The reason the girl says now she really knows for sure that she got got her heart broken, is because Tanaka told her the night before that his heart belonged to someone else. Initially after hearing that she was going to take her teammates advice and still continue pursuing Tanaka hoping that he'd fall in love with her, but after seeing his resolve during this set she was reminded of how earnest Tanaka's always been since he was a kid. So now she understands that since Tanaka told her he's in love with someone else that his emotions will not budge no matter how much she tries. So now she's 100% sure her heart was really broken

I love how Bokuto has so much empathy for Tanaka that he actually feels his pain.

Tanaka's "I'm not the best at anything, sometimes I feel like I'm just average" speech is one of my favourite moments in Haikyuu, it's just so absurdly real and emotional and it's something I relate to at such a deep level it almost makes me cry. I know exactly how Tanaka feels, I feel like that myself a lot, and Tanaka sets me an example and gives me a goal to strive for, and it's just one of the many reasons I love Haikyuu with everything I've got

1. His back was an inspiration to his teammates 2. He defeated the block in front of him, not to mention his own mental block 3. He called for and spiked every ball, even when he doubted himself Ladies and gentlemen, Karasuno has another ace on its team!

One of my favorite thing about this Arc is the 2 blue guys on side 32:48. In last episode you saw them making fun of Tanaka but then Tanaka slowly won them over as fans by showing his undying mental fortitude

This is probably my personal favourite moment in the Haikyuu anime so far. While Tsukki and other character moments were epic breakthroughs, Tanaka isn't hyper talented like Kageyama or an athletic freak like Hinata. His moment is an inspiration to all us who struggle with inadequacies. Whenever I feel down on myself and look at this scene it uplifts me in such a deep way.

Hey Coach! A fun little detail, but when Nishinoya took the ball from Tanaka it's b/c the team/Coach Ukai had already established a game plan that Nishinoya would be the one to receive any and all of Atsumu's serves if and when he is available to get it, and the others would know to back off and let him do that. And the reason why Tanaka thought he was lame was b/c he got so caught up in his head that he forgot that game plan (kinda can't blame the guy for it tho lol). It's a little detail that's in the manga that's strangely omitted from the anime, so it sometimes leads ppl to misunderstand that Nishinoya did Tanaka dirty. Tanaka is definitely one of those guys I can picture myself being friends with though!

When Tanaka was getting aimed by Oikawa and missing a lot of digs in season 1 Hinata wasn't sure of what should have said to him, because Tanaka always cheers up his teammates and so he wanted to help him out. This time Hinata did not lose a single second to cheer him up. Is a very important scene.

"My average self, do you have time to look down?" Such a great quote

Tanaka's would be girlfriend's name is Kanoka. She's the ace of her school. Her school is the #1 seed and favorite to win nationals because they just recently won the last major tournament, the inter high, about 4 month ago. They are from the same prefecture as Karasuno so they are the female representatives for that area. They are basically the female version of Shiratorizawa because they have made it to nationals for the last 3 straight years

Fun Fact: Nishida of japan team's favorite player is Tanaka, and place tanaka as on his haikyuu's starting players along with wakatoshi and great king.

The guy in the audience is one of the players from the snake team that played Nekoma for the spot in Nationals. The lady i think is his gf, so kind of cute that it reminded Coach of his wife

So many of us can relate to Tanaka. Very few of us are special or talented, the majority is average by social standards. Having constant faith in you, a strong mental state, and determination to take put in the constant effort is what makes Tanaka special. The old saying "when you're down the only way is to stand and look up" works so well with this character. The Japanese sweets look really good.👍 I am amazed at the variety of treats in the package. When you have green tea, to balance the bitterness a sweet treat (wagashi) is offered with the tea. In Japan, the package is to be ripped not popped open because the ripping is easier for children and elders, and not so much force is needed. So next time, rip away with confidence those sweets packagings😂

"We really need Haikyuu with a girls' team" - gonna dream about that forever ;A;

Tanaka's practicing that cut shot since he saw Bokuto doing it in camp way back in season 2

The fact that he's been subtly working on that sharp cross since the halfway through season 2, and to see him finally pull it off in such a huge moment made me so happy.

