2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team (Japanese: 2.43 清陰高校男子バレー部, Hepburn: Nī Ten Yonsan Seiin Kōkō Danshi Barē-bu) is a Japanese volleyballlight novel series written by Yukako Kabei and illustrated by Aiji Yamakawa. Shueisha have published five volumes in three seasons since March 2015 under their Shueisha Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Yamakawa has been serialized in Shueisha's josei manga magazine Cocohana from July to September 2018.[1] An anime television series adaptation produced by David Production aired from January to March 2021, on the NoitaminA block.
"2.43" refers to the height of the net for male volleyball, 2.43 m.
Yuni (or Kuroba his teammates call him) is Kimichika's (Chika's) best friend since kindergarten who was originally upset when his best friend moved back in middle school.
Kimichika or Chika is Yuni's best friend since kindergarten. Chika was involved in a scandal at his middle school which caused him to transfer from a prestigious school to the same school as Yuni.
An anime television series adaptation was announced via Twitter on November 1, 2019.[1] The series is animated by David Production and directed by Yasuhiro Kimura, with Yōsuke Kuroda handling series composition, Yūichi Takahashi designing the characters, and Yugo Kanno composing the music. It aired from January 8 to March 26, 2021, on the NoitaminA programming block.[2][4] The opening theme song is "Paralysis" (麻痺, "Mahi") performed by yama, and the ending theme song is "Undulation" performed by Sōshi Sakiyama (崎山 蒼志, Sakiyama Sōshi).[17]Funimation licensed the series and streamed it on its website in North America and the British Isles, in Europe through Wakanim, and in Australia and New Zealand through AnimeLab.[18] Following Sony's acquisition of Crunchyroll, the series was moved to Crunchyroll.[19]
Kimichika Haijima returns to Monshiro Town after an incident in his old school in Suzuma City. He meets up with his childhood friend Yuni Kuroba. Yuni discovers that Haijima plays Volleyball, and he is a setter. Yuni who also plays volleyball starts to take the game seriously after Haijima reassembles the volleyball team. They decide to go to nationals. Yuni's older cousin stops him from getting involved with Haijima and reveals about the incident in his old school, where because of the pressure of a previous match a kid in the volleyball club attempted suicide and everyone thought it was Haijima's fault because he pressurized him to play better.
2
"The Best and Worst Playmaker" Transliteration: "Saikō de Saitei no Pureimeikā" (Japanese: 最高で最低のプレイメイカー)
Ayumu Uwano
Yōsuke Kuroda
January 15, 2021 (2021-01-15)
Haijima does not come to school, so Yuni visits him and tells him that he does not mind that incident and trusts Haijima. Haijima feels better. A few months later they participate in the Interhigh tournament. After some time, Yuni feels pressured and is not able to play properly. They win the match, but Haijima insults Yuni and tells him to leave volleyball. Angered, Yuni tells everyone about the incident that night and also badmouths Haijima. The next morning, he doesn't come to the match and then discovers that they lost. Haijimaa reveals that he knows that Yuni told everyone about the incident.
3
"A Dog's Perspective and a Giraffe's Perspective" Transliteration: "Inu no Mesen to Kirin no Mesen" (Japanese: 犬の目線とキリンの目線)
Shō Sugawara
Yōsuke Kuroda
January 22, 2021 (2021-01-22)
Yuni and Haijima graduate and both join Seiin High School. They enter the boys' volleyball club, but upon learning that Yuni is also there Haijima stops coming. The volleyball team captain Shinichirou Oda and vice-captain and student council member Misao Aoki bring Haijima back during the Club Exchange Program. The whole volleyball club except these three exchange with the baseball club. Oda, who is small in height but can jump high, is impressed by Haijima's set. After the program, Yuni discovers that Haijima is coming to the club, and tells him he wants to play with him more rekindling their friendship.
