Volleyball Couple Reaction to Haikyu!! S2E8: "Illusionary Hero" 

Shout out to Lydia the editor for being able to isolate the dialogue from the copy written music tracks in the background so we can still enjoy the dialogue!

'He is loyal' Yamaguchi's first name Tadashi means loyalty in Japanese :-D

I can't imagine how disheartening arriving at Karasuno would have been for Tsukki. You see your brother "replaced" by the Little Giant, and then when you show up to the same school you end up on a team with Hinata. I can totally understand him being like "Why try? I've already seen how this plays out."

Tsukishima's older brother was "on the team". The way it works in Japan is this is a "club". So you could have 50 people join the volleyball club. They're all technically part of the team, but only a number of players actually get to dress and start and be on the bench. Tsukishima's older brother was simply not good enough to even make it to the bench.

What I really love about Haikyuu is how they show a rival isn't necessarily someone you hate and a rival can lift you up as well when they get better themselves. Kuro and Bokuto practicing with Tsukki and helping him is my favorite subplot of the training arc of season 2.

Adam just straight up giving the Bokuto speech before Bokuto gave it in the show. Adam the Oracle 😂

That Yamaguchi line: "what else do you need besides pride" hits hard, because Yamaguchi is a Pinch Server. He comes onto the court and does this one thing...and most of the time in his case it fails too - he fumbles his serves, or they get received easily. Yamaguchi doesn't think about winning or losing - going to the nationals, that there is always someone better. He just has his one serve. He has pride in that one thing he does - serving - so when Tsuki questions that playing Volleyball is in vain, because there is always someone better, that's like telling Yamaguchi "that one thing you have, the serve, is completely in vain, why keep going". It's also criticizing Yamaguchi, because his serves are bad, and he's probably thinking "I only have this one thing, but I can't even do this one thing right, I suck at this, but I have nothing else, so I keep going", and then someone telling him "quit doing your one thing"...so then Yamaguchi would have nothing at all. That's why Yamaguchi gets so mad I think. Pride is all he has. That one serve is all he has. Nothing else matters. All criticism of it, and all thoughts surrounding the future are irrelevant. Pride is all he needs as a player. Perhaps the key takeaway from that scene (to me) was that a player should focus on doing one thing well (and by extension, do multiple things well). Really focus on it, and don't get distracted by thoughts of the future and what might happen (like Tsuki is). Just be in great form to do one thing well in the moment (be it serving, receiving, blocking, spiking, passing, or setting, you name it). Neither Yamaguchi nor Tsuki are in great form, but at least Yamaguchi is working on his one thing that he can do - his serves - and his pride keeps him going. Tsuki on the other hand isn't working on anything.

I said it before and I'll say it again "Adam doesn't miss!" Come on, man, you're too damn good reading the characters and their reasoning behind. I'm almost sure he worked as a consultant for Furudate while he was drawing Haikyuu! For me, this anime/manga goes uphill and never stops. Great reactions, praise to Sarah for always bringing her amazing energy and pushing the cobversation with Adam.

Oya? - Oya oya? - Oya oya oya?

The jokes about the name between Bokuto and Kuroo is kinda funny, Bokuto said "Tada no bukatsu? (just a club?) Sounds like a name" and Kuroo reply and emphasis "Oh you mean Tada Nobukatsu-kun?" Which is really a real name. The English translation in manga is much better. Kuroo said "Justin Klubb" which is makes more sense.

