Let’s talk about the ‘unlucky ones’ in Haikyu for a second. I’m going to pick Iwaizumi and Akaashi for this.

They’re both considered typically ‘unlucky ‘ in the narrative because they couldn’t pursue that they really wanted, that is volleyball and literature, respectively.

But they both managed to find other fulfilling careers/avenues to pursue. Iwaizumi found sports science and met him longtime idol (Takahashi), and Akaashi has a good career as a manga editor. While they probably never thought they would end up in those careers, they enjoy it.

Let’s put this into perspective. In real life there’s not a lot of us who end up pursuing our childhood dream jobs. Our preferences change or our circumstances do not allow us to to get to where we wanted initially.

For many of us, this makes us deeply unhappy or atleast ingrains the notion that we have somehow ‘failed’ in our heads, especially when we see childhood friends pursuing what they so fiercely wanted (in HQ, volleyball. Oikawa and Bokuto both went pro, as did many others).

But the lesson to take away is that we don’t need to be unhappy. Sure, sometimes it’s disappointing, but Akaashi and Iwaizumi managed to find satisfaction, and even pride in what they do. They had a shift of perspective.

This dose of realism is so so important for the rest of us. Not all of us are going to have protagonist stories. Most of us are going to have unexpected twists and turns in life. All we need is a good dose of realism and a shift of perspective to make it work.

Easier said than done in many cases. But it’s a very noteworthy lesson to take to heart. It’s okay for goals to change, due to circumstance or otherwise. You can still be happy and fulfilled. That’s life.

While the narrative may paint them as ‘unlucky ones’, Furudate also wants to tell us that they are still inherently lucky. They both have such strong support systems that have stood by them through the most formative points in their lives.

While they may no longer play the sport competitively they’re both still blessed enough to have it very closely linked to their lives (Iwaizumi through Oikawa and his job, Akaashi through Bokuto).

So while they maybe traditionally ‘unlucky’, the take home message is that they aren’t. They’re still blessed. Because blessings are in the details, just like in real life.