Haikyuu!! 29

[p001]

(Kenma): From the time I was young,
(Kenma): I was completely unable to make friends of my own accord.
自分からトモダチとか作れたためしがない
(bottom right)
Chapter 29: "The Brain"
Furudate Haruichi
(bottom left)
Volume 3, the latest from Jump Comics, goes on sale 10/4 (Th)!!
Haikyuu!!

(Kenma): Though I wasn't good with people and didn't want to get involved with others,
(Kenma): I was worried about their opinions of me.
(Kenma): I was constantly on edge to keep from standing out.

(left) Sharpening his claws...

(below panel, star) Quick announcement!! The official "Haikyuu!!" homepage opens on 9/24!! Details next issue!!

(Kenma): From the time I was little, my only playmate was Kuro, who was around the same age and lived nearby.
(Kuro sfx) BAM!!

(Kenma): I didn't particularly like sports, but
(Kenma): from a young age, I got involved in volleyball.

(Kenma): In junior high, I ended up joining the volleyball club when Kuro asked.
(Kenma): We only just had enough people for a game, but
(Kenma): it was kinda fun.

(Kenma): Even in high school, I ended up continuing with the sport.
(Kenma): Not long ago, our school was a strong one.

[p002]

(Kenma): There were lots of people.
(Kenma): I figured I would have a hard time.
Boy: You 1st years are so slow cleaning up~ we can't go home until you're done, y'know~
Boy: Don't take a long time, kay~?

(Kenma): A "senpai" is only
(Kenma): someone who was born 1-2 years earlier,
(Kenma): so why do they act so arrogant about it?
(Kenma, bubble): It'd go faster if everyone helped out...

Kuro: ...you have a sharp eye,
Kuro: and you even give accurate instructions.

Kenma: But if I say anything to the 3rd years, they just tell me I'm being impertinent so I end up not wanting to talk to them at all.
Kenma: Yesterday, they forced me to run a lot longer than the other 1st years again.
昨日も他の1年よりたくさん走らされた

Kuro: I heard a rumor that Coach Nekomata is coming back.
Kuro: The 3rd years are going to retire soon, too.

Kuro: So don't quit, alright?
Kuro: The current 1st and 2nd years know how incredible you are.
Kuro: The team is definitely stronger because of you.

[p003]

sfx bubble: Swoosh

Inu: Arggghh, dammit!!!

Scoreboard, right side: Nekoma
Scoreboard, left side: Karasuno

(Tobio): That #7 player...
(Tobio): isn't he following Hinata more closely...?

[p004]

Taki: Since the end of Nekoma's time out,
Taki: their blockers have gathered together to one side.
Shimada: Yeah...

Shimada: A dedicate shift...?*

(below panel) ※ Dedicate shift: a formation where all 3 blockers are arranged on either the left or the right.

(Tobio): This blocking style... I thought it was in order to completely mark our ace, but
(Tobio): maybe it's...

(Ukai): a way to force Hinata's movements...?

Kenma: ...When Shouyou's in the vanguard, try gathering the blockers to the right.

Kenma: Seeing that, Shouyou will simply
Kenma: head for the spot where there are no blockers, before all else.
Kenma: In order to avoid a collision with him, the other spiker will move aside.
そのしょうようを避けるようにして他のスパイカーが入ってくる

[p005]

Kenma: So if the blockers are all gathered to one side,
Kenma: I think he will move to the side that's empty.

Kenma: After that, it's just a matter of a middle blocker pursuing him man-to-man.
Kenma: Inuoka is matched up with Shouyou a lot, so good luck.
Inu: Yes!!
Kenma: Everyone except for that middle blocker should just ignore Shouyou and focus on the other spiker, I guess...
Tora: Alright!

Nekomata: --Even so, I don't think there are many people who could keep pace with #10 over there.
Boy: Inuoka-kun is tall, but he's really quick!
Nekomata: A play that uses his head would be utterly impossible, though.
Nekomata: --But
(Inu): Chase after #10... chase after #10...
Nekomata: if he can do this one thing thoroughly...

sfx bubble: Squeak
sfx bubble: Squeak

[p006]

sfx bubble: Touch...
Nekomata: it would be a display of great strengh.

(Tobio): He touched it again!

???: Yaku-san, nice receive!

sfx bubble: Float

Inu: I won't lose when it comes to attacks!!

(Shou): He's gonna do a quick...!
Shou: And I won't lose in blocking, either!

[p007]

Shou: Huh?

sfx bubble: Bounce

Noya: Dammiiiiiit!

Takeda: Ooh...! That just now was what's called a "two attack*", right?! And I thought he was definitely going to toss it up!

(below panel) ※ Two attack: A feint attack where you pretend to toss the ball.

Tobio: Oi, don't strain yourself too much. They'll be able to see even the tiniest of openings.
おい力みすぎんなよちょっとのスキも見られてる
Shou: Er? Right.

[p008]

sfx bubble: Fwoosh
???: It's a feint, coming your way!
???: In front!
sfx bubble: Bump
Tanaka: Guwa!
???: Nice one, Tanaka!!!