IMO, Tsukki and Yamaguchi's arc is about subverting expectations with courage / cowardice and I think it's beautifully written. Tsukki, the person who's always so salty on the outside is secretly an absolute coward, paralysed by fear of attachment to a sport he thinks might hurt him. He constantly lowers his expectations of himself and denigrates others because he wants to avoid ever feeling scared and actually confronting his emotions. Yamaguchi, who's openly quite fearful - suffering from panic and anxiety attacks on the court on a regular basis - has an INCREDIBLE amount of courage to overcome that, work hard to master that float, and stand as a brave pinch server everytime. They are the inverse of each other. But more than than, they feed of each other as well. Tsukki knows very well that despite Yamaguchi's anxiety he is 100% braver than he could ever be. And he deeply admires him for it, even longs for it but after his shock at discovering his brother's betrayal he pretends he doesn't care. Yamaguchi on the other hand KNOWS that despite Tsukki's sneering he LOVES volleyball but is too scared to access those deep emotions. But he's too timid to confront Tsukki head-on (till now!) because he's scared of how their friendship will be impacted. Their positions on the court also parellel this. Yamaguchi (despite all his fear) is pretty much in the most fearless position on the court - a pinch server. While Tsukki, who's so fearful of putting in effort and apathetic is a MIDDLE BLOCKER - one of the most persistent and thankless positions on the court. If they can actually grow in their positions, essentially they'd be confronting their worst fears. More than anything, they'd also strenghten each other. But now, they are on two totally different paths. For Yamaguchi, victory is quite simple - it's personal for him. It's when he finally masters his jump float and is successful at "putting his pride in the shot". For Tsukki on the other hand - someone who is logical, intellectual, clinical - victory is more "abstract" . It's when his team wins. Since he's repressed a lot of his shame and shock about volleyball, he's scared of actually going through the process of a more "personal victory" that Yamaguchi, Hinata, and Kageyama have all gone through in different ways. He's too cool for that. Since victory is so abstract and detached for him, he finds it hard to relate to the others on the team who work so hard for their own personal motivations. And why he finds it easy to rationalise the obvious logic of "we're going to lose anyway one day to a stronger team, so why try so hard?" It's because he hasn't linked victory to his own personal growth yet. He's scared too, because of all the shame he felt due to his brother. His brother based his identity on volleyball and look what it did! All it lead to is disappointment and LIES. No wonder Tsukki is so scared of doing the same, of actually linking volleyball in a meaningful way with his identity, of having a personal motive, faith, trust the way others do. Finally, Bokuto's incredible QUOTE. It sort of fuses and creates a perfect harmony for these two positions. He unlocks the key aspect between Yamaguchi's and Tsukki's positions - which is how your JOY in "becoming good" should link together your courage and cowardice - which will lead to the ultimate victory. That "vunerability/fear" is neccessary for growth and shouldn't be shunned, instead tapped into so that you become better. Cowardice AND Courage - are both neccessary to become good. Tsukki in denying his love for volleyball also denies his own pride and joy in the game - no wonder it doesn't feel fun! And as Bokuto wisely points out, those who improve and become good feel true joy and happiness on the court - and they did it by tapping into their fear / frustration / anger and using it as a catalyst. The vunerability of putting in your maximum effort to reach a goal despite the outcome transforms your cowardice into courage. Tsukki knows this, since he also feels joy in outsmarting opponents (with his earned intelligence for the game!). He now has to give into those natural emotions he has and convince himself that his own love and joy on the court IS the desparate endgoal he is seeking - instead of arbitrary "victory" or "loss". Him converting his fear into pride and joy at becoming better IS the victory he seeks - which he's experienced emotionally before, but he hasn't tied together with his rational mind. Yamaguchi is scared his love and pride for volleyball won't translate into a successful float serve on the court despite caring so much. He'll be useless. But, Tsukki is scared that his love for volleyball will make him feel like a failure because he cared too much and got hurt. Then he'll be useless too. It's the fear of failure for both, but it's the inverse of each other. Which is what makes their dynamic so interesting. However, Yamaguchi who is far more in tune with his feelings has figured out a way to convert his fear into pride. Bokuto is now essentially telling Tsukki to do the same. Tsukki is a far more rational and intellectual person who wants to "appear cool" , so his accessing his fear of failure and turning it into courage during a match (which is neccessary for an athlete) is hard for him. But he can do it, we believe in him!

At that time Karasuno was a powerhouse team. Tsuki's brother didn't make it into the regular line up. But he's part of the club. He did practice the same as the regulars. He has that iconic black jacket.

I'm pretty sure the part where Tsukki's brother asked for three lunches was during his first year when he still thought he had a shot. The match Tsukki went to was the last match of his third year, so 3 years had gone by when that happened, and he had probably d9ne a bunch of other lying by tyen.

who else turned to look at Sarah's face at 22:09 when Adam talked about "giving 100%" before Bokuto's speech even happened

I was waiting on this reaction and getting Adam's perspective. It's always interesting to see how certain moments in life can define you. The incident with Tsukki's brother kind really made him put up walls to volleyball and other things in life and it took Yamaguchi and others who he respects to kind of open his eyes to a different way of looking at things and to light a spark in Tsukki. I really love that line of Yamaguchi's, his VA kills the delivery and Bokuto's advice is spot on.

