I can't speak for the meaning but Nekoma and Nekomata are both meant to sound like neko for cat so yeah it's a little too perfect. Also, yes the birds were calling them dummies and it's one of my favorite scenes overall.
A joke in Japan is that when you sneeze out of no where or get chills it's because someone is talking about you. And since the Karasuno bois are all talking about nekoma, nekoma players keep feeling it haha.
Ushijima can be a bit abrasive at times with his blunt words, but he has a good heart and doesn't speak with ill intent. He is very honest, if lacking in tact.
11:00 Almost all of the names in Haikyuu are a pun on something or have deeper meaning. Even the way they write "Ukai" (烏養) literally means "Crow-nurturer." It's a common trope in manga to help people imagine the voices and action quickly. Almost all of the Nekoma team names are based on cats ("neko" means "cat") in some form. - Nekomata 猫又 "another cat" (but also, the name of a cat demon in mythology). "Lev" is Russian for "lion." Kenma's last name, "Kozume" 孤爪, means "lonely claws." Kuroo 黒尾 = "black tail." The Tanaka lookalike's first name is "Taketora" (猛虎), "wild tiger," and so on. The Karasuno names all play on their personalities or roles in the series. "Hinata" (日向 "facing the sun") vs "Kageyama" (影山 "shadow of the mountain") vs "Tsukishima" (月島 "moon island" (as in, isolated)) "Nishinoya" (西谷 "west valley") vs "Azumane" (東峰 "east peak") I could go on. I'd happily list them all out if people want, haha, but frankly, one of them would be sort of a spoiler for one of my favourite moments mid-Season 2, and I think you get the idea.
@Ruchita and others, it's my pleasure. :) Here's the spoiler for Season 2: "Ennoshita Chikara" comes from the expression "en-no-shita no chikara-mochi" (縁の下の力持ち), which means "unsung hero," or literally, the one who brings power from behind the scenes. 😢 Such a great moment.
The reason Hinata's classmates are freaking out over Shimizu being near them is because usually, grades in Japanese schools are split into floors. Shimizu's a third year, and they're confused that a beautiful third year, that's supposed to be on a higher floor is walking around their first-year hallways.
Just a note! Ushiwaka’s full name is Ushijima Wakatoshi-“Ushiwaka” is just a nickname that everyone calls him, but his actual last name is Ushijima. :) Loving the reactions as usual!! Thank you!! :D
24:39 Ushiwaka is a straight shooter. He doesn't mince words. And what he said about Aoba Johsai was mostly true. If you took away Oikawa from Seijoh, it becomes just a mediocre team. I mean, Iwa is still a very strong outside hitter, but the other members are probably just above average, not that strong. Remember that when Karasuno played Seijoh in the practice match back in ep. 5-6, they beat them (without Oikawa) without a coach, libero, and their ace. Don't forget that we were introduced to coach Ukai, Noya and Asahi AFTER that match. Basically, Ushiwaka isn't arrogant. He's just honest.
Yeah, I don't know if I agree to much with Ushiwaka's assesment. I mean, Seijoh is great at adapting fast to situations, most of their players are very much experienced. Maybe other than Iwa, there are not so much stronger players, but I would 100% say Seijoh, even without Oikawa would be an above average team.
@@ArgKnoxville86 Ushijima is a national level player, & represents the country in his age category in the sport. An above average team is STILL mediocre to him. You’re looking at his assessment as a third party, not through HIS perspective
@@ImaBobbyMudda Exactly, an above average team is considered weak by Ushiwaka. Seijoh without Oikawa would not beat Date Tech or Karasuno. Also, let's not forget that Ushiwaka has played against a lot of strong teams at Nationals, so prefectural above average teams are pretty damn weak. 😂
Still don't like him. He is one of only 2 players in the whole anime I never warmed up too. Hoshiumi is the second one. They just rub me the wrong way. Even if what he says is true, just his way of saying it doesn't vibe with me. Makes him sound like a prick.
@@sabrinas.79 you should watch Michael Jordans documentary, “the Last Dance”. Ushijima’s attitude is one that’s very common at a high level. The way he talks to his team, how he practices & how he views his opponents. He didn’t care if he came off rude or mean to his teammates. To most people, he absolutely sounds like a prick, but look at where that “prick” took the Bulls in the 90s.
I love Sarah's opinion on Oikawa, because a lot of people who reacted to Oikawa hates his personality but disregards Oikawa's skills but Sarah doesn't like Oikawa's personality but she recognize Oikawa's skills. I love that.
About Nekomata and Nekoma. It's just coincidence, the author probably liked the names because they sounded similar, but they are written with different kanji. There's no in-universe reason for the names, afaik. Nekomata uses the kanji for cat (neko) and it's the name of a mythological cat creature. Nekoma's name is a reference to shogi/Japanese chess (the Koma part of the name is the word for the game piece).
Nah, you shouldn’t think deeply about Nekoma’ s kanji (音駒) coz it is just a phonetic equivalent. I think the author use the kanji because using the kanji 猫 in school name doesn’t sound natural. Besides, it is said that if a cat lives too long, the cat become a nekomata. So I think Necoma’s coach’s name implies “an old cat”
Also all the players on Nekoma are an allusion to a cat. Kuroo meaning black like a cat. Lev meaning Lion. Tora meaning Tiger. And so on and so forth. The only exception would be Inuoka who's name has the character for Dog in his name "Inu".
About ushiwaka, he's just honest. He doesn't mince his words he says what he believes to be factual and if someone get offended it wasn't his intention, he's just stating a truth
Somewhat true, but not entirely. He has is very opinionated in his own right. If he were simply trying to be completely factual he wouldn't have said every player in Aoba Johsai other than Oikawa is weak. The only reasonable fact he could have said was that they're weaker than the players at Shiratorizawa. Seijoh has consistently ranked second to Shiratorizawa in that region. They couldn't have done that with a team full of weak players and just Oikawa being talented.
