Over the entire volleyball anime/manga series of “Haikyuu!!,” many life lessons are learned by the characters that you can use as a staple in your own lives. Many philosophies and life-changing advice are introduced by wise characters, while Life lessons are learned through the experiences of players in difficult times. Many of these lessons discovered during teenage years impact the characters’ lives and motives which they carry with them long into adulthood. With that being said, here are the 3 biggest lessons from “Haikyuu!!” that you can take away from. 

“You do it right, and you do it everyday.” – Shinsuke Kita (Inarizaki).                 Karasuno’s game versus Inarizaki during the second round of matches in the Spring National Tournament introduces many new and interesting characters with their own personalities and motives. 

Inarizaki’s captain, Shinsuke Kita is a very grounded character with realistic views. While he wasn’t on screen for long, his lifestyle and work ethic impacted both the characters and viewers. 

His philosophy revolves around the idea that the process and doing things correctly matters more than the result. As quoted, “I am built upon the small things I do everyday, and the end results are no more than a byproduct of that.” He very strictly completes his daily routine with all his effort, not wavering for even a second. Kita sees the big picture and understands that his everyday actions and effort he puts into his everyday tasks builds his character and defines his life. 

The up and coming YouTuber “Lessons From Anime” claims this philosophy completely changed his life as it allowed him to complete tasks and improve his work ethic tremendously. 

 “He who climbs the ladder must begin at the bottom.” – Ittetsu Takeda. Karasuno’s Head Coach spoke these words to the main character Hinata as he lectured him regarding Hinata’s intrusion upon the regional volleyball camp for first years. The saying derives from a Chinese proverb explaining how every new journey starts at the bottom. To get better, you need to put in the work and climb the ladder. You cannot skip parts or cheat your way toward the top. 

The ladder is not always straightforward. Sometimes there’s detours and setbacks, sometimes it’s practice, eating, sleeping, working or concerts. Each bar of the ladder is an experience that’s needed to be lived through in order to move on. It’s hard work, but in the end, the ladder is just a ladder, a simple and steady process. By putting in the work and staying determined, you will see progress with how far you’ve climbed. 

Defeat is an opportunity to learn. “Being weak means that there’s room to grow.” – Ittetsu Takeda. In the second season, Hinata and Kageyama learned how to deconstruct their greatest weapon and rebuild it to something that has a much greater potential. Hinata was also considered weak because of his height disadvantage but he used his other abilities such as speed to overcome and make up for his “weakness.” Sarah Che, a Wheeling High School Sophomore who enjoyed the series claimed Hinata had the most impact on her because of his “constant determination and it inspired me to get more into volleyball as a short hitter like him.” 

The Karasuno team as a whole also learned many new techniques and plays to use during games from losing 62 games against many top teams. Karasuno’s defeat against Kamomedai in the semi-quarter finals of the Spring National Tournament also allowed Hinata to learn to take care of himself before anything else, including the thing he loves to do, volleyball. 

A freshman at UIUC and alumni of Wheeling High School, Jake Ning said “The most impactful lesson I learned from Haikyuu!! is learning to first believe and work on yourself…” He agrees with Ittetsu Takeda that you always need to take care of yourself before anything else. 

These were my 3 biggest lessons I’ve learned from Haikyuu!! No doubt, there are many more potent lessons from Haikyuu!! that we just cannot cover. The philosophies and wisdom bestowed can influence how we go about the day. They affect everyday activities and change our viewpoints on life. There’s so much more to the story than just playing volleyball, a whole court length more.