Wakatsu Kiryū

Wakatsu Kiryū (Japanese: Kiryū Wakatsu) 桐生きりゅう 八わかつ was a third-year student at Mujinazaka High School. He was the captain, spiker, and ace of the boys' volleyball team. At the time of his debut, he was considered one of the top three aces in the country.

After the timeskip, he is an outside hitter for the Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets, a professional volleyball team in Japan's V.League Division 1.

As of 2021, he is a member of the Japan Men's National Volleyball Team.

Kiryū seems to have a tendency to overanalyze. He is seen stressing over the ulterior motive behind Bokuto's enthusiasm when greeting him before the match, despite Bokuto having no such motive. Despite being one of the top three attackers, Kiryū admits to lacking confidence in his own abilities. In the past, he struggled with feelings of not being able to be the reliable ace his team needed. That side of his personality remained unchanged even in middle school, when playing against Bokuto brought out Kiryū's insecurities. However, he possesses a strong sense of responsibility towards his teammates that drives him to improve and overcome the intense pressure.

He has dark, close-cropped hair with bangs on the sides of his head and large, oval eyebrows. He is quite tall and muscular.

After the timeskip, Kiryū looks pretty much the same, but he no longer has the bald spots.

He attended Mujinazaka High School, located in Ōita Prefecture, and was one of the top three aces in the country. By junior high, Kiryū was already a reliable ace, considered the country's best hitter, who led his team to a victory in the second round of the National High School Track and Field Tournament. Due to their similar playing style, he was compared to Ushijima and was said to be more versatile. However, Ushijima broke through the strong defense that constantly marked him, while Kiryū succumbed to the pressure and fell back. After his loss, Kiryū was devastated to hear his setter apologize to him and promise that he will make every shot.

Tokyo Nationals Arch Mujinazaka vs. Fukurōdani As Bokuto skipped along on his way to the court and Mujinazaka warmed up before the match, Kiryū thought about how Bokuto spoke to them as if he was preparing to destroy him and his team, and wondered if it was all a charade to scare Mujinazaka. Usuri interrupted his thoughts, asking if he was worried about something, and he replied of course not, panicking. When Usuri said that everything was going to be okay anyway because Kiryū was on his team, he stuttered and nervously told him that he didn't need to be told twice.

Usuri passes the ball to Kiryū, to which Akaashi, Bokuto, and Washio continue to attempt to block his next spike, but Kiryū easily triumphs over their triple block, astonishing everyone in the stadium. [2] After Kiryū easily gives his team another point, Kenma comments that he definitely looks and acts like a typical power hitter, but that he is also a high jumper.

Kenma also notices that he leans very hard to his left when he's punching, and Yamamoto tells him that Kiryū focuses on putting as much of his body weight into his smashes so they can be as sharp as possible, this is mentioned in an article about him.

When Usuri sets up from a very low spot, making it very difficult to hit, Kiryū still manages to score a point. Commentators even say he looks like someone who spikes the ball without paying attention to the nuances, but he is actually a very skilled spiker, hitting the ball every time with almost his full strength. Commentators analyze his playing style in more detail, stating that in a split second, he can figure out how to hit any set, whether it's good or not. And with a single step, he can jump high enough to spike the ball powerfully, having thoroughly trained both his upper and lower body.

As the game progresses, Kiryū scores more and more points, whether with a service ace or a simple block. And when Mami praises him, Kiryū scratches the back of his neck as if embarrassed.

However, after becoming excited about winning the match, Bokuto scores several points in a row against Mujinazaka. [ 3 ] Despite this, Ezota manages to pass the ball to Hondo , who passes it to Kiryū. His spike ends Fukurōdani's scoring streak. And although Kiryū was able to easily overcome a triple block at the beginning of the match, he was unable to do so at the start of the third set.

When Kuzuri comments that Mujinazaka's job is to make Fukurōdani lean on his ace even when they don't want to, Kiryū tells his teammates that he sees Bokuto as fearless in his play and that he was just having fun and being the best. His teammates are confused, but Kuzuri already knew that Bokuto would cause trouble for Kiryū, as he wouldn't know how to react to him. Mami tries to cheer him up twice, but it ends with a brief argument between him and Unnan both times. [ 4 ]

Kiryū also thinks that playing against people like Bokuto makes it even more evident how insignificant he is, because a lot of things don't seem to bother him, like his teammates trying to motivate him because it somehow made him even more nervous, like a star who feels more and more pressure to perform. At this, Kiryū laughs because he realizes that he's not a star, so he shouldn't see himself as one.

And even though Kiryū has no confidence in his abilities, he is quite certain that he has been blessed with great teammates, remembering the motivational words that Usuri, Mami, and his former high school teammate gave him.

After Bokuto shouts that he couldn't believe volleyball could be so tiring, Kiryū scoffs, and Usuri is immediately shocked by this, calling Bokuto scary for being able to make Kiryū laugh during a game. Near the end

Karasuno vs. Kamomedai Kiryū and Usuri watch Kamomedai's match against Karasuno. When Asahi breaks through Kamomedai's defenses three times in a row, despite being blocked every time he tried, Kiryū expresses his intimidation towards the nationals.

