From near-perfect representations of technique, to teaching us all how the sport works, to encouraging us all to chase our own dreams from the sheer passion in its characters, Haruichi Furudate’s Haikyuu is absolutely deserving of its 50 million manga in print by the release of its 45th and final volume back in November of 2020. Not to mention the incredible success of the anime series. There are a ton of lessons to take away from this series, and that’s not including the rules and nuances of volleyball. So, you better believe we’ll be revisiting the bundle of joy and insanely hype anime for another few discussions. For the time being, we’ll focus on something that should stick out to audiences right away, and that’s impeccable character writing. Not only does every single character, even Enoshida, have their own unique personality, dreams, motivations, background, and more, but each and every one of them has a special relationship with everyone else. Let’s break it down: Asahi, a third-year, is someone that second-year, Nishinoya, looks up to (and that’s not just because of the vast height difference). But clearly, by episode 10, it’s a lot more than that. The two of them depend on one another: Asahi needs Nishi to keep the ball in play for him to spike, and Nishi needs Asahi to spike in order to make those saves count. Their relationship is all about trust on the court. And off it, it’s pretty different. Asahi the giant is timid, soft-hearted, and more mature. On the flip side, Nishi, our favorite 5’2” libero, is outspoken, loud, and incredibly confident. The two balance each other, with Nishi pushing Asahi out of his shell, giving him confidence and someone who depends on him, and Asahi helping to rein in, motivate, and support Nishinoya. It’s a fantastically developed relationship with nuances that bring it realism and life, so that these characters and their relationships with one another are something readers and watchers alike can be invested in and enjoy. I said all the relationships are unique, and I meant it. So, let’s take a look at Nishinoya and Tanaka’s. Tanaka, a second-year, is kind of a spaz. He’s got loads of energy, and he can be kind of aggressive. When the two of them are together, it’s like they share one single brain cell. They’re silly and they encourage one another’s energy and hijinks. They’re both totally girl crazy and fan-boys of their team’s manager and they bond over how beautiful and intelligent she is to them. Together, they can get out of hand and need the calmer members of the team, like Suga and Daichi (who I officially declare as playing the roles of mom and dad to the team respectively) to rein them both in. Now, I’m not going to break down the dynamic between each of the players, but the point is: Hinata has a different relationship with Kageyama than he does with Nishinoya, and a different one from both with Suga. A different relationship still when it comes to Daichi, Asahi, Tsukishima, and basically every other character in the story. Haikyuu, as the name implies (literally translates to ‘volleyball’ <my fellow Japanese studiers, do not use this term, they use boreboru>), is literally about the game. The entire plot revolves around Karasuno’s volleyball team, the games they play and the relationships they have. If I tried to sell it to you without mentioning the characters, it would come off as really one-note. And boring an audience is an easy slope to slide down when the plot is completely focused around a sport without any major adjustments or serious deviations from reality. The reason why it’s so popular, the reason why it’s one of my favorite animes of all time, and the reason why watching it, you will care about every single game and every point: the characters. So what’s Syd’s lesson of the day, folks? Characters can make or break the story, so build one’s that make it. And, you can do it through unique character dynamics and relationships! Base your characters in reality. No one you know acts the exact same way with every single person in their life. People bring out different sides in one another, so reflect that! You can bring your cast to life by giving them the behavioral and emotional range of a real person. The reason why Haikyuu is so incredible is because Furudate makes us fall in love with its cast. And, with a cast as big as this one, that’s no simple feat. Think about your characters and really flesh them out. Your readers should be able to talk about them like they would a friend they’ve known a long time if you want those characters to really shine. It’s a daunting task to a writer but the payoff is worth every ounce of effort. That task is to know everything about your cast. Do you know everything about yours?
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