Coach, the Green-haired K-Pop watching at the stands was actually the one that Nekoma Beats on the OVA Land vs. Air. (Also, he's accompanied by his GF who also watched their game and finally understood why Green haired guy was so dedicated to the sport)

One of my favorite episodes of all time. I always think "Hey average me, do you have time to be looking down like this? Just because you're average it doesn't give you the excuse to not try hard". Tanaka is one of my favorite characters what a straight up g.

Tanaka's arc is such an important reminder that even if you think you're a side/supporting character or may not be the best, you're still the main character in yours. study from him looking up to Asahi,Daichi, and Suga. to now the 3 on the bench looking up to Tanaka and thinking he's the best while he doesn't see himself as such in the team.

Tanka's friend who is a girl ( didn't want to say girl friend ) says that Tanka has always been honest and straight forward and the night before he told her he had his heart set on another. She knows that if Tanaka liked her he would straight up say it like he does with Shimizu. She realizes again on the spot that he doesn't have feelings for her hence the heartbreak.

That part about the beginner and the experienced player is something I feel a lot when watching Chess or Taekwondo with my dad. I will predict a move or comment on a mistake and my dad will either ask me why, or he will try suggesting something else and I have to argue and explain why that does or doesn't work and I really like these moements. It's when I can see that I'm not as bad as I think, because when I'm watching pros and barely following what they are doing or facing people my own level I'm struggling I always tend to think that I'm not that good or that I haven't improved that much. But than I talk with someone who actually hasn't practiced and is at the level I once was and I realize how far I've come. Another big one is when I reawatch some old chess games of mine or look at some old Taekwondo pictures and identify all the little mistakes I made and it just feels so good to know how much I've improved

35:05 Tanaka told her earlier that he has his heart set on another girl, namely Shimizu. She has always known that Tanaka is honest and straight-forward. And also very persistent. In the flashbacks, it shows Tanaka telling her to hit the ball until she succeeded. After the sharp cut shot by Tanaka, she knew that Tanaka would never give up on what his heart is set on, namely Shimizu. That's why her heart is broken. She would not get Tanaka's love.

I really do love this episode, esp Kanoka's "I really did have my heart broken" bc she first felt special because of Tanaka, and although Tanaka went through a lot this episode thinking "I'm so average compared to Hinata/Kageyama/Nishinoya/etc." she saw what was special in him too. Even if they don't end up together, I feel like that the friendship they have is incredibly significant to the both of them. Btw coach, you don't have to memorize every team mentioned hahah. They'll show up more if they're important to the plot! Ty to you and the team for the content as always :)

I've always loved Tanaka, he's always supportive and cheerful towards everyone. And this episode only made me love him more.

"But... My Average Self... Do you really have time to look down on yourself like that!?... LEFTUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHH!!!!!...." I tear up every single time I watch this scene. The "hand"animation along with the background music score is something that touched me so deeply; Every single time I have a bad day, I go back to watch this scene to put my hand up and scream "LEFTUUUUUUUUUH"!

Did you notice that during Tanaka‘s hit, you can actually see the shadow of the blocker‘s hand on his face? Man, the attention to detail…

The whole episode, the talk with the second years at the motel and the flashback of his first time seeing shimizu indicated that tanaka was never going to take an “easy route” or not follow his heart. Basically saying that despite shimizu giving no indication that she reciprocates his feelings he will still try to court her even when someone is clearly interested in him. Even at the end of the episode it kind of shows that the only person in the crowd who never doubted him was shimizu. Tall girl is heartbroken bc she realizes that him saying “his eyes are set on another” even with the hilarious circumstance and miscommunication was genuine and that she has no shot with him

I'm probably late to the party, but this episode highlights and gives the full story behind the meaning of Ryu Tanaka's name. Tanaka is a common name, he is the everyman with the heart of a dragon (Ryu).

