Haikyu!!, Vol. 38: Task Focus

ハイキュー!! [Haikyū!!] #38

by Haruichi Furudate

Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly!

Ever since he saw the legendary player known as “the Little Giant” compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?

It’s Bokuto versus Kiryu—two of the top hitters in the nation—in the quarterfinals of the Spring Tournament! Bokuto is playing better than ever, but Akaashi, lured into making a handful of critical mistakes, gets benched. Meanwhile, as Hinata prepares for his next game, he runs into the last person in the world he ever expected to meet!

Genres: Manga, Sports, Shonen, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Contemporary

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2019

About the author

Haruichi Furudate ( 古舘 春一) is a Japanese author of manga. He is best known for creating the series Haikyū!!.

Chinese language profile: 古舘春一.

Reviews

[literarylesbian · Rating 4 out of 5]

bokuto’s built like a pokémon trainer

[Reem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I demand the release of this in anime format asap!!!

[Sherilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve fallen for Bokuto and Akaashi even more

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite volumes! Those Bokuto's scenes- He's so funny here! Lol

[Henny · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's nice, Furudate didn't just focus on Karasuno only. Fukurudani, Nekoma, doesn't matter. The characters are all great, the teams play differently and I love how Furudate didn't reduce them to just side characters who appear every now and then with some advice for Karasuno.

[zeinab · Rating 5 out of 5]

bokuaka you will always be famous.

[Lucy Tonks (the invisible life of a reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm not ready for what is about to go down

also, even their teammates are shipping bokuto and akaashi together. you cannot tell me that they are not dating. you just can't.

[☠tsukino☠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

cap. 332 – 340
Hinata e Tanaka che appaiono in piccole vignette ad ogni punto di Bokuto, come fanboys, sono uno spettacolo.
Bellissimo il rapporto tra Bokuto e Akaashi, con quest’ultimo che non è così distaccato come sembra e Bokuto che è più osservatore di quello che si pensa.
Ma uno di questi giorni ti batterò è la frase (ATTENZIONE SPOILER SULLA FINE DEL MANGA) profetica che Hinata grida a Kageyama.
È mi emozione sempre alla parte con il Piccolo Gigante.
Mi veniva da piangere, invece, per tutte gli errori e le imperfezioni della traduzione.

[Giulia (la.perfa_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fermi tutti.
È la mia nuova bibbia. Bokuaka world domination ♡

[julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st read: tbh konoha carried

2nd read: i stand by what i said

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooooh shots fired.

[Hella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrenalin, adrenalin and again even more adrenalin 🌝

[—lex♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cualquier fragmento de Bokuto es mi perdición, lo amo mucho, diosito. Traigan a mi novio a la vida real, necesito babear sobre él mientras él babea sobre el volley. No ocupo más en el mundo.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/yfu9m4KfAZg

This honestly has to be one of the funniest volumes in Haikyu!

There is something so thrilling and exciting about watching Bokuto! His love for volleyball and his antics are truly contagious and wrap around you off the page. It is absolutely amazing!

And not just that, but I have fallen for Fukurodani!! I have always liked their team, but absolutely love these guys and totally can say I'm a BIG fan of Konoha! I don't know what it is about Mr. Jack-of-All-Trades but ever since that moment in one of the earlier volumes, I have really liked him. This volume just confirmed it!

I REALLY enjoyed this match! Akaashi was amazing and just wish I could have wrapped him in a hug! Granted, him and Bokuto make an awesome pair! They really have a fun dynamics to their friendship and as ace and setter!

I'm really thankful that we had a nice break with this match because while it was intense, it was a lot of fun to read. Now that we are getting into the "Little Giant" match, my nerves are back full force! Though having a surprise visit from a certain player was :o :o :o :o :o!!!! I did NOT see that coming!!

Loved the small things like Kenma's commentary, Bokuto's "rebuttals" to Akaashi, Kageyama's threat, and Daichi and Sensei's pep talk. They both know exactly what to say at the right time!

"Go out there and prove to Kamomedai…and everyone in this gymnasium…that it is the crows of Karasuno who rule the sky."

[bea ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

bokuaka was so real in this one.... wow. happy pride month

AND IM LIVING FOR THE KAMOMEDAI VS KARASUNO MATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET'S GOOOOOO

[Kleine Lesehexe · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was fun! I liked that we got some inside in the Fukurodani Team and some flashbacks to younger Bokuto and Aakashi! (Now I get why people ship those two as hard as they do, haha.)
On top of that did I get the feeling that Bokuto is just playing dumb to trick people! Why? Because that guy really "showed some brain" in this volume!

[lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite volume forever and ever and ever

[Zaiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy for Fukurodani!! Okay but now things are getting hella intense AHH!!

[Althea ☾]

This counts as my review for the whole Haikyuu!! manga

”You don’t win alone.
That’s just how it is.”

READ FOR: best character developments and themes that I have ever encountered
READING LEVEL: Level 1-3 out of 5

*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless stated otherwise*

I don’t think I’ll ever have enough words to express how much I love this manga and anime series but I’ll try anyway. But I just need to make it known that this has changed my view in anime and manga forever. I caught up with this manga in the last 30 or so chapters but I won’t say much to avoid spoilers... but it was crazy.

It made me laugh, cry, fall in love, think, and honestly... what else do you need in a series? I can keep going on and on about this series but honestly I think you should just read it for yourself. I really don't think you'll regret it.

When someone asks me what the plot is, honestly, all I can say is “they play volleyball” HAHAHA… but it’s so much more than that.



PLOT: ★★★★★
The plot was so well thought of from the very beginning and when I re-read the manga I can’t believe the amount of foreshadowing Furudate actually placed. My mind was so blown… I just. No words. I am seriously in love.

ART STYLE: ★★★★★
The art style… *chef’s kiss* especially in the later arcs. There were so many matches but even then Furudate never failed to leave me breathless at each one.



CHARACTERS: ★★★★★
The character development here is THE BEST. HANDS DOWN. that I have ever come across. I fell in love with the so many characters in this series that I did not even think that was possible.

The character relationships... the character dynamics... their mindsets... they are all so perfectly well done and realistic GAHHHH I've said this so many time throughout this review BUT THEY JUST MADE ME FALL IN LOVE SO EASILY. I can't pick my favourite one but hinata and kageyama just hold a special place in my heart.

This connects to the themes but my favourite thing that was done with the characters here was that each one of them embodied a theme or a message that the author wanted to get across. Those are spoilers so I won’t really talk about it but just know that it was one of the main reasons that made me go so crazy about this series.

*cough* hinata kageyama atsumu sakusa bokuto kita noya ushijima tendou tsukki suga kenma kuroo *cough* +++

Note: if you think this series is focused on only 1 team... you're in it for A RIDEEEEEE


I'm getting chills just looking at and remembering these panels ^^

THEMES: ★★★★★
Honestly I basically thought the themes were just gonna be “teamwork” and “friendship”… while it is all that, Furudate sensei was able to make it even deeper. And the symbolisms? You are not ready.

I think the one that was focused on the most was “It’s not always about winning, it’s about growth”. But there were also so many smaller things that lead up to that bigger point: (1) we get our strength from others, (2) but you also need to make yourself dependable, (3) there is always room for improvement, (4) working hard is good but overworking yourself isn’t, (5) you are built on the small things you do everyday, (6) an ace's back should be an inspiration to your teammates (hi bokuto), (7)+++

The way I wrote it was very straight to the point but I was amazed at how Furudate tackled the so many messages that I received from this series.



PACING: ★★★★★
THE TIMING. OF EVERYTHING. JUST MAKES SENSE.

It’s so realistic that I want to cry. (I actually already did… a lot of times.)



PAGE TURNER: ★★★★★

You should understand that I made this review weeks after I finally calmed down about this series cuz I was really going crazy about it HAHAHA if you have finished this series too or met me while I was reading this, you know what I’m talking about ;)

I'll keep this series close to my heart until the grave. You cannot convince me otherwise.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's just jump into this LONG overdue review.

Bokuto as Team Captain
Each of the teams' captains are different in terms of personality and in some cases what position they play. Yet, we see why they are the captain and Bokuto is no different. Yes, he can be immature as well as enthusiastic, but he also has EQ, especially self-awareness. His leadership is highlighted in these quotes:

"Listen. You aren't thinking this is some kind of 'we can't afford to lose it' game, are you?...Ooh Bull's eye! But y'know? When have we ever played a game we could afford to lose?" This shows that he knows what one of his players is thinking and is addressing it, because he knows that this type of thinking can get them off track.

"Hey, Akaashi's not like me, y'know? He's actually mature and stuff. He's not gonna get all upset and sulk over being benched for a handful of rallies. He'll get his head straight and be his old self in no time. I mean, this is Akaashi we're talking about." Bokuto is self-aware. He knows that he does not act as he should. It also shows he trusts his teammate.

"'Think about what's fun...not what's easy.' My old coach from back in my junior league days harped on that all the dang time. I never really liked having to do things exactly as I was told...But that? That just kinda MAKE SENSE to me, y'know? Getting blocked is no fun. Botching digs is no fun. Missing serves is not fun. Getting tired is no fun. I wanna score every time. I wanna dig EVERY BALL. I wanna win EVERY GAME." Inspirational, enough said.

