Awesome / Haikyuu!!

Many awesome moments ensue in Haikyuu!!, where the protagonist former powerhouse Karasuno boys' volleyball team work hard to shake off their "flightless crows" status and reach for the top once more.

“A murder of crows might even be capable of killing a large eagle.”

Spoilers are unmarked.

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Endings and Beginnings

• Hinata showing off what he can do at his first game. While he miserably lost to the more experienced and more well-rounded Kitagawa Daichi, his iron will wasn't about to give up that fight.

Karasuno High Team Formation Arc

• The first time Hinata and Kageyama work out their quick spike during the 3-on-3 match is done on a whim. Made more amazing since Hinata hits it with his eyes closed, something that shocks the team.
• In the final set of the practise match against Aoba Johsai, just as it seems Oikawa's arrival will win them the game, Hinata blocks Kindaichi and then stares right at Oikawa as he spikes the ball right past the latter's ear to win the match.

Interhigh Arc

• The final point against Date Tech: Asahi's first attempt at a spike gets blocked and Nishinoya realises that the ball's moving too fast for him to receive with his arms so he uses his foot instead. Asahi spikes again and scores the winning point. Especially gratifying since he quit volleyball for a month after a particularly bad match against the same school.
• Karasuno managing to play a full rally against Aoba Johsai. Despite them losing at the end, the team managing to play against one of the toughest teams in Miyagi to a near standstill is no easy feat. Teams are quick to comment on this whenever they talk about Karasuno later in the story.

Tokyo Expedition Arc

• After Ushijima talks down to him, Hinata effortlessly catches the ball that Ushijima reaches for, following it up with what's possibly the biggest badass boast from the series. And it's made even more awesome by the fact that, unlike most of the other strong players he's come up against, Hinata isn't remotely afraid of or intimidated by Ushijima. Made even more awesome with Kageyama giving a smug and confident smile in support of Hinata, as if to say, "Oh, hell yeah."
  Hinata: I'm Hinata Shoyo, from the concrete. And I'm going to beat you and go to nationals.
• After being introduced as the timid Yes-Man friend of Tsukishima, Yamaguchi finally stands up to him and calls him out on his half-hearted and cynical attitude towards volleyball, telling him that pride is the only reason they need to work so hard in their training.
• Although they lose to Fukurodani in the end (only natural since they are an experienced Nationals-tier team), Karasuno's final practice match with them shows that all their hard work in their new techniques have finally started to pay off.

