Haikyuu!!

"Teamwork makes the dream work."

-Anonymous

First of all, let me come out and say that I have never played volleyball in my entire life, and prior to watching haikyuu, I had just about no knowledge concerning volleyball, or haikyuu the manga.
I first came to know it because for every episode of Chihayafuru (another sports anime that isn't a major game), comments kept telling me that Chihayafuru was a good competitor against Haikyuu, and being a Chihayafuru fan myself, I was interested.
The overall theme of Haikyuu is volleyball, but there is little to no leading female characters in the whole anime. The main focus team consists of ... male, and I was a little skeptic that the infamous sport for women was played by men, and was a little worried that some feminist viewers might take this the wrong way.
While holding this skepticism, I started watching Haikyuu.

Story: 10

And what a great choice it was.
A sports anime tends to follow the general trend of genius transfer-team problems and reconciliation-infinite wins. Although this increasingly mild out throughout the years, the general structure of any sports anime, or sports tv show, for that matter, follows this trend. And, Haikyuu was, arguably, also a follower of this combination.
But?
One word that sums up Haikyuu would be "climax". Every episode, every minute, every second of this anime feels like the climax and keeps the viewers on the edges of the seats at all times. Every second, the anime builds up to the result of this move, and shows the result of that move. Every other second, the anime makes the viewers ask, "What happened?" "What'll Hinata/Kageyama do now?" "What was that?" "What will happen?"
Besides the thrill of watching haikyuu, there is the theme that I could not like more that the anime holds almost religiously, which is the fact that VOLLEYBALL CANNOT BE PLAYED ALONE.
On the surface, it is a "duh" idea. Volleyball needs at least two spikers, a libero and a setter. Volleyball has to be at least played by two people.
But this is what makes this anime awesome.
Although this has disappeared over the years, sports anime tend to show an overly talented main character who takes care of everything, or the op main character in layman's term. In fact, this is a trend that is not just in sports anime but in all kinds of anime in general. Now, before we see an anime, we almost have to make an assumption that the main character is going to solve the problem.
This is NEVER shown in Haikyuu.
Sure, we have two "centers" of the story, Hinata and Kageyama, and they provide a mild solution to the problem, but the show still does not make these two solve every problem they encounter. Haikyuu respects the other characters and lets other players shine as well. In fact, the show makes it so that if the two main characters try to solve everything on their own, problems arise and they ultimately fail.
I could not like this cliche-breaker more.
The only small problem this had was simple.
This is not the end.
I was...for the lack of better term, teased to my nth degree and left hanging.
However, I say it is a small problem because I can almost forgive it. I have enjoyed the show as it was when it aired, and could not ask for a better time management. In fact, if this anime rushed and finished the whole thing before I could understand what was going on, I would have given this a 1/10. So, I did not mind the lack of an ending, but i still want the sequel.
As for the actual volleyball itself, as I said, I never liked or watched volleyball and knew close to nothing about the rules of volleyball, and yet I still liked it. The anime guided the viewers nicely through the terminologies that non-volleyball viewers would know, and made sure that everyone knew what was going on.
For this, I give 10 out of 10 for story.

Sound: 9

Freakin' SPYAIR.
For those who don't know who these guys are, go to google and type Samurai Heart, buy mp3 and play the shit out of it.
The other songs were nice too, including the second part's ending, which was a nice head-chiller after getting hyped from the awesomeness of the actual episode.
The first ending was beautiful as well, but not as good as the second ending. The opening for the second was not as great as the first either, so overall I give 9 for OP/ED.

As for the voice actors, I could not ask for a better voice actor for Kageyama and Nishinoya, and I was quite surprised that an anime with a voice staff this big could get such a fitting voice for each character.
Problem is Hinata.
I personally had no problem with Hinata's voice, but I could understand when people say that his voice was annoying, as I felt that way at the start as well. He is not bad at pronunciation or anything, but he is...well, you have to hear it to understand it. I gave 8 for voice acting.

Lastly, the OST was quite splendid. As this was a sports anime, it was critically important for the OST to do its job and keep the viewers' hype from chilling. And, cutting out the boring lead-in, the OST did its job. The only problem i had was the fact that there was no song I wanted to keep it for myself, and for that I give 9 for OST.

