Karasuno High (Japanese:
Uniform
Male Uniforms as worn by the volleyball team.
Karasuno, like most Japanese schools, has a dress code, which includes wearing a uniform. The male uniform consists of the classic black gakuran, white collared shirt, cream sweater and black pants. The women have a different uniform, which consists of a white blouse, red ribbon, cream sweater, black blazer, and a grey skirt[1]. However, since many students are often seen without the cream sweater and wearing t-shirts instead of the collared shirt, it is assumed that the dress code isn't strictly enforced.
The boys' volleyball club's uniform consists of a black tracksuit with white details. The members wear white t-shirts and black shorts during practice matches and often don a yellow sports bib on top. During official matches, the majority of players don a black jersey and shorts with orange details. The libero has a contrasting jersey in orange with black details.
The girls' volleyball club uniform consists of a black jersey and shorts, with white details. The shoulder area and lining is white, as is the team name boldly depicted at the front. The body and side-stripes of the uniform are black, and their backs have small white triangles highlighting the shape of the shoulders. The libero has a contrasting jersey in white with black details.
Academics
Each grade has five classes, with classes 4 and 5 being college preparatory classes. Periods are 50 minutes long, with a 10-minute break in between. Subjects taught include English, modern Japanese literature, math, and physical education. After graduation, students generally either continue on to higher education or work.
The passing grade for exams is 40 points. Students who fail their final exams must take weekend supplementary classes and a supplementary exam for each failed subject; these may sometimes be held during summer vacation. The passing grade for supplementary exams is 80 points, and students must take them until they pass.
Faculty
- Vice Principal
- Ittetsu Takeda - Modern Japanese Literature teacher
- Minaho Ono - English teacher
Volleyball Club
The school's Boys' Volleyball Club was founded many years ago and has often been associated with crows due to the school's name. Its banner, in fact, reads "Fly" which alludes to crows. It was said that Coach Ikkei Ukai had a ferocious pack of crows during Karasuno's glory days.
As a former powerhouse of Miyagi, Karasuno has represented the prefecture at the Spring High nationals nine times. One of those occasions was under the guidance of Coach Ikkei Ukai and Tenma Udai, also known as the "Small Giant" ("Little/Tiny Giant" in the anime), and was famous throughout Miyagi. However, after the initial success, Karasuno failed to pass its prefecture's preliminaries in future tournaments and therefore received the derogatory nicknames "The Fallen Champions" and "The Flightless Crows." It wasn't until five years later did the team finally return to nationals.
For a while, Karasuno did not have a coach due to Ukai's hospitalization after a few months of coaching the previous year. Daichi Sawamura then took on both the captain and the coach's duties until Ukai's grandson, Keishin Ukai, became the new coach. The managers of the team consist of Kiyoko Shimizu, a third-year and the original manager, and Hitoka Yachi, a first-year recruited by Kiyoko after the first tournament.
A team photo with the official banner in the back.
The main starting line-up is composed of Daichi Sawamura, Asahi Azumane, Ryūnosuke Tanaka, Yū Nishinoya, Shōyō Hinata, Tobio Kageyama, and Kei Tsukishima. Karasuno is currently famous for its quick attack (performed by Kageyama and Hinata) and its unique members: Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High's "King of the Court," Kageyama; Chidoriyama's champion libero, Nishinoya; and the 164cm-tall middle blocker, Hinata.
Karasuno's main rivals within the Miyagi Prefecture are Aoba Johsai High, Date Tech High, and Shiratorizawa Academy. The club's "destined" rival is Nekoma High, which Karasuno has always lost to. Because their animal representatives (cat and crow) are usually found by the dumpster, their matches are called the "Battle at the Garbage Dump." (In the anime it is referred to as 'The Trashcan Showdown.')
Karasuno's strongest attribute is its offensive power, with a heavy focus on attacks such as the quick strike, pipe-line, and synchronized attacks using tempo. It also utilizes uncommon techniques like the Calculated One-Point Two-Setter, the jump float serve, and a libero toss to throw off opponents.
They won the 2012 Miyagi Qualifiers Tournament against Shiratorizawa and advanced to the Spring Nationals. When they got there, they managed to rank in the top 8 of all of Japan after losing to Kamomedai.
They earned two consecutive participations at the Tournament for the next two years. In 2014, they placed in the Top 16 after losing in the third round to Inarizaki. In 2015, they played on center court against Itachiyama in the semifinals, and lost, ranking third nationally.
Members
2012-2013 Team
Former Players
Later Players
These players joined the Karasuno High School Boy's Volleyball team in school year 2013-2014.