Spring High Preliminaries Arc

• Iwaizumi wins the game against Date Tech by spiking the ball right in between Koganegawa's arms. The Iron Wall has been shattered!
• Karasuno avenges their loss against Aoba Johsai in the Interhigh by winning against the same team during their face-off in the semifinals, although Aoba Johsai of course makes them work hard for the win. The whole entire match is a knockout from start to end, making it clear that Karasuno and Aoba Johsai are not the same teams as last time; even made better with the anime, as you can just see and feel the pure ecstasy and suspense of the match.
  • Yamaguchi's growth as a player becomes apparent this showdown, which is especially noteworthy after he "chickened out" from his last serve in the Wakutani match:
    • He helps the team score five consecutive points with 3 service aces, even receiving a spike from Aoba Johsai's ace. The complete contrast to the first time he tried to use it in their previous match together makes it even better, as he doesn't look scared at all, and he isn't even shaking.
    • Oikawa is glad when his team manages to restrict Yamaguchi to one serve when he's subbed in the last set. Yes, the guy whose serve is regarded by almost everyone as absolutely terrifying and damn near impossible to receive feels that Yamaguchi is a threat, and even wonders if he's the same person he played against before.
  • Yahaba confronts Kyotani as his teammates listen in, thinking he's going to get bitten, and even going as far as shoving Kyotani against the wall before telling him that he'll never forgive him if he tracks dirt across their upperclassmen's stage.
  • At 24-24 in the third set, with tension high and just as the Aoba Johsai players believe that because they've forced Sugawara to touch the ball first there won't be an attack from Kageyama like in the second set, Kageyama setter dumps to give Karasuno set and game point. As one of the spectators comments, it takes some guts to go for a dump at that point.
  • The end is absolutely exhilarating, as both teams are stuck in a back and forth cycle to see where the ball drops. The pure emotion and aggression in this scene alone truly makes it some of the best the series has to offer, from the sheer desperation both sides were feeling to Hinata's overwhelming confidence. The anime adaptation takes it up a notch with its rousing soundtrack, with a orchestral, rock-fueled instrumental driving a brilliant scene to its climax.
  • How does Karasuno finally win? By doing the exact same move that they tried at Interhigh, with some exceptions. Namely, with the new setup Hinata and Kageyama have been perfecting over the arc, Hinata finally has his eyes open rather than closed, giving him the edge needed to land the well-deserved spike that gets them to the finals.
  • To Oikawa's credit, had Hinata's spike not hit Kindaichi and get knocked off course, there's every chance the third year would've managed to pick it up, something Daichi mentions after the match.
• The leadup to the Tsukishima block against Ushijima in the second set, as well as the aftermath:
  • While initially struggling to deal with Ushijima's power, Tsukishima realises how frustrating all the deflections, Nishinoya's receives and Freak Quicks are for Shirabu. He waits for it to take its toll in order to bait Shirabu into setting a bad toss to Ushijima's way, much to the setter's horror.
    Tsukishima: I was waiting for this fraying caused by slight annoyance and panic.
  • Tsukishima finally blocking Ushijima's spike happens on Karasuno's set point of all times, shocking everyone who expected Shiatorizawa to give a straight-set throwdown. It not only proves Ushijima's spike isn't unstoppable, but it also brings Tsukishima of all people to let out a victory shout. This comes with a flashback to Bokuto's advice to him: that he needs to find that one moment that will hook him on volleyball. Considering Tsukishima's character arc has been all about overcoming Dismotivation, it's especially awesome that his "moment" was stopping that spike.
• Hinata starts using his amazing jump with a running start to block, stunning onlookers when he uses this approach to block one of Shiratorizawa's spikes in the fourth set of the finals. After he does so, he boasts to Ushijima (who had called him out on his clumsy technique earlier) that he never said he wasn't going to fight with height.
• Despite being put out of commission from repeatedly taking Ushijima's spikes, Tsukishima spends his quiet time in the medical office working through the pain in his fingers and thinking about a strategy to beat Shiratorizawa once he comes back to the court.
• When Kageyama's spike rebounds off the triple block, Hinata has almost no time to react. So what does he do? Use his face to deflect the ball back to Shiratorizawa. Important to note that this isn't a fluke - part of what makes this awesome isn't just the fact that Hinata uses his face, it's the fact that he makes an active choice to use his cheek instead of his nose, which would have undoubtedly made his nose start bleeding if not broken it completely and would have led to Karasuno missing both of their main middle blockers if he got pulled out of the game (this takes place not long after Tsukishima pulls out due to a bleeding dislocated pinky).
• When Shiratorizawa and Karasuno are at a deuce in the final set of their match and almost all of Karasuno's on-court players are feeling the fatigue in their legs, Nishinoya pulls off an astonishing double-receive (one off a serve net-cord and then another from Goshiki's spike) and helps the team get another match point.
• Tsukishima blocking despite the obvious pain in his hand from before. That's right, the man who couldn't be bothered to care for volleyball at first is fighting until the very end!
• Karasuno wins against Shiratorizawa - the most feared school in Miyagi. The fact that they started out as a mediocre school is doubly impressive. And how does Karasuno end up beating them? By doing a synchronized attack, with Hinata successfully attempting an attack right behind Tsukishima, allowing him to get the final point needed for Karasuno to win.
• Kageyama being invited to the National Youth Intensive Training Camp, which only recruits the most promising/talented high school players as potential candidates for the Under-19 team. The fact that he was chosen out of many in Miyagi is impressive enough.

