Updated May 6, 2024 by testing
There are a lot of sport based anime out there, and Haikyuu is a good one for you if you have a love for volleyball. Even if you have no idea about volleyball (like me!), it is still a great anime with many well written characters and an underlying theme of how to develop friendships and teamwork. The story follows the team from Karasuno High School as they compete to be the best against their rival teams, Nekoma, Date Tech, Aoba Johsai, Fukurodani, Shiratorizawa, Tsubakihara Academy, and Inarizaki.
So, let’s have a look at the characters from Haikyuu and when they celebrate their birthdays!
Haikyuu Characters’ Birthdays!
January
Asahi Azumane
Birthday: 1st January
Position: Wing Spiker/Outside Hitter/Ace
Asahi Azumane is more reserved than his teammates and has no idea how valuable he really is to the Karasuno team. He has a lack of confidence in his own ability and takes everything very personally, which leads to him often being depressed and unhappy. However, in time, he begins to realize that he really is good at volleyball and becomes secure in his role as ‘ace’ of the team, saying no one will take that from him.
Kiyoko Shimizu
Birthday: 6th January
Position: Team Manager
Kiyoko Shimizu is one of the girls amongst a large male cast, with it being a story about a male volleyball team and all. She is the manager of the Karasuno team and is profoundly serious about her role. She is a caring person and looks after the boys on the team. However, she does not openly show her feelings, preferring to keep them hidden. Her caring side shows itself when she repairs the team’s banner to try and pick up their morale following defeats.
Ittetsu Takeda
Birthday: 10th January
Ittetsu Takeda is part of the Karasuno school staff and acts as the advisor to the volleyball club. You would think that an advisory for a volleyball club would need to have a good grasp of the rules and regulations but Takeda is far from an expert and must take notes as he goes so he does not forget the things he has learnt. What he lacks in experience, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm!
February
Takehito Sasaya
Birthday: 10th February
Position: Wing Spiker
Takehito Sasaya is a student at Date Tech High. He is not a character who stands out and he is seen to have a character which is standoff-ish and serious. However, he is really a friendly person and is good at supporting his teammates when needed.
Hayato Ikejiri
Birthday: 19th February
Position: Wing Spiker
Hayato Ikejiri is a student at Tokonami High. His personality is seen to be both free spirited but with underlying insecurities. He does not have the passion some of the other characters have for volleyball when he begins to play, but his drive to play increases over time.
Taketora Yamamoto
Birthday: 22nd February
Position: Spiker/Ace
Taketora Yamamoto is a student at Nekoma Highschool who is considered to be an Ace, a fact that he is extremely proud of. He is seen to be short tempered and easy to rile up to anger, however he is a different person when he is around girls and withdraws into his shell. He finds that he cannot think what to say to them. He is aware of his own weaknesses and accepts that he is not a person who likes to study, once saying that “he knows some big words, but can’t spell them”.
March
Ryūnosuke Tanaka
Birthday: 3rd March
Position: Wing Spiker/Outside Hitter
Ryūnosuke Tanaka is a second-year student. He is a talented player, but he is not exactly a role model to the rest of the team. He gets angry easily and he is not scared to start fights. He is not a star student; he does not try hard in lessons, and he is always late to practice.
His larger-than-life personality works on the volleyball court, and he uses it to fire himself up, leading to his best playing. His celebrations tend to be over the top and he has a habit of stripping off his shirt after scoring and will spin it above his head like a fabric helicopter!
Akira Kunumi
Birthday: 25th March
Position: Starting Wing Spiker
Akira Kunumi is another player who does not really show his emotions outwardly. He plays on the team for Aoba Johsai High School. For his age, he is reasonably tall at 183cm (6’0) in his first year at high school. He is not a player who stands out when compared to the others as he has such a reserved character and average looks.
April
May
June
Kōshi Sugawara
Birthday: 13th June
Position: Vice-Captain/Setter/Pinch Server
During the series, Kōshi Sugawara held the above role and he came across as an individual with a calm person who can support his friends and team members. He shows a real love of volleyball as he continues even into his third year when other players chose to retire.