The Editor is truly going all out. I just wanna show some appreciation for their hard work and hilarious creativity. Edited: grammar

That scene has been hard for a lot of people to interpret at the end. My understanding of it is that she realizes Tanaka really does have someone else in mind (Shimizu). And while she as the old childhood friend (trope) is available and certainly worth Tanaka's time and affection, she's not his real goal. And she realizes again in that moment that Tanaka's always straightforward, honest, and runs bullheaded toward whatever his goals are, never settling for less even if it takes all of it out of him to get there. With that in mind, she understands that he'll never "settle" for her just because he "has a chance" as Ennoshita said. Because for Tanaka it's never been about having a chance. He's never had a chance. He makes chances for himself by trying harder, longer, and more persistently than anyone else. "As long as I keep trying, I can do it." My favorite line from this episode though is Shimizu at the end. "Tanaka usually makes it through okay." :D

This is my second time watching the this episode and I think the romance also highlights Tanaka's character cause if I got rejected in high school, I probably would have given up and go for some one else who I might "have a chance" with. But we see that Tanaka doesn't and he's not necessarily down in the dumps about it either

Aw! Seeing that UMAI!!! in the end, when coach Donny was tasting that tea, makes me realize how much he'd LOVE Kimetsu no Yaiba's animation. I feel like Kanoka's line has already been explained, so I'll just take a minute to send my kudos to the amazing editor. Thanks for the lil' birds, and for the unforgettable image of Suga as a Disney princess... PRICELESS!!!

I never thought I would hear coach say “forget about volleyball” 😂😂

my fav part was when he called for the ball with an open hand with epic animation but hes showing a 5 and his number is also 5. so its like hes calling for himself

tanaka was such a super star in this episode! even those guys on the sidelines at 32:50 (volunteer staff or smth) who were making fun of tanaka a couple episodes ago got swept up in his energy/big moment that they were genuinely cheering him on!

Ever since watching this episode, I really wanted to express my insights and I think now is my chance. This episode spiked right into my heart, and I'm sure a lot of people would agree with me. I pretty much doubt myself a lot, but ever since watching this episode I felt a slow, but steady change where I slowly build up more confidence in myself which gave me more opportunities for exposure, to learn and to grow. This is one of those special moments where I cried hard, because I could really feel the struggle that Tanaka has been going through, and seeing him succeed, it just makes me feel happy, proud, and it makes me think that I could do the same. And together with your great insights and reactions, it made the experience ten times better! This scene hit hard the first time I watched it, but now it's hitting even harder and I feel like I could literally be at my 120% I aspire to be like Tanaka, to readily work hard and face my fears, doubts, and weaknesses, a lot to learn from this anime really. I still want to say a lot more but this is the best I can express (Sorry if I wrote such a long comment!) Thank you so much coach for the continuous effort and for those involved as well! I really learn a lot from you throughout these videos be it in life, art (I'm an aspiring artist so I really take note on what you say), and even if I have never played volleyball I would be very glad to try it out when I get the chance to! "What's lame isn't losing the match, it's to be scared of the match!" "But still, my average self, do you really have time to be looking down like that?" These quotes will stay with me as I grow. So for everyone out there, keep walking on your path straight ahead! It's hard but that's what makes success beautiful, work hard and opportunities will come.

Many pro athletes love Tanaka because they think Tanaka represents a real human and a real struggle of a volleyball player... Tanaka still the best support character in Haikyuu

Been waiting on this one for a HOT minute. Legendary moment.

I absolutely love how James knew what was going on in our heads when coach tried the green tea biscuit very close to the Mike…. A S M R !!! Nailed it James ✌️

I think this is my all time favorite scene in Haikyuu. The amazing music with Tanaka's monologue, the art of him calling for the ball and the block coming up, and him finally nailing that sharp angle cut shot. Man it gets me everytime

In this episode alone, Tanaka went from a bit of a gimmicky figure, to the most relatable person, with a struggle of being somehow "just a normal guy" and overcoming it through sheer motivation. This is by far my favorite scene from the whole anime, followed by a few scenes from later in the season and tsuki's "moment" ofc. Having this show highlight personnal struggles and "simple" traits (boredom, observation, decontraction, mindfulness of others ...) as intensly as badass hyped moment makes for so many memorable scenes !

18:50 baumkuchen is actually a german word which means tree cake. It get's its name because of its rings, which are reminiscent of tree rings. (it's originally a german snack, but it's very popular in japan. definitely one of my favourites)

“But are they gonna date? Forget volleyball!” - by the famous Volleyball coach

I just love this development of Tanaka. We have always seen how strong Tanaka is all their matches. He has that can do and never say die attitude. To see him struggle here is so grounding as well as inspiring.