Girls Club
2012-2013 Team
Practice Matches
- Karasuno High School vs Yugama High (Past) (1:2 / ??, ??, 19-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Ogi Nishi High School (Past) (0:2 / ??, 19-25)
- Hinata, Kageyama, Tanaka vs Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Sawamura (2:0 / 25-23, 25-21)
- Karasuno High School vs Aoba Johsai High School (2:1 / 13-25, 25-22, 25-23)
- Karasuno High School vs Karasuno Neighborhood Association + others (0:2 / 19-25, 18-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (0:2 / 22-25, 23-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (0:2 / 22-25, 24-26)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (0:2 / 25-27, 30-32)
- Red vs White (??:?? / ??-??, ??-??, ??-??, 23-25, ??-??, 25-19)
- Karasuno High School vs Ogi Nishi High School (2:0 / 25-?, 25-16)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (0:2 / ??, 24-26)
- Karasuno High School vs Date Tech High School (4:4 / 19-25, 23-25, ??-??, 25-23, ??-??, ??-??, ??-??, 25-21)
Summer Training Camp
Karasuno's lineup during the summer camp matches.
Karasuno played several sets against Nekoma, Fukurōdani, Shinzen, and Ubugawa (3 wins, 63 losses)
- Karasuno High School vs Fukurōdani Academy (16-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (17-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (19-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Ubugawa High School (20-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Shinzen High School (25-21)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (18-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Fukurōdani Academy (??-??)
- Karasuno High School vs Fukurōdani Academy (12-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (15-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Fukurōdani Academy (14-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Ubugawa High School (16-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School (16-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Ubugawa High School (22-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Shinzen High School (23-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Ubugawa High School (23-25)
- Karasuno High School vs Fukurōdani Academy (23-25)
Spring High Nationals Tournament (???)
First Round
- Karasuno High School vs Hisagi Tech High School (Gunma) (0:2)
Interhigh Prelims (2007)
- Karasuno High School vs Tokonami High School (2:? / ??-??, ??-??)
Spring-High Nationals Tournament (2008)
According to Takeda, Karasuno made it as far as the third round[2].
Third Round
- Karasuno High School vs ???
Interhigh Prelims (2010)
Second Round
- Karasuno High School vs Niikawa High School (0:2 / ??-25, 17-25)
68th Annual Prefectural Athletic Volleyaball Tournament
- Karasuno High School vs Date Tech High School (0:2 / ??-25, 15-25)
Interhigh-Preliminaries (2012)
For Interhigh's Miyagi Preliminaries, Karasuno was registered as team 5, Block A. Their venue was the Sendai City Gymnasium, along with Block B. They played over the span of two days (two games on the first day, one on the second) before losing in the third round to Aoba Johsai. Overall, they placed within the top 16.
First Round
- Karasuno High School vs Tokonami High School (2:0 / 25-12, 25-14)
- Karasuno High School (Girls) vs Shirato Girls' High (0:2 / ??,??) (Score was 9-18 during 2nd set)
Second Round
- Karasuno High School vs Date Tech High School (2:0 / 25-19, 25-22)
Third Round
- Karasuno High School vs Aoba Johsai High School (1:2 / 15-25, 25-23, 31-33)
Spring High-Miyagi Prefecture Representative Playoffs (2012)
For the first preliminary, Karasuno was registered as team 19, Group 4. Their venue was Kaji High School Gymnasium, along with Group 5. Because they placed within the top 16 during the Interhigh Preliminaries, they were exempt from the first round of games and played only two matches. After winning their matches against Ohgiminami and Kakugawa, they were allowed to move on to the representative playoffs held in October.
For the representative playoffs, Karasuno was registered as team 10. They played at the Sendai City Gymnasium over a span of three days (one game on the first day, two on the second, one on the third). After winning all their matches, they became Miyagi Prefecture's Representative for the Spring High National Tournament.
First Preliminary
- Karasuno High School vs Ohgiminami High School (2:0 / 25-16, 25-13)
- Karasuno High School vs Kakugawa High School (2:0 / 25-22, 25-19)
Main Preliminary
First Round
- Karasuno High School vs Johzenji High School (2:0 / 25-21, 25-20)
Quarterfinal
- Karasuno High School vs Wakutani Minami High School (2:1 / 25-20, 20-25, 25-23)
Semifinal
- Karasuno High School vs Aoba Johsai High School (2:1 / 25-23, 26-28, 26-24)
Final
- Karasuno High School vs Shiratorizawa Academy (3:2 / 16-25, 31-29, 20-25, 29-27, 21-19)
- Set 3's score was changed to (18-25) in the anime.
