Haikyuu!! Review: Episode 12

I don't know if this is necessary but I'll put it here just in case:
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the subtitles or the anime streaming site in the images below. I just took the screenshots. 

Hello you beautiful person! How was your day? I hope it was great. :)

Today I'm going to be reviewing the 12th episode of a volleyball anime series named Haikyuu!! Check it out because it's great and wonderful and full of adorable characters! I also recommend reading the manga.

Haikyuu!! episode 12

Karasuno meets Nekoma

The episode starts off with a little backstory between the two coach rivals--Nekoma and Ukai--and how the two school rivalries ended sadly.
The players of Nekoma and Karasuno meet each other, blah blah blah, and it's quite funny how you can see equivalents of each Karasuno player on the other team. Except maybe Tsukishima...

The match begins and immediately Karasuno dominates Nekoma with Kageyama-Hinata's speed spike. Things begin to go smoothly--a little too smoothly perhaps and then we notice a keen little eye here: 

Cute but too perceptive Kenma

This is where Nekoma shows why they are so fearsome. I liked the concept of the team. The players were like blood veins--flowing smoothly and allowing the mind (Kenma) to function. In other words, the team is composed of solid receivers that support Kenma and allows him to do his job as a setter well. 

Kenma notices that Hinata tends to aim for the same spots so he suggests that Inouka Sou, one of their fastest, if not fastest blockers, to keep Hinata's fast spikes at bay. 

Hinata's shutdown continues pretty much the rest of the episode until the last few minutes. 

There was also a tiny backstory for Kenma. Crammed into a few minutes, Kenma was shown to originally have black hair (obviously, if you look at his roots) but along the way it seemed he decided to dye his hair for unknown reasons. But as a kid, he was shy and quiet, almost wanted to be invisible and not get in anyone's way. The only friend he had was a neighbor, Kuroo Tetsuo, now the captain of Nekoma, who dragged him into playing volleyball. **Side note:A lottt of people ship them...I think they're cute.;3 **

Anyway, Kenma has made it clear several times that he doesn't particularly enjoy volleyball although I say otherwise.

Not-so-obvious foreshadowing

Back to Hinata being shut-down by Inuoka; he changes things up by actually opening his eyes when he spikes the ball but has trouble making contact. I was about to say, "Hinata, you're adorable, not overpowered. You can't keep spiking like that even it does work a few times." 

I was really happy to see that even though he was upset at being shut-down at first, he eventually felt not discouraged, but excited for the competition.

Hinata's excited smile

It's nice to see him get more confident. ^^ 

Compared to before, he looked so defeated and at a lost at what to do when Tsukishima shut him down at the freshman match.

We learn a little more about the Little Giant this episode from Coach Ukai. 

Apparently he remembers everything his grandpa tells him perfectly. Huh.

My Favorite Quote from this Episode

 

"Because people don't have wings...we look for ways to fly."

And then Hinata finally comes up with something! He hits the ball with his hand at odd angle, resulting the ball to curve drastically (or maybe that's just the animation lol.) This was such an intense and heart-racing moment.

His ball was slightly out but DANNGG that was hella cool. YOU GO HINATA YOU GO.
The episode then ends with him asking to try it out one more time.
Ugh, this was such a GOOD episode! Any Haikyuu!! episode is really good honestly.

So, that was my review of Haikyuu!! episode 12. :) I hope you enjoyed reading this and also enjoyed the episode ahaha. See ya!

Have a good day! ~Julie