Volleyball Couple Reaction to Haikyu!! S1E22: "Evolution" 

Many people miss that when Oikawa flips out at Kageyama, he envisions Kageyama with red eyes, but ALSO Ushiwaka from Shiratorizawa with red eyes. He's upset with Kageyama, but what's really freaking him out is the idea that he feels he can't stay on the court playing volleyball because of people who are blessed with god given genius level abilities. He doesn't really want to hit Kageyama; He's having a panic attack and is irrationally trying to defend himself against what he feels is a threat to his existence. You can tell his body acted before his head, because he's surprised when Iwazumi grabs his arm. He didn't know he was about to hit Kageyama. As for Kageyama don't worry, he's completely oblivious to what was about to happen, which is why he approaches Oikawa for tips again. Oikawa sticking his tongue out at Kageyama is yes, immature, but to us as an audience, it's actually a sign of growth because he's no longer panicking and is threatened by Kageyama's desire to get even better at Volleyball. This is why I like Oikawa as a character, he has interesting layers and grows

Oikawa for me, is one of the most relatable character in Haikyuu. He's not just a "good and cocky player." He works hard, he has insecurities, he doesn't want to lose. His character development throughout the series is the reason why he's my favorite character.

The one thing that I really like from Oikawa's backstory is what he says towards the end after receiving the award. He gets the best setter award but he says "This award is proof that our spikers gave it all they had". To me this says a lot about his mental growth and attitude. Thanks to conversation with Iwa chan, I think Oikawa wholeheartedly started putting Team first attitude.

The Oikawa backstory for me is a young middle school kid having a panic attack after pushing himself too hard. You can tell he was shocked at himself.

After this episode, the so called "arrogance" of Oikawa in my mind was shattered. It's facade of his insecurities, thats why he also ackowledges that Kageyama is better than him in setting. In writing perspective, he is a brilliant character with flaws and dreams. He is very realistic embodiment of passion and competitiveness. Both positively and negatively.

Quick thing: the 3rd sets always go to 25 in haikyuu. Only set that goes to 15 in the show is the last of a 5-set match

I feel like ignoring Oikawa’s mental position of feeling insecure in his ability is kind of unfair. I feel like it makes him a very relatable character, just because we shouldn’t compare ourselves we do, and in a show with a lot of “genius” players I feel like it makes it realistic. I don’t like the take of “well that’s his problem” :/

For Oikawa, it was pretty clear that he was not in a healthy mental place - you could tell how horrified he was that he snapped. To be fair, Kageyama also showed similar negative behavior driven by pressure - he was verbally abusive to his team and (in the beginning) to Hinata. However, 100% when in their normal healthy states, Kageyama is a much more polite and mature kid lol. I have 2 younger brothers and while they weren't as immature as Oikawa was when they were 15, they certainly had similar moments. Oikawa can definitely be obnoxious, but i did like his mentality shift of instead of panicking about Kageyama being a genius, he accepted it and basically acknowledged to Kageyama that he accepted it and would challenge him - just obnoxiously lol

This is just what I think but would like to know if Adam agrees. That the coach at kitagawa (junior high) was a bad coach. When Oikawa was there it seems he didn't have a good time under that coach, the coach didn't even try to talk to kageyama and Oikawa. And even after Oikawa left which just in a year kageyama didn't have a good relation with his teammates and coach didn't even bother questioning the problem and finding a middle ground but now in High school with good coaches Oikawa has a good relation with his juniors and kageyama has a good relation with his seniors. Side note: Aoba Johsai's banner says 'rule the court' because the name means 'Blue Castle' Miyagi has a famous blue castel in their city.

hahahah i think Sarah sooometimessss seems to forget that Oikawa was also a kid back then and thus allowed to be immature and insecure. He is to his current teammates the one encouranging them, showing them their potential, making them better etc (except Iwa, yeap his forehead vein will pop at point ahahaha)

33:26 Adam: So final set to 15, correct? Me: Nope! 💃 Sarah: Yup! :D Sarah! 😭🤣🤣🤣 After four seasons! omg I love u sm 😂💖

LMAO Sarah we are not Volleyball Geniuses. Adam is explaining the importance and complexity of what they did and Sarah is like WELL DUH , OBVI.... hahhahahah

So for Oikawa, it's not just that there are greater players than him in ushiwaka and kagayama, it's the fact that he's being sandwiched in between the 2. He probably feels like he's being strangled by the better player right in front of him (ushiwaka) and also the rising star behind him (kagayama).

Phew! Ah, I do love those reactions, but really "It's his problem, he did it to himself" kind of talk about Oikawa's insecurities had me gritting my teeth. With all the love and respect in my heart; NOT how mental health works! Especially mental health of teenagers! Yeah, it's obvs not Kageyama's fault! Oikawa still needed help at that moment and it's normal that without it his mental health deteriorated (because of stress, pressure and insecurities) to the point of having a panic attack (as others already pointed out, he wasn't in his right mind when he tried to hit Kagyama, was shocked with himself after Iwaizumi stopped him and apologized right after). Not having the natural ability to deal with those things at that age is not his fault. He was basically let down by the adults in his life (cough cough his coach).