@@WildModesty Technically, since Shiratorizawa has been the best team in the prefecture for the past few years, all the other teams are clearly weaker. Therefore any player that would not make it into the Shiratorizawa line up can be factually considered weak by Ushiwaka
Ushijima is an innocent, emotionally tactless baby at the core hahaha. His words does come across as abrasive, but there isn't any malicious intent behind it. Think of him as someone who is almost always completely literal whenever he speaks or listens. It gets funny when people say things figuratively and he interprets them literally XDDD
Ushiwaka is a bit of a Samurai type. He'll respect you once you beat him. Blunt and honest. When it's come down to it, he'll show you no mercy when it comes time to crush you. Confident but not cocky. Fun Fact: Ushiwaka's nickname is named after a Samurai of the same name. The historical Ushiwaka was known for his superb jumping ability when he fought.
"Itadaki no keshiki" (the view from the summit) is one of those phrases in Haikyuu that's pretty much auto-goosebumps for me at this point. They just put so much meaning behind it.
By the way, Karasno’s coach also has connection with the school name. Karasno is written “烏野”in Kanji and the Kanji “烏” means crow. Ukai is written “烏養“ in Kanji. His family name implies “to foster (or keep) crows ”
Ushijima's character really nailed the "established champion" vibes. From his POV Hinata was just all talk beginner, baseless confidence. Then Hinata stole the ball and he's looking forward to the substance behind that confidence, and more competition is always good for competitive people.
The music of Season 2 is really one of the highlights for me. The moment in the thumbnail and the silence that cuts it off is one highlight, but the whole season is full of great themes that build on Season 1, and then get built on themselves in later seasons. Very excited to continue to preach to the choir on that.
@@TownspersonB "Chosokko" is awesome. :) For me, though, Season 2 is defined by "Omnivorous" (雑食) and the Season 4 evolved version of that, "Back Together" (合流) which definitely had me in tears, haha.
s2 is my most favorite haikyuu season, omg! it's full of amazing characters and the training camp arc is just so amazing. also the soundtrack is superb!! so excited to watch s2 with you, sarah!!
Hinata was intimidated by Ushijima until the latter insulted Aoba Johsai -- that offended Hinata, and his anger superseded his fear. (Ushijima was dismissive of all the players Hinata respected, looking down on them, and it pushed his buttons). But Hinata is also growing as a person and a player, too! He _is_ becoming more confident, which absolutely played a role, and you'll get to continue to see him grow on his journey. 😊
Nekomata is actually the name of a type of cat demon in Japanese mythology, and it's how the Nekoma coach's name is written. While "neko" means cat, Nekoma is actually written as "ne (sound)" + "koma (shogi/chess piece)" so it's more like a play on words. The "ma" sound just happens to be the same. About Ushiwaka ( full name USHIjima WAKAtoshi), you'll understand his personality more as seasons progress, but to put it simply w/o spoilers, he actually just doesn't mince his words, like a much less awkward version of Kageyama. Personality-wise, I think he's an adorable guy😊 Also, thanks for always repping for us lefties! I love that I have a shared trait with Ushiwaka and you!💜
S2 really ups the ante all around. "I'm Hinata Shoyo from the concrete" continues to be one of my favorite statements. I'm looking forward to your reaction to this season (It's my 2nd favorite overall and filled with all kinds of amazing scenes).
Ushiwaka is talking like a Samurai, the bushido way, saying what he belives in a calm way to show hes confidence in what he is saying and is implicit that he is asking to the other person (Hiunata and Kageyama) to prove him wrong, in his way he is showing respect but not being condecenden to them, he is not being an a$$ by talking them this way but for us, non-japanese, may be hard to understand this way of talk to someone that you think is wrong and need guide to be stronger (non native english speaker here)
You always have the best attitude Sarah! Other reactors get nervous about meeting more characters (cause they can barely keep up with everything, nothing wrong with that) but when you said you were excited to meet more characters it was great! As a fan it makes you feel good as well to see you enjoying Haikyuu so much! Can’t wait for next episode, this season is too good ✨
Live chat explained already but: Hinata was too angry at Ushiwaka (a nickname most characters give him, his real name is Ushijima Wakatoshi - Ushijima being his family name) to be intimidated Ushijima didn't mean it maliciously, but he basically talked trash about Seijoh, a team that, to Hinata, is the most powerful team he has ever seen. To hear him(Ushiwaka) say that people like Iwaizumi (Seijoh's ace and basically actual captain, given Oikawa is most of the time rather nonchalant and childish) or the Libero, who can do the back set from behind the line, is blasphemy of the highest degree. It's also pretty on brand with Hinata to enter "fight mode" towards someone, who "attacks" people he respects. Thou it's one of the instances where he doesn't immediately do a 180 and turn the scene comedic by realizing he was being cocky and rude.
The author likes to name his characters with some sort of wordplay/pun. For Nekoma, they have a lot of names that refer to cats like Tora (tiger), Lev (lion) and Nekomata-sensei (name having kanji for cat). Our main characters also have those, like Hinata (sun) and Tsuki (moon) which allude to their characters personality contrast and relationship. I find these small trivia amusing when I first learned of it.