He is clever when it comes to developing tactics and managed to develop a form of sign language for the team to use overnight. Even though he seems to be caring and supportive towards his team and the younger players, he does have a playful side and a love of practical jokes, which sometimes get rough and aggressive when he slaps his team when excited. This behaviour is unexpectedly motivational to the team!! Boys!!
Shōyō Hinata
Birthday: 21st June
Position: Middle Blocker/Decoy
Shōyō Hinata is the main protagonist in the series. He is loud, energetic but not the sharpest tool in the box. He loves volleyball and that is his focus and as a result his schoolwork suffers. He is prone to acting without thinking. He is, however, a person who is good at saying the right things to get a person to do what needs to be heard and his open, genuine personality means that people trust him and will talk about their problems easily around him.
Hinata is known to be a scaredy cat and to begin with, he had a habit of hiding behind his teammates when faced with bigger opponents, but he can overcome this as his confidence grows. He is a nervous player and does not react well to pressure, leading to a bad stomach and constant trips to the bathroom!
Hinata is a character who shows that determination and a love of your sport can help you overcome your negative issues.
July
August
Yui Michimiya
Birthday: 1st August
Position: Captain
Yui Michimiya is a student at Karasuno High and is the captain of the Girls’ Volleyball Club. She has a very vibrant personality and is usually smiling and joking in her day-to-day life. She is extremely good at motivational speeches to her team and never shows weakness in front of them. The times that she cries, she cries alone.
Morisuke Yaku
Birthday: 8th August
Position: Starting Libero
Morisuke Yaku is a student at Nekoma High School who is an outgoing and hardworking member of the team. He is not very tall, standing at 169cm (5’6) and he takes it personally if anyone jokes about his height in front of him. The force of these outbursts does cause his teammates to label him as scary but is just how he reacts to his own insecurities about his smaller build. He is proud of his position within the team, considering it an honour to play for Nekoma High.
Wakatoshi Ushijima
Birthday: 13rd August
Position: Captain/Ace
Wakatoshi Ushikima is an extremely talented volleyball player and is the number one in Miyagi Prefecture. Ushijima is a reserved person and does not speak unnecessarily. His stern face can make him look more intimidating than he really is. He does tend to say exactly what he is thinking, with no filter so he often looks rude when confronting other people. He also tends to take things literally and does not understand the jokes. He has zero doubt in his own abilities, and it does not even cross his mind that he might lose a game. He seems genuinely confused if someone suggests another team may go to the finals.
Kazuhito Narita
Birthday: 17th August
Position: Middle Blocker
Kazuhito Narita is a calm person, and he does not allow the other team to wind him up which makes him a stable player. In his second year, he played as a Sub Middle Blocker.
September
Kaname Moniwa
Birthday: 26th September
Position: Team Captain/Setter
Kaname Moniwa was team captain and setter for Date Tech High. His mild character sometimes meant that he found it hard to control the younger members of his team and he needed to rely on others for help. Despite his timid character, he was a good captain and always worked to build up the confidence of his team and push them to do their best.
Kei Tsukishima
Birthday: 27th September
Position: Middle Blocker
Kei Tsukishima is smug, blunt, and annoying and loves it! The more annoying people find him, the happier it makes him, and he uses that to his advantage on court. However, Tsukishima is another example that you should not judge a book by its cover. The harsh outer shell hides a boy who has no belief in himself and who is always waiting for things to go wrong for him.
Akiteru described Kei’s character in the following way. “Kei is blunt and does not show his emotions often, but he is actually a very hard working and kind boy.”
October
Yū Nishinoya
Birthday: 10th October
Position: Libero
Yu Nishinoya has a nickname “Karasuno’s Guardian Deity” due to his amazing ability on the volleyball court. He is a second-year student during the series. He plays the role of the team fool as he has a love of getting into crazy situations and has an over-the-top personality. He does not seem to worry too much about the outcome of his behaviour, but he is a good, caring friend.
