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Haikyuu!! Fans were in for a pleasant surprise after the youngest member of the K-pop group BTS, Jungkook, admitted to Kageyama being his favorite of the show’s “deviant duo.”
It is a well-known fact among fans of the group that some of the members, especially younger ones like Jungkook, V and Jimin, enjoy both manga and anime, especially shows like Haikyuu!! and My Hero Academia.
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Note: Spoilers for the Haikyuu!! manga in the tweets ahead
The original post and its context
Jungkook, who contracted COVID-19 after traveling to the USA with the other members of BTS to perform at the GRAMMYs, has been in quarantine for the past two days.
To deal with his boredom, the K-pop star took to using his Instagram account, urging fans to ask him questions, which he answered on his story.
A fan took the opportunity to ask whether he preferred Kageyama Tobio or Hinata Shoyo from the sports anime Haikyuu!!, to which he replied that it was a tough choice but that for him, it was Kageyama.
How Haikyuu!! fans reacted on Twitter
Haikyuu!! fans have been waiting impatiently for news of the series and information on the return of the fifth season of the beloved sports anime. This gave them the perfect impetus to hype up the show and specifically Kageyama.
A popular trope that many Twitter users resort to is comparing BTS members with characters from the show, a habit that reappeared in response to this viral post.
Interestingly, Jungkook has often been compared to Kageyama Tobio in the past because of the former’s athleticism and multiple talents.
This is often considered similar to Kageyama’s ability to play almost any position in volleyball, although his true genius lies in his sets.
Adding to these are their similar positions as being the youngest members- Jungkook is the youngest member of BTS while Kageyama is the youngest of the first-years, and thus, the youngest in the Karasuno team.
Both the K-pop star and the fictional setter also share a fondness for drinking milk, leading to many fans vehemently exclaiming that the former is a real-life Kageyama.
Many Twitter users who enjoy both anime and K-pop were simply pleased to see their favorite genres reaching an enthusiastic harmony,.
Kageyama stans were especially elated to have a fan-favorite celebrity pick Kageyama, who is sometimes outshined by Hinata.
Not every post is a comparison between Jungkook and Kageyama, however. Many did not mention the K-pop sensation at all, skipping directly ahead into Haikyuu!! appreciation, posting anime screenshots, clips and manga panels from the series.
Last but not least, there are memes and funny gifs that Twitter users couldn't resist posting in response to this crossover, especially with Jungkook's reputation as a walking meme among BTS fans.
Both BTS and Haikyuu!! have enormous fan bases globally, and this is one of those instances where we see a wholesome crossover between two dedicated fandoms and a plethora of positive attention directed towards both.
This is not the only instance of the series being referenced in K-pop. Idol group TxT one wore outfits inspired by Karasuno's official jersey in their music video for a song as well.
This information came as a welcome respite as fans wait for Jungkook to recover and for the volleyball series to hopefully announce a fifth installment of the anime.