Ushijima doesnt really think highly of himself.. He's just straight up blunt and states all of the facts he knows. Like a kid who takes things literally.. That's how innocent he is.
as you might realize, teams have animal names. so the word "shiratori" means white bird. shira means white and tori means bird. i don't wanna give you spoilers but as you can see, the main reason of shiratorizawa being strong is ushijima. so he is like a single bird. but crows(karasu) are birds that fly together. you can see that team spirit in karasuno. so shiratorizawa vs karasuno, a mighty white eagle vs a group of crows
lol, I’m so happy to see your reaction to Ushijima!! I love him tbh but I can understand why he might rub some people the wrong way. Ushijima just happens to be very blunt and (brutally) honest, but he doesn’t intend to deliberately offend people; he just states what he feels is the truth. But you’ll see more of him as you continue watching ;) These upcoming episodes are so much fun and I have a feeling you’re going to LOVE what’s coming next!! Thank you again for another wonderful reaction!!! ❤️
Ushijima is one of those characters that I like much better when watching the show again, much like Kageyama tbh, I just need some time to get used to the blunt babies and then they can all join in my love house 😅😂❤
Lmao the way the music cuts during Take-chan’s lecture at the end does me in every time. Re Ushijima - others have said but he really doesn’t have bad intentions. He’s just a very straightforward communicator (if a little bit dense)! Excited for you to watch season 2 🥳🥳
24:25 This is one of those moments that tells oyu a lot about Hinata's character. The reason he gets so pissed off at Ushiwaka (it's a protmanteau of Ushijima Wakatoshi, btw, I know it can get confusing when they swap it out) is because he saw all those players at Seijoh work their asses off and put on amazing performances. So him just dismissing them all as weak is a huge insult. I dig that Hinata is that fired up bc they were worthy opponents who played a great game, not JUST because of Oikawa.
I think that at the beginning Hinata was as amazed/intimidated by Ushijima as he usually is when he meets very talented players, but when Ushijima calls Seijoh “infertile soil” Hinata gets offended on their behalf. I believe that his change in attitude comes from the respect he fees for them. Also he might have been offended because if Karasuno lost to Seijoh and Seijoh is not good enough for Ushijima, then what are they? Hence the “What are we, concrete?” line. But yeah, I think that Hinata feels great respect and admiration for his opponents, and that’s why he stood up to Ushijima .
Most of the main teams in Haikyuu have names resembling animals (Seijoh and Dateko are notable exceptions, being named after places). "Shiratori" literally translated means "white bird", which is represented here by a white eagle (technically in Japanese I think it's an idiom for "swan", as someone mentioned below...however an eagle is probably more fitting for Ushijima's character). The names are also often metaphors for the teams' play styles: - The White Eagle represents Shiratorizawa's reliance on Ushijima's dominance as their single star player. - The Crows represent Karasuno's reliance on teamwork, being (comparatively) weak individually as none of their players are really star hitters. They commonly attack as a group (often chaotically and all at once). - The Cats represent Nekoma's reliance on flexibility and observation (i.e. keeping the rally going through solid passes and adapting their strategy to their opponent in-game)
I think the reason Hinata stood up to Ushijima so hard here is because he called Sejoi weak asides from Oikawa. That really struck a nerve with Hianata as he remembers how strong every individual player was and really felt disrepected in that moment not just for him but for the Sejoi players too.
i get your feeling like you have to like ushiwaka as a lefty, because as a lefty myself, i got so pumped when i saw you spike with a left hand! 😁 i was like “did she really kill that with a left?? rewind for science 👀👀👀”
Season 2 is my fav 100% I am so hyped for this! I already liked the video. The music already picks it up, all animations and drawings are improved, character improvemens incoming off the chart, and so much more OMFG I have all the nerdchills.
Neko means cat and Nekomata means monster cat in Japanese. I think the author just wanted to give them names related to cats. Some of the team has an animal to represent the team's characteristic. Nekomata: In Japanese folklore, it's said that when a cat lives a long life his tail gets split into two ("mata"又 means split into two) and becomes a cat spirit monster. It's kind of like a Japanese version of cat fairy in Irish fairytale.
When I saw you stop and pause at Asahi’s hair I was seriously like “what’s she gonna say.. love it or hate it?!” Sarah: *sighs* Its gonna take some getting used to. Me too Sarah, me too 😂😭
Sarah: We're getting new characters. Me: Yes...you are getting A LOT of new characters...I'm looking forward to your season 2 starter list cause that's gonna be HARD.
I can’t wait for all your reactions! One of my favouriye Haikyuu reacters on UA-cam ^^ Ushijima’s just brutally honest, I feel like whenever he says something, there aren’t any hidden meanings. He also did make a good point, albeit slightly (very) rudely; he’s someone who thinks Seijoh is weak other than Oikawa and Shiratorizawa has won every match against Seijoh, so words coming from a team who lost to Seijoh wouldn’t mean very much to him. I can’t wait to see if how your opinion changes as the episodes go by!
You will LOVE this season!!! I liked S1 of haikyuu a lot, but season 2 made me love it, and season 3 made me a die hard fan of the series. I'm glad you're enjoying it this much so far!
also Hinata's "JAPAN????" every time he sees Ushiwaka is one of my favorite long-running jokes of the series..... it's just so ridiculous every time he does it lmao
Ive seen this scene many times before but i just noticed that Ushiwaka is standing on a “fertile” soil where as the freak duo is standing beside a dump. Pretty powerful foreshadowing right there! They really starting from the bottom this season!
I was worried for a minute there that clip art style editing wasn't going to be a part of this season! Loved what Lydia put in at 29:10 😆!!! Great reaction as always and appreciate the people who take the time to answer Sarah's questions (helps viewers like me too!).
So happy to see you starting up Season 2! The scene with the boys and Ushiwaka is among my favs of the season, and Hinata's concrete line hits me hard as well. The underdogs growing a backbone - you love to see it 👍
So, I wanna address a couple of the things you have experienced today, first of all I love your reactions, I definitely like how you approach it, you watch a section of the episode the you pause it to speak about what you watched, really important to do so in order to not miss anything, now about Ushiwaka, he is a vary direct person, he has no filter, he will say what he thinks without hesitation, some people like it, some people don't. Then, the "I'm Hinata Shoyo from the concrete" phrase is one of my favorites from Haikyuu, it demonstrates us that he recognizes that he is weaker than Ushiwaka, but that it is not enough reason for him to give up, and I really love his mentality. Lastly, both the Soundtracks and the animation definitely improved after season one, it got so much bigger including its budget so the result was better. Again, thank you for your reactions, keep up the good work!