There was this documentary on Tanaka, where it mentioned how Tanaka was always the one that had the toughest mental mindset out of all of his teammates, and we never really see him get depressed before this episode. I don't remember much about it now, but like Tanaka mentioned, he got depressed for a few seconds, especially when he missed the line shot, or the other scene where he looked down after being compliment by Daichi. I think this episode was just to mainly show the true strength of Tanaka's mental toughness, as well as his influence to his teammates.

Tanaka's sharp-angled spike there is so goddamn satisfying. That's like two seasons in the making and it couldn't have come at a better time for Tanaka or Karasuno as a whole. 10/10. And Tanaka's wrong about one thing, he is #1 at something on the team; no one has more mental fortitude and tenacity!

"My average self, do you really have time to look down like that?" Words to live by.

I love watching Haikyuu again with coaches commentery and reactions. I also pick up some things that I missed last time. I was amazed when Tanaka said "Once you fall, the only way to go is back up!" that just hit me really hard and was something that i needed to hear.

What gets me the most is not only what many people have pointed out with Tanaka being such a relatable character and the negativity everyone fights every once in a while, but actually when he finally gets the kill, all the other second years just laugh at it since they never doubted Tanaka for a second, he had already proven himself to them time and time again, even though he didn't know or he didn't remember. Sometimes you're the one that treat yourself the harshest and demand the most from yourself and end up forgetting all of the grind to get to the point you are now, as the others didn't forget that even though Tanaka did... IDK, there's something really wholesome about that.

This match has so many great breakthroughs and emotional moments!! Its just a never ending roller coaster ride

It was funny watching Coach Donny get thrown for a loop by the way the story was told this episode. We as long time anime watches take for granted how much stuff we just subconsciously get. I wasn't confused at all during the flashback scene my first time through Haikyuu, but watching from Coach Donny's perspective, I can totally see how a new viewer would be!

Tanaka is the type of person that's not easy to break. He has strong mental fortitude. He may find himself cornered at some point but he won't easily give up. Even if he did, he will still think of thr team not himself. And Daichi can hit. He's an outside hitter. He just like one of main pillars of Karasuno's defense.

Reason why she said she really got her heart broken is she understands Tanaka’s determination and unbreakable will to pursue anything he sets his mind too. So if he says there’s someone else he likes and can’t be with her then she knows he really means that and there’s no hope for her to change that because that’s what makes Tanaka Tanaka

I have been waiting for you to watch this episode, coach! Especially when you said you liked Tanaka. This episode showed us the depth of Tanaka's character a bit more and it's just a really beautiful and powerful moment 😭. I also wanna say that the edits are so funny! HAHAHAHA kudos to James for the additional humor 😂😂

This episode was really one of my favorites! I really feel that I am not very good at anything in play but just average at everything, so seeing Tanaka go through this and overcome these thoughts was really inspiring.

I think people really relate to Tanaka the most because not all of us are a Hinata or Kageyama. This arc was just him being an absolute underdog, surpassing doubts of others and himself, and conquering a new skill. This episode inspires so much hope for us, and I LOVE rewatching it when I get down or stuck because it reminds me to keep going and work past whatever i'm going through. I also love how Kageyama fully trusts that Tanaka can overcome his rut. Tanaka is the og and his arc is just beautiful

I remember this! I legit commented this was a good ep way back in season 1, when it aired, now we're finally here! I keep reminding myself of Tanaka's metal strength, especially now that I'm stuck in exam season.

This episode makes me a little teary eyed. Just watching Tanaka overcome adversity and self doubt really resonates with me. Tanaka is by far my favorite Haikyuu character!

This is one of my favorite episodes in the entire series. Seeing Tanaka get his moment always brings a tear to my eye.

