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You've got to attack at maximum power, or it won't feel satisfying at all!
Kentarō Kyōtani to himself

Kentarō Kyōtani (Japanese: 京谷 (きょうたに) 賢太郎 (けんたろう) Kyōtani Kentarō) was a second-year student at Aoba Johsai High. He played as a wing spiker for the Boys' Volleyball Team.

As of 2021, he is an opposite hitter for Sendai Frogs, a professional volleyball team in Division 2 of Japan's V.League.

Appearance[]

Kyōtani is an easily identifiable character, particularly due to his short-cropped dyed blond hair with two black stripes running across the sides of his head, just above the ears. He is one of the shortest members of the team though this usually gets overlooked because of the rest of his appearance.

His honey brown eyes are sharp and appear fierce and hostile (he almost appears to be wearing eye-liner, or has dark bags beneath his eyes), and he has small eyebrows. He lives up to his nickname of "Kyōken" or "Mad Dog", given from the start of his given and surname (though this nickname was not necessarily made up by Oikawa to exemplify his fierce and brash personality, and different kanji are used).

Post-timeskip, most of his appearance has stayed the same but his hair now has vertical stripes instead of horizontal and he appears less hostile.

Personality[]

He's said to have the best ability among the second-years at Aoba Johsai High, but his brash attitude and lack of teamwork has led to troubled relationships with others, most notably his upperclassmen. He is seen to be hot-tempered and usually has a frown or scowl on his face. He doesn't seem to show any respect for the third-years other than Iwaizumi; irritating them and shocking the first-years upon Kyōtani's return to the team.

He is extremely strong, and he can only hit the ball with his full strength or he "doesn't feel satisfied." He is also shown to display some violent tendencies as he is seen shoving multiple characters and knocking them to the floor on some occasions, although it is unknown if this is intentional or not. It seems Yahaba is one of the few people, besides Iwaizumi, that is able to effectively calm him down and get him to focus when he loses control of himself.

Background[]

Kyotani s2-e23-1

When Kyōtani was a child, his father dragged him to a volleyball match during the World Cup where Kyōtani would become interested in the sport after watching one certain player during the game.[1] Before high school, Kyōtani played volleyball at Minami Daisan Junior High as the team ace. It is said that the team had their best years when Kyōtani played. It is revealed that he has not played with Aoba Johsai's team outside of a few practice matches due to his uncooperative attitude.[2]

Plot[]

Spring High Preliminary Arc[]

AobaJohsaiS2E14

Before the tournament for the prefecture qualifiers for Nationals takes place, Kyōtani returns to the volleyball club.[2] As he does this, Kyōtani does not say anything while Yahaba scolds him about his manners until Oikawa steps in. Yahaba then recalls Kyōtani having ruined his chance during his first practice game of high school because of his bad attitude. Kyōtani's disregard for other people's feelings is shown when he voices his irritation of the third-years still being part of the team despite Shiratorizawa having defeated them during the previous tournament.

However, his rude manners are kept in check when Oikawa does not seem to get offended by this and instead intimidates the hitter by giving subtle hints of future practices. When Kyōtani becomes defensive, Kunimi compares this to Kyōtani having animal instincts.

Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai[]

Near the end of the first set, Kyōtani is subbed in for Kunimi.[3] His presence right away puts Karasuno on edge as they have never seen him before and therefore do not know what to expect from him. As Oikawa attempts to set to Kindaichi, Kyōtani purposely rushes in and takes the set for himself while displaying great power and ferocity. Although Karasuno is completely caught off-guard by this, because of the sheer power used, the ball goes out-of-bounds and wins the set for Karasuno.

