Haikyū!! Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Haikyū!! Wiki
I will be the most brilliant, yet reserved, setter ever.
Kenjirō Shirabu to himself[1][2]

Kenjirō Shirabu (Japanese: 白布 (しらぶ) 賢二郎 (けんじろう) Shirabu Kenjirō) is a second-year student attending Shiratorizawa Academy. He plays on the Boys' Volleyball Team as the starting setter.

By November of 2018, he is in his fifth year of medical school.

Appearance[]

Shirabu has sandy-colored hair that's parted unevenly into two sides, brown eyes and an average build. Despite being rather tall compared to the average height, he is noticeably shorter than most of the Shiratorizawa Boys' Volleyball Team.

Post-timeskip, his appearance has changed very little.

Personality[]

He is respectful towards his upperclassmen, especially Ushijima. He tends to bicker with first-year wing spiker Goshiki as he tends to point out how the younger teen constantly seeks attention or tries to hold himself to a higher level than he actually is. Though he appears serious and composed, Shirabu is extremely hotheaded and gets annoyed at many counter-methods his opponents use. While he is shown to be affected by the pressure applied to him, Shirabu is just as quick to realize his mistakes and correct himself.

Shirabu is very studious and hardworking. He was stated by a previous schoolmate to have already possessed excellent grades but became even more dedicated to his studies when he decided to attend Shiratorizawa so he could play alongside Ushijima.

Background[]

Prior to attending Shiratorizawa Academy, Shirabu attended Toyokuro Junior High.[1] He played on the volleyball team and was teammates with Shunki Kawatabi. During Shirabu's time on the team, it had been speculated that the Toyokuro team would get quite far in the tournament.

During a tournament in his second-year, Shirabu had watched the match between Shiratorizawa and Kitagawa Daiichi. While he found himself relating to Oikawa as a setter and saw how the Kitagawa team used speed and strategy to their advantage, Shirabu quickly found himself being drawn to the height and raw power displayed by Ushijima. From seeing Ushijima in action, Shirabu had vowed that he would one day attend Shiratorizawa Academy in order to play with the ace.

Shirabu has been stated to have already been exceptional with his grades but became even more dedicated to his schoolwork as he seemed aware that he would possibly not receive a sports scholarship to attend Shiratorizawa and would therefore have to pass the entrance exam.

Having made it into Shiratorizawa and becoming part of the volleyball team, Shirabu began to change his playing style, which included a strong presence and lots of quick strikes, to a self-effacing style where he focuses solely on simple, high tosses to bring out the ace's power.

Plot[]

Interhigh Arc[]

Shiratorizawa vs Ohgiminami[]

Shiratorizawa2

In Block H, Shiratorizawa plays against Ohgiminami and wins the match in straight sets without much difficulty (2:0 / 25-10, 25-6).[3] The news of their victory is later showed on the local news channel and witnessed by the Karasuno team.

Shiratorizawa vs Aoba Johsai[]

Shiratorizawa eventually goes up against Aoba Johsai in the finals.[4] Even though Shiratorizawa is leading, Aoba Johsai holds on, leading spectators to think that Aoba Johsai can have a chance at winning. Near the end of the second set, Shiratorizawa messes up a receive and some of the spectator's state that Shiratorizawa can't perform a quick now; Shirabu simply replies that it doesn't matter because Ushijima doesn't need a quick to blast through the blockers. The match ends with Shiratorizawa's victory (2:0 / 25-22, 25-23) and Shirabu heads off the court right behind Ushijima.

Spring High Preliminary Arc[]

Shiratorizawa vs Niikawa[]

Shiratorizawa's first match is on Court A against Niikawa (2:0 / 25-15, 25-12).[5] Sometime later, as Karasuno is dominating its way through the matches, Shirabu asks Ushijima who he thinks they are going to go against in the finals. Ushijima simply replies that it doesn't matter because either way, he is confident that Shiratorizawa will win.[6]

Shiratorizawa vs Karasuno[]

Goshiki and Shirabu s3-e1-1

In the end, Shiratorizawa's opponent for the finals is Karasuno.[7] Before the match starts, Shirabu sets for his teammates during the warmups. As the team is getting ready, Goshiki states that no matter who the opponents are, Shiratorizawa will surely defeat them. Shirabu cuts in and tells him to improve his own strength first before making bold statements. Goshiki gets annoyed, but Tendō quickly steps in and compliments his confidence, cutting the conversation off.

