Haikyuu: A review

Milestones in Haikyuu were not limited to winning official games. In the most recently animated match, Hinata Shoyo, the protagonist, had received a spike from a nationally ranked ace, making his teammates erupt into cheers. This was something he had learned from sneaking into a training camp and taking on the ball boy. Hinata and Kageyama’s formidable quick attack spike-and-set combo was something honed through new development in every season.  The art style would morph into bold, black strokes when a character did a powerful spike or serve. In its celebration of passion, Haikyuu!! brought something new to a genre full of worn tropes; while most sports anime ended in an official victory for the main character’s team, all the closure that Haikyuu!! needed was passion being rewarded. The joy of these beloved characters at each spike, set, and block had influenced my mindset. In a world where everything was about winning, Haikyuu!! taught me that my personal improvement had a value of its own. 

Haikyuu!! celebrated differences through its representation of teamwork. Kageyama Tobio, the deuteragonist, is a prodigy setter who’s awkward and rather antisocial. His growth towards being a team player didn’t turn him into a bubbly extrovert who got along with everyone. His “encouraging” smiles are still creepy and he fumbles his high-fives; he argues with his teammates Tsukishima and Hinata. Kageyama’s’s teamwork is shown through a genuine desire to help Karasuno, with his partnership with Hinata. With the help of his team, he reclaimed his title as “King of the Court” - a nickname that once called him arrogant, now a sign of his leadership and setting skills. The volleyball manga recognized that a team was made unique by its members, and those uniquenesses did not make anyone less of a team player. 

In the final chapter of Haikyuu!!, Furudate Haruichi had written: “Let’s prove the world that volleyball is interesting.” In the 402 chapters that had culminated to that point, I have seen that passion of each character on both sides of every net. rewarded not just with wins, but screen time, backstory, and support from a team. I’ve learned that this game, while separating two teams by a net, unified everyone on the court and in the audience. Haikyuu!! was an invitation to join the players - not just on the court, but in their passion.