I've been counting down the weeks for Adam to watch this pair of episodes ever since he first picked up on Tsukki's attitude back in Tsukki's introduction episode in early season 1, and this absolutely did not disappoint. Super happy to hear that Sarah is enjoying season 2 even more on her rewatch as well! When the idea of Tsukki having an older brother is introduced in the previous episode, I originally had the same thought process as Adam did, that the older brother was probably really good and Tsukki has a fear of failure, but I love when you get to this episode you find out that yes Tsukki does in a way have a fear of failure, but it's not for the reason you think at all. It's so personal, and specific, and heartbreaking the way it happens, and it ends up being really powerful for us watching it too. I love too how this episode doesn't directly say it, but it also implies some of the reason for the extra tension between Tsukki and Hinata. Ever since Tsukki saw that the Little Giant was good enough to "take away" the ace spot from Tsukki's brother (in Tsukki's mind), Tsukki has known not to underestimate short players. Plus, everything about Hinata's attitude goes against what Tsukki has been convincing himself is right, so there becomes this almost self-deprecating, annoyed respect and simultaneous disdain for Hinata. I love how it's so specific but at the same time feels like a completely real and human way to react to things. I also love how everything connects together too. The Little Giant, the player who inspired Hinata to try volleyball at all, is the same player who in a way becomes the catalyst for Tsukki to become apathetic towards volleyball. The sun and the moon always see things from different perspectives. It's so cool!! And of course, one of my (many) favorite lines: "what more do you need than pride." It was so nice to see both of you give props to Yamaguchi here. I agree, it must have taken a TON of courage for him to say that to Tsukki. I feel like Adam is right and he absolutely was risking losing Tsukki as a friend by saying anything, and that Sarah is right too that he said it out of love for his friend and for his team, and I think it says a lot about Yamaguchi that he's willing to take that risk in order to try to help his friend. Also, it's a smaller moment, but I think the fact that Tsukki actually takes what Yamaguchi says into consideration is a big implication that he respects Yamaguchi more than we'd been led to believe up to this point too-and maybe even more than Tsukishima himself thought, considering how he smiles to himself in surprise and tells Yamaguchi he's become cool. (and how that is also a callback to the beginning of the episode where Tsukki lumps Yamaguchi in with the lame bullies and Yamaguchi sees Tsukki as cool-now they're older and the roles are reversed, Yamaguchi starts this conversation by yelling that Tsukki is acting lame and Tsukishima ends it by saying Yamaguchi is cool. Man I never get tired of the writing of this series lol)

Adam predicted the Bokuto speech to tsukki, before even happened, he even said the same thing like, doesnt matter if u win the champ/game, as long as you give the best you can, 100% of your abilities. Gotta love how spot on Adam is!

Bit of trivia: When Kuroo says "make this annoying owl to shut up" Just like Karasuno, Fukurodani is a bird themed team, Bokuto's hair is supposed to resemble a Horned owl and Fukuro means Owl in Japanese.

"Oya?" "Oya? Oya?" "Oya! Oya! Oya!" Best dialogue ever!

I talk about Haikyuu's rewatchability (and rereadability) pretty often because it is just that good. I'd say hindsight is a big part of it, because much like you said, everything is written so well, there's so much thought put into it that being able to see it all getting set in motion and develop with the knowledge of where it leads is a wonderful treat. !!!Spoilers for both Sarah and Adam below!!! . . . . . When they were talking about how most people don't get anything tangible from doing sports, it immediately flashed me forward to chapter 369 after the Kamomedai match and Suga's teary-eyed words about how no matter what anyone says, seeing Kageyama's growth alone made it all worth it no matter how much they won or lost. I will probably implode when I see that animated and then implode again when I see Sarah and Adam react to it.

It’s actually sadder when you think about the fact that Tsukki tells Yamaguchi that his brother Akiteru is “now third year and that this is his last game with Karasuno” so his brother lied to them for three years… imagine not just Tsukki who was lied to by his favourite person but the emotional and mental turmoil it must’ve had on Akiteru for lying to his family and his bby brother for three freaking years. :( This is why it makes me so mad when some Haikyuu fans chalk Tsukki’s moment up to, “ohh grow up, your brother lied to you” or belittle it like, “your trauma is your bro lying to you, grow up” etc etc.