Nekoma and nekomata... its just so that the characters are memorable. You might know that "neko" means cat, and nekomata, if I remember correctly, is a Japanese mythological entity. The characters eyes are shaped like cats', their game tactics are nimble and sneaky like cats, it's basically so nekoma is etched into the reader's memory.
Sarah, the sweats and palpitations don't ever go away. I'm probably on my 15th rewatch of this spectacular series and I still get nervous even though I know the thing frame by frame!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and insights with us! Every season of Haikyuu has been solid, but season 2 holds a special place in my heart. I think you will very much enjoy the upcoming episodes, both for the gameplay and the character development. Hope you are having a wonderful new year so far!
U are in for a treat .So many goosebump moments ahead ,just waiting for season 5...I have seen this anime 4 times already , will watch again with u. Keep it coming 👌
Just finished binging all your season 1 reactions and now I'm going to binge the rest. It's honestly really amazing that we have Olympic players such as yourself and Erik Shoji who are willing to give this anime a shot *and enjoy it*. I've watched many Haikyuu reactions in the past but I definitely prefer yours.
I love season 2 so much and I'm excited to see your reactions! Again, your attention to detail and understanding of the characters is so great to watch. Can't wait for you to meet at the new characters!!
Re: who Daichi did the hill run against, it was probably Nishinoya, as it was only those two left after Hinata and Kageyama went. Maybe Daichi felt that he needed to keep an eye on Noya during the run! 😁
The Nekoma/Coach Nekomata choice was probably deliberate by the author. They use different kanji but are homophones. Also Nekoma's mascot animal is a cat and Nekomata are a type of Japanese mythical cat-monsters usually pictured with two tails. References like this are often used by manga authors to contact characters to imagery that represents them. Another commenter mentioned Coach Ukai's similar reference. Also you asked about the Shiratorizawa eagle. The first character in Shiratorizawa's name means white and the second means bird. Shiratori can technically mean any white bird but it more traditionally refers to swans. I think they chose an eagle because it is a more predatory white bird that could theoretically fight crows in the sky. But yeah we are going to get a LOT of eagle vs crows imagery whenever Shiratorizawa comes up.
Really love this! Been with Sarah since S1 episode 1❤️ Now she's starting a new season and I'm so excitedddd!! Every season just keep getting better and better, even the animation.. I'm so excited for you to find out☺️❤️
I'm Hinata Shoyo.... FROM THE CONCRETE!! 💥
I’ve been waiting for your reaction to that scene for a WHILE now…
I can't speak for the meaning but Nekoma and Nekomata are both meant to sound like neko for cat so yeah it's a little too perfect. Also, yes the birds were calling them dummies and it's one of my favorite scenes overall.
A joke in Japan is that when you sneeze out of no where or get chills it's because someone is talking about you. And since the Karasuno bois are all talking about nekoma, nekoma players keep feeling it haha.
@@seekittycat we will be seeing this a lot. It's a small thing but so funny
This is where the series got me as well and ive been a fan ever since so im excited to see more of your reactions
Ushijima can be a bit abrasive at times with his blunt words, but he has a good heart and doesn't speak with ill intent. He is very honest, if lacking in tact.
best way to summarize Ushi!
That's best sentence I've read all day
Pretty spot on
He's also one of those guys who thinks so highly of himself because he really is that good. He isn't bragging, just making an accurate assessment.
@@patmonte8426 Basically and half thought that Ushijima is an INTJ (architect)
Hinata was offended by Ushijima calling Aoba Johsai weak. That's why he got his stare down on. 😉
Like, HOW do you call Iwa-chan weak?!
@@bigonbooks4736 he's another good over-all player but not that great.
@@bigonbooks4736 i think most of the aoba member are like solid and strong enough but in the end not enough
Yes and they also have Kyouken-chan..
kageyama actually works on his smile in front of the mirror very often it was said in the manga
That’s so precious but also kind of sad 😢
His name is Ushijima Wakatoshi, people call him Ushiwaka because it's a combination of both names, it's also the name of a samurai.
Ushiwakamaru/Ushiwaka known in real life as Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He is a famous warlord/samurai who lived in 12th century Japan.
ハイキューのキャラクターである牛若をはじめて知ったときは、名前に似合わず背が高いことに驚きましたよ！
牛若丸は源義経が若い頃の名前だからか、動きの軽やかな少年のイメージで描かれることが多いんです
11:00 Almost all of the names in Haikyuu are a pun on something or have deeper meaning. Even the way they write "Ukai" (烏養) literally means "Crow-nurturer." It's a common trope in manga to help people imagine the voices and action quickly. Almost all of the Nekoma team names are based on cats ("neko" means "cat") in some form.
- Nekomata 猫又 "another cat" (but also, the name of a cat demon in mythology). "Lev" is Russian for "lion." Kenma's last name, "Kozume" 孤爪, means "lonely claws." Kuroo 黒尾 = "black tail." The Tanaka lookalike's first name is "Taketora" (猛虎), "wild tiger," and so on.
The Karasuno names all play on their personalities or roles in the series.
"Hinata" (日向 "facing the sun") vs "Kageyama" (影山 "shadow of the mountain") vs "Tsukishima" (月島 "moon island" (as in, isolated))
"Nishinoya" (西谷 "west valley") vs "Azumane" (東峰 "east peak")
I could go on. I'd happily list them all out if people want, haha, but frankly, one of them would be sort of a spoiler for one of my favourite moments mid-Season 2, and I think you get the idea.
Thank you so much for these details! Wonderful!
That's just wow. Thanks a lot for this
I really love these details of every team
Nice thank you ❤️
@Ruchita and others, it's my pleasure. :) Here's the spoiler for Season 2:
"Ennoshita Chikara" comes from the expression "en-no-shita no chikara-mochi" (縁の下の力持ち), which means "unsung hero," or literally, the one who brings power from behind the scenes. 😢 Such a great moment.