It’s these moments when you feel like they’re playing volleyball or saving the world. So relatable and just shows how much a mental struggle this sport can be, which can get so deep too! Always a great reaction from you coach

If I understood the Japanese right, that final snack was a Nobunaga Shrimp Salty Cracker

I love this episode, it shows the growth and breakthrough of one of, if not the most, relatable characters of Karasuno. This episode shows how someone completely normal and average can still put up a fight. His line “but my average self, do you really have time to look down on yourself?” is precious. It makes us notice that by being normal we have to push harder and constantly to keep up, no time wasted by pitying oneself cause we don’t have that luxury like talented people do (Kageyama)

There are a lot of episodes like this from season 4. Man. Brace your heart

Thanks Editor for the "umai" clips! Cracked me up every time 🤣

One of my favorite episodes and by far some of the best music in this season plus in the next few! So excited!

man i've been waiting for you to watch this episode since season 1, you had a lot of similarities with tanaka and he was your favorite character, i'm hyped man

Hey Coach! Probably the moment I loved most in this Tanaka scene wasn't the spike itself or his self-talk, but what the 2nd years said at the end about him: "What the hell is with that guy? He's so awesome!" That made me a bit emotional as this episode explored differences in self-perception and how others perceive you. Very often people find themselves in a Tanaka situation where they fall into this void of negativity and just accept they're just "average," outshined by everyone else. But the beautiful thing about Tanaka's character is that although he isn't the best at anything on his team, people still notice him and are awed by his ability to still distinguish himself from those who may be more gifted than him. His skills may not be top-of-the-line, but his spirit is equal to if not greater than anybody else on the court, and his peers respect him for it, even if he doesn't notice.

Haikyuu has always been an incredibly relatable show for me, the love of volleyball, the emotion, the striving for more, but never in my life have I felt so seen as Tanaka’s moment and speech this episode. It honestly gets me emotional seeing the way I feel on a screen so accurately

It was awesome to relieve this moment again watching you Coach! Cannot wait for the rest of the season, filled with so many quotes and awesome moments every episodes. Hyped!!

Love that you remembered how long Tanaka had been working on that cut shot for. A lot of reactors forget that, can’t wait the rest of this season is so good!!

Baumkuchen is german and translates to something like "treecake". Basically a layer of dough goes on a stick and is baked, when it's solid another layer is put on top and so on. That's how you get all those little circles which looks like the agerings you will see after cutting down a tree. Hence the name

Gotta love all the sponsors, it makes me so happy that you receive recognition for your great work 💜

Coach, you are not the only one that’s been wanting a female team Haikyuu series. I especially would love it staring Hinata’s little sister all grown up.

Hey man, everyone messes up and if you take an ass beating at anything completive you will end up thinking "im not even good, im just average" but thats why we keep playing, because we all know we haven't hit our true potential yet, which is why many of us put in the work at every chance we have because we know there is always room to improve. Like Oikawa said "talent is something you make bloom, instinct is something you polish" No one is born amazing at anything, everyone has to work to become amazing and only then can you say you're talented.

Tanaka's episode always makes me cry. Struggling with mental strength is really painful, but I think we can learn a lot from him.

Been watching your reviews from season 1 up until now and finally caught up at the perfect time. This is one of my favorite episodes and I can’t wait to see your reaction coach!

This is one of the multiple scenes I cry everytime I see this. Soooo goood. Tanaka saying to us "keep moving foward".

This episode was really a special one, it got my hopes high up again about this season and made me love even more my boy Tanaka!

Coach “but are they gonna date?,forget volleyball “ 🤣🤣🤣love it coach

dear coach donny, i am so glad to see you are having a blast with this match, i been waiting the entire time since you started this route for you to reach this match which is by far my favourite of the entire manga!

One of my fav episodes! Tanaka is a whole mental unit!

I’ve so been waiting for you to see this moment. Loved it! This was one of the haikyuu moments I just had to replay when I watched it, I think I watched it 4 times that day.

I'm so happy that you're getting sponsors for your haikyuu videos coach!! i remember watching your season 1 reaction videos as a way for me to rewatch haikyuu again at first but quickly grew to love your videos as it made me see haikyuu in a different way as a non-sporty and non-artsy person!! really happy to see how quickly the channel has grown 💗💞 wishing you all the best coach!!