(9+8+9)/3=8.67 or just 9

Character: 10

There is not a single side character in this anime. Everyone plays a part, or at least, everyone who got longer than 30 seconds of airtime got a part.
We have Nishinoya, the libero of Karasuno team, playing the "cool guy" role. We have Daichi, the captain, playing the strict but kind captain. We have Tsukishima, the blocker, playing the harsh but actually nice guy. We have Kenma, who literally just appeared in 3 episodes, influencing the whole Karasuno team in more than one way.
The development for the main characters is also a job well done. Kageyama goes from the self-centered setter to a team-rounded setter, and Hinata goes from the spike-obsessed volleyball otaku to...well, actually he's still spike-obsessed volleyball otaku in the end, but we see a lot of change in Hinata as well, as he was only the physically sharp chibi at the start, but ended up being the greatest bait.

But as our parents, grandparents and everyone who is smarter than us once said, nothing in our world is ever perfect.

Art: 6

The animation studio in charge of this was the infamous Production IG, known for its high-quality motions and bizarre artstyle that needs people to get used to.
Unfortunately, there still was the bizarre artstyle in haikyuu, yet the high-quality motion was gone from existence.
....Yeah, I know.
I would rather have the people see the actual anime and judge for themselves, but if I am to list some problems,
1. There are waaaay too much still pictures.
2. As IG repetitively proved to us, their artstyle needs some getting-used-to.
3. They reuse the same animation for receiving and spiking way too much that it makes me cringe.
4. When the characters are talking, although they must have been exhausted from running and jumping all over the place, there is not a drop of sweat on their face.

Still, the animation had some quality points too. The animation for receiving and spiking, although it was used way too much, was superb, and the movements of all the characters, at least during the game, was very fluent.

So, I give art 6 out of 10.

Enjoyment: 10

But I still liked it a lot.
I found myself regulating my breath from the feeling of my heart exploding over and over again, and kept my eyes glued on the monitor for the entire time I watched the show. I loved the development of all the characters and I never skipped through out of boredom.

Overall: 9

Thank you, Haikyuu, for a great adventure.
I could not recommend this more, but I suggest to wait until the bd version comes out, because I am expecting a better animation in the bd. Still, if you can't wait for the bd for certain reasons, I suggest you watch this the next chance you get.
Then, until next time, happy anime-ing, and may the anime be with you.

OMG! I loved Haikyuu sooo much!! AMAZING is the only way to describe this anime! I had watched Kuroko no Basket before this anime, and loved that too, so I decided to watch Haikyuu... Going into the anime I didn't know what to expect from an anime about volleyball, but wow was I impressed! Really impressed.

Story: It's a story about a volleyball team in a high school, Karasuno, and their journey into winning a championship (I think?). Obviously, they have their struggles and obstacles that they have to overcome in order to win. The main 2 characters, Shouyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama are freshmen ... at Karasuno, and have a middle-school rivalry, so they try to surpass eachother ('s different and work as teammates). The volleyball matches were simply amazing, and fun to watch, but that wasn't all. Haikyuu!! wasn't 100% about volleyball, but it also incorporated the develop of friendship, teamwork, and lots and LOTS of really funny comedy! Karasuno, FIGHT! ♥♥♥

Art: The art for the anime was magnificent as well! Colorful! Like I always say, I don't really know how to grade art. Most anime have same, good art.

Sound: I really liked the first opening, I don't really like the second one though. During the volleyball matches, there were little music because there was a lot of dialogue, but whenever there was some sort of soundtrack playing, it did elevate the intensity of the game. I didn't really get to pay attention to the music though, because the volleyball matches took up all my attention! Everytime the volleyball was hit and a BAM sound was made, my heart skips a beat. Loved it!

Character: Best part of the anime, and maybe my favorite cast of characters in anime alongside other anime like Kuroko no Basket, and Clannad. All the characters, on both the team of Karasuno and all the other volleyball teams, are unique in their own way. The characters are so funny, and fun to watch. I loved every single one, although I wish there were some meaningful female characters too... But nonetheless, seriously maybe most favorite characters in 1 series is Haikyuu!!

Enjoyable: I enjoyed it so much, I never knew that volleyball could be so fun to watch! I could drag on and on about how awesome this anime is, but since it's boring to just read reviews, I'll stop. But if you are even a little bit of a sports anime fan, or even want to see an anime that is superb, then watch Haikyuu!! It's Amazing!!