I got to say the kitagawa coach has to be the worst coach in this series, he almost ruined both oikawa and kageyama, sure his reason for subbing them out was perfectly fine, but he didn't provide the proper guidance to them afterwards, if not for iwaizumi and karasuno both oikawa and kageyama was likely going to slip deeper down with the problems they had. and with oikawa, yes his insecurities got the better of him, but understandably he was been pincered at both ends, with a wall he couldn't overcome whatsoever, and then with kageyama showing up growing at a rate that looks like he could overtake him at anytime Spoilers ahead for manga: also knowing what kageyama was going through around this time man that coach not giving proper guidance really makes me furious

When you look at them in their third years in middle school, the single biggest difference between Oikawa and Kageyama was that Oikawa had Iwaizumi while Kageyama was alone. If Iwaizumi wasn't there, I could see Oikawa continuing to spiral much like Kageyama did. I can't wait to see how y'all react to the end of the season.

At this point Sarah is just looking for reasons to hate Oikawa lol

The comment section is doing a good job of demonstrating the complexity and polarity concerning the character of Oikawa, lol. I think the fact that people have such varying, yet still well-supported and valid, opinions of him and his actions, development, motivations, etc. is proof of how well-written a character he is. In my opinion, Haikyu excels as a show not because of the accuracy and passion behind the volleyball depictions, or the pure hype it manages to build up (although those are huge parts as well of course), but because of the character writing; Oikawa is one of the prime examples of that. He might be my favourite character in the show, actually, due to the potential for character analysis and study of his psychology. That is different than liking him on a personal level - in real life, I would probably hate his personality lol. He can be rude, pompous, and childish at times. But I can understand, and empathize with, his motivations and fears and how they drive his actions and shape his personality. Ahead of him is the insurmountable Shiratorizawa, and behind him is Kageyama’s encroaching genius; he is confronted with the idea that, despite everything he tries to do or how hard he works, even the upper limits of his ability might never be enough. After his breakdown and Iwaizumi’s help, he seems to counterbalance this fear with the idea that it’s not just him - there are six players on the court, and he will be the best setter by bringing them all up to their full potential, thereby achieving both team and individual success. When he wins the Best Setter award, he says that of course he is happy to receive it, but also says it is proof their spikers gave it their all. He is largely ego-driven, sure, but does genuinely understand and appreciate the contributions of the whole team.

23:37 I saw something like "Oikawa tried to hit Kageyama~" in the comments, so I'd like to add a little bit. I think the exact scene is that he is trying to brush Kageyama off with a big sideways motion of the back of his hand, as if to shake off a phantom. Well, I think he would have ended up hitting him if there had been contact because of the momentum, but I'm not sure if he was attempting to touch him or not. I thought it was a little different from "trying to hit him." 23:50 "Don't come... Don't come..." "Don't come over here!" By the way, these words are the voice in Oikawa's mind. He didn't say them out loud. (Confirmed by the manga.) Looking at the situation objectively at this time, Oikawa was silently and unconsciously trying to brush Kageyama off and was stopped by Iwaizumi. So, Kageyama did not know what was going on. It was hard to understand in the anime, so I hope this helps.

I feel like Oikawa is a misunderstood character, yet he is probably the most relatable character in the entire show. Oikawa aspires to be great at playing volleyball, so he works unbelievably hard as an individual with his spartan jump serve routines and as a team player, getting 100% out of his teammates, yet it's never enough. His skills are impressive, so much so that even Sarah can overcome her dislike for him and give him his flowers. However, if you analyze his strengths you will reach the core of why his character is a tragic one. The show makes a very clear point that Kageyama is just on a completely different level than Oikawa as a setter, his natural abilities eclipsing Oikawas efforts. There is a pre-match sequence that put's this without words perfectly: as Kageyama lays on his bed practicing sets, Oikawa is awake, watching Karasuno's previous match to prep. This isn't just a work ethic thing, Kageyama also works hard but he trusts his abilities enough to just wait for game day, while Oikawa is obsessing over every little detail, because if it weren't the case, he wouldn't stand a chance against Kageyama. Oikawa's second core strength is his profound knowledge of his teammates tendencies, what is their mental like? what tosses do they like? what do they excel at individually? He has to resort to this, not only because he is a good teammate but because he understands that he can't really get much more out of himself as a setter, probably already having found his natural limits. Oikawa's last strength is his killer serve, since he already is doing his best as a setter, teammate and analyzing the game to the best of his abilities, he brute forces himself to be able to jump serve reliably, to the point of overworking himself just to get an edge. If you put all these qualities together, you should have a superstar setter, but in reality that's only Oikawa's barrier to entry, in the end, he is just an ordinary guy desperatly reaching for a talent he simply doesn't posses in a sport he clearly loves. That's why Kageyama is so threatening to Oikawa; for Oikawa, Kageyama is a ticking bomb, it's not a matter of if he will be surpassed by him, but when; for Kageyama, his little rivalry with Oikawa is merely a stepping stone to a bigger stage, and Oikawa knows this. That's when Oikawa's silly attitude comes full circle, he's a bit of a joker outwardly but he must be misserable inside knowing that he cannot live up to the aspirations he has for himself.