Tokyo Nationals Arc

• Hinata's gradual level-up is a sight to behold. Relegated to being a ball-boy during the Miyagi First-Year Training Camp, he continuously learns how to analyze other players' moves, incorporating it to his play style. While he still can't properly receive at the time, the fact that he learned so much in such a small amount of time is utterly satisfying.
• With the size of the stadium throwing him off, Karasuno is constantly on their toes trying to accommodate for him until he gets tuned it. We then get a positively fantastic sequence of Kageyama finally tuning himself to the court, surrounded by white lights that form a grid that help him lock on Hinata, delivering the signature freak-quick. This line makes it all the more better:
  Kagayama: I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
• The final rally against Tsubakihara puts the third-years firmly in the spotlight, with Sugawara having quite a bit of focus here.
  • The moment he gets on to the court, Sugawara is instantly analyzing the opponent's moves. Even when pulling off an astonishing receive from the back corner of the court, he's still watching out for Tsubakihara's next move.
  • Hinata going for the kill... only to reveal Asahi from the back. Asahi spikes the ball at full-force, getting them the win to move on to Round 2.
• With the pressure against Karasuno building higher and higher thanks to Inarizaki's cheer team, Saeko has an epic Big Damn Heroes moment by coming in with her taiko drum crew to help combat the cheer team. While the crew doesn't overpower the squad, they instead reset the rhythm for Karasuno, allowing the team to relax and play to their fullest.
• After missing spike after spike and making quite a few mistakes during the first set, Tanaka starts to fall into a rut, looking down on himself for not being at his best. This makes it all the more sweeter when he calls for Kageyama's toss at a key point in the match, which then leads to him finally nailing the cross spike that he so desperately wanted to perfect since the Tokyo training camps, clinching the first set for Karasuno and making everyone in the crowd roar with triumph.
• With Nekoma exhausted from all of Sarukawa's strategies to take down Kenma, Kenma pulls off a move that would make Kageyama proud; namely, going right for a jump pass without giving any hint whatsoever and setting with minimal movement. This leads to Fukunaga nailing the win for Nekoma, allowing them to move on to Round 3.
• Inarizaki keeps on grabbing every point and it seems like Karasuno is close to losing the match... that is, until Hinata finally makes the receive we've all been waiting for. Quickly figuring out Aran's position, he used his entire body to kill the velocity of the ball, creating a perfect set for Kageyama. It's so awesome in fact, that Kageyama can't help but be impressed himself.
  Kageyama: I never thought that I would say these words to you... Nice receive.
• Even though the team's morale is in the gutter due to Inarizaki gaining another point from their hands, Hinata's sheer happiness over his receive allows Karasuno to decompress and get back on their feet, more determined than ever. Karasuno may have lost a point, but that definitely doesn't mean that they're ready to lose the match just yet. Crosses over with Heartwarming.
• Despite Tanaka asking him to not give him a bunch of spikes, Kageyama absolutely refuses, saying that he can merely do better. At a decisive point in the game, we see Kageyama follow through with what he said by giving Tanaka a perfect set. Tanaka, fully knowing that this point can make or break the game, does a perfect line shot that smashes through Inarizaki's block. While Tanaka made the point, it was Kageyama who was able to draw out 100% of his power, something that both Oikawa and Atsumu critiqued him relentlessly for.
• Tsukishima knows that he can't count on just himself to block out Suna's spike. Instead, he merely blocks Suna just enough so that Hinata can receive it. Tsukishima put all of his trust into Hinata for that one receive and it works because he knew that Hinata's growth and determination will be able to make it.
• Asahi performing a one-person difference attack during the final moments of the third set. What makes this awesome is that he was able to still put in 100% of his power into his spike, despite dealing with physical and mental fatigue.
• The final two points against Inarizaki are awesome in spades. First Kageyama does a setter dump to give Karasuno set and game point. Then Tsukishima, noted by Aran to have previously been a "just get it in" server, places a serve right before the net. However Karasuno speeds up their attacks too much, increasing the pressure on Inarizaki but themselves as well.... until Hinata, showing his growth, digs the ball high, giving them time to calm down. Their synchronized attack is blocked, but Daichi manages to save it, sending it over to Inarizaki. The Miya twins pull out their Minus Tempo attack from the back row, something they hadn't done in the game, to the extent that Atsumu thinks it's perfect... only for Osamu's spike to be blocked by Kageyama and Hinata, landing in Inarizaki's side and winning Karasuno the game and allowing them to move on to Round 4.
• In the final point of the Nekoma vs Karasuno match, everyone is engaged in an incredible marathon of a rally. It's so taxing that it only ends when the ball slips off of Kenma's fingers, due to sweat.
• Tsukishima helps Karasuno score the winning point of the second set in the Kamomedai match. How? By going up against Hoshiumi, baiting him to do a block-out (something that has been troubling Karasuno all match) and moving his hand so that Hoshiumi misses the block and unintentionally spikes the ball out of bounds. It nicely acts as a foil to his earlier block against Ushijima.

Final Arc

• In Chapter 384, Hinata shows off his new defensive abilities, baiting both Hoshiumi and Nicolas Romero, who had been established as a world class ace in the previous 2 chapters, into hitting where he wanted them to. In a timeout Romero recognizes Hinata as Ninja Shoyo, proclaiming that his son wanted to play beach volleyball after watching Hinata play.
• While it was offscreen, the general consensus is that our Karasuno boys helped make their school a volleyball powerhouse. Their next showings for Hinata's last two years of high school are eighth and third at Spring High.
• The final point of the Adlers vs MSBY match reinforces that, while now a remarkable wing spiker, Hinata's still an excellent decoy; he successfully tricks his opponents into thinking Atsumu is setting to him, allowing Bokuto to smash the winning spike.

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