“My feelings would always change sides”: Haruichi Furudate Always Made Last Minute Decisions When Drawing Matches in Haikyuu
The best thing about watching Haikyuu!! is that its matches are so unpredictable that sometimes fans question whether Karasuno will win or not. The match between Kurason and Shiratorizawa had everyone thinking Karasuno would lose in the Miyagi Prefectural Spring Qualifiers, and wouldn’t qualify for the National tournament.
The matches are so unpredictable because its creator, Haruichi Furudate, doesn’t decide the outcome of the match until the last moment. Furudate lets each match develop naturally by making the outcomes unpredictable and engaging. This method gives both the main and rival teams the same importance, making each match utterly meaningful.
Haruichi Furudate on Having Uncertain Thoughts While Deciding Match Outcomes in Haikyuu!!
In an interview published in Da Vinci’s April 2014 Issue, Haruichi Furudate, the creator of Haikyuu!!, talked about how he creates unpredictable and engaging matches in the Haikyuu!!.
When the interviewer questioned Furudate about how he comes up with the outcome and scenarios that play out during these matches, he responded by claiming that before drawing them, he only had a general idea about how things should play out. However, while drawing, he ends up changing things if he feels that something is wrong, which is why the outcome isn’t always fixed.
Volleyball requires two teams to play, so the rival team is drawn with the same care as the main team, to ensure that the match doesn’t get boring. By doing this, he makes his feelings shift between sides, as both teams are given the same importance. Since it’s rare to face the same opponent twice, he always thinks about when he will get to draw them again. Looking at the opposing team also makes him feel a bit strange:
Furudate: Before a match starts, I would have sort of decided how things would pan out, but while drawing, I would feel that something is “off” and change it as and when. So in other words, the outcome is not decided (laughs).
A match is something that’s only possible if there is an opponent, so as the author, I draw the rival team with the same attitude as how I’d draw the main team, so my feelings would always change sides.
And since it’s pretty rare to face off with the same opponent twice, I’d always think, “When would be the next time I’d see you guys again?” when I look at the opposing team, which leaves me in an indescribable state of mind.– In an interview published in Da Vinci’s April 2014 Issue.
Furudate’s way of creating volleyball matches shows how storytelling can change midway. The creator makes each match feel natural and unpredictable by not deciding the outcome in advance and letting the story develop on its own, while drawing. Giving the rival team the same attention as the main team makes every match important. This keeps the readers engaged and shows respect for both the main and rival teams.
Furudate’s way of thinking that it’s rare to face the same opponent twice gives an emotional touch to the story. It mirrors real life, as school sports teams only meet once because of the fewew number of tournaments that they play in. Furudate always thinks about how he can make the story even more engaging for readers.