"It's not easy to give your full 100 percent during a game. But, Akaashi? From you...I want your 120 percent." Encouraging to do something that sounds really hard.

"I think it's totally awesome how you can hit just about any ball...but from now on, I think you should tell all the other guys who aren't the setter to step up and set better for you. Even if it's asking too much, you should do it." Stepping up to pass advice to another player.

"Hey, Akaashi! You Reflecting On The Game? Or Regretting Things? If You're Just Reflecting, I Won't Bug Ya!" See! We saw this already in the first quote I mentioned.

Akaashi: "I allowed myself to get distracted by unnecessary thoughts."
Bokuto: "You know what did it? Great! You'll be fine, then. Now you know how to fix it next time."
Akaashi: "Yes...!"
This piece of dialog happened right after the above quote. Bokuto asks if he needs to step in and then gives Akaashi some encouraging advice.

"NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE...JUST REALLY IMPROBABLE!" Yes! Bokuto! This is what we need in our life!

Karasuno and Nekoma Cheer Squads
I like the bonding on this one page. While this is the first time they met, I like how even the cheer squads have the same energy and relationship as the teams.

Spectators for the Next Karasuno Game
We see the return of another team, because they are cheering on Karasuno and have an interest in the next team. I cannot say who Karasuno's opponent is, but I can say the following. The spectator team is similar to Karasuno's opponent, except for one difference: they're bigger. I will leave this section with this thought. You know how in a fantasy story the heroes face a giant and win, but then a few pages later or the next story they find out that giant was a baby? Yeah, Karasuno's next opponent is a full-grown giant compared to the spectator team. There is a great visual and line about their next opponent from Coach Ukai followed by a panel with Hinata's, Kageyama's, Asahi's, and Tanaka's reactions.

I like it that we continue to see Kuroo and Kenma through Bokuto's game and the next one.

Third Year Watching
There is this funny moment, where Tanaka and Nishinoya are watching the third years backs. They are all serious when talking about the imposing backs of their third years, but as the reader you find out what the third years are talking about and it is not what Tanaka and Nishinoya think.

Hinata's Surprise
This was a great little moment and shows how Hinata has grown in confidence.

Words to Live By
As always, there are some great passages that are used for volleyball that can be applied to everyday living.

"Task focus. The end result of a game. The referees' judgments. The actions of the opponent. These are things outside of any one player's control. What a player can control...is their own thoughts and actions. The important things to keep in mind...are 'What CAN I do next?' and 'What SHOULD I do next?' Focus on the play in front of you."

And this one.

"When going up against stars, all I can do is what I always do...provide a steady and reliable supply. Like in yesterday's game. Like in the prelims. Like during practice. That much, I am confident I can manage."

Verdict: I LOVE this series!!!

[romi · Rating 5 out of 5]

impensable que a este tomo no le de sus merecidas 5 estrellas pq en sí todo haikyuu se las merece PERO ESTE TOMO tiene que lucirlas pa como se debe igual que el tomo 17 (APARTE MIRÁ ESA PORTADA NOMÁS)

spoilers obvio

1. el entrenador preguntándole a akaashi si estaba listo para entrar a la cancha y él respondiendo "con una estrella frente a mis ojos, lo único que me queda por hacer es 'jugar como siempre lo he hecho' y cumplir. Si jugar como siempre he hecho es lo que se necesita, entonces lo puedo hacer." YA EN SÍ PEGUÉ UN GRITO PORQUE LO LLAMÓ ESTRELLA pero imaginé que se refería a su posición como rematador estrella no sé HASTA QUE EL ENTRENADOR LE PREGUNTA A LA ASISTENTE QUÉ ES ESA ESTRELLA DE LA QUE HABLA???? les juro que me tiré al piso no me avergüenza admitirlo

2. "tus colocaciones son las mejores!!!"
"muchas gracias" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭PUTOS DE MIERDA y tmb vos furudate 🫵🫵🫵🫵 haces un paralelismo del primer dia que se conocieron con las mismas sonrisas el mismo sentimiento !!!!! flacoo entiendo que estés intentando confirmar de forma indirecta que estos dos son novios pero hay gente que no entiende dibujá un besito o algo

