"Seagulls" (Japanese: カモメ Kamome) is the three hundred and fifty-eighth chapter of the Haikyū!! series, written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. It was published in the 34th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump’s 2019 series.
Overview
True to their namesake, the seagulls, Kamomedai doesn't falter even against Karasuno's increasingly troublesome plays. With so signs of wavering, Kamomedai fights back with their usual but dominating strength.
Plot
Karasuno clamors around Tsukishima after he skillfully dodges Hoshiumi's blockout. Kuroo and Tendō separately conclude that Kamomedai has even more information to process now that Hinata and Tsukishima showed off their new techniques. Off of their set win, Karasuno is in good condition with even the easily agitated Asahi feeling confident. Meanwhile, Hoshiumi and Hirugami seem to be affected by Tsukishima's dodge and Hinata's quick respectively. They, nevertheless, are able to banter lightheartedly with their teammates, showing a calm and laid-back attitude even in the face of difficulty.
It is revealed that Kamomedai's coach, Aaron Murphy, is someone well-known with extensive experience coaching pro-leagues in Italy and Japan. After coming to Kamomedai, he bestows his own philosophy upon the players. In particular, he focuses on strengthening the team's serves, blocks, and mental toughness. Drawing a comparison to his own philosophy, Murphy admits he enjoys Kamomedai's name since seagulls are capable of braving the foulest weather.
Back to the match, both teams choose to stay with the same rotation as the second set. Power server Kageyama starts off for Karasuno. It takes all of Nozawa's effort to keep the ball in play. Instead of dwelling on what they couldn't do, all of Kamomedai are concentrated on doing their best with the tasks at hand. Gao spikes. Karasuno's blockers land a touch, and Tanaka keeps the ball in play. Karasuno initiates a synchronized attack, but Kamomedai quickly process all information on the court to cleanly shut down Daichi's spike. Taking a note of Kamomedai's banner, Akaashi is amazed that every member of Kamomedai is capable of "task focus" even though it took him immense effort. Atsumu is disgruntled that Kamomedai is neither falling apart or powering up after being forced into a corner. He is quickly silenced when Kita shows up and reveals his preference for Kamomedai's play style. However, Kita admits that Karasuno, with its fair share of unconventional players, can give Kamomedai a proper challenge.
Appearances
- Tenma Udai
- Akiteru Tsukishima
- Kei Tsukishima
- Shōyō Hinata
- Tobio Kageyama
- Ryūnosuke Tanaka
- Yū Nishinoya
- Tetsurō Kuroo
- Kenma Kozume
- Kōrai Hoshiumi
- Taketora Yamamoto
- Satori Tendō
- Tsutomu Goshiki
- Kenjirō Shirabu
- Daichi Sawamura
- Asahi Azumane
- Kōshi Sugawara
- Kiyoko Shimizu
- Mika Yamaka
- Suguru Daishō
- Sachirō Hirugami
- Izuru Nozawa
- Aaron Murphy
- Gao Hakuba
- Kazuyoshi Bessho
- Kenji Futakuchi
- Takanobu Aone
- Yūdai Hyakuzawa
- Atsumu Miya
- Osamu Miya
- Kōtarō Bokuto
- Keiji Akaashi
- Tanji Washijō
- Aikichi Suwa
- Shinsuke Kita
Chapter notes
Character revelations
- Kamomedai's banner is revealed to be "習慣は第二の天性なり" which translates to "Habit is Second Nature."
- Kamomedai's coach, Aaron Murphy, has had experience coaching in the Italy pro-league and later helped a Japan V2 team rise to V1.
- Aaron Murphy, with a weight of 102kg, is currently the heaviest character in the series.
Trivia
- The V1 league is the topmost level for Japan volleyball. Teams in the V2 division can be promoted to V1 after winning their league.