The reason Hinata's classmates are freaking out over Shimizu being near them is because usually, grades in Japanese schools are split into floors. Shimizu's a third year, and they're confused that a beautiful third year, that's supposed to be on a higher floor is walking around their first-year hallways.
Not just Japanese schools, my country’s schools also have the years separated
Just a note! Ushiwaka’s full name is Ushijima Wakatoshi-“Ushiwaka” is just a nickname that everyone calls him, but his actual last name is Ushijima. :) Loving the reactions as usual!! Thank you!! :D
ushiwaka is a cool character. he is really well done with a good backstory. he could be wording his sentences a bit nicer sometimes :D
and Ushijima is his mothers name
I clicked it so fast, only to realize it premieres in 2 days, haha
LMAOOO Sarah's disappointed sigh at Asahi's new hairstyle just absolutely sent me 😂😂😂😂😂😂
The displeased "Oikawa again??" in the beginning, I choked on my dessert xD
I laughed so hard too :"D
In the Youth World at 14, internationally recognised, Olympic player…Sarah is basically Ushiwaka! Just…..a LOT nicer 😊
Or, as some would say, a lot more tactful
24:39 Ushiwaka is a straight shooter. He doesn't mince words. And what he said about Aoba Johsai was mostly true. If you took away Oikawa from Seijoh, it becomes just a mediocre team. I mean, Iwa is still a very strong outside hitter, but the other members are probably just above average, not that strong. Remember that when Karasuno played Seijoh in the practice match back in ep. 5-6, they beat them (without Oikawa) without a coach, libero, and their ace. Don't forget that we were introduced to coach Ukai, Noya and Asahi AFTER that match.
Basically, Ushiwaka isn't arrogant. He's just honest.
Yeah, I don't know if I agree to much with Ushiwaka's assesment. I mean, Seijoh is great at adapting fast to situations, most of their players are very much experienced. Maybe other than Iwa, there are not so much stronger players, but I would 100% say Seijoh, even without Oikawa would be an above average team.
@@ArgKnoxville86 Ushijima is a national level player, & represents the country in his age category in the sport. An above average team is STILL mediocre to him. You’re looking at his assessment as a third party, not through HIS perspective
@@ImaBobbyMudda Exactly, an above average team is considered weak by Ushiwaka. Seijoh without Oikawa would not beat Date Tech or Karasuno. Also, let's not forget that Ushiwaka has played against a lot of strong teams at Nationals, so prefectural above average teams are pretty damn weak. 😂
Still don't like him. He is one of only 2 players in the whole anime I never warmed up too. Hoshiumi is the second one. They just rub me the wrong way. Even if what he says is true, just his way of saying it doesn't vibe with me. Makes him sound like a prick.
@@sabrinas.79 you should watch Michael Jordans documentary, “the Last Dance”. Ushijima’s attitude is one that’s very common at a high level. The way he talks to his team, how he practices & how he views his opponents. He didn’t care if he came off rude or mean to his teammates. To most people, he absolutely sounds like a prick, but look at where that “prick” took the Bulls in the 90s.
I love Sarah's opinion on Oikawa, because a lot of people who reacted to Oikawa hates his personality but disregards Oikawa's skills but Sarah doesn't like Oikawa's personality but she recognize Oikawa's skills. I love that.
About Nekomata and Nekoma. It's just coincidence, the author probably liked the names because they sounded similar, but they are written with different kanji. There's no in-universe reason for the names, afaik. Nekomata uses the kanji for cat (neko) and it's the name of a mythological cat creature. Nekoma's name is a reference to shogi/Japanese chess (the Koma part of the name is the word for the game piece).
Nah, you shouldn’t think deeply about Nekoma’ s kanji (音駒) coz it is just a phonetic equivalent. I think the author use the kanji because using the kanji 猫 in school name doesn’t sound natural.
Besides, it is said that if a cat lives too long, the cat become a nekomata. So I think Necoma’s coach’s name implies “an old cat”
Also all the players on Nekoma are an allusion to a cat. Kuroo meaning black like a cat. Lev meaning Lion. Tora meaning Tiger. And so on and so forth. The only exception would be Inuoka who's name has the character for Dog in his name "Inu".
Agree Bro I Also Thought About This 😂 That How Nekoma and Nekomata Sounds Exact Same
Its like Arsene Wenger was the manager of Arsenal xD
@@rhrishikeshsane5450 that's exactly what I was thinking
About ushiwaka, he's just honest. He doesn't mince his words he says what he believes to be factual and if someone get offended it wasn't his intention, he's just stating a truth
Somewhat true, but not entirely. He has is very opinionated in his own right. If he were simply trying to be completely factual he wouldn't have said every player in Aoba Johsai other than Oikawa is weak. The only reasonable fact he could have said was that they're weaker than the players at Shiratorizawa. Seijoh has consistently ranked second to Shiratorizawa in that region. They couldn't have done that with a team full of weak players and just Oikawa being talented.
@@WildModesty Technically, since Shiratorizawa has been the best team in the prefecture for the past few years, all the other teams are clearly weaker. Therefore any player that would not make it into the Shiratorizawa line up can be factually considered weak by Ushiwaka
He believe what he says is true
@@WildModesty Well, Aoba lost agains't a Karasuno without a coach, Rolling Thunder and our dear Man Bun
Ushijima is an innocent, emotionally tactless baby at the core hahaha. His words does come across as abrasive, but there isn't any malicious intent behind it. Think of him as someone who is almost always completely literal whenever he speaks or listens. It gets funny when people say things figuratively and he interprets them literally XDDD
"I'm Hinata Shoyou, from the concrete" is one of my FAVORITE lines from the entire series. That whole scene is just amazing.
Ushiwaka is a bit of a Samurai type. He'll respect you once you beat him. Blunt and honest. When it's come down to it, he'll show you no mercy when it comes time to crush you. Confident but not cocky.
