Haikyuu 2!! Episode 8: Illusionary Hero

“To think this day would come…When did you become so cool?”

Obligatory scream-at-how-cute-they-were-as-kids part of the review:

AHHH THEY’RE SO CUTE AHHH OMG-

Okay that’s enough. We finally know why Tsukki is so lax at volleyball. Keep practicing to be the best? So what? Then what? There’s always going to be somebody better, so why even try? Tsukishima idolized his older brother, Akiteru. His brother served as the ace in his middle school club and volleyball was everything to him, and to Tsukki too. The two brothers would talk volleyball together and Tsukki would constantly ask his brother how things were going. He asked his brother which high school he would be going to, and he chose Karasuno because at that time it was a powerhouse. Ever since he joined the school, Tsukki would ask him how practices were going and about matches.

Tsukki just really was proud of his brother. In his own middle school, Tsukki joined the volleyball club and that’s where he officially met lil Yamaguchi, the poor kid wanting to play a safe sport because the guys in baseball and basketball were too scary. Tsukki was nice enough to help Yamaguchi with some bullies, and since then Yamaguchi was jealous how cool Tsukki was. It’s then that Yamaguchi finds out that Tsukki’s brother was an ace in middle school and plays in Karasuno, and while Yamaguchi is praising him, Tsukki smiles with pride.

But unfortunately all of the stories his brother told him were lies. Akiteru said he didn’t want Tsukishima going to any of his matches because it would make him nervous, so Tsukki never went. Akiteru also said he was ace again. He always said that his practices were tough, but going well. One day in his brother’s last year of playing, Tsukishima invites Yamaguchi (aww!) to go with him to watch his brother’s last game, and then a kid overhears that his own brother is in Karasuno’s team too but that he’s never heard a Tsukishima play in the matches. And when the three kids go, they realize it’s true. Tsukishima looks on the court and his brother is nowhere in sight, not even on the bench. And as we all know, the Little Giant was the ace of the team at that time. And then Tsukishima looks ahead at the other side of the court to see the cheering section of Karasuno and locks eyes with his brother. Oh man did that break my heart. Karasuno’s team was probably too much for him that Akiteru never even got to sit on the bench for rotations and instead sat on the second floor in the cheering section. And for Tsukishima to see that, to realize that his brother was lying to him all this time…ugh. After this I just wonder how his relationship with his brother is like now. Or after that moment, how did they even look at each other? How could things not be awkward after that?

Seeing how much pain his brother went through, Tsukki never really tries because what’s the point? Even if they become the #1 team, it’ll only last for awhile because there’s someone always stronger. He says this to Yamaguchi after Yamaguchi went to look for him after practice and there was no way he was having that. Time to put on your big boy shorts now! >:3 Yamaguchi basically said “Bullshit, who cares, have some damn pride you idiot!” For someone like Yamaguchi to get so enraged and aggressive was certainly something to see! I knew he’d have his time to shine one day, and no that part in the Inter High match with Oikawa’s team where he did a crappy serve doesn’t count. That was actually a little sad, lol.

So after seeing how cool his friend was, Tsukki went over to Bokuto and Kuroo to ask them why they try to hard for just a volleyball club. Bokuto asks if Tsukishima even thinks volleyball is fun. He explains that only recently did he think that volleyball was fun for him. He had this moment when he realized his straights were more powerful and so he practiced to get it right. And in a match when his straight finally went through the blockers, he had that moment. And volleyball became fun for him, and until Tsukishima has that moment he won’t find it fun, though it could be different for him. Later in the match against Bokuto’s team, Tsukishima actually puts some effort into stopping Bokuto’s spike and it actually scared him, so he stopped and did a feint instead.

And everyone is like :OOOOOOOOOOO

He’s changing, oh my god no way. To scare a talented player like Bokuto, Tsukishima really can become a fantastic player if he tries hard enough. And at that moment, the real fight to being the better player has officially started between Tsukki and Hinata. Sun vs. Moon.

Great episode, finally nice to get some development for Tsukishima and for Yamaguchi to be super cool. I know Tsukishima isn’t totally a bad guy, but maybe he can develop a better attitude. Looks like his mini moment in the show is over, so let’s just see how Karasuno is going to grow even more.