Shunki Kawatabi (Japanese:
In 2018, he is currently a travel agency employee in Miyagi.
Appearance[]
He has long, maroon-colored hair that is usually tied up at the top of his head, resembling a pineapple. His eyebrows are long and point vertically. He is of medium build.
Personality[]
Kawatabi appears to be very carefree and easily impressed and, like Hinata, gets flustered easily. He also gets distracted by pretty girls, which Takeru uses often to motivate him.
Background[]
He was on the same volleyball club as Kenjirō Shirabu in middle school.[1]
Plot[]
Interhigh Arc[]
Kawatabi is seen on a volleyball magazine showing some top tier schools such as Wakutani, Aoba Johsai, Date Tech, and Shiratorizawa, which are the four schools Coach Ukai says to be careful of. After day 1 of the Interhigh Prelims, he is seen on a news broadcast where it's mentioned that Wakutani defeated Niiyama Tech (not to be confused with Niiyama Girls' High), a school that made the top four the previous year.[2]
He is later seen with Shiroishi and Nakashima watching the finals of the Interhigh Prelims between Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa.
Spring High Preliminary Arc[]
Kawatabi is seen in his school's gym, walking with the rest of his team. He also appears with his team after their first victory in the Spring Qualifiers.
Wakutani vs Karasuno[]
During the game against Karasuno, Nakashima tells the team to get Karasuno's newcomers' quick the next time they encounter it, and Kawatabi cheers to tell the captain he's understood. In the next rally, after Wakutani Minami uses two of its decoys to trick Karasuno's blocks, Kawatabi dashes from the back and scores past the enemy defense. Sometime later, Nakashima and Kawatabi are the two leftover blockers ready to shun Asahi but are unable to do so. He later gets blocked himself, gaining a two-point lead for Karasuno.
When Tsukishima manages to block Kawatabi, it allows Karasuno to finally gain a two-point lead. This frustrates Kawatabi, which is something that Nakashima notices and vanquishes his uneasiness when telling him a girl is watching him from the stands. When Kawatabi fails to defend Karasuno's shots once more, he doesn't seem fazed by his unsuccessful attempts and instead apologizes to Nakashima. In the next rally, Kawatabi boldly claims that he'll spike the next pass after a good receive, but Hanayama, Wakutani Minami's setter, instead goes for a dump. Sometime during the second set, he and Naruko block Tanaka.
At the beginning of the third set, Kawatabi managed an accidental let serve. Shortly after, Kawatabi frustrates Tanaka when nicely receiving his spike. When Karasuno blocks Nakashima, Kawatabi yells in alarm. Shortly after, Nakashima gets frustrated at his height when Kageyama, a much taller player, comes out victorious in a joust against him. However, upon Kawatabi saving the ball for him, Nakashima tells himself that Hinata would not outmatch him either in skill or in having more trustworthy teammates.
When Matsushima clearly begins to panic, Kawatabi threatens Matsushima to make him buy Häagen-Dazs when he rotates back in the front row. Despite what he said to Matsushima, Nakashima would sense Kawatabi beginning to get uneasy and refer to the imaginary girl he created to motivate him. The hitter then performs a let-out that ends up being the last of the game. After losing, Kawatabi deeply mourns this event. When he is alone with Nakashima, Kawatabi is about to break into tears again when Nakashima's composure cracks and he expresses his sorrow over Wakutani Minami's loss.
Nationals[]
Kawatabi is seen watching Karasuno's game against Kamomedai and is shocked when he sees that Hinata is sick.
Final Arc[]
Having graduated from Wakutani Minami High, Kawatabi is now a travel agency employee. Along with Nakashima, he watches the match between the MSBY Black Jackals and Schweiden Adlers and upon seeing Hinata's impressive serve, Kawatabi comments that they played monsters back in high school.[3]
Statistics[]
| High School Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 2/5 | ||
| Jumping | 4/5 | ||
| Stamina | 3/5 | ||
| Game Sense | 3/5 | ||
| Technique | 3/5 | ||
| Speed | 4/5 | ||
Besides his speed and jumping skills, he is an average player. His speed is good enough to get him from the back of the line to cut in front and spike from the right corner, thus completing their delayed attack. His speed is also enough to block, receive, and dig spikes.
Jumping Reach: 322 cm.
Relationships[]
Wakutani Minami High[]
- Takeru Nakashima: Takeru and Kawatabi appear to be close friends and know each other very well. Both appear in the Final Arc to watch the Jackals V Adlers game together and comment on how Karasuno had some pretty crazy players.
- Wakutani Minami High: Kawatabi gets along well with his team and enjoys poking fun at them when they get nervous or make a mistake, although it is always wholesome fun.
Trivia[]
- Current Concern: He gets nervous visiting his local convenience store because a cute girl has replaced the old man who usually works there.
- Star Sign: Gemini.
- He shares his English voice actor with Reon Ōhira (season 3).
- It is confirmed that he shares the same class as Takeru Nakashima.
- He is the second oldest third-year on the team after Kazumasa Hanayama.
- He seems to have been named after Kawatabi Onsen, an onsen district in Ōsaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
- In the third season of the anime, Kane replaced his appearance in Shirabu's flashback.
- Nomenclature:
- Shunki (瞬己) – Wink/Moment, I/Oneself
- Kawatabi (川渡) – River, To Cross/To Ferry Across