playing the decoy...
Say what? Playing coy?
P-Playing the decoy.
Why do you sound so down on yourself?
Because it sounds so lame in comparison to "ace" and "guardian angel."
Who cares how it sounds?
But...
If you can help a teammate score by playing the decoy,
then your role is just as important.
Right.
Karasuno has the greatest decoy now.
With the Hinata-Kageyama duo in our ranks,
I'm sure we'll be able to land spikes we wouldn't have scored from before.
Yeah.
I get the feeling we can change thanks to the chemistry Mr. Takeda was talking about.
I just hope we change for the better.
Don't be so pessimistic.
Foot of the Slope
I know I might be annoying you, but please.
As much as it hurts to admit, I'm too inexperienced to lead the team.
These boys have amazing potential.
Please coach them...
Ukai!
Damn, you're persistent.
That's all I'm good for.
No matter how many times you ask me, I'm not gonna take up coaching.
My gramps may've been a coach, but I told you that I'm not cut out for it.
Look, teach. While I'm sure you want a technical coach,
I know that the Ukai name is what you're really after.
Honestly, that's part of it.
Once Coach Ukai left, we started losing our contacts with other teams.
As a makeshift advisor who only started this year, I can't even arrange any practice matches.
And you think my name could turn things around, huh?
I beg of you, Ukai!
I refuse.
I get that you're serious about this,
but I don't wanna babysit a bunch of annoying high schoolers.
I'll come again.
I just said I didn't wanna do it!
I apologize for being so persistent,
but I'm sure you'll understand why once you see those boys play.
It doesn't matter how many times you ask. I'm still not gonna do it!
Damn it all!
Ow!
All right.
Haikyuu !!
Hey, Suga.
It's been a while.
Please...
Come back, Asahi.
Nishinoya's coming back too. His suspension's been lifted.
Oh, that's good.
It must be reassuring to know he has your back.
The same goes for you!
We all feel more at ease when you're there, calling for sets!
I appreciate the thought,
but I'd just be holding you all down again if I came back.
Listen to this.
As much as I hate to admit it, we have an amazing first-year setter now.
We've also got the greatest decoy!
You won't have to shoulder the burden alone anymore!
With these new members, all that's left is for you and Nishinoya to come back,
and Karasuno won't be the fallen powerhouse anymore!
Our team is about to undergo a radical transformation.
Now is the time we need our ace—
Azumane.
It's your turn for career counseling.
Sorry, Suga.
You should go, dude.
You're the one who wanted to see the ace.
B-But a third-year classroom's too scary a place for me.
Wait up, Asahi!
Asahi?
What?
Huh? What are you two doing here?
Well, uh...
Faculty Office
Right.
Yes!
Thank you so much!
Likewise.
Goodbye.
All right!
This is a huge opportunity!
I'm sure...
Training Camp
Practice Match
I'm sure things will change!
Class 3-3
m 573 193.5 l 571.5 475.5 1420.5 664.5 1422 384
Let me introduce you.
This is Hinata and Kageyama. They're new members.
Oh? First-years, huh?
Hello!
Hey.
He's shorter than Tsukishima,
How many joined this year?
Four.
They may be a bit unique, but they're all promising prospects.
but he's got this huge presence.
So this is Karasuno's ace.
That so?
He's not as scary as he looks.
Do your best.
Aren't you gonna do your best with us?
I wanna be the ace someday,
so I'd love to see for myself how a real ace plays!
Azumane!
The counselor's waiting, dude.
Sorry, but I'm no ace.
Um, did he get injured or something?
Nah.
It's not like that.
The problem here...
is that he might've fallen out of love with volleyball.
But why? He's so tall! And people call him the ace!
Asahi was the tallest guy on our team, and he had the power to go with it.
He'd come up big in clutch situations, no matter how difficult a set was to put away.
That's why all of us recognized him as our ace and placed all our trust in him.
However...
Did he get taken out?
There was a match in which the opposition blocked all of his spikes.
It hit him hard because he tends to take all the blame upon himself.
What?
Is that enough to make someone hate volleyball?
I'm sure there were other reasons.
Like what?
Don't ask me.
But we don't know for sure that he's come to hate the sport.
Yeah!
Rolling...
Thunder!
Uh, nice receive.
That was just a rolling receive, dude!
Why'd he yell that out?
The hell was that?
Kageyama! Tsukishima! Yamaguchi!
You're all getting a talking to!
Bend over—I mean, sit down!
Let me look down on you!
Teach me! Teach me how to do the Rolling Thunder!
Hard at work, I see.
Listen up, guys!
We're holding it again this year, right?
The Golden Week training camp, I mean.