For the majority of the set, Shirabu is shown making sets to Ushijima but at one point does not hesitate to send Goshiki a set. Doing this allows Goshiki to demonstrate his famed line shot and also trying to gain compliments from his upperclassmen. Shirabu remarks that Goshiki does this so often that it must be tiresome for the first-year as he gets little reaction from others. After Shiratorizawa has won the first set, Shirabu hears how Tendō is questioning Ushijima about knowing Hinata and reveals that Ushijima had actually gotten into trouble for having allowed Hinata and Kageyama to follow him onto Shiratorizawa's campus.

After Tendō is able to shut down Hinata's attack and Karasuno calls for a timeout, Shirabu reveals to Goshiki that their opponent is as good as done for once Tendō is able to figure out their glances, leg movements, and ball handling. As the game continues, Shirabu's confidence in Tendō's blocking abilities stays strong but he is soon shaken when Hinata and Kageyama do a quick attack directly above Tendō. When the score reaches 17-15, Shirabu notices that he is being studied by Tsukishima. The setter soon finds himself growing annoyed with Tsukishima's tenacity as he is able to get numerous one-touches on several spike attempts. As another timeout takes place, Shirabu is spoken to by Semi. The older setter tells Shirabu to keep in mind of the best times to set to Ushijima. Although Shirabu partially listens to his upperclassmen, this still annoys Semi. In the bleachers, two Shiratorizawa students discuss the difference in skill and reliability between Shirabu and Semi as setters and also reveal that Shirabu attends Shiratorizawa without a sports scholarship.[8]

As the set continues, Shirabu continues to be frustrated by Tsukishima who has now taken over in directing the timing and positioning of the triple blocks. Shirabu also notices that Karasuno's blockers have positioned themselves to where they are blocking Ushijima's path for a cross-shot and are forcing him to hit a straight shot directly where Nishinoya is positioned. Shirabu would soon set to Reon instead of Ushijima, possibly due to wanting to conserve the ace's energy and not overuse him. While Reon was able to get a feint shot over the block, Daichi was able to save it but the ball went back towards the net where Tendō performed a direct spike.

Kageyama and Shirabu s3-e4-1

In the next play, Shirabu is wary of Tsukishima positioned close to him at the net and surprises everyone by performing a setter dump that puts Shiratorizawa at set point, sending Tsukishima a silent message that relying on Ushijima isn't his only task. The success of his surprise attack would not last long, however, when Kageyama would retaliate with his own setter dump and the two setters form a sort of rivalry.

Shirabu s3 e4 3

As the set continues, Shirabu becomes more and more frustrated and stressed when Tsukishima continues to get several deflections and Karasuno does not cease in their determination to score. Eventually, it becomes too much for the young setter and, to his shock, he inadvertently sets a low ball to Ushijima. Because of this, Tsukishima was able to do what no one thought possible and blocked Ushijima's spike, winning the set for Karasuno in the process. Before the third set begins, Shirabu is called over by Washijō but does not get a scolding since the older coach can already tell that Shirabu is aware of his actions. With the next set about to start, Shirabu attempts to regain his concentration. This proves to work as he is able to be more focused and not let his mistake weigh him down.

During a flashback, it's shown that, during middle school, Shirabu had originally looked up to setters like Oikawa for his elegance and the combination plays of Kitagawa Daiichi; however, that all changed when he first saw Ushijima playing on the Shiratorizawa junior high team. Shirabu came to greatly admired Ushijima's raw power and height. From seeing Ushijima playing, Shirabu had decided to attend Shiratorizawa Academy with the goal of one day setting to the ace.[1] Thanks to Shirabu being back on track, Shiratorizawa goes on to win the third set 25-20.

