Tadashi Yamaguchi

Appearance

He has dark gray-green hair with a loose strand sticking out on top. He has large eyes with small amber pupils. Yamaguchi is taller than average and has a slim build. This, along with his freckles, had caused him to be bullied when he was younger, [3] although this no longer seems to bother him. After joining the Karasuno volleyball team during the games, Yamaguchi wears the black, orange, and white Karasuno uniform with the number 12 on the back. He also wears knee pads and white volleyball shoes with black details. Outside of games and practices, Yamaguchi wears a black gakuran, Karasuno's uniform.

Personality

Yamaguchi is a rather shy person who relies on others from the beginning, probably because he was bullied for his appearance. Despite this, Yamaguchi is generally a good person, but tends to join Tsukishima in making fun of others, mainly Kageyama and Hinata. Prove that you are a loyal friend and supportive teammate. Yamaguchi can sometimes be seen defending Tsukishima from things he believes were insults towards his friend. Originally, Yamaguchi constantly doubted his abilities and had difficulty managing his nerves. It was through hard work and seeking mentorship through Shimada that he was able to improve his skills and become more confident. By the time Karasuno had his rematch against Aoba Johsai in the semi-finals, Yamaguchi had made exceptional progress in both his game and his emotions.

Background

In elementary school, Yamaguchi was teased for his freckles and general thinness. Once, Tsukishima accidentally saved him from some boys who were harassing him by calling them pathetic. Despite thinking that he was included among those that Tsukishima insulted, Yamaguchi still grew fond of and admired him, and set out to become "as cool as him." It is later revealed that he wanted to join a sports club, but decided not to play soccer or basketball because the other players were "big and scary" and volleyball seemed like the safer option. From this, he and Tsukishima became close friends.

Skills

Yamaguchi becomes a reliable pop-up server with its floating service. From the beginning, Yamaguchi began practicing the floating jump serve technique, not wanting to fall behind the other freshmen. Although he tried and missed the serve against Aoba Johsai at a difficult moment in the match, he works very hard to improve it. He was initially hampered by his lack of experience and weakness of heart, but has since become much more assertive and confident in his role. Although his skills as a server have improved over time, he still lacks body control as a catcher, resorting to body saves and unorthodox throws.

Acquaintances

Kei Tsukishima: Due to his more timid nature, Yamaguchi tends to follow Tsukishima's lead most of the time, which eventually led to him teasing some of his teammates once they joined the Karasuno volleyball team. Yamaguchi is shown to admire Tsukishima greatly, causing him to sometimes boast about Tsukishima's height, but he does care about Tsukishima's well-being. However, their friendship began to strain during summer training camps when Yamaguchi began to notice that Tsukishima lacked spirit and effort when it came to volleyball. As teammates, Yamaguchi constantly praises Tsukishima's blocking skills and the two eventually began using the serve and block technique that made them a formidable duo. Hitoka Yachi: Yachi and Yamaguchi are good friends who get along well and relate to each other. When Yachi first arrived with Kiyoko to practice, Yamaguchi considers her "cute". He is shy around her at first and can sometimes be seen blushing when he is around her, but eventually they start to get closer and become more comfortable with each other. Makoto Shimada: Shimada is the one who taught Yamaguchi the floating jump serve, which became his forte. After watching Shimada play in the practice match against the Neighborhood Association, Yamaguchi went to his shop and asked him to be his teacher. Since then, Yamaguchi often goes to Shimada Mart after closing time to practice. Shimada also acts as an older brother to Yamaguchi, often cheering him on and encouraging him, and also calls the younger boy by his first name.

Trivia

Favorite food: French fries Zodiac sign: Scorpio. Worst subject: Since he is in Class 4 with Tsukishima, it is speculated that he is intelligent since Classes 4 and 5 are college preparation classes in Karasuno, although he himself has stated that he is terrible at English. It is confirmed that he shares the same class as Kei Tsukishima. He is the second-youngest freshman on the team after Tobio Kageyama. His original reason for joining a sports club was to get stronger. He chose volleyball specifically because the other sports clubs had "scary-looking kids."