Despite his outcoming personality and love of making up crazy names for volleyball moves that he makes up, he is shy when it comes to talking to girls and he has a huge crush on Kiyoko, but she does not appear to feel the same. One of his first appearances in the series involves him approaching Kiyoko like an over excited puppy. Whilst not shown on screen, he wanders back over with a red cheek suggesting she did not appreciate it!
Kenma Kozume
Birthday: 16th October
Position: Setter
Kenma Kozume is a reserved character and does not become annoyed or have temper tantrums like other players. He is a student at Nekoma High School. His teammates value his contribution to the team calling him the “heart and brains” of the team. He is extremely shy and withdrawn which can make him look unapproachable and as a result he finds making friends hard. He is an intelligent person, and this allows him to be good at strategy during the game, although he is not as skilled when it comes to power and speed as his teammates. He is competitive and has a love of computer games.
November
So Inuoka
Birthday: 1st November
Position: Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker
So Inuoka is a student at Nekoma High and is another of the series’ bright and bubbly characters. He is a very keen player, but his coach does not think he is quick to make decisions when playing and as a result he misses out on a regular spot on the floor when the teams are playing. However, he takes it well and just pushes to improve himself.
Tadashi Yamaguchi
Birthday: 10th November
Position: Middle Blocker/Pinch Server
Tadashi Yamamguchi is another boy with extraordinarily little self-confidence, which could be because he was bullied when he was younger about his freckles. Bullying is never good!!!! He relies on others and seems to be easily led, often joining in when teammates are mocking other people.
Despite his issues, he is a loyal friend and will spend time cheering from the side lines to encourage others.
Tetsuro Kuroo
Birthday: 17th November
Position: Team Captain/Middle Blocker
Tetsuro Kuroo is a student at Nekoma High School and is the captain of their volleyball team. He earned the nickname “Scheming Captain” because he is extremely good at provoking his opponents during games. Despite this, he is a caring individual who values sportsmanship and will apologise if his provocation goes too far.
He is a good team captain as he has keen observation skills and is quick to decipher what needs to change during the game, encouraging his team to work hard and play well. Despite his sly exterior, he also possesses a more childish side and will laugh loud and take part in silly conversations. He is mature and sees himself as older in nature than other players.
December
Tobio Kageyama
Birthday: 22nd December
Position: Setter
Tobio Kageyama is a first year at Karasuno High and has the role of starting setter for the younger team. Tobio does not come across as a great person. He is rude, angry, and usually has a pout on his face. He only cares about winning and has no regard at all for the feelings of his teammates. He is not a popular person and he ended up with the nickname “King of the Court,” which is not as flattering as it sounds. He has the nickname because he acted like the most important person on the court and was extremely arrogant.
Kageyama is not what he seems and deep down he is a person who struggles to deal with his emotions and because of this he tries to overcompensate by acting in control. All this does is push people away from him and lead to more problems with his personality. He wants to be a skilful player and over time, he manages to find a new confidence and find a way to control his emotions making him a better person and player.
Chikara Ennoshita
Birthday: 26th December
Position: Wing Spiker/Outside Hitter
Chikara Ennoshita is a quiet, shy student who is a good friend and is more confident around other players who are the same age as him. His lower confidence affects him on court due to lack of experience. However, his calm exterior has a reassuring effect on younger players. He is extremely clever and has never failed a test or exam.
Daichi Sawamura
Birthday: 31st December
Position: Captain/Wing Spiker/Opposite Hitter
Daichi Sawamura is shown to be a kind person when serving as his role as team captain for the Karasuno team. Their original coach, Ukai, suffered an injury and had to stay in hospital and Daichi proved he could be a person who put the needs of the team first. However, he does have a bad temper and if he gets angry, he is described as terrifying. However, he only gets angry with the team’s best interests at heart, for example when he locked Hinata and Kageyama outside the gym and refused to let them back in for arguing with each other.
All in all, he is a mature individual who is a natural leader with just enough of bad tempered, childishness to his nature to make him realistic!
Conclusion
There is always a question asked about whether the month of a person’s birth predetermines their personality. Some people believe that it does, and others think it is a load of suppositious rubbish. Looking at the players, they do show some characteristics that are commonly linked to their birth month, but it is not always the case.
