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AsaNoya Cycles: A Thread (Part II)
Hey everyone! Here I am, babling once again! This is the second part of the thread about how I see AsaNoya cycles in Haikyuu.
Hey everyone! Here I am, babling once again! This is the second part of the thread about how I see AsaNoya cycles in Haikyuu.
Cycle 3 - Sharing Dreams
The time skip arc makes it clear how deep their bond is. Before graduating, Asahi shares his dream about going to fashion school in Tokyo – which is really surprising for someone who said he didn't want to go to college!
The time skip arc makes it clear how deep their bond is. Before graduating, Asahi shares his dream about going to fashion school in Tokyo – which is really surprising for someone who said he didn't want to go to college!
And to whom does he tell? Noya! Wouldn't it make more sense if he had told Daichi or Suga? Maybe, but I believe that Furudate wanted to show us how strong their bond is by presenting Asahi's dream to the reader through a conversation with Noya.
The same applies for Noya's dream about traveling all around the world. I believe most readers excpected him to talk about it with Tanaka.
However, Noya doesn't only prefer to share it with Asahi, but also keeps him informed about how his adventures are coming along.
"Zip and you're there" becomes the catchphrase that defines their relationship from that moment on. No matter the distance, they found ways to keep close to each other.
Nishinoya tells Asahi he can take the bullet train back home whenever he wants, while Asahi uses his phone to keep in touch with Noya while he's abroad.
My fave thing about it, however, is that they support and encourage each other to pursue their dreams, while his friends seem a little more judgmental about it.
Maybe the others act like that because Asahi and Noya's dreams don't seem to fit into the strict social rules that move Japanese society.
Let's consider Daichi and Suga's reaction when they hear about Noya in Italy. Daichi even seems a little bitter about how his kouhais moved around the world so easily (he refers to Noya and Hinata). Suga, on the other hand, philosophizes about how big the world is.
But Asahi is genuinely happy that Noya is pursuing his dream and understands how much joy it brings him.
During chapter 402, Tanaka and Kiyoko express how surprised they are with Asahi leaving Japan during the Olympic Games. They don't seem to understand how Asahi could just go around the world with Noya, as the "talk about too much zip" line shows.
However, when Tanaka receives a pic of them, it shows Asahi and Noya are really happy together and having a good time!
Cycle 4 - A Bond Stronger than Volleyball
Now, I'd like to talk about how important volleyball is to their relationship.
Now, I'd like to talk about how important volleyball is to their relationship.
To be honest, this was the point that surprised me the most because, since the beginning, it's possible to notice that volleyball is important as long as it keeps them together.
Yeah, they played together, they had fun, they had other friends on the team... but in the end, playing side by side seemed to be what really mattered to them.
Let's not forget that Noya decided to quit the club if Asahi didn't come back! He didn't want to win any game if Asahi wasn't on the court with them! Damn, he almost cried when Asahi turned his back on him!
And the manga makes it really evident that Nishinoya was the main reason for Asahi to make up his mind and come back to the team. How could anyone forget the flashback of Yuu's huge smiling face that Asahi has once he rejoins the club?
But, in my opinion, the most interesting development about this cycle happens during the time skip arc. Going against most readers’ expectations, Noya decides to not go pro. And this leads us to two really nice details.
First thing: volleyball isn't important enough for Noya to go on and make a living out of it. Once again, he reassures that playing volleyball with people he likes and have fun with is far more important than that.
Second: And the first person who seems to understand his decision is Asahi. Asahi never says "oh, but you sould go pro". He listens to Noya, accepts his decision and fully supports him.
Later on, in chapter 402, we see that their bond has grown far stronger and goes well beyond volleyball. While everyone else is at home, ready to watch Hinata and the others, they're having fun in Egypt as part of a Whirlwind Tour around the world.
And that's why I believe their last appearence in the manga - the pic they send Tanka - is really meaningful.
We can only wonder how many things they shared with each other, how many times they sought each other for support, how many nights they spent talking on the phone, how many times they’ve hung out (either in Tokyo or in Torono).
Asahi and Noya could've easily lost contact once Asahi graduated, but their bond kept growing stronger to the point that volleyball was just a small part of their story. A story that they’ll keep on writing. Together.
Link to part III - https://twitter.com/darkshakafics/status/1285371538565464066
