"The Ace Awakens" (Japanese: エースのめざめ Ēsu no Mezame) is the three hundred thirty-first chapter of the Haikyū!! series, written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. It was published in the 3rd issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump's 2019 series.
Overview[]
Akaashi, feeling the heavy responsibility of bringing Fukurōdani to victory, is struggling after having his tactics read and countered; however, just when the situation looks bleak, Bokuto asserts his dominance by singlehandedly breaking through Mujinazaka's defence.
Plot[]
In middle school, Akaashi watched a Fukurōdani volleyball match and was captivated by Bokuto's striking play style. He chose Fukurōdani Academy as his high school and became part of the team. Akaashi spent a great deal of time practicing with Bokuto, an act that Akaashi genuinely enjoyed for being able to play with a "star player". As the team grew and overcame losses together, Akaashi felt inspired by Bokuto's dedication and developed immense pride for his team.
Back to the present, Akaashi finds his dump shot being blocked by Mujinazaka. He berates himself for rushing things as he feels an increasing burden of not letting this match be the last for the third-years. Among the spectators, Nekoma has already discerned Mujinazaka's plan to crush Akaashi mentally. Kenma notes that Usuri has been purposely using weak serves to lure Fukurōdani into a predictable pattern of targeting the center court.
As the match continues, Akaashi has yet to recover his composure and accidentally sends a low toss to Onaga. Usuri continues the mind games by mimicking Akaashi's setup while taking full advantage of his spiker's height. Just as Unnan prepares to spike, Bokuto thwarts Mujinazaka's attack by coming up for block support. He then follows up with an intense spike aimed at Usuri. In the following play, Bokuto utilizes a super inner cross to render Mujinazaka's defense useless despite the latter taking extra precautions against Bokuto's cross. Bokuto singlehandedly earns two consecutive points to put the score at 18-14 with Fukurōdani trailing behind; afterwards, Bokuto declares to his surprised teammates that he is ready to become a proper ace who will carry the team.
Appearances[]
Chapter notes[]
Character revelations[]
- Prior to entering Fukurōdani Academy, Akaashi's choice of high school was between Fukurōdani and Suzumeoka.