Lessons Learnt From Anime #1: Haikyuu!!
One of my ultimate favourite anime is Haikyuu!!, based on the original manga by Furudate Haruichi. I think it's fair to say that I am not the only one who feels this way; if anything, I'm probably one in millions who love Haikyuu!! unapologetically. I've probably watched it over a dozen times, and I've read the manga three times from start to finish. Why? Because the story is compelling, it evokes so many emotions, but most importantly, because it's got life lessons embedded in there.
It is no surprise that anime holds some secrets to a better life. All forms of art, even those that are dubbed art for art's sake, contain invaluable life lessons. Literature, film, paintings, sculptures, music, you name it, and anime is no exception. Look no further than at the wonderful works of Miyazaki Hayao at Studio Ghibli for proof. No matter the target demographic — shōnen, shōjo, josei, seinen — or the genre — coming of age, slice of life, fantasy, et cetera — there are life lessons to be learnt from watching anime, regardless of the fact that many ignorant people still call it cartoon in a condescending way, as if it means it has no value beyond stupid entertainment (and yet, those same people who criticise anime are obsessed with western things like Disney movies, which have the same attributes as anime, being animated, and even worse, originally being meant for children — whereas one could argue that there are PLENTY of anime that are definitely not meant to be watched by children... Make it make sense!), but that is a rant for another day.
Let's circle back to the topic at hand here. What Haikyuu!! teaches us is a multitude of life lessons. It reminds us to become better people that way. Easier said than done, that is true, but I want to believe that if everyone who watched it or who is curious enough to give it a try could actually endeavour to apply those lessons, the world would be a far better place.
Talent vs Hard Work
The one lesson that Furudate-sensei insists on throughout Haikyuu!! is that of talent versus hard work. As a matter of fact, he is quite vocal about what talent is, which has caused quite a stir in the fandom (at least the international side of it), because the definition of talent is subjective from one person to the next. why, one should just go on social media and ask whether Oikawa Tōru is talented or if it's just his hard work that eventually paid off; I can guarantee there will be arguments left and right.
The Oxford dictionary defines talent as "A special natural ability or aptitude, usually for something expressed or implied; a natural capacity for success in some department of mental or physical activity" (“Talent, N., Sense III.5.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, September 2026, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/3326184356). That is how people understand being talented. But not only is Furudate-sensei saying that we are wrong when it comes to Haikyuu!! characters, but also hard work is the most important thing here.
Let's use Oikawa as an example. Constantly, we are told by Iwaizumi Hajime and even Coach Irihata that Oikawa is far from being a genius, and instead we are shown how much he's worked hard. And yet, many characters are seen qualifying Oikawa as a talented person. But wouldn't that actually disrespect the amount of hard work he's put in becoming the player that he is?
The same way, during the 4th season of Haikyuu!!, Inarizaki team captain Kita Shinsuke gives a speech about talent versus hard work.
Sometimes, you run into people in the world who think guys like Atsumu [Miya, Inarizaki's setter] are born with incredible talent for no reason. That's wrong. If what i do every day is going from one to ten, then guys like Atsumu are going from one to twenty, or a weightier ten. Sometimes, they think, "what if I don't go from one to ten? I mean, that can't be the only way to do what I'm trying to do. It would be pretty interesting if I tried going from A to Z instead." [...] There are plenty of people in the world who will make you think that you'll never match up to them, and of course you're gonna be impressed by these guys, because that's a natural reaction. [...] But that said, if you could think of them as better than you from the moment of birth, you've given them the whole game before you've even stepped on the court.
"The Birth of the Serene King." Haikyuu!!, directed by Masako Satō. Performance by Kevin D. Thelwell, season 4, episode 23, Production I.G., 2020.
What Kita is saying is that when we say that someone is talented, we deny the hard work that we may not see that was done to get to the result. Fun fact, Kita is actually most of the Japanese National Men's Volleyball Team members' favourite character, and I think this quote is why. When we watch their games on TV, we may think how incredible they are, but really they honed their bodies to push past their limits, resulting in what we are seeing.