Fun Fact: Ushiwaka's nickname is named after a Samurai of the same name. The historical Ushiwaka was known for his superb jumping ability when he fought.
"Itadaki no keshiki" (the view from the summit) is one of those phrases in Haikyuu that's pretty much auto-goosebumps for me at this point. They just put so much meaning behind it.
By the way, Karasno’s coach also has connection with the school name. Karasno is written “烏野”in Kanji and the Kanji “烏” means crow. Ukai is written “烏養“ in Kanji. His family name implies “to foster (or keep) crows ”
Wow i watched haikyuuu more than 30 times but still didn't knew this fact thx🤦😂✌️
"to foster crows" - it's so cute. Thanks for this fact))
I didn't find out about that for ages and it's such a cute detail, thanks for sharing!!! 😊
I didn't know this and legit got a little bit misty eyed lol
awesome
Ushijima's character really nailed the "established champion" vibes. From his POV Hinata was just all talk beginner, baseless confidence. Then Hinata stole the ball and he's looking forward to the substance behind that confidence, and more competition is always good for competitive people.
The music of Season 2 is really one of the highlights for me. The moment in the thumbnail and the silence that cuts it off is one highlight, but the whole season is full of great themes that build on Season 1, and then get built on themselves in later seasons. Very excited to continue to preach to the choir on that.
@@TownspersonB "Chosokko" is awesome. :) For me, though, Season 2 is defined by "Omnivorous" (雑食) and the Season 4 evolved version of that, "Back Together" (合流) which definitely had me in tears, haha.
The music is definitely an underrated aspect of anime and it's absolutely amazing in this show!
s2 is my most favorite haikyuu season, omg! it's full of amazing characters and the training camp arc is just so amazing. also the soundtrack is superb!! so excited to watch s2 with you, sarah!!
@@Old_Soul_ the same
I think Sarah in particular will really like the next arc
Hinata was intimidated by Ushijima until the latter insulted Aoba Johsai -- that offended Hinata, and his anger superseded his fear. (Ushijima was dismissive of all the players Hinata respected, looking down on them, and it pushed his buttons). But Hinata is also growing as a person and a player, too! He _is_ becoming more confident, which absolutely played a role, and you'll get to continue to see him grow on his journey. 😊
Nekomata is actually the name of a type of cat demon in Japanese mythology, and it's how the Nekoma coach's name is written. While "neko" means cat, Nekoma is actually written as "ne (sound)" + "koma (shogi/chess piece)" so it's more like a play on words. The "ma" sound just happens to be the same.
About Ushiwaka ( full name USHIjima WAKAtoshi), you'll understand his personality more as seasons progress, but to put it simply w/o spoilers, he actually just doesn't mince his words, like a much less awkward version of Kageyama. Personality-wise, I think he's an adorable guy😊
Also, thanks for always repping for us lefties! I love that I have a shared trait with Ushiwaka and you!💜
Koma（駒） also means a horse.
Perhaps the meaning of horse has changed to mean cavalry.
From there, it also means shogi or chess pieces, as you say.
S2 really ups the ante all around. "I'm Hinata Shoyo from the concrete" continues to be one of my favorite statements. I'm looking forward to your reaction to this season (It's my 2nd favorite overall and filled with all kinds of amazing scenes).
I’m so excited for this reaction… the scene on Shiratorizawa is one of my favorites❤️
Ushiwaka is talking like a Samurai, the bushido way, saying what he belives in a calm way to show hes confidence in what he is saying and is implicit that he is asking to the other person (Hiunata and Kageyama) to prove him wrong, in his way he is showing respect but not being condecenden to them, he is not being an a$$ by talking them this way but for us, non-japanese, may be hard to understand this way of talk to someone that you think is wrong and need guide to be stronger (non native english speaker here)
You always have the best attitude Sarah! Other reactors get nervous about meeting more characters (cause they can barely keep up with everything, nothing wrong with that) but when you said you were excited to meet more characters it was great! As a fan it makes you feel good as well to see you enjoying Haikyuu so much! Can’t wait for next episode, this season is too good ✨
Live chat explained already but:
Hinata was too angry at Ushiwaka (a nickname most characters give him, his real name is Ushijima Wakatoshi - Ushijima being his family name) to be intimidated
Ushijima didn't mean it maliciously, but he basically talked trash about Seijoh, a team that, to Hinata, is the most powerful team he has ever seen.
To hear him(Ushiwaka) say that people like Iwaizumi (Seijoh's ace and basically actual captain, given Oikawa is most of the time rather nonchalant and childish) or the Libero, who can do the back set from behind the line, is blasphemy of the highest degree.
It's also pretty on brand with Hinata to enter "fight mode" towards someone, who "attacks" people he respects. Thou it's one of the instances where he doesn't immediately do a 180 and turn the scene comedic by realizing he was being cocky and rude.
The author likes to name his characters with some sort of wordplay/pun. For Nekoma, they have a lot of names that refer to cats like Tora (tiger), Lev (lion) and Nekomata-sensei (name having kanji for cat).
Our main characters also have those, like Hinata (sun) and Tsuki (moon) which allude to their characters personality contrast and relationship. I find these small trivia amusing when I first learned of it.
Ushijima doesnt really think highly of himself.. He's just straight up blunt and states all of the facts he knows. Like a kid who takes things literally.. That's how innocent he is.
as you might realize, teams have animal names. so the word "shiratori" means white bird. shira means white and tori means bird. i don't wanna give you spoilers but as you can see, the main reason of shiratorizawa being strong is ushijima. so he is like a single bird. but crows(karasu) are birds that fly together. you can see that team spirit in karasuno. so shiratorizawa vs karasuno, a mighty white eagle vs a group of crows
The first arc in this season 2 is my favorite from all haikyuu seasons
Dam what a tease. the hype train is real!