Training camp?
Right. We still need a lot more practice.
Now, for the last day of Golden Week...
I've arranged a practice match!
Wow!
That's awesome, Take!
Who are we playing?
A Tokyo school with lots of history: Nekoma High.
Also known as...
"Cat."
Cat?
We've heard a lot about them too.
Apparently we played each other a lot because our coaches were rivals.
Oh?
That's right.
These famous derbies used to be called the "Battle of the Garbage Dumpster: Cat vs Crow."
Are you sure these matches were famous derbies?
We haven't had a connection with them for a while, though.
Why now?
Well, I'll let you in on the details later.
But for now, I'll just say that once I heard about it, I wanted to restart the heated rivalry no matter what.
Once he hears we're up against Nekoma High,
Foot of the Slope
he's sure to make a move.
All right.
A practice match doesn't come along all that often. Let's not let it go to waste!
Yeah!
Tokyo, eh?
I'm gonna destroy those damn city boys!
"City boys"?
Not another word out of you, Tsukishima!
Daichi.
Sorry, but I'm not gonna play in the practice match.
Nishinoya.
Hey, what do you think this Tokyo school's like?
Shouyou's a good kid,
Think they're strong?
and while all of the first-years seem like oddballs, they're all interesting in their own right.
I think this team's, uh, headed in the right direction now.
I want to train here as well.
But if I were to play too, and we won with this lineup,
I feel like it'd end up proving that we can do without Asahi.
And I don't want that.
Not after everything we've been through together.
I-I'm sorry for acting so selfish.
Gotcha, but attend the training camp.
Huh? But...
Noya! Do it again!
Do the Rolling Thunder one more time!
Okay?
Dismissed!
Thank you!
Think things would be easier for Sugawara and Nishinoya if Asahi came back?
Hell if I know.
Sugawara said Asahi tends to take all the blame,
but don't you think he himself is like that?
I guess they both feel equally guilty.
Even though there's no way you can win by yourself.
Y-You're one to talk!
I clearly remember what you said, you know.
"If I'm stuck working with him,
I'd rather do every receive, spike, and set by myself."
Shut up!
"I'd rather do everything by myself..."
Everyone on our side of the court should be our ally, without exception.
So I can't stand it when things on our side are all awkward.
I appreciate the thought...
But why are you so hung up over me? We've never even practiced together.
B-Because if you don't come back, our seniors will never cheer u—
Keep it down, dumbass.
You two are a riot.
But I'm sorry.
I used to visualize breaking through high blocks in front of me,
but I've completely lost that ability now.
I keep seeing images of getting shut out,
or getting so scared of it that I self-destruct.
I'm just a first-year midget, so you might think I'm cocky for saying this.
I won't. Go ahead.
I get what you're saying.
I have neither the height nor the technique, so I keep getting my shots blocked.
But now,
with this guy setting for me, I can evade any block, no matter how high it may be.
The blockers vanish from my sight,
and I get a clear view of the other side of the net.
Yeah, I kinda know what that view is like.
The ball hits my hand when I'm at the highest point on the court,
and I can feel all of its weight in my palm.
I love it!
I also know that feeling well.
I envy you, Asahi.
Right now, I have neither the height nor the power to break through blocks on my own.
But you do.
So what if you've had plenty of spikes blocked?
Haven't you scored with loads more?
That is why everyone calls you the ace.
Time's up. Let's head back.
Move it, moron. We'll be late.
Um...
It's only natural that you can't win all by yourself.
That's why you take the court in teams of six.
Though I didn't realize that until very recently either, so I'm not exactly one to talk.
If you'll excuse me.
Let's go home, man.
Wanna grab a bite on the way?
One more!
Gimme one more!
Shut up! You don't need to tell me!
Here it comes!
Yeah!
The ball hits my hand when I'm at the highest point on the court,
and I can feel all of its weight in my palm.
I love it!
I know.
I know it all too well.
If I tell you this story,
I wonder if I can explain to you
my feelings
and the distance between us
Standing on an empty field
I breathe out into the night air
Countless times I swore that I would change
I stumbled and fell a lot,
but I swore I would laugh at the end
and not let my tears go to waste
There are so many dreams that can definitely come true
I always sat somewhere, downcast, dejected, depressed,
but still I decided I would fight,
and not let all my frustration go to waste
This is our revenge
Next Episode Preview
I wish Azumane would hurry up and come back.
He had stubble.
What?
Maybe I could be more like an ace by growing some stubble!
Do hair growth products work on beards as well?
Hell if I know, jackass!
Next time on Haikyuu!!:
Episode Nine: A Set For the Ace
"A Set For the Ace."