Furudate Haruichi-sensei and Honda, Azuma and Ikeda's

HAIKYUU TALK
Here we have a special talk with Furudate-sensei, the creator of Haikyuu and the
editors who have supported it these last eight and a half years. Honda-san, who
was the first editor, Ikeda-san, the second, and lastly, the current editor in
charge, Azuma-san. With these three and with questions that Furudate-sensei
has collected from readers on Twitter, we won't hold anything back as we look at
the inner workings of Haikyuu!

Azuma: First off, Furudate-sensei, thank you for your hard work these past 8 and
a half years!

Furudate: Thanks!!

Honda: Were you able to have fun working on the last part (the climax to the
final chapter)?

Furudate: I was able to visualize the last part clearly, so I finished the storyboard
quickly and had 4 whole days to work on just drawing so I had fun. Except for
the last two chapters.

Honda: Huh?

F: The last two chapters, there were a lot more pages, and there were colour
pages too... (lol) You know, I was actually picturing the moment I finished
drawing the last chapter. Opening up some nice alcohol, saying thank you to my
staff... But finishing the drawings went until 4am. We were all at our limits so I
just let everyone go home *laughs*

Ikeda: So, changing the topic, here's a question from the readers. The first
question is, 'How did you decide on what everyone's future would be?'

F: So Azuma-san and I actually sat down and had a real meeting about
everyone's post-graduation futures. We even made a list. With the exception of
the characters where I for sure saw them as going pro, I was completely blank.
My only knowledge on different kinds of careers was either from my own past
experience or from what my friends do, so with the editor I sought out advice on,
'What jobs are there?'

A: Yes, that's right. For example, for Yamaguchi, we thought, 'Oh, Karasuno's
efforts would definitely make it on the local newspaper. So wouldn't that be an
advantage for him to get employment in his hometown?' Like during his job

interview, being told, 'You’re the Yamaguchi-kun from back then!' We were
discussing that.
F: Oh yeah, those scribbles are still on the list! And besides him, like for
Taketora, we were thinking over how his position as a character is similar to
Tanaka, but he's pretty different, isn't he? I felt like he'd go down a completely
different path than Tanaka."

I: It's really interesting that Udai is a mangaka.

F. I always pictured him as being in a band, or being a mangaka, or some kind of

career where he pursues his dream. Like in the arts.

I: And Akaashi is his manga editor.

F: I thought that he'd definitely be either a manga editor or an analyst. When I

asked Azuma-san, 'Which job is more miserable?' he immediately replied,
'Manga editor!!' lol And that's what decided it. *laughs*

A: The next question is, 'How do you decide on the characters' names or
visuals?'

F: For the starting order, they all line up, so I make sure that there isn't any
overlap between their names and silhouettes. But the visuals are not what I
picture them to appear in real life. As I say, my drawings are not them, they just
represent the story. The only team where I based the characters’ appearance off
their animal motif is Fukurodani, I think. I designed Bokuto while referencing a
photo of a real owl.

I: How did you come up with the name 'Karasuno'?

F: Honda-san and I talked about how it'd be nice to have a villain-like name.
Didn't we?

H: Yes, as the manga started serialization, we thought it'd be good to have a

motif or a persona to each team.

F: During that meeting, a crow came down onto the balcony at my workplace.
We felt, "Oh, wouldn't a crow be good?' 'They're black and they're cool!'

A: Even though they're the protagonist, having them be crows and in black is
pretty memorable, huh? Alright, the next question, 'How do you do research
and get material?'

H: Sensei, you're really good at that~

F: Uh, there is no way that’s true. Remember when we went to Hyogo Delfino (a
volleyball club in Amagasaki) for research and even though the coach said, 'You
can feel free to ask the players whatever you like’, I couldn't ask a single thing!
*laughs*
H: That's true. *laughs* But you know, from where I was standing, it was really
interesting. Stuff like, where do the players enter from, what do they talk about
during the meetings, what do they eat after a match. I was surprised you were
looking at all those things. You said, 'I can learn about tactics by looking it up in
a book. I want to know the things that I can't know by looking them up. I'm not
doing research so I can find the answers. I'm doing research so that I can find out
what I don't know.’ Hearing that, I was really impressed.