27:16 The thing is, the person that he (kageyama) looked up to is also a kid at that time, not an adult.. 2 years age gap? Yes and both are still in junior high. Maybe try to view this from Oikawa's perspective too? That's why we got his flashback so we could understand this from his perspective.. what is happening during that time, how is his mental state at that time, how did he overcome it etc.. Im just sad that people tend to overlook Oikawa struggles and pressure just because he's not the main character.. If you can understand kageyama struggles at the beginning of the season (when we get to see the flashback of him lashing out to his teammates during games in junior high) it's the same thing here with Oikawa. 🤗

Maybe it's because I'm not an athlete, but I found Oikawa's situation super relatable and overall added to the complexity of his character. Surface level interactions with him make him seem superficial and unserious, but slowly we get to learn that there is no one else from his team more dedicated to the sport and his fellow players than him, and that's why he's captain. Even though they went to the same middle school, Kageyama wasn't ever a starter while Oikawa was still there (looked like a larger team given the fact that it was a volleyball powerhouse school), so it's not like they played together all too much, and given their age gap they didn't have significant time nor reason to build teamwork together. Added onto Oikawa's very realistic feelings of inadequacy - having lost to Ushiwaka's school for all three years of middle school - combined with his insane motivation to win, the 'genius first year setter' hot on his heels coming by to ask how to jump serve in that */specific/* moment where he's frustratingly working through a loss to an opponent he can't seem to ever win against, just tipped him over the edge. Personally, and this is where my not being an athlete may come into play, I wouldn't feel very generous about helping someone I barely knew who may be my own competition down the road get ahead with some tips that I painstakingly worked hard to learn myself, especially if it was someone I didn't like. I'd reason that hey, he's a genius already, surely he'd figure it out himself or ask elsewhere (and that's what Kageyama did - learn it himself by watching Oikawa. Their pre-serve routines are both very similar). I know there's generous souls like Suga and good sportsmanship bettering each other to improve the sport by bettering the quality of the players etc. etc. and Oikawa could totally be as magnanimous as Suga and help out, but it was just damn, wrong time and place to ask, Kageyama! He's not the most socially aware or adept lol. Oikawa's subsequent childishness and whimsical attitude is his coping mechanism, I truly believe that. On top of working his ass off trying to beat these so-called geniuses. His team has been 2nd place for nigh SIX years now in high school. He doesn't get opportunities to go to nationals to be scouted, to show off his team he's so proud of like the first place team. I'm not saying anyone has to like his behavior or encourage it, but I'm saying that he does his job as a team member very well and he knows when to toe the line for when his childishness would go too far for his team. His team members know him well enough to know that his attitude doesn't affect his performance and function on the court, and he excels on the court. We've seen how quickly he captures the essence of players' personalities on court to psychologically understand the flow of the game. I wrote an essay lol! But Oikawa's character arc is a huge passion of mine, it's just written out so well (for parts even past what Sarah has seen). I'll save my other comment for the season finale but, if I may suggest - if Adam could speak more about his thoughts? I think a few times this episode it seemed like Sarah moved the conversation along faster when I thought Adam had some more to flesh out. Sarah, I love your commentary dearly! BUT! We had your thoughts in the first go-about and Adam's addition from his background experience means more thoughts to tap into for this time :)

It’s always so fun to see discussions about this episode in particular; it’s definitely one of the most polarising in the series. I think viewing Oikawa’s flashback from Kageyama’s POV like you did is very interesting as not many people tend to do that. You’re definitely right in that for Kageyama - with his love for the sport - it would be devastating to ask for help from your senior and for them to physically lash out like that unprovoked. Thankfully Iwaizumi intervened, and honestly Kageyama is so dense that I don’t even think he realised what was about to happen since he doesn’t actually seem to bear any resentment towards Oikawa in that way. I think Adam’s point about “success and insecurity” doing strange things to a kid’s mindset is crucial, but honestly it’s more about Oikawa’s lack of success here. For two years his middle school team has repeatedly failed at the same wall and he has nothing to show for it, and we then see him continuously overworking himself to improve so that they can finally beat Shiratorizawa, to the point where Iwa has tried to call him out on it multiple times. Then on top of that immense pressure he’s putting on himself as he’s trying to push forward through that wall as team captain, there’s now this new kid at the club who’s a volleyball prodigy… and while Kageyama’s all sweet and innocent, he is just another source of pressure pushing against Oikawa from behind as well, as he sees the potential in his junior while being laserpoint focussed on his own shortcomings such that he spirals massively and that just all bubbles over in the worst possible way. Its a good thing Iwa was there to (quite literally) beat some sense into him because the entire situation could have been irreparable without him, and his advice obviously worked since Oikawa managed to get back to a headspace where he could perform with his team again and even win the Best Setter award for the competition that year (even if he was still somewhat mean-spirited in his teasing to Kageyama afterwards). He definitely seemed shocked by his own actions at that point in time. Honestly, that school might have the single-worst coach in the entire show. Like, how can you even let Oikawa spiral that far when it’s so obvious he’s putting so much pressure on himself - and then also make a similar mistake with Kageyama in his final year?

"Thats an insecurity issue... he was the starter, he was the captain of the team, he was given every opportunity.... its a him problem" Even if you are the most perfect person in the whole world I bet the feeling of insecurity may come up every now and then. You also can't expect that just because Oikawa has all this things in front of him doesn't make him immune to that feeling especially if he is surrounded by geniuses like Kageyama and Ushiwaka.