During their summer camp, Yuusuke Okuma joins the club. During the practice, Haijima insists that Yuni practices only his receives. This gets Yuni frustrated, but is afraid that it can possibly break their friendship once again. During the Interhigh tournament Haijima reveals that Yuni is their ace and secret weapon. this gets Yuni fired up and they win the match. To celebrate Yuni's victory, his cousins Itoko and Yorimichi take him bowling. Yuni irritates Itoko and she hits him. He then discovers that Yorimichi has got into a fight.
5
"Stand By Me" Transliteration: "Sutando Bai Mī" (Japanese: スタンド・バイ・ミー)
Ayumu Uwano
Yōsuke Kuroda
February 5, 2021 (2021-02-05)
The school finds out about the fight and seeing the mark on Yuni's face where Itoko hit him, they think that he participated in the fight. The volleyball club is told to halt their activities since Yuni refuses to tell where he got that mark. He and Haijima then go to Tokyo to see Haijima's old school. They discover that the kid who "attempted suicide" left the school and that he actually did not attempt it. The incident was just a sick joke by his old classmates to make Haijima "adjust his attitude". Yuni gets angry and shows them a deadly spike, frightening them. Haijima then faints and when he wakes up, he discovers the kid who falsely claimed to have attempted suicide is there to meet him. The two talk and then he leaves. Haijima's old volleyball coach drops them off at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. They get a call from Oda that Itoko came to their school revealed the truth and they are allowed to play again.
6
"The Laughing King and Crybaby Jack" Transliteration: "Warau Kingu to Nakimushi Jakku" (Japanese: 笑うキングと泣き虫ジャック)
Daisuke Tsumagari
Yōsuke Kuroda
February 12, 2021 (2021-02-12)
Fukoho High school, which has the greatest volleyball team in Fukui Prefecture loses a match. Their third-year and ace Subaru Mimiura and manager Mitsuomi Ochi are the brawn and brain of the team. Ochi was a setter but because of an injury he can't play volleyball and becomes the manager. The team learns about Seiin, and how they are improving with their genius setter Haijima. First-year Kouhei Tokura and Ochi go to secretly see their practice, but Tokura gets into a fight with Okuma and Subaru comes to their rescue. He then proposes a practice match which Haijima happily accepts.
7
"The Ruling Hero of the Court" Transliteration: "Kōto o Suberu Hīrō" (Japanese: コートを統べるヒーロー)
Jun'ichirō Hashiguchi
Yōsuke Kuroda
February 19, 2021 (2021-02-19)
At the practice match between Fukoho and Seiin, both teams take three sets each, though Oda believes Fukoho went easy on Seiin during the three sets they won. Recalling the frequency with which Fukoho hit balls over Oda’s reach, Haijima suggests that Uchimura replace Oda if Seiin advances far enough to play Fukoho officially. Haijima receives a call informing him that his grandmother has been hospitalized, and he stays with Yuni for the remainder of the week. Yuni and Haijima discuss family matters, volleyball, and the way Haijima relates to the team. In a post-credits scene, Oda is shown to have taken Haijima’s advice regarding the prefect qualifier, listing himself as a reserve player rather than a member of the starting lineup.
8
"Yuni and Chika Re-enter the Battle" Transliteration: "Yuni Chika, Sai-shutsujin" (Japanese: ユニチカ、再出陣)
Satoshi Ōsedo
Yōsuke Kuroda
February 26, 2021 (2021-02-26)
Seiin and Fukuho both spectate at the Fukui prefecture preliminaries, after which Oda announces the starting lineup for Seiin’s first game. With Uchimura’s having replaced Oda, Seiin initially pulls ahead, only to lose the first set after Haijima makes a mistake and the team loses focus. With the combined efforts of Yuni and a repositioned Haijima, however, Seiin nevertheless claims victory after winning the subsequent sets. Similarly to Seiin, Fukuho is also victorious against their first opponents. A post-credits scene reveals that after winning several more matches, Seiin manages to advance to the play-offs.