F: I said that? H: You did! Lol

I: When I went to collect data with you at the spring tournament, you went tailing
after the players of Rakunan High, didn't you?

F: Yes, I admit that I exhibited some very suspicious behaviour and followed the
players (lol) I was standing watch by the exit of the building and when the
players came out, I was like, 'they're here!!' and followed after them. I even
followed them to the same train car, lost sight of them halfway and started
panicking (lol)

H: Hahahaha. Now that you mention it, before getting serialized, you went to
look at a high school's volleyball club, didn't you?

F: Toa Academy. Since it was my first time going for research, I thought I should
go to the winner of the Spring Tournament and that was Toa. At that time, it
wasn't even decided that the manga was going to be serialized. I think that was
when I was working on the storyboard for the one-shot? One of the teachers at
Toa said, 'A volleyball manga in Weekly Shonen Jump? That's amazing!' but that
hadn't been decided yet so I was like 'Oh no, I'm still just... working hard you
see... " *laughs* The director there was really kind and polite too, and the coach
was a younger person who was in charge of the physical training...

I: And that somehow ended up being the base and image for Aoba Johsai, didn't
it?

F: In the manga, the lines for 'We usually have Mondays off' and 'Resting and
skipping are two different things' said by Oikawa were actually based on what
the director there said. ‘The club of a powerhouse school’ - they seemed like they
would

constantly be practicing, but actually, 'Toa Academy doesn't practice on

Mondays. Making an effort to rest and just skipping are two different things.’
Hearing that from the director there really made an impact on me.

H: The words you heard while doing research ended up being really useful, huh?
A: There's a question here that goes, "The lines spoken by the adults in
Haikyuu

really resonate with me. Where did those come from?"

F: I also referenced the things that the director at Adachi Shinden High School
said. The kids at this public high school's volleyball club were deciding whether
or not they would stay in the club for the spring tournament or not. "You mustn't
use what adults have told you as an excuse." I ended up using it in the scene
where Sugawara decides whether or not he wants to continue his education.

H: "The words of adults shouldn't be used as excuses for them." That line.

F: Takeda's line of, "We have to make sure third years make the choice they
won't regret 5, 10 years down the line" was also based on that.

A: The next question is, 'Which character has grown the most?'

F: Physically it'd have to be Hinata, he finally grew tall. But really, all the
characters didn’t change since they were born. I wasn't thinking that deeply about
it from the start. *laughs*

I: Is there a character you think is the most similar to you?

F: Ukai. The part of him that thinks about: 'How do we defeat this strong
opponent?' *laughs* While storyboarding, I spent the longest time figuring out
how to match the rotations and I thought "Oh, I'm the same as Ukai."

H: The chapters where you show the rotations took a lot of time, didn't it?

F: It was really tough. There are a lot of characters to draw, and even though it
takes more effort than drawing bigger panels, the readers are probably only
glancing at it.

A: The next question is 'Please tell us about how you draw sound effects, like
with the 'sururi'!"

Carmel’s note: this is in reference to this Romero panel. The sound

effect/onomatopeia that goes around him like a ribbon is the hiragana for
‘sururi’, which means, ‘smoothly’.
F: I've always liked lettering since I was a kid. But you know, when I think about
'sururi' I think I was trying too hard (lol) It was a little too much, like I was
saying, 'Look at what I'm doing with my lettering!' For that scene, there was the
exact same movement in a V-League match. I remember that I watched the video
as I drew it.

A. The next question is, 'If you weren't a mangaka, what job would you be
doing?'
F: Oh!! Uhh... hm, what job, I wonder...
H: Well, before you debuted, you were working at a company right?

F: I was at a design company. There, I drew flyers for supermarkets and stuff. I
did drawings of housewives or cashiers - a variety of things, but I never knew
how to represent properly people.

A: Did you like design?

F: It was more like that's what I ended up doing for work. During the interview, I
said, 'I'm going to be a mangaka, so I think I'll eventually be quitting.' I'm
amazed they hired me...

H: You had a really strict boss, right?

F: Ah, yes, that's right. That boss was like, 'Hey you, show me your illustrations!'
and when I did, they said, 'Is this all you can draw? and took a job way from me.

I: That's a nice story from before you were serialized. So what kind of story was
in the first storyboard for Haikyuu before it was serialized?