I agree that Oikawa's feelings are not Kageyama's fault, not that anyone blames him, but that doesn't make his feelings invalid. At that scene, Oikawa was clearly having a mental breakdown. The red perspective and the look on his face after realizing what he almost did was a dead giveaway. He have 3 years worth of frustrations from being second best, as he said, they never even won a set from that specific opponent. He has even reached a point that he's overworking himself, the point is he's doing his best to overcome that opponent and be able to participate in the national tournament and the more he tries, the more painful each defeat comes. As a 14 or 15 year old kid, insecurity is inevitable at that point (he's a teenager, it's normal). For all his plaudits, we've seen how self-aware Oikawa is (maybe not so much as a middle schooler), so being faced with the immense talent of Kageyama and subsequently being replaced in a game/practice match will be like a nail in the coffin. Again, it is not Kageyama's fault rather, I think the blame should go to the middle school coach who had both of them and never made anything out of it. There's a parallel of conflict between what happened in Oikawa and Kageyama's third year of middle school. The lack of guidance breeding that environment is apparent. Oikawa thinks that he needs to get better so that the team can win and go to nationals while Kageyama thinks that he is so good that his teammates should just follow him so they can win and play more volleyball. In the end, they both got their lessons the hard way. Oikawa's growth is then shown as he said that "This award is proof that our spikers gave it all they had" upon receiving the Best Setter Award. He did not make the award about himself, instead, it shows how much he thinks highly and values his hitters. Lastly, it seems like Kageyama does not even remember that night encounter with Oikawa, so there was barely any impact to him (bless his innocence). Oikawa was still immature after though. Unfortunately for Kageyama, his middle school mistakes seemed to haunt not just him but also Kindaichi. It is a small detail but I get sad every time Kindaichi reacts each time he notices some growth or change in Kageyama. He's wondering if what he did in middle school was wrong but the truth is that he has been the trigger for Kageyama's self-awareness no matter how traumatic that game was for them.

Wow this might be the first time I disagree with Sarah on something 😅 Yes Oikawa should not have lashed out at Kageyama a persons mental health issues are not an excuse for violence. That being said he’s going through a clear mental breakdown and to just say you’re the captain and starter your insecurities are a you problem I just can’t agree with it. I don’t think we should just blame a 14/15 year old boy for having insecurities and not being taught proper ways to handle what he perceives as his failures! (We can see this in his language before Iwaizumi headbutts some sense into him and he changes his volleyball philosophy “I want to win I want to go to nationals.” I’m not good enough) This fundamentally comes down to a failure in his coaches in my opinion they have never won a single set vs Shiratorizawa and this coaching staff has done NOTHING they were hands off with Oikawa and hands off with Kageyama when he was a 3rd year as well! There is no reason why these KIDS should be feeling this pressure. Like the middle school coaches suck they have TWO generational setters in the prefecture with Oikawa and Kageyama and didn’t produce anything from it they should be fired just based on results let alone failing to develop them as humans 😂 If there was a Takeda or Ukai there coaching Oikawa and Kageyama neither of them would have ever reached their breaking points, but then we wouldn’t get the beautiful story of Haikyuu that we have currently 😅 Oikawa and Kageyama were victims of bad middle school coaching and they both should have had counseling or therapy. We should not handwave a persons mental struggles just because they’re talented, skilled, good looking or whatever other positive thing you perceive them as we all struggle and that’s why Oikawa is the most human character in this show👏👏👏

Just wanted to clear something up for Tsukishima's sake, since the translation was not in his favor: 11:38 (discussion related to it at 11:55~) 「な～んかいずそうな打ち方だなぁ、月島…」→ "Tsukishima's not hitting it with all he's got" isn't the best translation. I believe「いずい」is a northern Japan dialect that means something like "Doesn't feel right / Doesn't fit / Feels uncomfortable", so a more literal translation would be like "The way Tsukishima's hitting seems like it's really uncomfortable for some reason...". so it's not so much that Ukai thinks Tsukishima's "not hitting with all he's got (11:58)" intentionally, but more that Tsukishima appears to be uncomfortable & UNABLE to make the best of his hits for some reason.

It makes me so sad that we get a flashback from Oikawa’s pov to understand him as a middle schooler, with the immense pressure to be the best and compete with a younger kid who is deemed a prodigy, a genius. He is so stressed, to the point of finally breaking down. He seems horrified when he realizes he almost hit Kageyama. Yet, people still look at it from Kageyama’s pov: still judge Oikawa harshly.

The conflict between Oikawa and Kageyama in middle school surely left a bitter taste in the mouth, but I think at this point, the best thing is that they both seemed to have grown out of it. Oikawa may look a little cocky for making fun of Kageyama when Kageyama ask him how to serve, but you can tell that it's Oikawa's way to laugh it off. Oikawa couldn't bring himself to teach Kageyama, but he tried to not let his anger get the better of him. And Kageyama? He's learning to interact with his teammate better, and read other people better, which is good for him! In the end of this episode, Oikawa perceived Kageyama's growth, but he wasn't irritated by it. Instead, he showed eagerness, he genuinely wondered what would happen in the last set. And that, I believe, is the sign that the competition between Oikawa and Kageyama already turned from toxic to pretty healthy now.