Sarah simping over the cast for no reason is the energy I need in my life and my spirit animal
lol, I’m so happy to see your reaction to Ushijima!! I love him tbh but I can understand why he might rub some people the wrong way. Ushijima just happens to be very blunt and (brutally) honest, but he doesn’t intend to deliberately offend people; he just states what he feels is the truth. But you’ll see more of him as you continue watching ;)
These upcoming episodes are so much fun and I have a feeling you’re going to LOVE what’s coming next!! Thank you again for another wonderful reaction!!! ❤️
Ushijima is one of those characters that I like much better when watching the show again, much like Kageyama tbh, I just need some time to get used to the blunt babies and then they can all join in my love house 😅😂❤
Thanks for setting up the episode to premiere! I always want to watch right away!
I think I can speak for most of us when I say LET MEEEEEEEEEE INNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait for Thursday!!!
This episode is probably my all-time favorite Haikyuu episode. Cant wait to see Sarah react to it.
Love your insights on youth natl teams! This is why we love having a pro watching haikyuu!
Lmao the way the music cuts during Take-chan’s lecture at the end does me in every time.
Re Ushijima - others have said but he really doesn’t have bad intentions. He’s just a very straightforward communicator (if a little bit dense)!
Excited for you to watch season 2 🥳🥳
24:25 This is one of those moments that tells oyu a lot about Hinata's character. The reason he gets so pissed off at Ushiwaka (it's a protmanteau of Ushijima Wakatoshi, btw, I know it can get confusing when they swap it out) is because he saw all those players at Seijoh work their asses off and put on amazing performances. So him just dismissing them all as weak is a huge insult. I dig that Hinata is that fired up bc they were worthy opponents who played a great game, not JUST because of Oikawa.
Hey hey hey! You're going to love the new teams!
not me immediately clicking and not realizing it premieres 2 days from now 💀
Sameeee
I think that at the beginning Hinata was as amazed/intimidated by Ushijima as he usually is when he meets very talented players, but when Ushijima calls Seijoh “infertile soil” Hinata gets offended on their behalf. I believe that his change in attitude comes from the respect he fees for them. Also he might have been offended because if Karasuno lost to Seijoh and Seijoh is not good enough for Ushijima, then what are they? Hence the “What are we, concrete?” line. But yeah, I think that Hinata feels great respect and admiration for his opponents, and that’s why he stood up to Ushijima .
I'm so glad to see you, Sarah!
Your reactions are the best and make my day)
17:45 - Kuroo has the best hairstyle even in the guise of a mermaid😂
Most of the main teams in Haikyuu have names resembling animals (Seijoh and Dateko are notable exceptions, being named after places). "Shiratori" literally translated means "white bird", which is represented here by a white eagle (technically in Japanese I think it's an idiom for "swan", as someone mentioned below...however an eagle is probably more fitting for Ushijima's character).
The names are also often metaphors for the teams' play styles:
- The White Eagle represents Shiratorizawa's reliance on Ushijima's dominance as their single star player.
- The Crows represent Karasuno's reliance on teamwork, being (comparatively) weak individually as none of their players are really star hitters. They commonly attack as a group (often chaotically and all at once).
- The Cats represent Nekoma's reliance on flexibility and observation (i.e. keeping the rally going through solid passes and adapting their strategy to their opponent in-game)
I think the reason Hinata stood up to Ushijima so hard here is because he called Sejoi weak asides from Oikawa. That really struck a nerve with Hianata as he remembers how strong every individual player was and really felt disrepected in that moment not just for him but for the Sejoi players too.
i get your feeling like you have to like ushiwaka as a lefty, because as a lefty myself, i got so pumped when i saw you spike with a left hand! 😁 i was like “did she really kill that with a left?? rewind for science 👀👀👀”
Season 2 is my fav 100% I am so hyped for this! I already liked the video. The music already picks it up, all animations and drawings are improved, character improvemens incoming off the chart, and so much more OMFG I have all the nerdchills.
Neko means cat and Nekomata means monster cat in Japanese. I think the author just wanted to give them names related to cats. Some of the team has an animal to represent the team's characteristic.
Nekomata: In Japanese folklore, it's said that when a cat lives a long life his tail gets split into two ("mata"又 means split into two) and becomes a cat spirit monster. It's kind of like a Japanese version of cat fairy in Irish fairytale.
Can I just say that I'm in LOVE with that Haikyuu poster that you got in the back
Such a good poster! :D
When I saw you stop and pause at Asahi’s hair I was seriously like “what’s she gonna say.. love it or hate it?!”
Sarah: *sighs* Its gonna take some getting used to.
Me too Sarah, me too 😂😭
Season 2 is so much fun! Happy to accompany you along for the journey :)
Sarah: We're getting new characters.
Me: Yes...you are getting A LOT of new characters...I'm looking forward to your season 2 starter list cause that's gonna be HARD.
I can’t wait for all your reactions! One of my favouriye Haikyuu reacters on UA-cam ^^
Ushijima’s just brutally honest, I feel like whenever he says something, there aren’t any hidden meanings. He also did make a good point, albeit slightly (very) rudely; he’s someone who thinks Seijoh is weak other than Oikawa and Shiratorizawa has won every match against Seijoh, so words coming from a team who lost to Seijoh wouldn’t mean very much to him. I can’t wait to see if how your opinion changes as the episodes go by!
You will LOVE this season!!! I liked S1 of haikyuu a lot, but season 2 made me love it, and season 3 made me a die hard fan of the series. I'm glad you're enjoying it this much so far!
also Hinata's "JAPAN????" every time he sees Ushiwaka is one of my favorite long-running jokes of the series..... it's just so ridiculous every time he does it lmao
YOOOO! I was ready to drop everything that I was doing 😂
haha you weren't the only one OTL
Ive seen this scene many times before but i just noticed that Ushiwaka is standing on a “fertile” soil where as the freak duo is standing beside a dump. Pretty powerful foreshadowing right there! They really starting from the bottom this season!