F: For the really early storyboards, neither Hinata nor Kageyama were there. The
main character was like more petite Tanaka. It was like I was wandering around
with absolutely nothing.

H: At the time, I was mad too, going, ‘Why won’t this manga get approved!” But
the editor-in-chief told me, “The variety of characters in the cast is really good.
This author will be fine, so just keep trying,” so that was really encouraging.

F: Another editor pointed out to me, “I can see you hesitating on how to use the
coach.” I was like, “Oh, I got busted!’ But then from there I thought, just what
kind of coach can I write? ‘Maybe even someone who’s not perfectly an adult
would be ok?’ ‘Maybe they don’t even know volleyball?’ The design was
originally a grandpa, but then Honda-san said, ‘Hm, it’s kinda plain...’
*laughs*H: And that’s how the coach was split into the characters of Takeda and
Ukai.

I: Ohh, I see. So that’s how you kept revising until you got serialized.

F: I fought with Honda-san about where Karasuno should lose during their first
tournament. *laughs*

H: Yeah, that wasn’t an argument, that was a fight. *laughs*

F: Personally, I thought it was totally fine if they lost during their first game, but
Honda-san was like, ‘No matter how you look at it, that’s a hard no.’ I don’t
really remember what happened after. I wonder why we fought that much about
it? Lol
H: “You just don’t like losing’, ‘I didn’t say that’ ‘But there has to be timing to
when they lose, doesn’t there?’ ‘You really do just hate losing!’ We were at a bar
talking about it after turning in a manuscript, and that’s how we started fighting.

F: Yeah, about whether or not to write the Fukurodani x Mujinazaka match.

Azuma- san thought I should write it and I was like, ‘I don’t know...’ Oh! That
was around when I had the flu!

A: Yes, I still remember that you sounded excited on the phone when you said, ‘I
have the flu!!’ *laughs*

F: I hadn’t had the flu since I was in elementary school, so it was fun *laughs*
It’s the same as a middle school student being happy about a typhoon coming. At
first it was fun but I remember my holidays being wasted with me having the flu.
That’s why I gradually got in a worse mood lol.

H: I remember you said, the thing that stuck with me was when you were talking
about Oikawa. You said, ‘When you start something, there are a lot of manga
where it’s written like whether or not having a talent is the key, but it’s totally
different, isn’t it’.

H: ‘It’s by doing something and giving it your all that at the end you can say
whether or not you had that talent. That’s why talent isn’t something so easy, that
you can just casually say whether or not you have it from the beginning!’ When I
heard that, I thought, ‘This author is amazing!’

F: But from around the comics volume 5 to volume 10? I was so terrified of
Haikyu being cancelled. People would meet me and say,’ I look forward to
reading Haikyuu the most!!’ and I would say, ‘Thanks!!’ but I couldn’t believe
them....

A: Well then, it’s about time to go on to our last question. ‘A message, please,
for people who want to be mangaka, or a creator.’

F: Study a lot!!

H: Wha-

F: Also, do stuff outside of the stuff you want to do! Read some books that
aren’t manga! Watch some movies! And I also want to say, ‘Work a job that has
nothing to do with manga’.

I: And why is that?

H: You were serialized for over 8 and a half years, so it might take years until
you calm down. For me, I want to drink and talk with you more, sensei. And I
want to go to Disneyland in America with you too!!
F: Then, please go to university with me too.
Recorded on a certain day in September, 2020, at Furudate’s workplace.

Furudate-sensei on Honda-san:
“The first person who looked at my manuscript was Honda-san. But the
manuscript still wasn't done, so I was still drawing even on the bullet train from
Sendai to Tokyo, and on top of that I was running late. *laughs* I mean, just
being late to the first meeting, I'd already failed as a working adult so I lost hope
and thought, 'It's all over...' But then Honda-san said, "I'm not that punctual
myself so I don't really care," and I was like thank goodness!!!! Honda-san's first
impression of me was, 'Are you a uni student?' That hasn't really changed even
now. Of course, compared to back then, I think I've become more of an uncle.
And I've gained weight. (lol)”

Honda Hiroyuki. First editor, entered the company in 2007. Supervised Furudate-
sensei since before their debut!