Final arc Schweiden Adlers vs. MSBY Black Jackal Kiryū currently plays for the Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets in Japan's Division 1 V-League and is teammates with Goshiki. [6] As the match between the Schweiden Adlers and the MSBY Black Jackals is about to begin, Goshiki excitedly welcomes Kiryū into the room and tries to motivate his superior to beat Ushijima. Kiryū agrees, adding that he also wants to even the score against Bokuto for Mujinazaka's loss against Fukurōdani Academy.

A revived party Kiryū is shown participating in the All Stars match as part of Team B.

High School Statistics Strength 5/5 Skip 4/5 Post-Timeskip Skill Parameter Attendance 8/10 Serving reception 8/10 Dig8/10 Configuration 7/10 Spike 9/10 Block 7/10 Serve: Kiryū possesses an incredibly powerful jump serve. He is often seen landing direct serves, unbalancing his opponents with his serves, facilitating blocks, and aiming his serves at difficult spots, such as a bokuto, to prevent their attack. His serve is so powerful that he has been seen scoring multiple points in a row, both against Bokuto himself and other members of Team Fukurōdani. Spike: Kiryū possesses an incredibly strong and skillful spike. His school prioritizes physical training, so he is incredibly powerful not only in his arms, but also in his torso and legs. Kiryū hits with his entire body, leaning heavily to the left when hitting, applying as much weight as possible. This facilitates breaking blocks and makes conventional receptions nearly impossible, often resulting in the ball going out of bounds. His technique is notable, as he is good enough to hit with his full power, even with the ball poorly placed and in an awkward position. Endurance 4/5 Sense of the game 3/5 Technique 4/5 Speed ​​3/5

Kiryū is a powerful and talented player, considered one of the top 3 aces in Japan. During his third year of middle school, he was considered by Atsumu Miya to be a more complete player than Wakatoshi Ushijima. He has a powerful spike that rivals Ushijima's, able to easily punch through three-person blocks or outrun a three-person block, but he also has formidable leg strength due to his school's emphasis on physical training. This gives him a very high and controlled jump, this emphasis has led to Kiryū being able to quickly adapt his jump to different throws, such as jumping lower for bad low throws.

Relations Mujinazaka High School Michiru Usuri - Usuri has great admiration for Kiryū, Mujinazaka's ace. Before their match against Fukurōdani, Usuri notices something is troubling Kiryū and assures him that he is the best. During matches, Usuri often picks Kiryū, trusting that his ace will make way for the team even under overwhelming pressure from the opposing team. Following the loss, Usuri tearfully admits that he is aware of the responsibilities Kiryū has for the team, especially during difficult times, but insists that he still wants to pitch and trust him. [5] Kiryū understands this as a show of trust from his teammates and does not blame Usuri. Instead, Kiryū reveals that pitching is what motivates him to do his best and appreciates Usuri for being a great teammate. Fukurōdani Academy Kōtarō Bokuto - Bokuto is the type of person Kiryū finds the most difficult to deal with. While Kiryū has many insecurities regarding his own abilities and is burdened by others' high expectations of him, Bokuto is fearless and thrives when he is the center of attention. After playing against Bokuto, Kiryū admits to being scared and more aware of his own shortcomings in Bokuto's presence. [4] He only manages to put his worries aside after Mami tells him that fun comes through hard work, which is something Kiryū has no shortage of. Afterward, Kiryū maintains a much more cheerful attitude instead of worrying about losing and comparing himself to Bokuto. He even surprised his teammates when he uncharacteristically chuckled at Bokuto's antics. [ 4 ] Following Mujinazaka's loss to Fukurōdani, Kiryū shakes Bokuto's hand and tells him that he is glad to have played against him in his final high school tournament, an act that shows his immense respect for Bokuto as a player. In return, Bokuto insists that Kiryū be more assertive.

Favorite food: raw oyster (Japanese: namagaki)生なま牡が蠣き. Pre-timeskip concerns: Receiving services, how to guide his juniors, his younger sister's brown hair, the swallows that come to his house every year haven't come lately, etc. Post-Time Skip Concern: She worries that her little sister might be tricked by an evil man. Zodiac sign: Aries. He shares his birthday with Nobuyuki Kai. He is the oldest junior and member of the team. Kiryū, Reon Ōhira, and Gao Hakuba share the highest BMI in the manga. He and Tsutomu Goshiki are currently players for Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets.

Age 18 (2012) Height 188.3 cm (6' 2.1") - January 2013 Weight 85.6 kg (188.7 lbs) - January 2013 Occupation High school student (3rd year, 1st grade) - 2012 Teams Mujinazaka High School (formerly) Number 1 (2nd year/3rd year of high school) 1 (3rd year of high school) Position Captain Ace of the Outside Hitter

Age 24 (November 2018) Height 189.4 cm (6' 2.6") Weight 90.5 kg (199.5 lbs) Occupation Player of the V. Division 1 of the League Teams Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets (current) Japan National Team (2021) Number 8 (Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets) 3 (Japan National Team) Position Outside hitter