TV-Series
Description
Hisashi Kinoshita is a second-year student at Karasuno High School and a member of the boys' volleyball club, serving primarily as a wing spiker and pinch server. He was born on February 15th, is of average height, and has short, spiky light brown hair with large, narrowed eyes. Among the second-year players, only the libero, Yu Nishinoya, is shorter than he is.
Kinoshita's background with the team is marked by an experience that continues to shape his perspective. During his first year, he joined the Karasuno volleyball club when it operated more as a recreational activity. When the legendary coach Ikkei Ukai returned from retirement and reinstated rigorous training, Kinoshita, along with his classmates Chikara Ennoshita and Kazuhito Narita, found the new intensity overwhelming and quit the team for a period. By the time they realized how much volleyball meant to them and decided to return, Coach Ukai had already left again due to his health. Filled with regret over their decision to leave, the three of them began referring to themselves as the "Ungrateful Second-Years".
In terms of personality, Kinoshita is generally kind but has a shy and anxious demeanor, especially concerning his own volleyball skills. He constantly worries about his abilities despite being noted by the current coach, Keishin Ukai, to have an "uncanny knack of putting points on the board". While he is supportive of his teammates and cheers wholeheartedly for them during matches, he is also not afraid to make sly or humorous remarks, such as teasing Ryunosuke Tanaka for getting overly excited. He is regarded as a calm and analytical presence on the team, a stark contrast to some of his more impulsive teammates.
Kinoshita's primary motivation is to contribute to the team's success and overcome his perceived shortcomings stemming from his past decision to quit. As a player who is not a regular starter, his main role evolves into becoming a pinch server, a specialist who enters the game to serve and score points. He dedicates significant effort to perfecting his jump float serve, a skill where he aims to hit a specific spot with high accuracy. His hard work is such that even the team's regular pinch server, Tadashi Yamaguchi, feels nervous about potentially being replaced. During training for the national tournament, his serves become so effective that they even cause trouble for Nishinoya, one of the best liberos in the series. Kinoshita even helps Nishinoya practice his overhand receives, demonstrating a supportive and collaborative relationship.
Kinoshita's role in the story is to represent the ordinary player on a team full of prodigies. He is not a prodigy like Tobio Kageyama or Shoyo Hinata, and he struggles with self-doubt and the pressure to perform when given an opportunity. His key relationships are with his fellow second-years, Ennoshita and Narita, who share his history and support each other. He is also good friends with Nishinoya and Tanaka, even helping them study for exams.
His development is most evident in his mental fortitude and his ability to carve out a role for himself. Initially, he mainly spectates from the bench, but after the summer training camp, he focuses intensely on his jump float serve to become a weapon for the team. During the Spring National Tournament, he gets his chance to play as a pinch server. In a match against the powerful Inarizaki High, he is subbed in to serve but his serve is easily received and he feels he "didn't do anything". However, he finds satisfaction in seeing Nishinoya successfully receive a difficult serve from the opponent, knowing his own practice sessions helped prepare his friend. This moment reflects his growth from someone who ran away from hard work into a player who finds value in any contribution to the team's success.
Kinoshita's most notable ability is his jump float serve. While not the most powerful, his precision and ability to direct the ball to a specific spot are highly valued. His other fundamental skills are solid, with official statistics rating his speed as a 4 out of 5, while his power, stamina, and technique are rated at 3 or 2 out of 5. After graduating from high school, Hisashi Kinoshita is employed by a train company.
Kinoshita's background with the team is marked by an experience that continues to shape his perspective. During his first year, he joined the Karasuno volleyball club when it operated more as a recreational activity. When the legendary coach Ikkei Ukai returned from retirement and reinstated rigorous training, Kinoshita, along with his classmates Chikara Ennoshita and Kazuhito Narita, found the new intensity overwhelming and quit the team for a period. By the time they realized how much volleyball meant to them and decided to return, Coach Ukai had already left again due to his health. Filled with regret over their decision to leave, the three of them began referring to themselves as the "Ungrateful Second-Years".
In terms of personality, Kinoshita is generally kind but has a shy and anxious demeanor, especially concerning his own volleyball skills. He constantly worries about his abilities despite being noted by the current coach, Keishin Ukai, to have an "uncanny knack of putting points on the board". While he is supportive of his teammates and cheers wholeheartedly for them during matches, he is also not afraid to make sly or humorous remarks, such as teasing Ryunosuke Tanaka for getting overly excited. He is regarded as a calm and analytical presence on the team, a stark contrast to some of his more impulsive teammates.
Kinoshita's primary motivation is to contribute to the team's success and overcome his perceived shortcomings stemming from his past decision to quit. As a player who is not a regular starter, his main role evolves into becoming a pinch server, a specialist who enters the game to serve and score points. He dedicates significant effort to perfecting his jump float serve, a skill where he aims to hit a specific spot with high accuracy. His hard work is such that even the team's regular pinch server, Tadashi Yamaguchi, feels nervous about potentially being replaced. During training for the national tournament, his serves become so effective that they even cause trouble for Nishinoya, one of the best liberos in the series. Kinoshita even helps Nishinoya practice his overhand receives, demonstrating a supportive and collaborative relationship.
Kinoshita's role in the story is to represent the ordinary player on a team full of prodigies. He is not a prodigy like Tobio Kageyama or Shoyo Hinata, and he struggles with self-doubt and the pressure to perform when given an opportunity. His key relationships are with his fellow second-years, Ennoshita and Narita, who share his history and support each other. He is also good friends with Nishinoya and Tanaka, even helping them study for exams.
His development is most evident in his mental fortitude and his ability to carve out a role for himself. Initially, he mainly spectates from the bench, but after the summer training camp, he focuses intensely on his jump float serve to become a weapon for the team. During the Spring National Tournament, he gets his chance to play as a pinch server. In a match against the powerful Inarizaki High, he is subbed in to serve but his serve is easily received and he feels he "didn't do anything". However, he finds satisfaction in seeing Nishinoya successfully receive a difficult serve from the opponent, knowing his own practice sessions helped prepare his friend. This moment reflects his growth from someone who ran away from hard work into a player who finds value in any contribution to the team's success.
Kinoshita's most notable ability is his jump float serve. While not the most powerful, his precision and ability to direct the ball to a specific spot are highly valued. His other fundamental skills are solid, with official statistics rating his speed as a 4 out of 5, while his power, stamina, and technique are rated at 3 or 2 out of 5. After graduating from high school, Hisashi Kinoshita is employed by a train company.