Furudate-sensei on Ikeda-san:
“When we went to Souma High School in Fukushima Prefecture to do some
research, Ikeda-san was carrying a big backpack that was just packed to the brim.

When I asked, ‘What’s in there?’, he said, ‘All the volumes of the manga.’ He
brought them so he could show the teachers at the school that, ‘this is the kind of
story Haikyu is!’ I thought, wow Ikeda-san is such a good person!! He always
remembers even inconsequential conversations, and then just casually brings
them up later. I think I’ve been very blessed when it comes to my editors!

Ikeda Ryota. Haikyu’s second editor. Joined the company in 2011. Was in charge
from the Date Tech practice match up to the Nekoma match in the Spring
Tournament.

Furudate-sensei on Azuma-san:
Azuma-san has a sunny personality, and when I first met him I thought he would
be the pushy type. I went on a lot of research trips with Azuma-san. Like to
Ariake Arena, and my first time abroad, in Brazil, was also with Azuma-san! Oh,
and his phone calls were really long. *laughs* Once, on a Friday night, he called
about a meeting for the next week and then said, ‘Oh, the Haikyuu anime is on
now’ and kept talking, and even when the anime had finished he was still going.
(lolol)

Azuma Riki. Current editor. Entered the company in 2018. Supervised from
Fukurodani vs. Mujinazaka until the last chapter.

About Furudate’s desk:

Honda: Most recently, were you drawing your manuscripts while standing? Your
desk is also two-stories tall now...

Furudate: Yes. When I stand, my heels do hurt but otherwise it doesn’t really
change how I get tired.

Honda: I remember in the latter half of my time, I saw you drawing while sitting
on an exercise ball and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, this person might be kind of
weird.’ Hahaha.

Ikeda: When I was his editor too, I remember at the beginning it was the exercise
ball.

Azuma: For me too, at first it was the exercise ball. And then one day I walked
into the workplace and sensei was standing and drawing. *laughs*

Honda: I’ve never heard of someone standing and drawing. Does your lower
back hurt?

Furudate: No, it’s not really a health thing. People who work at Google stand
while working. If the smart people who are running the top of the world are
doing it, then it must be right!!

Ikeda: Did you also do the colour illustrations while standing? Furudate: That’s
right.
Honda: Do you do all-nighters while standing too?
Furudate: I do lol I’ve even pulled two all-nighters in a row standing lol Honda:
Wow- !!

INTERVIEW No2: CHARACTER REGISTRATION INTERVIEW

Interview with Furudate at the Honda Haikyuu!! Panel: Topic: how he created
the characters

Interviewer: So now Furudate sensei will be going through the main characters in
his creation called Haikyuu!!

(All comments are guided by a guide presentation with information about each
one)

Interviewer: Oh, first character in the presentation here is Tsukishima Kei, so

know Furudate sensei will explain to us about him, the panel crew can ask
questions if desired.

Furudate: Tsukishima Kei has always been a person I wanted to put in a story,
my first concept about him was a cool and clever 1st year blocker. His basis
remained the same on the story, but I gave him a bully personality, but without
being a bad and bullying person.
His personality reflects being lazy for moving, but he loves volleyball, he gets
good grades at school, staying in the best class of the first year, but he is not that
brilliant.

The way he looks is based on Thorkell the Tall in "Vinland Saga", Akira
Takaoka and rugby and nba players, if we are talking about the height, I made
him the tallest, with big hands and being a natural good blocker. His body is very
light but he is chubby and does not posses an athletic figure because he looks fat
and he gets called that and big by people. Kei is embarrassed for bitting his nails
on Karasuno and puts sunscreen for the sun. He never enjoyed burning his face,
because he wears glasses and they can be seen in red color on him. He is opposite
of Hinata in many ways, physically and personality wise so I really wanted him
to have a victorious fist bump, but in his own style when he gets a point.

Interviewer: The name origin will be discussed now, Furudate: His name origin
is from

月島蛍
His last name has =moon’ "

月
to contrast Hinata’s =sun’ "

日
But I named him =firefly’ "

蛍
because he can reflect his own light onto the world.

Interviewer: We are so thankful Furudate sensei, now, is there any question from
the panel?

Question: Hello Furudate sensei, I would very much like to know about his
portrayal in the anime and manga. Being a person that looks like that, is there a
reason for it to be, respectfully, wrongly portrayed?

