First I need to make an explanation for why these two are important to me. It’s not just that they’re so intriguing and their friendship seems to make so little sense. There’s something else going on here.
One thing I love about Haikyuu is the realism, not just in the way sports are displayed but also in the development of all of the characters. They all have depth. None of them are one-note cliches. Sure, when you’re first introduced to them the characters all have a surface that makes them easy to grab onto—Hinata is hyper and energetic, Kageyama is intense and difficult to get along with, Tanaka is a brash, loud jock, Tsukishima is a mean jerk with an acid tongue, and Yamaguchi is his faithful sidekick who laughs at all his jokes and doesn’t have much presence without him.
But as you watch the show and read the manga, you begin to see other facets of these characters. They all have strengths and weaknesses, backstories and goals. Hinata is hyper and energetic, yes, but he’s also ambitious and has moments of incredible intensity, he can be almost paralyzed by anxiety, he’s easily intimidated, and he sometimes doubts his own abilities. Kageyama can be a jerk, but he’s also terrible in social situations and cannot express his thoughts and feelings in an acceptable manner, he fails academically even though he’s intelligent, and since coming to Karasuno he’s been trying very hard to change and get better at relating with people. Tanaka is brash and loud, but he’s also skilled and mentally tough, caring and protective of his teammates, and more prone to humor than violence despite all the threats he likes to make.
Which brings us to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.