Iwa Mad Dog 1 s2 e21

Iwaizumi then punches Kyōtani on his head while yelling at how reckless he was. Kyōtani explains his behavior as simply being overly excited to be back in a game after not having been part of one for a while. Just before the second set starts, Oikawa tells Kyōtani that he is free to play as he wants but will not hesitate to have him removed if he causes problems. Kyōtani does not appear to take his warning seriously until Iwaizumi warns him of the same thing and he states that he understands, much to Oikawa's annoyance. On the sideline, Yahaba would explain that Kyōtani is only listening to Iwaizumi because he had previously challenged the ace player to numerous sports competitions only to be beaten every single time.[4]

Despite this, Oikawa sets to Kyōtani, and he is able to score by surpassing the enemy triple block by angling his approach and body for an extreme cross shot that lands in the vanguard. Shimada theorizes that Kyōtani did this since he wanted to avoid spiking directly toward the block. Not long after, Kyōtani and Kindaichi both begin an approach for a quick attack, but Kyōtani was given the set since it became clear that Kindaichi backed down at the last minute. Kyōtani is able to score for the third time in a row when Kindaichi acted as a decoy and Kyōtani was able to get a shot in on the left side when Hinata was momentarily distracted.

Group s2 e21 1

After Kageyama serves, Kyōtani begins making his approach and draws Hinata's attention once more. However, Oikawa decided to set to Kindaichi. This annoys Kyōtani as he was both denied the set and was used as a decoy. Hanamaki soon gives Kyōtani a set. However, Watari notices that Kyōtani will surely get blocked and calls for him to return the ball. Unfortunately, Kyōtani does not listen and spikes the ball with full force. As Watari predicted, he is blocked. When Mizoguchi yells at Kyōtani for not trying something else, Kyōtani answers that he only feels satisfied when he uses full power to land a spike. Eventually, Kyōtani attempts to do another extreme angle cross shot but mistakenly spikes the ball directly into the net. He is able to redeem himself when he spikes past Daichi and Nishinoya is unable to dig the ball. As the set continues, Watari purposely makes an off receive that Oikawa uses to fool Karasuno's blockers. Because of this, Kyōtani is able to get past Tanaka and Hinata who was unable to get his block up in time.

When the set reaches 17-14, Sugawara is subbed in as a pinch server. Kyōtani and Seijoh soon find themselves in a difficult situation when Sugawara begins targeting Kyōtani with his serves. Because he is forced to save the serves, Kyōtani is late to attack which makes it easier for Karasuno to counter as Oikawa has to set to attackers. After a brief timeout, Kyōtani is again targeted by Sugawara, but Seijoh was able to quickly adapt to his plan. Kyōtani pulls back as Hanamaki takes the receive and allows the second-year spiker to attack and cut off Sugawara's serves. For the next several plays, Kyōtani is seen participating in spikes and blocks and even landing a service ace that puts Seijoh further ahead in the score at 22-18.

After Kyōtani's next two serves, Yamaguchi is subbed in to serve. The first-year delivers a jump float that Watari calls as heading out but Kyōtani and everyone else is soon surprised when the ball actually drops at the last moment to land in. Yamaguchi's next serve goes directly to Kyōtani. He is prepared to make the receive only to have the ball again change at the last moment and dodge before getting hit in the face. However, the ball ricocheted off his arm and landed out.

Group s2 e23 1

At the start of the third set, Kyōtani shows to be just as fired up now. It quickly becomes apparent that Kyōtani and Tanaka are forming a rivalry after Tanaka deflects a spike off Kyōtani's arm. He is able to get his revenge when he does the same thing to Tanaka in the next play. When Karasuno attempts to counter Oikawa's serve, Kyōtani again tries to get a spike past Tanaka only to find that he had switches places with Tsukishima which leads him to be blocked and the score tied 8-8. Ennoshita points out to his teammates that it's become clear that Tanaka had started targeting Kyōtani by first having landed a narrow straight shot past him and then deflecting the ball off his arm. Because of this, Kyōtani naturally started reacting and targeting Tanaka back.

Because of how frustrated he's become, Kyōtani unintentionally sends a spike out-of-bounds. When he roughly dejects Watari's attempts to comfort him, Kyōtani is soon annoyed to see that is being called to come off the court. He is warned by Coach Irihata to get his temper under control if he wishes to be back in the game. In the warmup zone, Yahaba decides to confront Kyōtani about how his actions are compromising the game when he should be grateful to be back and right away given a spot as a regular. Yahaba points out how the team needs Kyōtani's abilities and warns him not to mess things up for their upperclassmen since this could potentially be their final match.