Furudate: I find myself very thankful for you question. I have always been a
person with a lack of art skills, I got fired of many mangaka jobs because I
couldn’t picture the characters as the author wanted it. So my drawings in the
manga, since the beginning have changed, and don’t resemble my character’s
looks.

In the anime, which is not done by me, and many Japanese and worldwide fans
know, players are designed with no plans, I have to say that the only thing that
resembles my characters could be their beautiful faces in the anime. Everybody
characteristic are missing, except from the height.

This gets stronger when we go to season 4 of the series, in which the studio
decided to adapt the animation to my own new drawing style on the manga. I
found this as another fun and dedicated way of watching the story of the
Karasuno players and how they get to their path of the future.

Question 2: Hello Furudate Sensei, Your answer to the first question made
another question appear, is there an animation that you have as a preference
over?

Furudate: I would like my answer to be a no, but my favourite portrayal is season

2, and I find the last season fun to watch, even if it does not feel realistic to me.
My manga doesn’t either, but it’s different when you are the one who controls
and thinks about the change. (Chuckles) Thank you very much. We should move
to the next one.

Interviewer: Yamaguchi Tadashi is the one we will proceed to talk about.

Furudate: Yamaguchi Tadashi’s first appearance was a complete follower of

Tsukishima and I never thought of his character flourishing and reborn out of
being with him, like it happens in many stories. (Laughs)
I have always wanted to inspire a character in a Pokémon, but then I thought to
myself that it would be strange for a young boy to be based in a magical creature,
specially for Yamaguchi’s concept, which is really average person.

I ended up deciding on Max Pokémon, from the Pokémon series.

The way his body is built resembles something white and thin, like a grain of
rice, calling him the third skinniest player in the Karasuno team. His feet are
different sizes, left one is big and he thinks that the work would swallow him
from his embarrassment about that.
The freckles scare him because looking young is not something he wants now
that he is on superior school.

Interviewer: the name origin will be next topic. Furudate: The name origin comes
from

山口忠
He’s

忠
Loyalty, like a loyal dog And I use the word

忠犬
which literally means =loyal dog, but it’s also how you write =Hachiko’ a
famous loyal japanese dog.

Yamaguchi and Hachiko even share the same birthday November 10th.
Interviewer: Does the panel got any questions?

Question 1: Good morning, I would like to ask about your decision with
Tadashi’s character stepping aside for the first whole season, is there any reason
for it?

Furudate: Yes, I simply thought that it wasn’t his time to stand out in the story,
some characters are put aside in parts of the story as well, and later on you will
know more about them. Thank you.

Interviewer: Moving on the next character is Hinata Shoyo, what can you tell us
about him?

I took care he wouldn’t become a character I had nothing in common with.

Although Hinata has a certain, how to put it, madness or unusual passion, he
usually has the straight-man comedy role and he can read the atmosphere. Then I
drew one of those little scenes when Hinata makes a quick retort to Kageyama
and I felt that Hinata turned out good He refers to the tsukkomi role.

His pointy fangs and teeth, resemble a tiger sometimes, which in the Japanese
culture, contains the same energy. His cheeks are red like apples and he is very
small and thin. He never looked strong.
I based him on the little mermaid, thinking at the beginning of his character as a
little girl. I conserved his hair, being messy because he never brushes it when he
gets up in the morning, but in fact he enjoys a lot washig it with bamboo
shampoo.

Interviewer: Now onto the name origin, Furudate: His name origin comes from:
日向翔陽

I gave him this name with the image of sun and flying in mind.

and

mean sun.

means flying.
Interviewer: Thank you, are there any questions from the panel?
Question 3: Good morning, I would like to ask about how did you decide on
Hinata’s growth in the latest mangas.

Furudate: I decided to make him grow tall because I don’t think his character
would fit his storyline being small as an adult. He is the person that grew through
the years. He got stronger too, and faster.

Interviewer: Next character is Kageyama Tobio

Furudate: I actually created Kageyama before Hinata, he hasn’t changed very

much since I first created him. I felt that Kageyama turned out good, like with
Hinata - when I drew about him being a passionate setter yet being also an idiot.
His body is very big and athletic for being a first year player, I didn’t want him to
be a little and weak arms and legs, like Hinata. His jump is so strong because he
has big thighs and arms, his idea came up to me when I saw Yuki Koike, a
Japanese athlete with a big and muscular body. When I saw him I immediately
thought about Tobio’s body looking similar to that, but less muscular, with more
mass and chest. His dark blue eyes are his favourite thing about himself, he never
likes his hair, so he always wore the same hairstyle.