I think that Sarah may never understand Oikawa bcoz she is pretty much a "Kageyama" herself (which they have acknowledge btw). Someone who is naturally born talented may never experience the struggles of what a "normal" person trying to become great like Oikawa does. Edit: omg chill guys no need to fight here 😂

For Oikawa, even though I felt bad for Kageyama, I actually pity Oikawa a lot more during that flashback. He had pushed himself into a corner and was suffering pretty badly. And when he attempted to hit Kageyama...it was partially out of anger, but mostly out of fear. At that moment, he was *terrified* of Kageyama and what he represented - because all Oikawa saw was how he wasn't good enough and would never be good enough. It wasn't true, of course, but it shows just how low of a place Oikawa was at. Of course, Iwazumi was thankfully there to break him out of it. And it was that which allowed Oikawa to grow even more. In a way, I actually respect and trust Oikawa more because of what he went through. He knows what it is like to be trapped in your own head, to feel afraid and insecure, and to understand what is most important for self-improvement. On the topic of Iwazumi being a better captain...I disagree. I think Oikawa has the charisma, observation skills, and overall dedication that makes him better suited for the role. Iwazumi is just a tad too rough around the edges, too blunt, and can't really tie a team together. But he is also the perfect foil for Oikawa. (Of course, Oikawa is certainly far more immature. Which can be a negative in a leadership position. But as long as he knows when it is and isn't okay, I think he can still make it work.) Anyways, that's just what I think. Admittedly, I have basically no experience in team sports, so my thoughts probably don't have much weight haha. I just wanted to share my perspective :)

I think it’s interesting yalls perspective on oikawa. On yalls teams when y’all were younger were yall the best player? Because I think the reason a lot of us like oikawa is because we know the feeling of not being blessed with amazing skills and physiques and working so hard only to keep coming in second place. It’s a frustration that is hard to understand at that age which at this oikawa was 15ish in the flashback. That frustration increases when he realizes it’s not just one person in the whole district but also in his school he can’t even be the best.

Love it when you acknowledge how massive it is for Kageyama to learn to let go of his control and acknowledge Tsukki's input. Not many reactors realized how big this moment is. And yes, Suga from this moment on will always be the proud parent of the 1st years but esp for Kageyama.

I don't specifically play volleyball but I can relate to Oikawa because I can work so hard to get to where I'm at and be proud of it, but it can feel pretty defeating to have someone especially younger than you who on top of everything also has been gifted natural abilities (being seen as a genius or prodigy) to be good at the same sport (or academics). It can feel like all the hard work you went through and it's still not enough. Obviously almost hitting Kageyama wasn't good at all but I'm glad that Oikawa has a best friend like Iwaizumi to hold him accountable and steer him in a better direction. We have to understand that they're essentially still in middle school (junior high) and they're only teenagers. It can be a lot of pressure and Oikawa was overworking himself to the point of having a panic attack and mental breakdown and didn't even realize he was about to hit Kageyama. I think Oikawa acting immature towards Kageyama later on shows growth because he's not letting the panic and anxiety takeover him anymore. In fact, he wants to beat Kageyama because he acknowledges his abilities. It's basically a compliment to Kageyama's skills. I think there are so many hard working players in Haikyu, but I personally think Oikawa is THE hardest working player. He essentially has to work twice as hard to try to be on the same playing field to match up against Ushijima and Kageyama who have natural abilities and are considered geniuses. He's seen as "cocky and arrogant" but really he's confident in his abilities because he knows he's put in the effort and work to get to where he is. Oikawa gets misunderstood alot because of the whimsical and childish way that he acts and he can come off as someone who "thinks he's better than everyone". But there is not a single thing more far from the truth. I didn't realize all this until my second watch through. SPOILER: And after all his hard work through the years, Oikawa still couldn't make it to nationals and that's what makes his story arc so tragic and relatable.

I want Adam to talk from coach point of view, how he would handle Oikawa insecurity, because let's be clear, that middle school coach was horrible... Sarah, please let Adam speak more, and not just cut him, when he try to explain it to us with "OBVIOUSLY-!" That aside.. What I really love in this episode is that, Tanaka approach Kageyama for highfive after he realize Kageyama try to be more social with the team 😢😢 BEST SENPAI❤❤

We have to give Adam a pat on his back on how smoothly the names of the teams and the players now roll off his tongue. When he remarked how "unfair" it was that Sarah knows all the names of everyone in the show, I laughed. I am sure Adam will get there and be like Sarah when we get "Season 3 of The Sarah and Adam Reaction to Haikyuu featuring Sarah's parents", who were both sports people in the past lol.

I actually cannot believe I'm watching someone watch a show I like TWICE. That's just how much Adam adds to this. I'll also take the opportunity to wish you well, especially now in a new stage of your life/career. Cheers.

I love the Oikawa-appreciation in the comments!! Hope they read all the accurate comments about Oikawa. Keep in mind that he's in middle school during the confrontation with Kageyama. He's a kid with insecurities. He really didn't mean to try to hit him, the face after he realized it says it all. He's one of the most relatable characters in the show. Oikawa the GOAT!! Also, props to Iwaizumi, probably another underrated character and athlete in the whole show!

Love it when Adam goes for the pause to make an observation/prediction, shows how much into the show he is now! 🎉 Love that shirt Sarah’s wearing.