Early in the fifth set, Sugawara forces Shirabu to make a first touch. Shirabu sends the next hit to Tendō. The middle blocker appears like he will do a direct spike and gets Tsukishima to jump to block only for Tendō to set the ball to Ushijima. As Shiratorizawa leads 7-4, Semi takes the chance to warn Shirabu that he's setting to Ushijima too frequently. Kawanishi states that it's possible Shirabu is doing this because of how persistent Tsukishima has been in his blocking. Semi then notices that Shirabu isn't fully paying attention to him as he was looking over at Karasuno's side. It's revealed that Tsukishima received an injury to his hand when he had attempted to block Ushijima's last spike and now has to be removed from the match.

Ushijima and Shirabu s3-e9-1

After Goshiki is able to deceive Karasuno with a soft serve and Ushijima landed a direct spike, Shirabu recalls a time when Ushijima had made him promise that he would always use the ace when he could.[9] Ushijima reminds Shirabu of this promise during the game. Shirabu continues to use the ace that would eventually bring Shiratorizawa to match point. Their elation would not last for too long, however, when Shirabu and others spot Tsukishima returning from the medical station and soon being sent back into the game.

When a timeout is called as Karasuno reaches match point, Shirabu approaches Ushijima and questions if the ace has asked Shirabu to use him only when he was still useful. The question quickly earns Shirabu a scolding from Semi for speaking to Ushijima like this, but Ushijima states that Shirabu is correct in his assumption. Karasuno eventually comes to match point again at 20-19. With Tsukishima in the front, Shirabu is aware that a delayed spike will not trick the first-year blocker and decides to use Kawanishi to attack down the center. This would not turn out to work, however, when Tsukishima was able to get a one-touch on the spike. After several counter attempts, Yamagata is able to get the ball back to Shirabu but the setter would be upset at the position it is sent to. He is quickly able to get over this when he feels Ushijima's overwhelming presence demanding the ball and sets to him.

Shiratorizawa group s3-e10-1

Despite all their efforts, Karasuno is able to win the set and the match. As the team is leaving the court, Reon notices Shirabu's silence. Shirabu admits that he doesn't, for a moment, believe that Shiratorizawa would lose. After this, Shirabu and many others would allow themselves to cry. The team returns to the school where the third-years would officially retire from the team. Ushijima offers advice to the remaining players. His advice to Shirabu is to bring out the potential out of all of their attackers.

Tokyo Nationals Arc[]

First Year Training Camp[]

Goshiki and Shirabu s4-e5-1

Just before nationals, Shirabu would join in practice matches against the First Year Training Camp players. After one game, he notices Hinata has approached Ushijima for advice. Shirabu tries to get Goshiki to do the same since Ushijima will not be around as often to help the team. When Goshiki at first refuses to ask his 'rival' for help, Shirabu glares at Goshiki and tells him that Hinata is a step ahead of him when it comes to taking the initiative. This statement causes Goshiki to hurry over to Ushijima to ask for his advice.

Karasuno vs Inarizaki[]

Goshiki and Shirabu s4-e24-1

Along with Goshiki, Sagae, and Akakura, Shirabu watches the match between Karasuno and Inarizaki. He watches in surprise as Hinata receives Aran's spike and as Karasuno eventually wins the game.

Fukurōdani vs Mujinazaka[]

Shirabu is shown watching the game as it enters its second set. While butchering Fukurōdani's name, he notices that Akaashi looks more composed than he was in the first set. Hearing this, Tendō remarks that Shirabu would be knowledgeable in that area of play.

Karasuno vs Kamomedai[]

Along with Tendō, Shirabu watches Karasuno play against Kamomedai in the quarterfinals in Goshiki's dorm room. Although he does not comment much, Shirabu does express annoyance at seeing the variety of attacks Karasuno possesses. When Goshiki admits in the third set that Hinata is a terrifying decoy, Shirabu comments that it's the best hitters who make an effective decoy. While adding that the young wing spiker is still not taking Hinata seriously, he questions Goshiki if he would be able to take on Hinata one-on-one now that they've seen how much stronger he's become.[10] After Hinata is removed from the game due to having a fever, Shirabu watches as Karasuno continues to suffer several devastating blows until they eventually lose the match and are removed from the tournament.