So, it is fair to say that talent alone is not enough. To succeed, we must put in the hard work. Things may come easy to us — photographic memory, ease with math, ease with languages, ease with sports, et cetera — but it is not merely enough to get what we want.
On this, Hinata Shōyō is the prime example. At first, when we first see him join the Karasuno Boys' Volleyball club, he was the weakest member of the team, He had a hard time with receiving the ball, and he couldn't do regular quick attacks or go above the wall of blockers. But he kept working hard, and ultimately became one of Japan's best receivers.
Failure Leads To Success
Speaking of Hinata's journey to success, another valuable lesson we are given by Haikyuu!! is that failure is not the end of the world, but rather the key to success. Think about it, what led Karasuno to the Spring Nationals? They had to lose against Aoba Jōsai in the Interhigh Preliminaries and then go to summer training camp during which they lost roughly seventy of their practice games against the Kantō powerhouses, and only then did they win through the preliminaries, even winning against the beast that is Shiratorizawa Academy.
Failure to stand back up is what leads to the end of your journey. But integrating your failures, your mistakes, what you could not do, and work hard on it so that you can actually do it, that's what leads to success.
Now, I do have a quote that matches this feeling exactly, spoken to Hinata by Takeda Ittetsu.
However, fair warning, it has not yet been adapted in the anime. So if you are an anime only person, please scroll down as fast as you can lol. Because this... this is a MAJOR MANGA SPOILER!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Are we good? Alright. The quote Takeda-sensei gives Hinata encapsulates the fact that failure is a part of life and that remembering how one feels about failing is how we build a stronger foundation to do better next time. The quote is the following:
Remember this feeling. There will surely be times in your life when you will feel this way again. There will come a time when there's nothing you can do. Whenever that happens, pay attention and etch it into your mind. You said you were going to win the gold medal someday. And not just one. And now, you know that there are walls that you can't overcome with reckless effort. When that time comes, what you need, is knowledge, logic, and thought. Hinata-kun, this moment, right now, is also volleyball.
Furudate, Haruichi. Haikyuu!!. Translated by Adrienne Beck. Viz Media, 2016.
At the end of that arc, before we get to the time-skip in the manga, there is a powerful quote that proves that failure is not the end. It pushes us to look forward, to get back up and work harder. I often refer back to this quote when I feel like I'm behind in life, like I failed to reach what I wanted to reach by now. Failure does not mean the journey is over, on the contrary. And Hinata shows us this at every turn, which is why it is fitting that the manga panel we get with this quote is his leaving the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Today, you are the defeated... but what will you become tomorrow?
Furudate, Haruichi. Haikyuu!!. Translated by Adrienne Beck. Viz Media, 2016.
In sports, every defeat brings you to question what you need to improve and work on that. That mentality is not just one we should have in sports only. It applies to all works of life. It applies to school. It applies to the workplace. It applies to relationships. No matter what, one must get back up and keep going.
Haikyuu!!: Not Just A Sports Anime
I know I'm probably preaching to the choir with this essay. Anime fans and manga fans all know that both aren't just merely entertainment. Perhaps I'm hoping to change the minds of those who dismiss anime as something childish without anything to take away from it, though I highly doubt they would ever find this blog and read what I have to say...
I will admit, I was not too keen on watching sports anime when I first got into it in 2021 — and before anyone objects to my being a newer fan, I was bullied as a child too, and I did watch anime here and there because all of my friends were into it, but it wasn't until I was deep in the trenches of being a victim of narcissistic abuse that I was gently steered by a close friend to watch it and it saved my life, genuinely — because I thought it was going to be all about performance and wouldn't delve into emotional territory.
How wrong I was with Haikyuu!!. It is a masterpiece and I enjoy my rewatches thoroughly each time, being reminded at the right time of a specific life lesson, one I need to hear (again) and follow. It is my hope that more people watch it and read the manga, because if everyone did and applied what Furudate-sensei is teaching us through volleyball, the world would change for the better.