I believe others may have commented on this, so sorry if I am repeating the same info, but when Oikawa goes to swing his arm to hit Kageyama, it is not to hit Kageyama's body, but the ball out of his hands - a physical rejection of Kageyama's request. Or at least that is from what it seems like to me from the movement and positioning of the action. This is why this action (while not good) did not put me off Oikawa (since it wasn't physical violence), but rather just made me realize that he is still young and going through many things, too.

Of course Oikawa would still have his thing with Kageyama because he views Kageyama as one of the destined opponents to beat. This alone shows that Oikawa acknowledges Kageyama’s ability very well enough and he never disrespects him but instead he told Kageyama front on that he would one day beat him on the court through volleyball. For the incident in middle school, of course it wasn’t Kageyama’s fault just as you said in the vid, he’s just a kid who loves volleyball and wants to improve. Yet, Oikawa himself was also a teenager working his ass off trying to break through two high walls, Ushijima and Kageyama. He was only 15 and was lost at that stage of his life (not saying it is rightful for him to almost hit Kag in the face) but what if you try to change up the point of view and put yourself into his shoes? If you could obviously view the incident from Kag’s POV then why not from Oikawa’s?

i am alittle disapointed that even in the second watch through sarah was still oh poor kagayama in oikawas flash back. not even comenting on the fact that at that time Oikawa was so stressed and felt under pressure (because of constant losses to shiwatawiza and the addidtion of a prodigy first year setter) he was working himself half to death and despite his personality very out of character for him lashed out. i honestly think the people who sympathise with and like Oikawa understand his struggles and those who things come to more easilly just see him as an ass and cant understand his struggle and frustration

When Tobio realized, or, rather, was made aware, that Oikawa views him as a rival, it only pumped him up. It was the first player he'd met who was as talented and dedicated to the sport as Kageyama himself. Only after Oikawa left for high school his problems started. As he said a few episodes before, he thought he went to a great powerhouse school, but it was just that one amazing player that was great. Yes, he tries to beat Oikawa, but also in complete admiration of him, and will continue to learn from his techniques and repeat his moves (if you pay close attention to the gameplay). And I agree with people who say that coaches utterly fail them, by letting conflicts in the team to just escalate. Also, about Iwaizumi being better suited to be captain, there is a chapter in the spin-off comedy manga Haikyuu-bu about why it's not that great of an idea, and Oikawa turned out to be a better one for the role :):):):)

Kageyama is less popular than other setters among Haikyuu's fans. But for those who finally see that he is honestly just a good boy who is socially inept. He just need a good role model. And gratefully Sugawara finally come into picture and show him how to deal with the team, what is the meaning of being teammates. Things that he never got anyone taught him in middle school. Karasuno is a really good support system for Kageyama.

Oikawa's growth makes me tear up every time, especially considering the later chapters in the manga 🥹

It’s so funny to see Sarah being a know-it-all, getting frustrated at Adam about missing details in the show.. She basically like us, the viewers, during her first run of the series. 😂😂😂

6:00 just noticed that Kageyama aimed for the Libero on his first serve back, just like Oikawa aimed at Nishinoya, but Kageyama one-upped Oikawa by actually getting the point.

It's crazy to see how people defend Oikawa as if Sarah was wrong saying that "The problem is with him", she is right and that doesn't change the fact that Oikawa is an incredible character! (It's even beautiful and inspiring to see his struggle against his own problems and insecurities) I also can't understand people who just hate the character and don't even try to understand him. Understanding him is good for you, it makes you enjoy a big part of the Anime which is the character itself. (Especially in the case of a character as deep as Oikawa) How much Oikawa has moved me in this anime and made me evolve is indescribable and I feel sad for the people who won't absorb this simply because they hate the character. In Haikyuu, unfortunately, this also happens a lot with Washijo, who is perhaps my favorite character (I can't decide for sure because I love them all)

Oikawa clearly had a panic attack. You can see it clearly by watching the episode

It's great to see Adam be so verbose in this reaction! I was looking forward to this episode as a Tsukishima fan as it dug deeper into his dynamics with Kageyama. You guys didn't disappoint. 🖤

Sarah please never change!❤ Your attitude & opinions are so refreshing and entertaining, so please don't let the comments get to you. Some oikawa fans don't seem to get that people can have different opinions and feelings and that it's ok to dislike certain characters :)

I feel sorry for Oikawa, really. So many people ignored his pov. I know violence isn’t the answer, but he was breaking down at that point. Right in front of him is a huge wall that he could never beat down for several years, and right behind him is another tough wall closing in. Seriously 😢, at least Kageyama is only competing with himself and has no genius tailing after him till he graduated. Oikawa is only two years older, and at that time, he was 15. Just like what you said about Kageyama in junior high, his brain wasn’t really developed either.

Iwaizumi is like Seijoh's shadow capitain. Oikawa leads everyone else on the team around, but Iwaizumi is definitely the boss of Oikawa.

FYI - They play to 25 even in the third set! The show will tell you if they play a set to 15, otherwise you can assume it's to 25 😊 Everyone is going to talk about Oikawa but I would love to talk about how Kageyama's innocent uncomplex love of the game being showcased is just so similar to Hinata's innocent uncomplex love of the game too! I also really like that, while our biggest rival seems to be Seijoh/Oikawa, to see that they have someone they're rivals with (Shiratorizawa/Ushijima) low key gives us a glimpse at the reality of the sport. No one team is the best team - there are always more competitors around!