So to answer Adam's question at 13:43 on whether Akiteru (Tsukki's big bro) was on the team or not, yes he was on the team. Also in his defense (in regards to Sarah's comment at 14:54) he wasn't completely lying and needed those lunches to have the energy to participate in former Coach Ukai's spartan training for the team's practices lol. Karasuno was at its Golden Age when they were considered a powerhouse school and had a strong team/lineup that included the Little Giant with a bunch of other people to pick from. Naturally, being a big club also meant there was a limited number of people they could let onto the court to play and Akiteru, who was plenty talented himself as the ace of his middle school team, wasn't even good enough to be a benchwarmer that could sub out for someone else in Karasuno's team at the time, so they put him and any others who didn't make the cut of being considered to play (when Tsukki's looking at him you can see other people with the club jacket on so he wasn't the only one) in the stands to at least cheer the team on. (The rest of this is just me sorta yapping so y'all can ignore the rest if you want LOL) If anyone has paid very close attention to Tsukki you would notice that he has always been honest, often brutally so, but still honest nonetheless, even as a child when he told his brother the white lie about getting along with everyone his face showed the truth so he obviously values it very much. Tsukki hates lies and that's where things start to go downhill. Although the anime and manga doesn't make it so clear cut, the stage play adaptation (the script of which has to be approved by the creator of Haikyu!! Furudate-sensei) goes out of its way to emphasize that Tsukki's issue is that his brother LIED to him. From here we have to appreciate all the symbolism because it was at that moment we see Tsukki go from being a clear and bright eyed kid to a teenager whose vision was clouded by lies because outside of his brother's lie, or because of Akiteru's lie, Tsukki starts lying to himself, not trying as much or as hard since "it's just a club." but he's still honest at heart. Despite everything, he still joins the club, he still practices, and more importantly, he still improves himself, maybe not with the same enthusiasm that everyone else has, but Tsukki is still there and at that moment, he doesn't know, or rather can't bring himself to admit, why because of those lies. Until his loyal friend Yamaguchi Tadashi, who has so much faith in him that his cowardly self makes a move to confront him head on, clears it up for him. What more does he need than pride? (Btw if anyone got what I was insinuating with the line with Yamaguchi, you get a brownie point from me! hehe)

Am I the only one noticing that Adam has been leading more the conversations than in season 1 when Sarah used to guide the talk and push Adam a little bit further to tell everything he was thinking? Now Adam stop the episodes, tell his predictions and everything before Sarah ask him. Sarah I get what you are saying, I mean, always rewatching episodes or hearing a song that you only heard once, gives you always a different vibe, so it's so cool that this second time watching Haikyuu you are enjoying more and more things :D Personally I think Yamaguchi has one of the best character developments. In season 1 when we met him he was a jerck just like Tsukishima, and as he wants to improve, starts practicing more and more by his own, sometimes you don't even notice how much he has changed and how he has been more integrated into the team.

adam I swear I love how your brain works, you get it right away uggggh😩 when u talked about your best moments, I swear I could feel your excitement through the screen, and that made me so happy, like it literally brought tears to my eyes😭 idk why, I’ve never played sports, in fact, I had never even been interested in sports until I watched haikyuu (which btw, I put off for so long bc I was that uninterested in it). I used to be one of those people that didn’t understand the passion of sports and or why winning was so important, it honestly seemed pointless to me, but watching haikyuu changed that, and now, even though I’ve never been part of that, I get it. I understand the passion of players and the beauty of effort and winning, and it makes me so emotional🥹 I love that haikyuu made you feel excited and sparked those moments of greatness, because that’s what haikyuu does best!

I am not sure if there is anyone had already mention that. But when Tsuki's brother (his name is Akiteru) is third year, the ace on the team is the little giant. I think that is one of the reason to make Tsuki feel that Hinata is upper than him.

for the question of "was he on the team" . I believe he was on the team but wasnt good enough to be a regular or a sub. You saw how he was wearing the Karasuno Team Jacket so it shows that he was on the team.

Japanese sports clubs are different from what we're used to in North America. You're still in the club even if you aren't on the regular team. I don't think he was lying about needing the sandwiches, pretty sure non regulars still practice.

Tsukishima's older brother is certainly a member of the club, but since there are many members, he cheers from the stands. This happens often at powerful schools.He was wearing a jacket, but not a uniform.

Adam getting fired up by Bokuto's little monologue made me so happy ahhhhhhh! Bokuto's probably my favourite character, even though I rarely relate to him in terms of sports, it's so hard not to get infected by his incredibly hype personality and behaviour

Bokuto's words ring so true. I still remember the moment I got hooked on soccer, when I scored the winning penalty kick against a rival school. Everything that we had worked on as a team got us to that moment, and everything I had worked on as an individual came through in that goal. I don't play soccer anymore in my adult life, but that moment will stick with me forever.