Interviewer: The name origin, Furudate: his name origin: 影山飛雄 I gave him
this name with the image of strong shadow and flying. 影
means shadow and

means flying.
Interviewer: Any panel questions?

Question 1: Why did you decide on changing the artstyle on the manga, and are
you okay with anime workers changing the way the people look?

Furudate: I changed the style because it got to my head after drawing them a lot,
it was very difficult for me, so I just made them look different because it was fun
drawing them like that. The character remain the same as always but the drawing
is different. I thought that if I could not draw them properly, I would just have
fun with it and represent what I want to see happen. Sorry, what was the other
question?

Question 1: Yes, sensei, it was, are you okay with anime workers changing the
way the people look?

Furudate: I don’t usually care because I don’t find that my responsibility, my

story is my story and my characters are my characters, many anime artist are not
loyal to the author’s ideas, dialogues and many more things, and that is what has
happened with my story. Mentioning Kageyama as an example I find it
disappointing, but at least (chuckles) I made some money out of that. (laughs)
Being serious now, anime artist can do their thing, but I personally would prefer
it to be made as I thought of them.

Interviewer: Next is Sawamura Daichi:

Furudate: He’s been around since the first one-shot. In the beginning, he was
simply a composed person. He looked in his thirties on the outside and on the
inside (laughs).
But because I felt that wouldn’t be enough to unify the bunch, he became
someone who’s scary when anltered in the first series draft. He is very good at all
sports, except from roller-skating. I usually draw him as the tolerant Daichi-san,
like how Hinata sees him, but I try to make him look relatively unrefined when
he interacts with the other 3rd years. One thing I loved about deciding on his
looks was his body shape, I consider Scooby Doo, mystery incorporated to be my
favourite foreign TV show that is not Japanese, and I got a lot of inspiration
thanks to it.

His figure is inspired by Fred and superman from an old show I use to watch
when I was a kid, from 1996, I think.
I had so much fun turning him into the change boy, as we say here. He wasn’t
very strong as a kid, and then he turned to be a person with very bif¡g muscles,
even told by a friend that he got bigger, calling him a brick or a stone. His hair is
cut by himself and is very short.

Interviewer: His name origin:

Furudate: It comes from:

澤村大地

His surname simply came to me. I decided on his name without much trouble
because I finished his character first. I personally like the way Daichi-san sounds.

Interviewer: Questions from the panel? Okay let’s move on. Sugawara Koushi:
Furudate: I thought there were going to be questions (laughs),

So, his first appearance is in the serialisation. I didn’t have a clear image of him
in the beginning, but I slowly fleshed him out as a person who can see things in a

way Kageyama can’t. He seems a good person but I first felt Sugawara turned
out good

when I drew him pickin on Tanaka. Also he’s probably always making up bad
puns in his head. His hair is black and is a very flexible player, that enjoyed
frightening his little brother with this. Pointy elbows are something I wanted to
put on him, as the moon and star freckle.

Interviewer: His na-

Furudate: I think from now on I will talk about that name origin following the
explanation, if that’s okay.

Interviewer: Totally, sensei, I present my apologize. Furudate: his name origin is:

菅原孝支

At my previous work place, I had a senpai who got called Suga-san. I somehow
really liked the way that sounds. I named him Sugawara to be able to call him
that. His grandmother or grandfather probably named him.

Interviewer: Any questions from the panel?

Question 4: You talked about inspiration on the other characters, what about
Koushin?

Furudate: Oh you are right, my inspiration wasn’t based on the figure, like for the
others, it was the hair of a USA animation show called Danny Phantom, when his
powers arised, his hair turned out gray and I thought that his hair could look gray
but be black.