Final Arc[]

In the Final Arc, Shirabu is now in his fifth year of medical school. During his breaks, he watches the MSBY Black Jackals and Schweiden Adlers game. At one point, he becomes so invested in Ushijima's plays that he would intimidate others around him with his intense aura. Two years later, Shirabu gathers with several of his former teammates at Goshiki's home where they would see Tendō and Ushijima on television.

Statistics[]

High School Statistics
Power
 
2/5
Jumping
 
3/5
Stamina
 
4/5
Game Sense
 
4/5
Technique
 
4/5
Speed
 
3/5

Several people in Shiratorizawa have stated that Shirabu gives off a good sense of security and is a stable setter. He's been said to have quite the solid hands. When the receives are a bit off, he'll give a high set that utilizes the wing spiker's strength. He's not afraid to use dumps when the time is right.

Jumping Reach: 305 cm.

Relationships[]

Shiratorizawa Academy[]

  • Wakatoshi Ushijima:
    Ushijima and Shirabu s3-e9-1
    Shirabu has been seen with Ushijima the most out of all the other players. Shirabu would point things out about the opponents to Ushijima, though he would usually reply: "It doesn't matter." Shirabu greatly admires Ushijima, having enrolled in Shiratorizawa just because he wanted to play with the third-year. At an unspecified date prior to the Shiratorizawa match, he promised to toss to Ushijima no matter what, at Ushijima's request. Ushijima brings it up again during the match to remind Shirabu. When Shirabu brings it up himself, remarking that it only applies to Ushijima as long as he's useful, Ushijima smiles and acknowledges it.
  • Tsutomu Goshiki:
    Goshiki and Shirabu s3-e1-1
    Shirabu and Goshiki seem to not get along very well. Whenever Goshiki gets overly excited or seeks praise for certain plays he made, Shirabu is quick to criticize him. However, they get along quite well on the court in a unique sense. Shirabu trusts the ball to Goshiki if Ushijima wasn't the one to get it. He sets it to him with zero hesitation and trusts him to score a point. Shirabu does insult Goshiki off-court; however, on-court, he actually compliments Goshiki like the others. During the First Year Training Camp, Shirabu encouraged Goshiki to ask Ushijima for advice when he sees Hinata speaking with the ace and became annoyed when Goshiki originally refused and called Ushijima a rival.[11]
  • Eita Semi:
    Semi and Shirabu s4-e5-1
    Shirabu is shown to have a somewhat-tense relationship with Semi. While he acknowledges legitimate advice given to him, he does not show much interest or respect toward Semi. Despite this, Shirabu does see that Semi is a strong addition to the team.
  • Taichi Kawanishi:
    Taichi and Shirabu-Battle of Concepts-1
    Kawanishi and Shirabu are in the same class level, and so may know each other off the court. Both show support and appreciation with each other, as shown when Kawanishi managed to hit a set tossed to him by Shirabu.

Quotes[]

  • (To Goshiki about Tendō) "Eyes. Footwork stance and ball handling. Everyone has tells. Once Tendō-san figures yours out, you're as good as done."[12][13]
  • (To himself) "My job isn't to only rely on Ushijima-senpai but it isn't to demonstrate my own strength and pride either. It is to portray the strongest ace in the country in the best light."[15][14]
  • (To Tendō) "That wasn't just a one-off mistake."[16][2]

Trivia[]

  • Current Concern: He wants to be taller.
  • Star Sign: Taurus.
  • During the Interhigh, Shirabu had the number 11.[17] However, in the anime, he's shown with number 10 throughout the two tournaments.
  • He is the youngest second-year on the team.
  • Nomenclature:
    • Kenjirō (賢二郎) – Intelligent Second Son
    • Shirabu (白布) – White Cloth

References[]

Advertisement