25:07 "His smile is terrifying. He needs to work on that."
That came out of nowhere, but I love it 😂 Sorry Kageyama
Season 2 gives us the Tokyo training camp arc, which is one of the best in the entire series.
I was worried for a minute there that clip art style editing wasn't going to be a part of this season! Loved what Lydia put in at 29:10 😆!!! Great reaction as always and appreciate the people who take the time to answer Sarah's questions (helps viewers like me too!).
thank you for reacting to haikyuu.. can't believe we are in season 2 already. watching your reactions makes my day~
17:46 ushiwaka will be scarred for life after seeing that 😂😂😂😂
So happy to see you starting up Season 2! The scene with the boys and Ushiwaka is among my favs of the season, and Hinata's concrete line hits me hard as well.
The underdogs growing a backbone - you love to see it 👍
I’m so happy you are now in the 2nd season, Sarah! The Haikyuu journey will just get better and better!
So, I wanna address a couple of the things you have experienced today, first of all I love your reactions, I definitely like how you approach it, you watch a section of the episode the you pause it to speak about what you watched, really important to do so in order to not miss anything, now about Ushiwaka, he is a vary direct person, he has no filter, he will say what he thinks without hesitation, some people like it, some people don't.
Then, the "I'm Hinata Shoyo from the concrete" phrase is one of my favorites from Haikyuu, it demonstrates us that he recognizes that he is weaker than Ushiwaka, but that it is not enough reason for him to give up, and I really love his mentality.
Lastly, both the Soundtracks and the animation definitely improved after season one, it got so much bigger including its budget so the result was better.
Again, thank you for your reactions, keep up the good work!
Petition for Sarah to say “Hey hey hey” when watches it 😃
You’re list of Haikyuu pretty boys is so valid and I’m here for it!!!!!!
Nekoma and nekomata... its just so that the characters are memorable. You might know that "neko" means cat, and nekomata, if I remember correctly, is a Japanese mythological entity. The characters eyes are shaped like cats', their game tactics are nimble and sneaky like cats, it's basically so nekoma is etched into the reader's memory.
Yesss we love when Hinata gets that crazy look of determination! 🙌🙌🙌
And also I love your poster, I noticed it a few videos ago but forgot to say ^^;
I can't wait to watch it 💗
Sarah, the sweats and palpitations don't ever go away. I'm probably on my 15th rewatch of this spectacular series and I still get nervous even though I know the thing frame by frame!!!!
sara's beautiful boys in mermaid edit took my lungs out =))dufjbgdfb your editor is the silliest and i love them for it
Your reactions are the BEST :D
ready for thursday!!!
25:40 if you love that imagery just wait until your get to the third season, it has the best opening song/video of the series.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and insights with us! Every season of Haikyuu has been solid, but season 2 holds a special place in my heart. I think you will very much enjoy the upcoming episodes, both for the gameplay and the character development. Hope you are having a wonderful new year so far!
I got so excited I thought it was a new video lmao, guess I’ll be back for the premier 😩👊🏼
Not gonna spoil but imo every next season is better than one before. Also, like that you planed premiere of this video, that's a nice change.
I'm so happy this released ahhhhh its finally starting!!!!! 🙌 I really hope you love this season as much as we all do Sarah!!
congrats for 30k subs!
Thank you so much 😀
Sarah without eyebrows = Aone
Sarah with eyebrows = Ushiwaka
omg ☠️
@@SarahPavanVolleyball haha I'm so sorry I couldn't help it and nothing but love. I'm a big fan of both characters and you!
I am excited for the fact that "hey hey hey" time is almost here. I am sure you would adore Bokuto
U are in for a treat .So many goosebump moments ahead ,just waiting for season 5...I have seen this anime 4 times already , will watch again with u. Keep it coming 👌
Yayyyy S2 😂 I think he’s not intimidated cuz he was too mad. Ushiwaka calling everyone at Aoba Johsai weak when they lost to them.
So happy you’re back! This is what I’ll be living for this semester.
What a tease Sarah!
Just finished binging all your season 1 reactions and now I'm going to binge the rest. It's honestly really amazing that we have Olympic players such as yourself and Erik Shoji who are willing to give this anime a shot *and enjoy it*. I've watched many Haikyuu reactions in the past but I definitely prefer yours.
I love season 2 so much and I'm excited to see your reactions! Again, your attention to detail and understanding of the characters is so great to watch. Can't wait for you to meet at the new characters!!
The pretty boys as mermen slayed me! I think Futakuchi from Dateko would also make a pretty merman XD
Yeah season 2! ♡
Thank you for your wirk, I really enjoyed this!
I'm glad you met Lev and watched the ova
Re: who Daichi did the hill run against, it was probably Nishinoya, as it was only those two left after Hinata and Kageyama went. Maybe Daichi felt that he needed to keep an eye on Noya during the run! 😁
The Nekoma/Coach Nekomata choice was probably deliberate by the author. They use different kanji but are homophones. Also Nekoma's mascot animal is a cat and Nekomata are a type of Japanese mythical cat-monsters usually pictured with two tails. References like this are often used by manga authors to contact characters to imagery that represents them. Another commenter mentioned Coach Ukai's similar reference.
Also you asked about the Shiratorizawa eagle. The first character in Shiratorizawa's name means white and the second means bird. Shiratori can technically mean any white bird but it more traditionally refers to swans. I think they chose an eagle because it is a more predatory white bird that could theoretically fight crows in the sky. But yeah we are going to get a LOT of eagle vs crows imagery whenever Shiratorizawa comes up.
Really love this! Been with Sarah since S1 episode 1❤️ Now she's starting a new season and I'm so excitedddd!! Every season just keep getting better and better, even the animation.. I'm so excited for you to find out☺️❤️
So great to see you back for S2. Love your reactions and can’t wait to enjoy the rest of this wild ride of a season