❤❤❤❤❤ ugh I have no words, just ❤️❤️❤️ Oh but when Sarah made HARD eye contact at “This is just a club” at the start of the episode I might have blown up like a pufferfish from repressed emotion 😂 Also, Akaashi my love!!! Bokuto’s setter is a very quiet presence next to him and Kuroo, but he has his own sense of humour and his own voice that won’t be swayed. He’s my third favourite character after Hinata and Aone. Huh, I guess I had lots to say after all. Thanks for the amazing reaction!

I really really want to share an important translation..kind of error. Tsukishima actually said, "This is just a club, but I took it as everything that represents my brother, which made him make up such a lie." Tsukishima really loves his brother, and he doesn't really blame his brother. He blames himself, and emotionally connects the pursuit of excellence with guilt. He thought it was not worth working hard but not winning, and the psychological pain also affected him deeply.

It's quite an honor that we are able to watch this from a world champion player and coach perspective. Tsukki (worn out) train of thought absolutely crosses the mind of any level player at some point like you said. And at the end when you talk about teammates, the image of national players having these moments, very impactful. Thank you for all this series.

Getting to come home from work and watch the men's Italian finals AND a new episode from Sarah and Adam in the same night... What a joyous life! This whole arc has been hitting very hard on this rewatch. Tsukki's character is so brilliantly written. Just a masterpiece.

Saltyshima was salty even when he was just 8 or 9. All hail the Salt King!

The just a club as a name joke got SO lost in translation, Tadano Bukkatsu kinda sounds like a japanese name, Tadano actually is a real name

Adam's "I'm fired up." got me fired up.

I see some confused comments whatever Tsukki's brother was part of the club or not. His brother was part of the club, he has the club jacket, so he was training hard all that time with them, but at the end he was never good enough to even make it to the bench. He was training super hard until nightfall for all those years, he was not faking any of the effort, however he could not even make it to the bench. Considering he was the ace at his previous team, that's just how good and deep Karasuno roster was at the time.

Love to see some Yamaguchi love ! And yet I still feel that boy gets under-appreciated. The "What do you need other than pride ?" line hits so hard, but it hits even harder with the tiny flash to his missed serve against Seijoh. Yamaguchi is probably THE player in Karasuno that means this line the most. He is not gifted like Tsukki being tall, Kageyama and Noya being geniuses, Hinata being a beast athlete. He is not a regular like Daichi, Asahi or Tanaka. He does not even have a history like Suga (who alo does come into play, though to keep playing while demoted of your starter position is quite the mental hardship). At this point of the story, Yamaguchi is a boy that used to be bullied, that is not particularly great at volleyball, at least not enough to get any sort of acknowledgement from the author & audience, who is the only 1st year that is not a starter, and whose only appearance in a game was a SINGLE PLAY, a pinch serve in the decider set against the #2 team in the prefecture, WHICH HE MISSED !! To even just keep showing up to practice, and not just that but give his all (he does free practice all training camp) even though he knows desperatly how you CAN work hard and have it all amount to absolutely nothing in the end... That boy has some toughness in him ! And moreover, his best friend, who he idolizes since childhood, who is a regular on raw athleticism & smarts, basically doesn't care, and says hurtful things (though not on purpose) that laugh in the face of his effort... And he STILL cares about him enough to try to shake him out of his mental rut. Nah, give that man a medal at that point... (Manga Spoiler kindof) Which makes his 3rd year in Karasuno that much more emotional to me (/Spoiler) Also, the MOMENT thing is finally here. One of my favorite recurring themes in Haikyuu ! So many moments to be witnessed, sometimes even several for one character. One example that jumps to mind (and already happened) is Hinata when the team won their debut game against Tokonami. The camera lingers on him afterwards (where he says to Kageyama "we get to play another match"), and the narrator says "The small beast, starved for victory, tasted it for the first time", while Hinata stares at his hands. Clearly one of these moments... Loved Adam's introspection of his highlights, instantly on a trip down memory lane (which I clearly can relate to xD) Can't wait for the next ones !

I love Bokuto's speech because I think this applies to anything that's passion driven. I'm not a sports person, but I love literature and I remember exactly the moment that made me want to pursue it. This is one of the reasons I love Haikyuu so much, cause it's written in a way that even people that aren't sportsy like me can relate to the things and feelings that are being portrayed.