3. HIJOS DE RE MIL PUTA métanse el atajo por el culo los odio nadie merece a bokuto solo akaashi

4. "sé que no es fácil dar tu 100 por ciento en un partido. Pero, Akaashi? de vos... quiero tu 130 por ciento." .... BUEEEEENO y que AKAASHI LE PASE LA PELOTA AÚN SABIENDO CON CASI UNA TOTAL SEGURIDAD QUE LOS REMATADORES DE LA IZQUIERDA Y DERECHA PODIAN HACER UN PUNTO E IGUAR PASÁRSELO A BOKUTO son momentos que merecen más reconocimiento

5. and remember guys nothing is imposible its just really hard

6. JAAAAAÁ que los compañeros de shoyo sepan que juega en el partido QUE DECÍA LA VERDAD!!!! encima lo mencionan en la tele como un gran anotador dios no saben lo feliz que me hace

7. UUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ALGUIEN DE 160CM ACABA DE ATRAVESAR UNA MURALLA DE 2 METROS TOMAAAÁ

8. los de dateko viendo todo el partido así 🤨😠 te amo futakuchi (y a vos tmb goshiki que no apareces pero sé que estás ahí sufriendo más que seguro)

estoy totalmente destruida necesito ver cada partecita de estos tomos animada y sé que no va ser el caso pero bueno yo voy a salir llorando del cine igual qué querés que te diga si pudiese animaría la serie yo Los amo gracias haikyuu por tanto perdón por tan poco ya mismo me pongo a estudiar animación

[dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

[cries in bokuaka] i'm fine, guys.

[almas · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOKUTO AND AKAASHI ARE CANON I DON'T CARE WHAT PEOPLE SAY

[⋆ ࣪˖ ִֶָ sel ་༘࿐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I know it's not easy to give 100% in a match. But, Akaashi, give me your 120%."

BokuAka canon I fear. In this game, Akaashi showed more emotions than all of the panels he has been in the past volumes combined. And what's more beautiful about this match is the fact that Bokuto is just the right kind of support Akaashi needed right at that moment. He is truly the best even if he's aware or not. And Akaashi knows full well about the star that's in front of him. Ah, I can't wait for the world to know how special Bokuto is. He will never look back and see that he's alone.

Also, kudos to Kiryuu! An amazing ace through and through.

[Mary Emma Sivils · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who's paid attention to my reviews of this series can probably tell I love Bokuto's character, but I've always loved his teammate Akaashi, too. This volume just reinforced that for me! He's so adorably matter-of-fact and logical.
The focus is shifting back to Karasuno now, and it looks like it'll be an interesting match. I'll just have to wait and see!

Favorite moments:

-Bokuto really getting in the zone and having fun.
-"Who knew that volleyball could be tiring?"
-Akaashi giving 120 percent.
-The third-years' serious discussion about what to eat for dinner.

[yare · Rating 4 out of 5]

DUDEEEEEE

okay so about the fukurodani game, i feel in love with all of them 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽 they just did so good. Also i loved this new side of bokuto and akaashi that we saw. Its like they switched their roles as the supporter and the supported, love their friendship (:

ALSO THE KAMOMEDAI VS KARASUNO GAME IS GONNA BE SO GOOD BUT IM SO NERVYYYY. also also hinata meeting the og little giant 🥺 i wanna know what tsukki thinks about seeing the little giant again as well though, bc they were both affected by him but in VERY different ways

[Yanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adooooored this volume for two reasons: firstly the Fukurodani match was everything i needed with loooots of bokuaka scenes (definitely still my favourite ship, I'd chop one of my arms for them), and all the akaashi details (my boo just needs a hug). I would've loved it tho to be a bit longer ://
As for the second half with the new karasuno match; great start, I'm intrigued, looks like it's going to be a tense rally
+ bonus hearts for the lil kuroo comments throughout the volume :)))

[Isha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lol I was reading the reviews for this volume and majority are some form of BOKUAKA CANON and honestly I can’t blame them

I loveddd this volume sooo much idk fukurodani has a special place in my heart so the amount of content I just got about them was pretty great

Oh and I liked the flashbacks too but Bokuto’s kinda hurt me

OH YEAH AND HINATA MEETING THE LITTLE GIANT WAS AMAZING IM SO GLAD IT HAPPENED

So yea I’m insanely happy about them winning and now we get to see Hinata vs Hoshiumi which should be very interesting lol

[Chloe ⋆·˚ ༘ * · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Think about what’s fun, not what’s easy.”

4.5 stars - Bokuto and Akaashi have my heart ahh <3 such great moments for the both of them, and really shows why Bokuto is captain despite his very laid back(?) personality. Also with this line from Akaashi how can anyone not love Bokuaka:

“I don’t care what anyone says. Right now, we are the protagonists of the world.”

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is definitely my favorite character of Haikyuu!
He is lot better in Mangas!