Haikyu!!: Who is Ryunosuke Tanaka's love interest? Explained

Haikyu!! is a series that focuses a lot on characterization and what drives each member of the main cast, with Ryunosuke Tanaka being a very interesting example of that approach. Tanaka is often viewed as the comedic relief, but also has his share of good, serious moments, including being in a relationship by the end of the story.

Most Haikyu!! fans who read the manga already know that he is in a relationship with the Karasuno High volleyball team's manager, Kiyoko Shimizu, whom he had a crush on during the entire series. While this is Tanaka's main love interest throughout the manga, Shimizu is not the first lady he has been linked with.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.

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Explaining Ryunosuke Tanaka's love life in the Haikyu!! series

Kiyoko Shimizu has always been Ryunosuke Tanaka's love interest throughout the series, although a lot of people have shipped the latter with his childhood friend, Kanoka Amanai. Tanaka and Amanai met each other in fourth grade when the latter was being bullied for being significantly taller than the rest. She bonded with Ryunosuke while introducing him to volleyball.

They eventually moved to different schools and talked from time to time throughout the series, but the truth of the matter is that they never had a romantic connection. The opposite can be said of Tanaka's relationship with Shimizu, whom he met in his school and fell in love with the moment he laid eyes on her, with the latter rejecting her initiative at first.

However, as time went on in the series, Tanaka and Shimizu grew closer, which led to them getting married in the time skip during the manga's conclusion. Now, Shimizu is working in a sports clothes store and Tanaka is a personal trainer, while Amanai, the latter's childhood friend, is a professional volleyball player for the Japanese side, Hikari Pharmaceutical Red Rabbits, and Japan's national team as well.

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The character of Tanaka throughout the series

Tanaka in the anime (Image via Production I.G.).

As mentioned earlier, Tanaka is often portrayed as the more comedic member of the Karasuno High volleyball team in the Haikyu!! series. This is shown through his affectionate moments toward Shimizu and the way he often engages with rival players by trying to pick up fans, which is something the majority of the team tries to keep him from doing.

However, Tanaka also serves as one of the most uplifting and loyal players in Karasuno, often trying to be reliable and to give his all, so they can win every game. This is something that has made him a very compelling character to a lot of people, to the point that he eventually becomes the team's ace during the events of the timeskip when he is in his third year.

Tanaka also has moments in the series where he struggles a lot with self-confidence, with his bravado often becoming a way for him to hide his weakness. However, he grows in confidence and that makes him an excellent player and friend throughout the series.

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Final thoughts

Tanaka's main love interest in Haikyu!! is Kiyoko Shimizu, as has been shown throughout the vast majority of the series, and they eventually get married at the end of the manga. Some people have shipped him with Kanoka Amanai, his childhood friend, but they never had a romantic connection.

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