Spring High National Tournament (2013)
For nationals, Karasuno was not exempt from the first round.
First Round
- Karasuno High School vs Tsubakihara Academy [Kanagawa] (2:0 / 25-23, 25-23)
- The match was played on Court C as the third match on the court.
Second Round
- Karasuno High School vs Inarizaki High School [Hyōgo] (2:1 / 27-25, 16-25, 32-30)
- Their match was the second match of the day on Court B[3].
Third Round
- Karasuno High School vs Nekoma High School [Tokyo] (2:1 / 25-27, 26-24, 25-21)
Quarterfinal
- Karasuno High School vs Kamomedai High School [Nagano] (1:2 / 20-25, 25-22, 23-25)
Interhigh Preliminaries (2013)
Karasuno lost in the finals of the Interhigh Preliminaries to Date Tech, who went on to place Top 16 at Nationals[4].
Final
- Karasuno High School vs Date Tech High (?:2)
Spring High National Tournament (2014)
Karasuno encountered Inarizaki once more in the Third Round and lost, thus placing in the Top 16[4].
Third Round
- Karasuno High School vs Inarizaki High [Hyōgo] (?:2)
Spring High National Tournament (2015)
Karasuno played on Center Court for the first time. They lost to Itachiyama and finished 3rd in the nation[4].
Semifinal
- Karasuno High School vs Itachiyama Institute [Tokyo] (?:3)
Trivia
- One of the team's strategic teamwork moves is known as mobbing, which is when they attack as a group to drive an opponent off. In the wild, this is a type of behavior that birds use against a larger predator on the prowl; this is another reference to Karasuno's nickname as crows. Karasuno has the kanji "crow" (烏 karasu) in its name.
The girls warm up before their match in the Interhigh Preliminaries.
- Karasuno High also has a girls' volleyball club, with Yui Michimiya as the captain during the Interhigh Preliminaries and Rinko Sudou replacing Michimiya after her retirement for the Spring High. However, they didn't do very well in their matches due to lack of practice[5].
- There is a girls' tennis club, boys' soccer club, boys' basketball club, boys' tennis club, boy's track club, and boys' baseball clubs as well.
- Karasuno High has two gyms and a track field. The girls' volleyball club and boys' basketball club practice in First Gymnasium; the boys' volleyball club practices in Second Gymnasium[6].
- The fictional brand for their uniforms and warm-up sweats is shown to be a foot with the letters "ics" underneath. The word for foot in Japanese is "ashi", so the full name would be "ashi-ics". This is a play on the name for the real life sports brand "Asics", which in Japanese would be pronounced the same way. Asics is a Japanese sports company, and is recognized worldwide for their volleyball athletic wear.
- Like many of the other teams featured in the series, all of Karasuno seems to wear "Asics" volleyball shoes, based on their shoe design.
- Other schools often misread Karasuno (烏野) for Torino (鳥野) because they have very similar kanji. Karasu (烏) refers to crows, whereas tori (鳥) refers to birds in general.
- While most schools usually reserve the number 4 for the team ace, Karasuno does not seem to have certain numbers reserved for the ace as both Asahi Azumane and Tenma Udai were aces, but wore different numbers. Karasuno instead seems to be a school that gives the number 4 to the libero. However, in the opening scene of Hinata watching Karasuno at nationals, the libero can be seen wearing the number 2.
- Like most Japanese high schools, Karasuno also holds an annual sports festival. One of its events is a four-member relay race between the school's sports clubs. The winning club receives 20 boxes of sports drink mix.
- Karasuno in season 3 of the anime now has its own cheering squad, consisting of students from the school itself and staff members such as the Vice Principal. However, their cheer is less coordinated when compared to powerhouse schools, as they only had a chance to practice a little after school during the day of the finals. While in the manga, this did not happen.
- Karasuno has participated in the Spring High tournament nine times and this time is their first appearance in five years.
- One of the times Karasuno went to nationals was when Tenma Udai was on the team.
- Karasuno High is based on Karumai High School in Iwate prefecture.
- Karasuno was initially named "Hiashi".
- Karasuno is seen mainly using the volleyball brand "Molten" for their volleyballs.
- After Karasuno's former coach, Ikkei Ukai, retired the boys’ volleyball team wasn't doing as well. As a result, they earned the nickname "Wingless crows".
- When the Little Giant played for Karasuno, they faced Tokonami High and won. The total scores are unknown. This was shown in Tsukishima's flashback in Season 2.
Gallery
