| This article is about the chapter. You may be looking for the episode. |
"An Interesting Team" (Japanese: 面白いチーム Omoshiroi Chīmu) is the thirteenth chapter of the Haikyū!! series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. It was published in the 25th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump’s 2012 series.
Overview
Karasuno pushes Aobajōsai High into calling for a timeout, and Kageyama's ex-teammates are shocked by his new personality. Karasuno wins a set, but Kageyama is uneasy because he suspects that Aobajōsai's current setter isn't their usual setter. Suddenly, the usual setter, Oikawa Tōru, arrives, and Kageyama reveals that he's his senpai from middle school.
Plot
The score of the second set is (10-9), in Karasuno’s favor. As Hinata gets ready to spike, the players of Aobajōsai run to block him, all convinced that he and Kageyama are going to do another quick strike, but the ball is sent to Tanaka instead.
Soon, Aobajōsai is pushed into taking a timeout by Karasuno. Hinata stands off to the side with a sullen expression and Daichi comes over. Hinata tells him that he used to think that he had to handle everything by himself since his old team was a mess but now that he's surrounded by players that are much better than he is, all he can do is trust his teammates and jump. Daichi remarks that Hinata’s “trust and jump” is an amazing weapon.
On the other side, Yahaba asks Kindaichi why Kageyama is different from what the latter had described earlier, and Kindaichi replies that he can't believe that there's a player that can match Kageyama’s toss. However, his coach interrupts and states that it's Kageyama that's enabling Hinata to hit the toss, not the other way around. Kageyama is tossing the ball with pinpoint accuracy to the perfect angle for Hinata to hit. The coach says that the egotistic Kageyama had changed and is now devoting his skills to helping Hinata; he knows nothing about the extent of Hinata’s own abilities though, but he doubts that they are more than an amateur’s. Hinata does, however, surprise him with his complete trust in his teammate but besides the combination, the two separately are no threat to Aobajōsai. Coach Mizoguchi tells Coach Irihata that Kageyama not going to Aobajōsai is a huge loss to them, but the latter replies that Kageyama is only this incredible because of Hinata.
The game resumes with Kageyama tossing to Tsukishima. The rotation has changed at this point to Tsukishima and Kageyama in the front, creating a perfect wall for blocking. The game is completely in Karasuno’s favor (24-22) and with one last quick strike, they win the set.
As they are taking a break, Sugawara states that he's glad that there isn’t a guy that serves like Kageyama in Aobajōsai, but the setter quickly tells him not to let his guard down because there is a possibility that Aobajōsai’s current setter, Yahaba, is not the regular one.
The third set begins but before anything can happen, the game is interrupted by loud noises of cheering girls due to the arrival of Oikawa Tōru, another member of Aobajōsai. Kageyama tells his teammates that Oikawa is a very offensive-based setter whose attacks are top-notch in his team and is the first year’s senpai from Kitagawa Daiichi–and the person that Kageyama learned blocking and serving from.
Debut
- Nobuteru Irihata
- Sadayuki Mizoguchi (name still unrevealed)
- Tōru Oikawa
Appearances
- Tobio Kageyama
- Shōyō Hinata
- Daichi Sawamura
- Kei Tsukishima
- Kōshi Sugawara
- Ryūnosuke Tanaka
- Yūtarō Kindaichi
- Hajime Iwaizumi
- Issei Matsukawa
- Takahiro Hanamaki
- Shigeru Yahaba
- Akira Kunimi
- Ittetsu Takeda
- Chikara Ennoshita
- Tadashi Yamaguchi
Chapter notes
Character revelations
- Coach Irihata is the head coach of Aobajōsai High School's Volleyball team.
- Kageyama had been talked to about joining Aobajōsai by Coach Irihata, but he chose Karasuno instead.
- Blocking is also one of Kageyama’s strong points.
- Oikawa Tōru is a 3rd year at Aobajōsai High School and the captain and setter of the volleyball club.
- Oikawa was out for the majority of the practice match due to his injured leg (a light sprain).
- Oikawa is popular with the girls in Aobajōsai.
- Hinata first uses his special nickname for Oikawa in this chapter. Since Kageyama is “King” and Oikawa is his middle school senpai, and therefore a step above the “King”, the latter is called the “Grand King”.