Turns out hormonal teens sometimes do pretty dumb stuff based on emotions. Who knew?

Oikawa is an amazingly written character. Favorite in the series

Correction the 3rd Set actually goes to 25 not 15

Since adam is a coach he's going to love ushijima

One of my favorite things about Fridays here in Australia is coming home from work and getting to relax and watch your reactions to my favorite anime. Thank you Sarah and Adam

I think this is the point when you realize Oikawa's "cocky" attitude is just a defense mechanism for his extreme inferiority complex. Adding to his extreme inferiority complex I think he doesn't mean to try and hit Kageyama in that backstory we can see from his pov where his headspace was really dark probably hallucinating from his complex, stress and overwork. He was seeing things and try to push what he thought was just hallucinations. We can see his shock after Iwaizumi snaps him back to reality.

I love how Haikyuu develops the characters of both teams, diving in the past of them, showing their motivations, the reason why they act like that. Be ready, Adam, there's a lot more to come.

HERE WE GOOOOO! You always seem to post like RIGHT when I'm looking for something to watch.

I don't believe Oikawa has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Kageyama. If anything, it's more a competitive spirit. He sees Kageyama as a proper rival, which is why he acts the way he does towards him. But Oikawa gives credit where it's due and we know he acknowledges Kageyama. Also, after reading the comments, I see varying opinions from people regarding Oikawa's back story and almost hitting/pushing Kageyama. Everyone agrees it's not excusable, but I feel like people make it sound so easy to just not do it. It's easy to be a 3rd person and make those kinds of comments, but it's a fact that people react differently under extremely stressful situations. And no one can say for sure, unless they've experienced it themselves, that they wouldn't have done what Oikawa did at the time. Being in the actual situation yourself and being a 3rd person are totally different because it's possible you could act differently than what you'd expect. That's totally normal unless you've really thought about it beforehand and have strong beliefs and morals and support system. Just my 2 cents.

Saraahhh. There is an extra scene from season 3 with Wakatoshi talking to all his teammates after the match and j bet you would love it!111

I truly feel Oikawa here. I love Kageyama, and like Sarah said: It's not his fault. But we need to also understand Oikawa's perspective. Imagine always working so hard while recognizing there's a limite you can't break because the who looks up to you can just surpass you without the same amount of effort you put because you're not a genius? We can't forget that Oikawa wa also really young back then, and he was having a panick attack. Again, there's no villain in Haikyuu. Each character is unique and incredible in their own way and that's way I love it so much.

I hope one day Sarah says: and Most importantly Adams Wife

I think people will always see what part of Oikawa they choose to see according to the type of lives they have personally led and the kinds of people they have had to deal with. And it is the same with Kageyama. I would not like to work with either of Oikawa's or Kageyama's past self. Even though I admire Oikawa the most after finishing the series and Kageyama is a character that I've came to love gradually after watching the anime like... 4 times and reading the manga twice. It took me a while to finally be able to understand Kageyama's mindset because we're both essentially very different people. Contrary to which I have been able to grasp Oikawa a lot faster. And I think it is perfectly fine for any person for whom it takes longer to understand either of them, it is absolutely valid. I only ever really understood Kageyema after watching Sarah and Adam highlight his emotions that they're able to connect to more quickly. And I'm really glad for it. It is definitely inexcusable that Oikawa's insecurities led to an almost physical attack on Kageyama and that Kageyama, who does not dwell too much into human emotions asked Oikawa to teach him again, to which he was straight up refused. But Kags found his own way to learn, he thought "if he's not teaching, I'll do it on my own" and he just watched Oikawa serve and did his best to copy him. Hurt people shouldn't hurt people. But it is just as inexcusable about Kageyama that he doesn't dwell too much into the emotions of his own teammates which led to his cross off with his team in junior high. If emotions of your teammates would not be a crucial part of Volleyball, Kageyama would never even bother. And just as Kageyama is growing to understand the "current state" of his teammates and we're able to see his journey close up, Oikawa is growing too. He has grown till the third year of high school, I think it'd be a cherry on top if he could show Kageyama the respect that he deep down feels for him. They are literally 16 -18 year olds. They are both discovering new emotions along with their games. Kageyama only looks up to Oikawa and Oikawa only thinks of Kageyama as an enemy which would later develop into a proper rivalry. I personally love how both of these characters are complex and their journey is not so smooth.

アダムさんの寝癖(かな？)がかわいい！ 彼がサラを見る度に、話より髪に意識が行くのをやめられない😂❤

I found out about your channel just a few days ago, and ever since i've been watching all of your reactions, since the solo reaction to ep 1 s1, and it's been such an amazing and fun experience to be able to see someone who knows and loves volleyball watching and comenting on this show. it made me so happy hahha thank you for everything !!! ((also, sorry for bad english, i'm brazilian, but i'm trying my best !!!

Aaayyy let's go, perfect timing ❤

Did anyone else find it mean when Sarah crushed his analysis with "obvi"?

Oikawa is not a genius but he is look up by lot of genius😭

I love adam's comments and his observations 😹 They're all on point!!

Yeaaah Oikawa was out of line, but he was a middle schooler. He was under a self imposed pressure and stress and he lost his head. He learned from that he grew. I love ya but you look for reasons to hate on Oikawa. Motivated reasoning does not lead one to the truth.