S2E23

When Karasuno gains the lead at 12-10, Kyōtani is sent back into the game now that he has calmed down. Just before the rally starts, Kyōtani remembers how he received advice from Kiyoshi about how he needs to learn to work with his teammates since a dependable team like Seijoh is not easy to come across. Oikawa sends him a set. Kyōtani scores when he performs a cross spike and Daichi fails to receive. Kyōtani is then surprised to see his team gather around him to praise his accomplishment.

Now able to work together with the others, Kyōtani delivers the next serve. Although it's received by Tanaka and Karasuno attempts to counter, Seijoh ultimately gained the point and tied the score at 12-12. His next serve is received and countered. When the score again reaches a tie at 18-18, Yahaba is subbed into the game. When Karasuno attempted to counter his serve, Yahaba soon sets to Kyōtani but is worried that he sent it too short. Kyōtani surprises everyone by adjusting his body and using his left hand to spike the ball.[5] Kyōtani continues to assist as more rallies pass until Yamaguchi is sent out again.

Kyotani s2-e23-3

With the float serve once more heading in his direction, Kyōtani recalls how his first serve changed at the last moment. He decides not to chance it and attempts to make an overhand receive only for the ball to suddenly stretch out and graze his fingertips. Although it appears like it is heading out, Iwaizumi was able to make the receive that would eventually lead to Yamaguchi's serve being stopped. Near the matches end, Sugawara returns to the game but this time targets Iwaizumi with his serves. Because this leaves Kyōtani open to attack, he tries to spike past Kageyama, but Hinata joins in and manages to block him and bring the game to a deuce. Karasuno soon reaches match point and during their final counter, Kyōtani assists in a triple block in the attempt to stop Hinata. However, the young middle blocker would deflect the ball off Kindaichi's hand to end the game. As Coach Irihata tells the team how well they played, Kyōtani does not show much emotions. Later, Kyōtani does not go to the ramen shop with the rest of his team, but instead practices at the gymnasium.

Tokyo Nationals Arc[]

Karasuno vs Inarizaki[]

With his team in Aoba Johsai's computer lab, Kyōtani watches Karasuno's matches at the Spring Tournament. As they watch Karasuno play against Inarizaki, he lightly mocks Yahaba when the setter tried to cover that he was supporting Karasuno.[6]

When Tanaka was finally able to make his new cross shot work and win the first set for Karasuno, Kyōtani watches in annoyance.[7]

Final Arc[]

At the end of the series, Kyōtani is revealed to now be playing on the Sendai Frogs, a Division 2 team in Japan's V.League. He is teammates with Tsukishima.

Statistics[]

High School Statistics
Power
 
4/5
Jumping
 
4/5
Stamina
 
3/5
Game Sense
 
1/5
Technique
 
3/5
Speed
 
4/5

According to Mizoguchi, Kyōtani is a slow-starter who requires some time to get going. He seems to do recklessly dangerous plays with no regard for game situation, such as stealing sets and spiking with full power despite the great chance it will fail. According to Ukai, Kyōtani's plays are risky, so he's most likely a double-edged sword. His plays generally surprise his own teammates as well, and they are often enough to shake the unified dynamic of the team, but he can also make a very valuable decoy, even without him recognizing that talent and disliking the idea of being a decoy and not getting a set.

According to Oikawa, Kyōtani has real jumping power, and his back and abdominal muscles are exceptional. He amasses power with the full bend of his body and then snaps forward, using his whole body in the way he plays. Coach Ukai also noted his great body control that allowed him to spike with his left hand when a set was too short, possibly indicating that Kyōtani could be ambidextrous.

After a confrontation with Yahaba, Kyōtani noticeably became calmer and more of a team player.

Jumping Reach: 327 cm.