Interviewer: Azumane Asahi is the nect character,

Furudate: He came into being because I had a story about the ace and the libero
that I wanted to write. When I first started the series I vaguely pictured him as the
mischievous type, but he turned into the glass heart ace to contrast with
Nishinoya who I created at the same time. This way his bodyfigures would
contrast too, making Nishinoya all muscles and Asahi having no body at all. His
tall and skinny body was made fun of since he was a little kid, but a thing that
happens is that his body weight is very heavy, in contrast to the rest of the
players, but his body is the thinnest of all. I thought this was a great idea because
all types of players can play in a Japanese team, I remember to have a classmate
that looked so skinny teachers were worried about him but then he ate a lot of
food. This also influenced the idea of Azumane Asahi, based on Shaggy from the
same series as Fred, mentioned before and a character from the manga One
Piece, called Sanji. The face looks similar too.

His personality, with a heart of glass and a brain of a library, was based on the
bible’s person, Jesus. I came up with this because my mother told me when I was
drawing his hair that he resembled someone spiritual.
His name origin is

東峰旭

because I finished the story and scene first - which doesn’t happen often - I made
his name contrast to Nishinoya’s name. The mornin sun which rises from the
eastern peak!
Interviewer: Any questions belonging to the panel now?

Question 2: Yes, is not related to this one, but, What are your thoughts about the
character Sugawara, who got degraded to substitute setter to make room for the
new setter Kageyama?

Furudate: “Put briefly, Sugawara was born out of the thought-process that: “If I
make the new 1st year setter the regular setter, the question arises: Well, who
was the setter until now? So, let’s introduce the senior setter!” — In any case, I
think the setter is a position that has poor compatibility, compared to the spiker. I
didn’t intend to create drama there. However, now, I think Sugawara is the
person who I want to let play in the nationals the most. I haven’t thought about
whether I’ll be able to do that yet, so I don’t know if...

Interviewer: Nishinoya Yuu goes next:

Furudate: He came into being the same way as Azumane did. He’s ridiculously
strong-hearted. In my high school days our team’s libero was really cool. I also
put that feeling of respect into his character. Despite being the smallest, he has
the best- looking muscles, with a similar body to Daisuke Takahashi, but he has
very small hands, shoulders and feet. His speed is very powerful and he gets
alterated easily, but the strong bonds between him and some players make him
shine.

His name origin is the evening sun,

西谷夕

I still think the name Yuu doesn’t fit Nishinoya! Interviewer: Questions from the
panel, Question 1: Why do you sensei think that way?

Furudate: I just don’t see his character having that first name, but it’s also fun to
leave it this way because that also happens with real people.

Interviewer: Next character is Tanaka Ryuunosuke

Furudate: He was already present in the first one-shot like Sawamura and he
hasn’t changed much since the beginning like Kageyama. My cousin was playing
with lego figures one day and the kid version caught my attention so his chest is
ridiculously long and ripped but his legs are very short, as a confident character,
he didn’t want to be taller.

His head has always been shaved and I guess he’s gotten somewhat softer. When
Tanaka entered the story, my editor said I see Tanaka is a tsundere ¿huh?
He’s influenced by my ideal of what kind of senpai I’d like to be.
He loves girls and Kiyoko is his one love, he daydreams about her all the time
and gets excited when she talks.
His name origin, 田中龍!

He’s Tanaka because he’s Tanaka-ish! I tried to give him a really cool name and
that ended up bein Ryuunosuke.

Interviewer: Thanks, are there questions from the panel?

Question 3: Yes, when did you decide on Tanaka’s personality, and why does he
resemble the player in Nekoma’s team.

Furudate: The is no reason for it, I wanted to write another funny punch line
character for people to read some chemistry between non equal, mutuals.

Interviewer: Next character is Ennoshita Chikara,

Furudate: His first appearance is in the serialised version. Like Yamaguchi, I

hadn’t thought about his future role at all yet. I just wanted him to have some
kind of mark in his body that he is ashamed of. He somehow played a big role in
the extras and I think his image as the Don of the 2nd years’ wouldn’t have
happened if it weren’t for the extras.

His name origin,

縁下力

Comes from succeeding greatly in the future, because he is smart.

means =bond’

means =below’ and

means =power’
Interviewer: Any panel questions?

Question 4: Hello Furudate sensei, I wanted to ask if you have ever thought about
giving him more importance?

Furudate: I don’t think so, I have always thought that a character like him has to
belong into the important extras, but that’s it.