I can't believe how I opened this video for less than 60 seconds and I'm already smiling wider than I ever had in this whole week🤣

Awesome reaction....it's so wholesome to watch you guys interact with each other. BTW, if I had a bro house, I think I will put Iwaizumi.... He is so mature and knows how to handle everyone.

Sarah I meant to say this the first I saw it but I LOVE that top you are wearing!

The block animation is one of the cleanest and smoothest moments I wish were in more highlight clips

Early upload！YAY!😂🎉🎉🎉

Tsukishima waited to spike until the libero did the pre-emptive run up. I can't say for sure, but I think he was watching for that.

At 7:00 I get Adam's enthusiasm completely!! That's how I felt when I first watched it, it was such a "gotcha!" moment for Karasuno, and it shows that Aoba Josai's players are also just kids and don't have enough experience to anticipate that depending on non-technical tells can backfire. As a non athletic person, moments like these take me into the psyche of athletes and it's really so interesting how many mind games go into sports, something that is typically stereotyped as brawn > brains

can't wait to see your page reach 100,000 subscribers and see a silver RU-vid monument on the shelf behind you ☺☺☺

I really love Suga setting up Kageyama and Tsukki to interact in this eps😂 also the disappointment in Adam and Sarah's face seeing Oikawa refuse to teach Kageyama childishly😂😂

It's easy to blame past Oikawa. but I wonder what Adam would say if Adam's student was under too much pressure like Oikawa,overworked, and suffering from both mentally and physically?🫥🫧 Their junior high school coach was ineffective, so I'd like to hear Adam's opinion🫠

I feel like sarah hates oikawa too much that she forgets what's positive about him. Oikawa's act towards kageyama in junior high is kinda relatable because of their age and their raging mentality to get better. I don't wanna spoil but there are some moments in the future episodes that'll show why oikawa is one of the best written haikyuu character

I agree with everyone else who mentioned this. Why are you taking Kageyama's perspective when this is Oikawa's flashback you should be thinking about it from Oikawa's perspective and all the pressure he was feeling and his insecurites because he worked so hard to get were he is and here comes a prodigy first year who has to do practically nothing and is excelling in everything. I expected it from Sarah since she never really liked or likes Oikawa but respects him as a player, but you Adam you were always reserving your judgment and yet when it FINALLY came for Oikawa's backstory you take Sarah's perspective(not that it was wrong) as your own when hers is all about Kageyama and not Oikawa like it should have been. This was one of the scenes for me that solidifed Oikawa as my favourite Haikyuu Character right along with Suga. They are both my favourites because I relate to both of them so well. I was really really hoping for a honest opinion on Oikawa's backstory from your perspective Adam from Oikawa's point of view, not Kageyama's since this is not his flashbacks but OIkawa's. So could you please reply with your honest opinon from Oikawa's point of view and does your opinion of him change at all.

32:53 His lines, his facial expressions... an interesting counterpoint to the main game of season 4. In addition, the two Seijoh matches and season 4 Inarizaki match have numerous similarities/relatives.

something about oikawa always makes me tear up (including the ova, looking forward to look at sarah and adam's reaction on it later on!!)

Every time Adam says something is just like my coach says something to me😂

Sorry, no intention to be rude, but I can't take my eyes off from Adam's hair. It looks bedhead and that reminds me of my teenage son 😊

we need more😭😭

Thanks Adam for allowing me to see Oikawa from a different perspective and actually appreciate him. I used to not. Now I appreciate him.

"Its not fair that you know everybody's name" Wel ya know what, a Queen can't help but slay

Bro i have to wait for a week

So Sarah already forgot, but the third set goes to 25. In this show, only a few matches are five set matches and only the fifth set goes to 15. On a three set match, all three sets go to 25.

This is a painful episode for me to watch because Oikawa is one of my favorite characters and this is one of the episodes where we see him in a lesser light / a moment of weakness due to stress/immaturity/pressure etc. I get where he is coming from and how it was not necessarily Kageyama, the person, who he has beef with. It was more like he is beefing with the concept of a "genius", that some people are just born with it and training/effort can only take you so far. But at the same time, it could have been uglier had Iwaizumi not been there, and definitely Kageyama did not deserve to get almost hit whether it was intentional or not. I get it, this happens, people lose it sometimes and Oikawa's character had to go through this experience to grow but ever since my first watch, I could never really watch this part of the episode with any pleasure.

Sarah's reaction on Iwaizumi getting blocked and Karasuno winning the set felt as if she has watched it for the first time

This is my second round of watching Sarah’s reacts and I think she still doesn’t understand the complexities of Oikawa cus her mentality is so based in her real life experiences which is what makes her perspective so fresh and welcomed. She’s adding another layer of depth to the character we might not have realized without her perspective. Although there are heavy misconceptions that are often said, it’s okay it’s their opinions and thoughts :)

18:25 - Nice Jutsu there Adam Wrong anime though Love that you joined Pavan for this one. You are in for a ride now - Also I am so excited that you both started on Demon Slayer together!

the way I see Oikawa's flashback is that he's constantly chasing something he can never seem to achieve (beating Ushiwaka) while having all of this pressure pushing him from the back (Kageyama the prodigy). So he's in this state where he's trying to catch something just out of reach while losing balance from being pushed from behind