Skills[]

Post-Timeskip Skills Parameter
Serve
 
8/10
Serve Reception
 
7/10
Dig
 
7/10
Setting
 
4/10
Spike
 
8/10
Block
 
6/10
  • Spikes: Kyōtani has demonstrated that he is able to perform incredibly powerful spikes. According to Oikawa, Kyōtani is able to build up power from his core and the release enables Kyōtani to add power to his spikes that make it difficult for opposing players to handle. However, Kyōtani does show that he can have trouble controlling this power as he at times sends spikes out of bounds. Kyōtani himself has also stated that he will not attempt any kind of feints as he can only feel satisfied from using powerful spikes. Like Tanaka, Kyōtani is able to tool the block in order to ricochet the ball off a blocker.
  • Cross spike: A move seen during the match against Karasuno, Kyōtani will make an approach from outside the court and angled parallel to the net which will allow him to make a sharp inner cross spike that lands in the vanguard. Because of this approach, he is able to get the spike past a triple block without any difficulty.
  • Core stability: The source of much of Kyōtani's raw power. He arches his body backwards while in the air and releases the power with a snap. He often uses this method when performing serves and spikes which makes his attacks troublesome for his opponents; as seen when even Nishinoya had trouble receiving Kyōtani's spikes.
  • Serve: While not as accurate as several other players, Kyōtani can perform devastating serves. Like with his spikes, his serves can be hit or miss depending on his emotional state and the amount of power he uses.
  • Decoy: Because of his desire and intention to always attack, Kyōtani is sometimes used as a decoy. However, Kyōtani does not like being used as a decoy but, as Oikawa points out, it's his obsession to attack that helps make him effective as a decoy.

Relationships[]

Aoba Johsai High[]

  • Tōru Oikawa:
    Oikawa and Kyotani s2-e21-1
    While Oikawa attempts to get Kyōtani to be more of a team player and nicknamed him 'Mad Dog', Kyōtani was instinctively wary of him and tended to keep his distance from the setter. However, unlike several of the other third-years, Kyōtani showed Oikawa the least respect (of all Aoba Johsai High) and would often ignore his warnings and instructions during matches. Despite this, Kyōtani is shown to have no trouble matching with Oikawa's sets with his only annoyance being that Oikawa would use him as a decoy.
  • Hajime Iwaizumi:
    Iwaizumi and Kyotani s2-e21-1
    He's known to only listen to Iwaizumi and respond to his upperclassman, as he has challenged Iwaizumi to multiple athletic competitions and lost to him every time. Since Iwaizumi is not afraid to hit or scold him when necessary, Kyōtani tends to be more mild and accepting of the consequences of his actions when around the ace. Kunimi refers to this relationship as Kyōtani seeing Iwaizumi as the "alpha-dog".
  • Shigeru Yahaba:
    Yahaba and Kyotani s2-e23-1
    Although they're in the same grade, Kyōtani originally does not acknowledge Yahaba as someone he should be intimidated by and even ignores prior scolding's by the setter. However, after a confrontation during the match against Karasuno, Kyōtani began listening to the setter and appears to be the only other person he will listen to besides Iwaizumi. When playing together, the two show to have good chemistry and Yahaba even vocally puts his faith in the wing spiker to help the team as best as he can.

Others[]

  • Kiyoshi:
    Kyotani and Kyoshi s2-e23-1
    Prior to Kyōtani's return to the Aoba Johsai team, he met Kiyoshi while practicing with another team. Kyōtani was surprised at how well Kiyoshi was able to understand him and the problems he was facing. Thanks to Kiyoshi, Kyōtani came to realize that he needed to connect with his teammates instead of trying to do things his own way.

Trivia[]

  • Star Sign: Sagittarius.
  • The reason for his nickname given by Oikawa is because kyōken (Japanese: (きょう) (けん) ) means "mad dog", taken from Kyōtani Kentaro; however, the kanji is entirely different.
  • It has been shown twice that he seems to have a dog of some kind with it first appearing as a puppy then shown later as an adult.
  • He has a habit of licking his lips before hitting a volleyball.
  • Whenever it shows him as a child sitting in the stands watching a volleyball game beside him is a male that looks like him with short black hair and the same marks around his eyes that he possesses. This implies Kyōtani was there with his father or possibly an older brother.
  • Shown in the flashbacks of his childhood and middle school years, Kyōtani has naturally dark hair that he appears to have dyed when he entered high school.
  • He is the second oldest second-year on the team after Shinji Watari.
  • Nomenclature:
    • Kentarō (賢太郎) – Wise Great Son
    • Kyōtani (京谷) – Capital City Valley

References[]

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