Interviewer: let’s move on to the next one, Kinoshita Hisashi,

Furudate: I will be talking also about Narita Kazuhito, due to the lack of
importance of these characters in the plot.
About Hisashi, his first appearance is in the serialised version. I hadn’t decided
rd
on anything about him until the 3 /4th volume, but I feel a sense of affinity to
him because he’s someone who “ran away once because training was too
grueling but came back” like me, the author. He currently hasn’t participated in a
single

match. I’m thinkin a little about Kinoshita’s stance towards club activities but
I’m fretting about whether I should incorporate this in the main story or not.

His name origin is given probably by

His granfather or grandmother. (
Narita Kazuhito’s beginnings are the same as Ennoshita, He became someone
who can study like Ennoshita because I wanted to include 2nd years who can
study properly.
His name origin,
&田'(
sounds oldest-son-ish and because I personally like the character.

Interviewer: Any panel questions?

Interviewer: Let’s move on to the last ones, Shimizu Kiyoko, Yachi Hitoka,
Takeda Ittetsu and Ukai Keishin

Furudate: Thank you, Shimizu Kiyoko was created with an image of a capable
secretary, inspired by Daphne and her sexy looking figure in Scooby Doo series,
she is not very cool, but she is good looking to all school.

Her name origin comes from me liking the way it sounded, it wasn’t very
difficult to name her.

Yachi Hitoka was created because I wanted to introduce someone with a new
point of view, with an extremely negative way of thinking, and it was pretty easy,
she admires Kiyoko as no one does and she has a talent for drawing.
Her name origin came from earth and plants, because Kiyoko is water.

means =valley’+

means =earth’ and

means =flower’.
Takeda Ittetsu was going to be so much older at first, but then I thought that he
would be too plain. So my inspiration for his younger version was Velma from
Scooby Doo, and I was very proud at this point because I made the whole group
onto the manga. These type of connections are surprisingly satisfying. He is

timid and looks very uncool at first glance, but he is an amazing teacher and
there is no doubt about him wearing jersey pants around the ankles when he is
cold. He is not much of a man, looking small and weak.

His name origin

.田'/
Came from one iron, and very tenacious in mind. '/ Those words are pronounced
Ittetsu.

Lastly, Ukai Keishin, being opposite to Takeda, I created him as an

inexperienced but learning improving coach. The coach I drew in my first draft
was moody and had the feel of great general, I was vaguely aware I had
randomly come up with him, but my editor clearly pointed out “I can feel the
author’s doubts on this character”, and I thought he was right, so then I created
his physical apprearence, not looking very neat and looking like he thinks he is
younger, with a very strong body.

His name origin comes from training crows and connecting hearts, exactlyas it
says, crow
train
connect

heart.
Interviewer: Does the panel got any questions about these characters?

Question 2: Yes, Are they going to be any love interests any further, for example
with Yachi’s character?

Furudate: I will not be answering those questions, because It hasn’t been decided
yet. I do have some ideas regarding Shimizu and Michimiya’s characters, though.

Interviewer: We are running out of time, so please 2 more questions. Question 1:

Furudate sensei, how did you come up with their futures?

Furudate: Well, this is a fun question (laughs), sadly it’s in the end of the
interview, I will be responding to this one instead of doing 2 if that’s okay with
my team (gives a thumbs up)

Interviewer: Okay.

Furudate: So about the futures, I decided that depending on the player, they
would have to redirect their lifes outside of volleyball for some of them, I
thought that Sawamura needed to be still a leader, working as a police officer,
and Sugawara work as a teacher, because of his skills in relationships.
Azumane’s character was more unexpected, because I didn’t know what to do
with him, I asked my teamworker Ikeda about it, and we came up with the idea
that he would look good wearing high fashion, so we made him a designer,
Tanaka was interesting too, because as much as I wanted him to still be playing

volleyball, his character presented another journey, coaching, same with

Nishinoya’s travelling around the world. The other’s are still on the go because
they are young still. But I made a lot of changes in other aspects, Tobio and
Hinata are shining in volleyball, Tobio is the same, meanwhile Hinata made a
huge change in height, strength and muscles, and the others keep briefly same
routine.

Interviewer: we don’t have time for more now, but it was a complete honor to
have you here Furudate sensei, thank you.

Furudate: Thank you!