Haikyu!! is, without a doubt, one of the greatest sports anime adaptations of this generation, if not the greatest. It turned most of us who had no idea whatsoever about this game into volleyball enthusiasts. It just shows how much of an impact can a story have on our regular lives.
While many people still want to deny the fact, this article tries to offer a bigger view of how much of an influence it really is, even in real-life volleyball. Yes! Notably, when it became known that one of the inspirations for Olympian Tobias Krick was none other than Tsukishima Kei, a character from the series itself.
Olympian Tobias Krick Publicly Declares His Admiration & Love For Tsukishima
Born on the 22nd of October 1998, Tobias Krick proudly shines as a prominent volleyball player. Besides being a defensive player for Berlin Recycling Volleys, he also participates in the national team of his country. Moreover, he has been very successful since his first game taking his team to the top by winning both the Championship and the Cup on the German level of Berlin Recycling Volleys among other teams.
In a very recent interview, Olympian Tobias Krick shared a very shocking fact: he is a huge fan of Haikyu!!’s Kei Tsukishima. What makes him so drawn to this character? First, Krick said, he simply loves how Tsukishima looks and how sure of himself he appears to be.
[Eng subs] German middle blocker Tobias Krick brings a Tsukki plushie as 1 of his 10 Essentials for GQ. He says Tsukki is his favorite character, and he wore sports glasses like him when he was young. Tobi is a known fan of Haikyuu and anime in general. 🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/dkkjMr5Vtj
— Reese 📸🏐 (@hainakyuu_) July 29, 2024
But what makes it truly unreal is the fact that Krick had been a middle blocker, exactly like Tsukishima. This sure made Tsukishima a lot more relatable character for him.
My favorite character is Tsukishima. He is a bit calmer, not as jittery as the others and plays my position of middle blocker.
But that’s not all! When Krick was younger, he used to wear the same kind of glasses Tsukishima wore, which really made him look a lot like the character.
It kind of represents me a bit because when I was young, I used to have these glasses, like sports glasses and I looked a lot like him then.
As a volleyball player by profession, Krick surely does have an affinity for the sport, but much more the character portrayals, exciting matches, and inspiring storylines of Haikyu!! that also drew his attention. Krick’s admiration for the series sets up an example of how anime can transcend borders to unite fans across different interests and professions.
Haikyu!! Has Always Been More Than “Just Another Sports Anime”
Haikyu!! has never been just your regular sports anime – it is a phenomenon that has captured millions of hearts. Making volleyball cool and interesting for people to view is one of the biggest achievements for sure. Even after having no interest in this particular sport earlier, many of us still couldn’t help but be drawn into this infectious series.
So, what makes Haikyu!! special? The key element behind its global success was its core narrative being grounded within the journey of all of its characters, and not one touched by over-the-top power fantasy.
The characters are so rounded and full-bodied in the complexity of their backstories and the relatability of the motivations to drive their actions, which makes them unbelievably likable. These are things that set it apart from other sports anime. Now with the anime getting close to its finale, and after the huge success of the movie Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, as fans our excitement is higher than ever before.
You can watch Haikyu!! on Crunchyroll.