9
"The Unbeaten and the Dark Horse" Transliteration: "Jōshō to Dāku Hōsu" (Japanese: 常勝とダークホース)
Takahiro Kamei
Yōsuke Kuroda
March 5, 2021 (2021-03-05)
Both Fukuho and Seiin spend time strategizing and practicing to prepare for their upcoming match. Meanwhile, Subaru’s doctor informs him that his knees will likely require further surgery and that he will potentially need to refrain from sports for up to two years if he wants to pursue volleyball as a career in the future. Meanwhile, Seiin's coach splits the team into pairs of two for a special practice session. After the session, partners Haijima and Aoki exchange words of encouragement, the former assuring that Seiin will make it to the spring tournament and the latter promising that he will back Haijima’s strategic suggestions for the team. Prior to the start of the match between Fukuho and Seiin, Fukuho’s manager Ochi is injured and has to be taken to the hospital.
10
"The Hero and The Genius 1" Transliteration: "Eiyū to Tensai Ichi" (Japanese: 英雄と天才１)
Shō Sugawara
Yōsuke Kuroda
March 12, 2021 (2021-03-12)
Fukuho’s coach scolds the team for having accidentally led to Ochi’s injury while playing in the snow before the match with Seiin. Subaru continues to conceal the truth about the condition of his knees, and Fukuho is victorious in the first set. Though Seiin manages to win the second set with an impressive performance by Haijima, they suffer a setback when Yuni has a nosebleed after his spiked volleyball is repelled by Fukuho's blockers and hits him in the face. With Yuni out of the game, Seiin loses the third set. In a post-credits scene, Subaru visits the infirmary, where Haijima is checking on Yuni.
11
"The Hero and The Genius 2" Transliteration: "Eiyū to Tensai Ni" (Japanese: 英雄と天才２)
Tetsuji Nakamura
Yōsuke Kuroda
March 19, 2021 (2021-03-19)
While visiting Haijima and Yuni in the infirmary, Subaru apologizes that Fukuho’s block led to Yuni’s injury. As the conversation concludes, Yuni begins to suspect that Subaru might have sustained an injury in the past. After Haijima apologizes to Yuni and admits that his reason for putting pressure on Yuni to excel is that he views him as an outstanding athlete, Yuni reenters to the match in time for the fourth set. Ochi returns from the hospital as the set is too close to call. After a tenacious back and forth extending the game to 30 points, Seiin is victorious in the fourth set, meaning that the fifth will determine which team wins the match. Subaru continues to impress in the final set, though a final block by Oda wins the match for Seiin. Haijima begins discovering that volleyball means more to him than simply winning and that he wants to keep playing forever.
As Seiin and Fukuho line up following the game, Haijima begins to feel faint. Following an exchange of well wishes with Oda, Subaru is revealed to have concealed being in serious pain ever since accidentally colliding knees with Aoki in the fifth set. Ochi finds Subaru alone; and the two share a heartfelt moment, after which the entire Fukuho team cries together and Subaru promises himself that he will return to volleyball following the completion of surgery and physical therapy. Later, Haijima awakens to see the rest of the Seiin team, who have come to bring him a victory medal and drive him to the celebration being held by Yuni’s family. After the bracket for the nationals matches are released, Oda announces plans to continue volleyball in college and asks Aoki to join him in the endeavor. Later, the Seiin team attends a joint practice that includes college teams, during which Subaru catches up with Haijima and the two discuss their futures in volleyball. Encouraged by the prospect of representing Japan internationally, Haijima and Yuni resolve to play volleyball as long as they can.
Notes
^ abInformation is taken from the ending credits of each episode.
^This episode aired on January 8, 2021 at 1:40 a.m. JST, 45 minutes after the original air time on Fuji TV.
^This episode aired on March 26, 2021 at 1:35 am. JST, 40 minutes after the original air time on Fuji TV.