Tanaka: Sorry, Noya-san. I'm counting on you to cover it!
Noya: Leave it to me!!

Tobio: Right!!

Shou: Eh?
Shou: Kageyama called for the toss?!

Noya: Kageyama!! Last hit's yours!!

sfx bubble: Squeak squeak

[p009]

Tobio: Oi. It's because that was a "straight" just now!
(small text) Straight along the sideline!
Tobio: You become able to properly "choose" the ball's path!
Shou: Urghh...

Tanaka: That guy's high specs reaaally piss me off...
Suga: Indeed.

Boy: Wow! Karasuno High School's setter is amazing!
Nekomata: Yup.

[p010]

Boy: Still, Kozume-san is amazing too, even if he's not showy like that!
Nekomata: ...Mhm.

Nekomata: ...Since he's bad with people,
Nekomata: he worries over others' opinions, and so
Nekomata: he watches them closely.

Nekomata: Kozume is skilled at reading others.
Nekomata: He predicts things like "so-and-so is such-and-such a type, so he'll definitely move like this".

Nekomata: ...But
Nekomata: that is not the core of our strength.

???: Hinata, nice serve!
Scoreboard, right side: Nekoma
Scoreboard, left side: Karasuno

(Kenma): This guy's... a sharp one...
(sfx bubble): Tap
(Kenma): The kind who calmly watches and thinks things over, Shouyou's exact opposite...

[p011]

???: Nice serve!
???: Yamamoto!
Tora: Gotcha!
???: Nice receive!

Taki: Man, Nekoma's receives are just as good as always.
Shimada: Yeah...

???: The setter hardly needs to move at all.
???: Since he has such little motion before tossing the ball,

???: there's no way to know where the toss will go until the last second.

(Kenma): Who should I toss it to...

(Kenma sfx) Glance

(Kei): Right, huh.

[p012]

Kenma: It's left.

(Kenma): So he really was watching me closely.
(Kenma): He reacts quickly, too...

(Tobio): That glance... just now...
(Tobio): was a feint...!!

[p013]

Takeda: ...He really doesn't stand out...
Takeda: ...at all.
Ukai: Huh?

Takeda: When novices look at our Kageyama-kun,
Takeda: they're mercilessly overwhelmed with the feeling that "he's incredible"...
Takeda: but while you can't really tell by looking,
Takeda: Nekoma's setter might be capable of some really amazing things...

Ukai: That's due to the stability of Nekoma's receive.
Ukai: What's most important in setting up a variety of attacks
Ukai: is a receive like theirs, which is cleanly returned high above the setter's head.

Ukai: I'd say that their setter
Ukai: can show his real skill because of that receive.

Ukai: Even though our receives are a bit disorderly,
Ukai: Kageyama uses everything he has to make up for it, but...

[p014]

Ukai: If Karasuno is a rough-around-the-edges team
Ukai: that is connected by Kageyama's overwhelming talent as a setter,

Ukai: then Nekoma is a team
Ukai: where Kozume, the setter, is supported by the strength of everyone's receives...

(Kuro): We are the body's blood.

(Kuro): Flow smoothly

(Kuro): and circulate oxygen

(Kuro): so the
(Kuro): "brain" functions normally.

[p015]

sfx bubble: Flip
Scoreboard, right side: Nekoma
Scoreboard, left side: Karasuno
Yama: They've caught up with us...!
Yama: Even though we've had the lead all along...

Taki: Even without an impressive offense,
Taki: it feels as if Nekoma has the upper hand in overall power...
Taki: And...

[p016]

Taki: I have a feeling that the number of points Karasuno will gain with that shorty at the center of attack
Taki: is going to decrease.
烏野のちんちくりんが中心になって叩き出してた得点が減ってきてる気がする
Inu: One touch!!
???: Nice recovery, Yaku-san!

Taki: It looks like the opposing blocker is starting to get a feel for it, so...
Taki: the number of tosses that go to the shorty might decrease...

Nekomata: ...Even without a seemingly superhuman ace,
Nekomata: if we can steadily,

Nekomata: carefully,

Nekomata: pile up the points one by one...

Scoreboard, right side: Nekoma
Scoreboard, left side: Karasuno
Box: Nekoma High School, set point

Shou: Kageyama!

Shou: I'll definitely smack down the next one, so
Shou: toss it to me...!

[p017]

Tobio: This is their set point, you know.
Tobio: If you miss, we'll lose the set.
(sfx) Gulp

Shou: I know!!
Shou: I won't miss!!

(white sfx) Tweeet

(Kenma): "Even if a game doesn't seem clearable at first,"

???: Nishinoya!
???: Nice receive!!

(Kenma): "after playing it over and over again,"
(Shou sfx) Squeak squeak squeak

(Kenma): "you can conquer it."

[p018/019]

sfx bubble: Tweet
(white sfx) Twee tweet
Box: End of the first set

Inu: I finally caught you!!!
(left) Hinata's attack worked against him...?! Next time, we have opening color!!!
Box:
25 (Nekoma) - 22 (Karasuno)