Now I can say this, Akiteru's voice actor (Tsukki's brother) is the same as Giyu from Demon Slayer ✨

Today, on my 10th rewatch, I just kinda realized that Tsuki used to brag about his brother just to be utterly disappointed later. We saw Yamaguchi bragged about Tsuki all the time and he always say “Yamaguchi shut up”. I just realized now that maybe it’s not annoyance, maybe it’s insecurity. Maybe he doesn’t feel deserved of praise or he was scare if Yamaguchi would be disappointed in him later

It's so great to see how Adam reacts and comments on the experiences of these boys, which makes Haiky!! even more real and impressive. Boys' thinking and behavior can be totally different from girls' sometimes... And it's amazing to see Adam immediately figure out why Tsukki behaves like this once he has known the back story of Tsukki's brother. He has such a great ability to grasp and understand those subtle psychological states and personalities so accurately. I can not help admiring those being his teammates and students :)

I’m glad Sarah is noticing just how incredible season 2 is!! This is one of my favorite series of mini-arcs in the show. I LOVE the training and individual progress, the peeks into everyone’s mentalities and motivations, seeing the growth, just how meticulously planned out nearly every single interactions and conversation is. Even down to the brief, silent glances between characters, everything is building on personalities and beliefs and gives us little hints to things yet to come. And the emotional peaks really hit. Whether it’s Yamaguchi’s Pride speech and Tsuki calling him cool or Bokuto’s “Hooked on Volleybonics”, or the faitg from Daichi-ugh! There are so many great moments all throughout this season. The whole beginning of season 2 is easy top 3 parts of the show no contest.

I was so impressed and moved by your comments! This is the first time for me to be realized how much courage that Yamaguchi needed to tell about pride to Tsukishima! And his risk to loose his best friend! As Adam mentioned about journey…, it was so beautiful and touched my heart. Also, the comments of the best athlete in the world, Sarah connect HYKYU with the real world and make us feel love HYKUYU more!! Thank you for your movies!!

His brother was on the team, probably a second or third stringer, he wasn't a bad player, he was just on a powerhouse team. You can likened the situation to the wealth of talent present at Manchester City, good is not enough to get on the bench let alone on the field. He didn't lie about practice and needing the extra meals, if you're on the team, you still train like everybody else

Question for Sarah and Adam: What did you think about that line by Tsukki's classmate that went, "What's the point of going to a strong school if you can't play (coz their bench is so deep)?" What would you tell a young promising athlete in the same situation?

There are a few more interesting details about Yamaguchi that I want to share with you. His birthday is set to be on the same day as that of Hachiko Akita Inu in Japan. And Hachiko is a legendary loyal dog in Japanese history. Loyalty is never obedience without asking why. But over the years, the relationship between Tsukishima and Yamaguchi seems to have fallen into this comfort zone where loyalty is obedience. The follower and the friend, is always two kinds of relationship.True loyalty is never blindly flattery, it is a commitment called companionship. When you are good, he may be just one of the voices cheering for you. But when you stop moving forward, he will stand up and yell at you to remind you of the real you. This may also be the first time that Tsukishima begins to face up to his loyal friend. Yamaguchi has become an equal friend with Tsukishima through his own practical actions, and he is no longer a follower.

there are 2 things i get in this episode: 1.tsuki and hinata are in the same position, they are like the moon vs the sun when they compete with each other. they are also like the sun and the moon shift in a day when rotation. when tsuki is in the fornt and hnt is in the back, this is like the sun sets and the moon rises. 2.the wing spiker in karasono when tsuki's brother is in his high school is LITTLE GIANT. so the relationship between little giant and tsuki's brother are kind of like that between tsuki and hnt. i really feel like evertime u watch haikyuu and u will find new things. this is my fifth time watching it, and the two things i mention are what i get today. so i really enjoy watching it with u two and it also inspire me a lot more. thank u for giving me a more professional perspective to watch the show.🥰🥰🥰(btw i feel sorry if my English sucks and makes u confused🥲)

What Adam said at 22:40 reminds me of The Way of Kings and also reminds me of when he said he enjoys fantasy series. "Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination." Well said and very accurate to that situation.

Adam is the goat at reacting !

"This is the moment you'll be hooked on Tsuki's character growth" - Sarah, probably

Haikyuu hits harder when you watch it second time...

I think it's safe to say Adam finally gets Haikyuu perfectly 😂❤️

15:10 Maybe Akiteru(Tsukki's brother) was playing in practice matches and regular trainings. I mean Karasuno during that era was a massive team. I would assume only the best would be chosen as regulars, and a little handful as benches, but there would still be some volleyball club members who did not qualify for bench either...but still actually played some practice matches or training or helping the regulars with training. I mean they can split that many people in two, with regulars equally divided in the two teams, and rest spots filled by the benches and other members, thus allowing them to train amongst themselves. So his dedication to training, asking mom to prepare extra lunches, happily talking about the matches..might not be total lies.

