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Anon asked me this so: My Ch 279 / Atsumu thoughts thread!
Disclaimer: I am not an Atsumu Expert because I know ppl are very defensive of their characterization of him and he is not someone I would claim to have a strong understanding of, this is just my thematic take.
Disclaimer: I am not an Atsumu Expert because I know ppl are very defensive of their characterization of him and he is not someone I would claim to have a strong understanding of, this is just my thematic take.
The Miya Twins backstory chapter is one of my all time favorites. To me, the chapter is definitely overwhelmingly..s melancholic is really the only word for it. This panel always hits really hard because it’s the simple recognition of this innate thing that separates them.
To me, what this chapter really clear is the nature of hunger being both a blessing and a curse. It allows you to see the view from the top but it also separates you from your peers and here is causing Atsumu to hold people to standards that are essentially impossible for them.
Most people will never be able to match him, nor should they even try. Atsumu never had to confront this truth yet because he had Osamu who COULD match and even surpass him. Having Osamu to chase was a luxury that prevented him from experiencing the true loneliness at the top.
However, the line about the flame burning brighter sets a clear time limit on this. Eventually, Atsumu will surpass him.
The line in this chapter that no one treats their spikers with more sincerity or selflessness has always been a hard one to swallow for me..
The line in this chapter that no one treats their spikers with more sincerity or selflessness has always been a hard one to swallow for me..
The realization that attracts Atsumu to being setter is that setter “LETS YOU” hit the ball, showing he is still ultimately in control of it and gets to choose the fate of his spikers. I feel Atsumu is selfless in regards to how he’ll do whatever it takes for his hitters.
However, that’s still ultimately FOR HIM & it gives him satisfaction. He wants his spikers to succeed because he wants to win. I always struggled w/ that line. This is a bit of a tangent but it’s relevant specifically because this line is being told to us after what we just saw.
To me, this line, paired with his interactions in this chapter, perfectly encompasses the juxtaposition that is Miya Atsumu. How can the narrative possibly tell us this after what we just saw? How do we reconcile that? Can both things be true? What does it mean to be selfless?
Ultimately the ending of the chapter demonstrates his unparalleled strength but what did he lose to get there? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely believe Atsumu truly doesn’t care that people hate him, but I also believe he never really had a choice in the matter.
It was always volleyball for him, at all costs. As an outside viewer we can ask ourselves if it’s truly a blessing to be that detached and single minded. Is it worth it? What did you miss out on along the way?
To reiterate, to me the reason this chapter is so sad is because it demonstrates how unchecked hunger can make you the absolute strongest setter, but it separates you from others in a fundamental way.
Even someone who is identical to you in every way, always by your side, eventually will be forced to pursue a different route because the hunger will inevitably drive you to keep moving forward where others cannot follow.
Which is what ultimately what makes reading the present Atsumu chapters so joyful. This was a discussion of his characterization early on to be and I feel it has changed a lot. I don’t want to get too into it but, I’d say instead of unchecked hunger, it’s now more controlled.
I think he got a taste of what standing alone on the top actually means and it forced him to reevaluate. Now, we see Atsumu at his happiest, celebrating at a monster’s banquet, doing what he loves the most in the world with the others who had been separated by this hunger too.
