Haikyuu: The Philosophy of Kita Shinsuke - Consistency is the Key
“When an adult says, “The process matters more than the results, kids aren’t really going to understand. They think results are everything! But I totally agree with the adults.” I’m basically built from my daily routine, and the results are nothing more than a by-product."
-Kita Shinsuke
One of Haikyuu’s greatest strengths is how it continuously conveys meaningful lessons through the use of characters that embody them. Kita Shinsuke is one such character, he was completely handed over the spotlight for a short little time during the Inarizaki match.
As the Inarizaki Coach himself stated how even though he may not be the star, but that his presence takes over the whole court. He is the kind of guy that embodies the serene nature of sports players, and the way it’s presented is beautiful. Some legendary storytelling right there.
In just a single episode, a single chapter, our preconceived perception of the character flips. From an enigmatic opponent to a composed, genuinely hardworking individual. Someone whose sole reality is build upon the principle of working hard consistently. The Idea, that you are built from your daily routine!
When Kita was young, his grandmother often used to tell him, “Someone is always watching.”
Though, while she was referring to a higher spiritual being, Kita continues on and eventually comes to the realization that minding his manners, cleaning, maintaining his grades, volleyball, and doing it consistently - it’s not like he is doing it for someone else, it just feels good.
His daily routine, his daily rituals, that are his greatest strength.
Things like Repetition, Perseverance, and Diligence, they simply feel good.
Of course, the idea by itself isn’t anything revolutionary, in fact, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t at least acknowledge the importance of daily routine. It’s the beautiful way in which Furudate Sensei presents this idea that makes it feel so special.
That is why Kita Shinsuke was able to become a fan favorite with just a single episode.
Kita is this overwhelming presence which practically drips of confidence, not in the fact that he is stronger than others, but absolute confidence in the fact that whatever happens he won’t mess up.
He is always first, even though had to do training drills every day, he never even thinks of a shortcut and goes all out. He manages everything and gets perfect grades.
Of course, if you are a regular or even someone who has a jersey, it makes sense for you to work hard. Though in Kita’s case, he never got the jersey in middle school, and it wasn’t until his third year at Inarizaki that he was able to participate in an official match.
Despite that, he continued on with the process, training every day without exception, taking care of himself, delicately, diligently, regardless of the results or rather, it was because that he firmly knew how results are a mere byproduct, and it’s the process that matters.
Then finally, when he was rewarded with the jersey, Kita was caught right when he was least expecting it, and maybe that’s why he couldn’t help but break into tears.
So many times, in life, it’s the extraordinary, the world class or people who we simply can’t help but see as geniuses or prodigies that inspire us. They inspire us to work hard and strive for bigger and better things.
And yet we give up, soon enough, the inspiration dissipates.
Why do you think that is the case?
It’s because our attention is on the end goal, the finish line… this is what we are striving for, we have to achieve this or that. But because of this, when time begins to pass and we aren’t exactly getting any closer to that goal, we become frustrated, the process is hindered, and we go back to our old ways.
Now imagine, if instead of idealizing those who had already achieved it, had you idealized someone who is currently in the process, working hard consistently, and not letting up no matter how hard it gets.
In that case, your attention would’ve been on the process. Every time you get through a day having done everything you could’ve done without worrying about the results so much, you would’ve felt accomplished, and above all, felt good.
“When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running.”
-James Clear
There is a book by the author James Clear that pretty much embodies Kita’s philosophy. It’s called, “Atomic Habits,” and as someone who has read the book multiple times, I was genuinely ecstatic when I first experienced these particular chapters of the manga and saw the parallels.
Naturally, I recommend this book to anyone who is having trouble changing themselves. If you were inspired by Kita Shinsuke’s philosophy, how he lives his life, and seek to make some changes in your life, you should definitely give it a read. It’ll teach you how to do it. How to feel the satisfaction of just getting through everyday satisfied and accomplished.
Now of course, this philosophy isn’t all there is to Kita Shinsuke.
Let’s also take a little look at his mannerism and personality.
Just like Ushiwaka, he is the type of person who never sugarcoats things, he simply voices his objective, unbiased opinion and does it firmly.
His validation and sense of self comes from within, which is why he doesn’t seek things like applause or attention. When he is on the stage, he’s just going to do what he needs to do,
“I don’t need any applause. I’m just going to do what I need to do.”
And because of his confidence that he has prepared enough, he doesn’t get nervous either. Just like eating, going to toilet or other daily occurrences, you don’t get nervous, this should also apply to volleyball… That’s what he says.
He is someone who is always watching his teammates, ready to offer advice or help whenever the time comes. Someone who gives their team a foundation. He is the strongest captain Inarizaki could’ve asked for, because under his guidance, no matter what happens, the team would never crumble.
Then there is Kita’s speech on what exactly makes someone a genius.
How they are simply idiots who continuously go beyond the scale and do more. That’s why Kita states how if you think that they were good from the start, you are condemning yourself to a predetermined fate, which, in his opinion, is very rude to them.
In his words, Kita ends up describing geniuses this way,
"The kind of monsters who love volleyball day after day. We meet them, stand on the same court as them, and battle against them, with a net between us. I'm like a mortal who's stumbled upon a monsters' banquet. Lucky me."
He is someone who is wholeheartedly respected by his teammates and is seen as a pillar of support. The words about how his presence takes over the atmosphere describe him perfectly.
Life isn’t easy. There are times when you’ll be shaken, dragged down, or succumb to an unfair fate. That’s just the reality of things, which is why, to always remain calm and serene, to be able to handle the results or the outcomes no problem.
One has to prepare, consistently.
As Kita himself states, the answer is in one’s daily routine.
His reaction after the climax of the Inarizaki game, and the uplifting manner in which he exhibited his frustration was simply brilliant.
Haikyuu is a story that never stops teaching you the way of things. It is a genuinely inspiring tale of passion and hope, and this was one of many lessons ingrained in this beautiful journey.
That’s all folks!
I hope you found Kita to be just as inspirational as I did!
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