This is my favorite episode in Haikyuu, despite the inconsistency of flashbacks at the beginning of the episode and relative to things that already were shown in this season. The feeling of knowing you're the "weak link" on the team (out of the starters anyways), and the mental fortitude it takes to be high spirited and optimistic despite that is explored through the imagery of Tanaka climbing those never ending steps to improve (another reference to the season's title - To The Top!). The music swelling when Tanaka goes in to help block, the music cutting when he doesn't get the pass from Tsukki, and the music rising again as he raises his hand for the set that he kills to seal the first game is A+ directing, and gives me goosebumps every time as well. To clarify the ending where Kanoka says that she realizes she had her heart broken (which is who the episode title "Broken Heart" ultimately refers to) - earlier the 2nd years on the bench flash back to Tanaka when he first met Shimuzu. Tanaka is a go-getter, but he is also straightforward, honest, and simple-minded, so he has no hesitation when it comes to anything, including proposing to a pretty girl he just met. Tanaka befriended Kanoka in elementary school and straightforwardly told/showed her that being tall is something to be proud of and that if she works hard enough in volleyball she can do anything she sets her mind to. When Tanaka thought that Kanoka was going to ask him out, he instantly responded with "I have my heart set on another" and now at the end of this episode Kanoka realizes that if Tanaka really viewed her as a potential girlfriend, she would know right away because he is the type to give it his all and chase after his goals/desires. Tanaka also alludes to this earlier in the episode when saying "So you're not supposed to go for someone you don't have a chance with?" referencing Shimuzu, and then right after "Am I just supposed to go after someone just because there is a chance?" referencing Kanoka. Even if Shimizu has continually rebuffed him, our simple-minded baldy is head over heels for her, and until she tells him to stop making any advances, he's going to continue to pursue the girl he thinks is the one.

Glad you're getting this awesome sponsorships! The last scene is so great everyone always forgets the great save from Kageyama in the beginning lol

Finally! I was waiting for this reaction since for so long!

I've been waiting for you to reach this episode ever since you talked about how much you loved Tanaka! He's my brothers favorite and this scene really resonated with him

Hey coach, female fan here! I can only speak for myself of course, while confidence is a nice quality (not the most important in my book though), what you said right after is very true : being comfortable in your shoes is important! Because if you don't like yourself, how can you believe someone else likes you? That goes both way, and since teenagers are usually a confused mess, it's easier said than done xD Thanks for the video, it was a treat as usual!

24:33 Earlier on, Miyatwins tried the freak quick again but Atsumu's timing was a bit off, and Osamu could barely saved it by literally punched the ball to the other side; that's why Atsumu said it was lucky. Because Osamu saved the ball, he says to his twin that he owes him pudding, and not the three-pack kind (that's the cheap kind, he wants something more worthy to his effort), but I think that's just a joke in their bickerings. Little trivia: Atsumu frequently snatches Osamu's food without permisson, mainly snacks like pudding and riceballs; knowing too well that the latter is a big eater and goes ballistic when he does that.

Been waiting for you to react to this episode ever since it first aired! You had just started reacting and already said Tanaka was one of your favs. This little arc is just so awesome!!

Hey coach, I haven't been able to watch your vids for a while because of school works but I just now realized taht you have a new set up and possibly(?) a new place so that puts a smile on my face. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me not only in playing volleyball but also in life itself.

So I was looking forward to you coach reacting to this episode. Well I am glad to say that I am more than satisfied with your reaction I loved how you cared over Tanaka and understood him. This is one of my favorite episodes so far and I am glad that you came to like a lot some scenes of that.

Yeeeees I was SOOO hyped for the reaction on this one! Tanaka is the best

your input/insight during these videos help me understand things about volleyball, art, etc that I never realized when watching by myself. Thank you!

I have been waiting for you to react to this episode since it came out ! Tanaka became my favorite character in this one moment. And I've never felt so closely seen and known, that I am just nothing but average. I watch this scene every week and I cry every time because maybe, just maybe, if I keep trying, I can actually do it!

I have been waiting for you to get to this episode!!! Tanaka!!!

oooh coach, there`s much more to watch, ur going to have some chills during that episode ngl

I'm thankful for the content you provide us with my grandma passed away today so I'm very appreciative to have something to give my mind a rest

This is my fave episode Coach and I'm glad you finally reached this part 😁