Great & interesting to see how a 2nd watch can feel to/impact a watcher in a different way. Just gonna basically copy/paste my comments from the 1st watch because this ep had some of the wonkiest/frustrating translations: 7:49「まあな！」→ "Yup!".「まあな」is a vague kind of answer, more like "sorta" or "kinda like that" & it shows that Akiteru was trying not to outright "lie". So I find it unfortunate that this nuance isn't conveyed with their strongly affirmative "Yup!". 11:38「選手層厚いから大変だよなぁ？！」→ "That team practically has a caste system, so it's rough". I have no idea why they translated it that way. The more literal translation would be like "Since they have a deep team, it's rough, right?!". 15:35「たかが部活の事だったのに、それを兄の全てであるかの様に思ってた。結果、兄に不要な嘘までつかせた。」→ "It was only a club, but it was everything to my brother. In the end, it made my brother tell pointless lies." This should be more like "It was just a club, but *I* used to think as if it was everything about/all that constituted my brother. As a result, *I* (or "it" for "my blind belief") made my brother tell unnecessary lies." Kei is actually kinda blaming himself for pushing Akiteru to tell those lies, but their translation doesn't get that nuance across at all. This translation is probably 1 of the reasons why so many people misunderstand & think that Kei resents Akiteru or think that the "lame" line is directed AT Akiteru & showing Kei's disdain towards him. I find this truely unfortunate. 15:49「でも…兄も多分、信じようとしてた…」→ "But my brother probably believed...". This is a nitpick, but it should be more like " But (my) brother was also probably trying to believe...". I feel that their deleting the "trying to" ends up not conveying Akiteru's "trying to hang on" desperateness well.

tsukishima's big brother/little giant and tsukishima/hinata are literally parallels. that makes hinata and tsukishima's relationship dynamic so much more interesting in my opinion. and as a girl who has a big sister and idolized her, tsukishima's back story always makes my heart so heavy. i get so mad when people mock and underestimate his trauma just because they didn't think it was sad enough. thank you guys for validating his feelings.

its fun watching sarah's face as the flashbacks happen

25:24 Oya? Oya oya? Oya oya oya. That is all.

watching from Brazil 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

We are getting into some great episodes so I had to drop 5 and get this early. Love your content and all of Adam’s first reactions along worth Sarah’s (not so) subtle reactions to them

Not me finally hearing during this reaction that Tsukki uses "kakkoii" in both the flashback and the present. "Kakko ga ii is where this word comes from. It used to mean style ("having a nice look") in terms of body and clothing. But in modern Japan Kakkoii is used exactly like we use "cool"."

I Just wanted to shout out the change in editing and navigation of the soundtrack. I enjoyed hearing the characters communicate, while the soundtrack audio got nullified. As to in the past, when all audio would have to be dulled when the soundtrack kicked in. Appreciate everyone's efforts !

I was waiting for this week's reaction video! I love this episode and Yamaguchi being the one to help Tsukki break out of his poor way of thinking always gets me teary as well.

When Adam was discussing, "Tsukishima is 100% logical. What really do you get out of it? What does it get you in the long run?" I was hoping Sarah was going to reply with, "Me. It got you... me, Adam." XD

I wish we could get a side by side of Adam's facial expression and Sarah's facial expression when they first heard Tsukishima's brother lie, because I'm fairly certain the only major difference would be Sarah verbalizing her suspicion pretty immediately. Glad you enjoyed the episode, this is one of my all time favorites to get myself out of a rut, Yamaguchi's speech is so wholesome, non-judgemental, and uplifting.

After the Tsukki and Yamaguchi scene, I was lowkey expecting Adam to have a summer camp story where he did that to his one of his campers 😅😂. (He was just trying to motivate the dodgeball team).

Adam really nailed the analysis of this episode!

22:12 "It's a pursuit of being the best.... YOU can be." - Adam wooooow... that's a wake up call...

When Adam said he was on fire I was actually having chills!!

One of the many "most anticipated episodes to see Adam react to" has arrived. His "... I'm fired up!" immediately after Bokuto's incredible speech LOL Tsukki's backstory is so fascinating and heartbreaking. He's such an interesting character, and one that I (like Adam lol) liked from the get-go and was just so intrigued to learn why he acts and thinks the way he does. And I absolutely LOVE all the symbolism in each of the shots they have of the moon and moonlight throughout the episode (along with last episode's many symbolic moments relating to the "hunger" theme/analogy, like Tsukki being the only one on the team who doesn't ask for another slice of watermelon, and how Yamaguchi stops while they're sprinting up the hill at night and Tsukki replies "you can go on ahead [without me]" and Yamaguchi and the rest of the team continue running up... so good). Just yet another banger of an episode. I know we keep saying it, but Adam trust us when we say it just keeps on getting better and better!

I dont see anyone else mentioning it and I dont think the episode does a good job explaining it but I think his brother was actually on the team. He had the jacket and was actually going to practice and was using the meals and everything his mom was making. The roster of Karasuno at the time was just so much deeper and only a limited number of players could play/sit on the bench. And the basketball scene shows his brother was no slouch either, he had some good skills, it just wasnt enough to make it onto the team with the Little Giant there. It makes the story almost sadder in a way, his brother was trying to not be a liar.

YES THIS IS THE EPISODE I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR ADAM TO SEE

I really love your reaction vid. Your input are always so heart warming and interresting 🥰

RAHHHHH THIS THE ONE IVE BEEN WAITING FOR!

I love how intelligent this community is. This may be a sports anime, but the characters are very relatable and well-written. We can talk about their decisions, past, and future all day, but we would never run out of words to say. That's good writing for sure... Blue Lock probably has a more successful manga, but Haikyuu will likely remain as my favorite sports anime because of how lovable its characters are.

I just couldn't wait to get both of your perspectives on this episode! And it was worth the wait!!

Loved the analysis of tsukishima’s and yamaguchi’s argument. Adam is so spot on about bokuto’s monologue, like even if you never play professionally in the future, the thrill is what drives you.

Thanks for your reaction ❤ I love everything about you both 😊

Man, I love this. You guys are super insightful together.

I got teary eyed and hyped too!

I’m overjoyed to see your reactions to this episode. Had a big smile on my face the entire episode

And that right there is one of the reason haikyuu's author is so great. There is a limit to how high you can get with talent and skill. The moment you are hooked on something, no matter how much you use to suck at it or how good you were, you become someone else. It IS portrayed in every caracter on that show. The way hé shows that a genius IS a burden, how ukai says "how cruel" when hé hears that hinata and kageyama knew each other for only one week, the way suga knows he cant be as good as kageyama but he will not fall. Every interaction and caracter give you something to think about (like tanaka's depression or oikawa inferiority syndrome which he fights with the belief in his team, etc ...) I love how he can show you "this IS a life, how is yours ?"

I have been waiting for this episode since they began this series.

it's crazy how even seeing some of these scenes again thru reactions, how much more impactful/meaningful they become. Thx for sharing

i love this episode so muchh istg haikyuu gets better and better every episode !! i cant wait for Friday :)

the 2nd rewatch experience!!!! we love to see it

To me, Tsukishima acts this nonchalant way cause he doesn't want to be heartbroken again. His brother put all his passion into volleyball and ended up being betrayed so I think Tsukishima built this wall to avoid feeling the way his brother felt or what he felt towards his brother's passion.

I really hope that both do a reaction of all the seasons

Thank you for your reaction!❤

Tsukki’s brother was on the team, but he couldn’t even make the bench. He was trying really hard his 100% to make it. And to the very last game he had never played a match. He lied saying he was in the team so his brother still looked up to him. But his brother was suffering from not being able to make it. And that made tsukki not want to try in case he tried that hard and failed

Adam is completely correct in this episode, no question

You guys make the show even better....and that's a lot to say

We stay having that moment!! 😃 🏐 Hope Adam grows fond of the captains more. Excited for the next!

I could not agree more. The number of times you repeat the epidsodes you find out more and more details about the stroy plot developemnt and the thoughts and efforts they put in. One of the beauty of anime. It gave u different perspective especially watching your reviews!❤

アダムはボクトとの言葉にこんなに共感して燃えてる感じだと、県決勝戦見た時はヤバいね😊サラ嬉しそう❤

As I watched Haikyuu for the first time and as a kid who had that moment, thanks to playing with my friends and family. What Bokuto said resonates like standing next to the sun, it could never be more true!!!

Great reaction as always! I really love this arc as Bokuto gave a great answer to everyone who is afraid of failure after challenge.

Loved this episode. Felt so many things. One of my favorite seasons, barely bested by s4. Gosh. POWERFUL.

absolutely cannot wait for future episodes (y'all know what I mean) Loved this discussion today. :)