This anime hits the top spot. Not only in sports anime, but in all anime. Overall, it is an immensely enjoyable anime with characters that you can't get enough of, action that drives you to the next episode, and music that fits the bill.
The story as a whole is well orchestrated, by the second to last episode I was almost in tears and before that I was cheering as though I was in the stands. This story makes you feel for the characters. Gives you an in depth view into even minor characters making you appreciate each character even more. You get a callous and ... straight forward Kageyama and pair him up with the bubbly, never-give-up Hinata and you get something stinking amazing. I felt pride for Hinata as he soared in the air...pretty high for a shrimp. The other characters are equally amazing in their own respects; hilarious, kind, wise, and about every other good descriptive word under the sun. They are all so driven for their goals that it's hard not to cheer when they succeed and feel for them when they don't.
The intro and ending songs all fit the story perfectly. Just listen and you'll find yourself listening the whole way through instead of skipping to the beginning of the story or going to the next episode. The music within describes the mood of the story and blends so well that you barely notice it at times. That is a sign of well chosen music that it can become one with the story and make it more supurb.
Needless to say, I enjoyed every second of the anime (even the little breaks with them hitting the ball). I waited for weeks to pass before starting watching again just so I could watch episode after episode. I can't wait for the second season (there better be one) and can't wait to sit back and enjoy the fun that Haikyuu! brings.
See you at the Spring Tournament.

Haikyuu is a good choice for you if you're looking for a sportsy shounen but a terrible one if you're expecting the shounenisms to be milder than in other shounens.

I'd like to start by noting that I've once dropped Haikyuu because at the time, I didn't want to watch a series about really determined kids wanting to win fights, but I eventually got in the mood for the exact thing I have dropped it for and Haikyuu sprung to mind, because I have had dropped it at the time, I could've acknowledged it was right for its target audience and I even respected the amount ... of character focus I have had noticed since very early and how it explained where the characters are at and why they are determined, which is a good thing to see, especially in a shounen, which the drive to move forward is frequently blinding ambition, of the fact that there's no reason for it to be there.

However while early it has a lot of character focus it has one thing that kills most shounens for me, a thing that is known in my circles as a slow start. By this we mean that a shounen will focus on building up the future events of a story to give you incentive to care later on and for the story to have depth, but in the process the main focus you're probably watching the series for, frequently the action, is never really at full strength. Haikyuu has a particularly dense slow start, where almost all the volleyball matches are almost exclusively predictable and lacking tension because of the way you know and expect and are exactly right to expect the characters to go in their character arcs. Which also killed a lot of my immersion of the series. And while the character focus is there and is definitely intense, sometimes it's so intense that the series feels melodramatic to the point it forgets that this is highschool volleyball and the characters feeling like they have overlydramatic reactions to the things happening, which could simply be solved if all the characters were only a bit more reserved.

Arguably based on your standards for the action to character focus ratio, the slow start ends after 3 to 4 hours into the series, when the inner and outer conflicts are solved, Haikyuu starts putting more focus into the game itself.

I don't want you to misunderstand me, despite the fact that the series will occasionally get ridiculously melodramatic, it still does a good job with presenting each character's mentality and inner struggle, juggling between multiple characters, even if like all characters get like two personallity traits and some sort of personal conflict, which might not seem like much, but I appreciate it since there's plenty of characters in the story and it's hard to make them overly complex when you have to ping pong between them. And while the volleyball doesn't really get any shine early due to the way the story and the character focus has been done, it always has good visuals and after the setup is done it finally focuses on giving immersive matches and interesting facets of the sport, through the strong foundation it has had layed out.

I'm gonna get a bit deeper into both.

First off, the character focus starts on two characters, which are basically the main protagonists and focuses on them for a really long time early on. Spoilers for the first episode in this paragraph, skip it if you'd rather not know the type of character arcs the characters will go through. These protagonists are Hinata, who is a determined kid who plays to win and has no real team to back him up & the other is Kageyama, who is a determined kid who plays to win and has no real team to back him up. Although the backgrounds are similar, they are polar opposites in circumstances and personality. Hinata grew up and developed a passion for volleyball but never had someone who would play with him or a volleyball club in his elementary school, so he is forced to play and train with whoever he can find. Eventually he manages to scrounge up a team of people who he had befriended and some first years who probably didn't know any better. While Kageyama is a person who plays at a school that has always performed well in volleyball and has really high skill acknowledged by everyone else in his team, but due to his overbearing attitude towards them and his oblivious arrogance, his team doesn't follow him. What drives Hinata is being acknowledged as a player despite his shortcomings and being in the spotlight, while Kageyama is selfdriven by his desire to win solely for personal satisfaction without particularly looking for acknowledgement. Eventually these two characters end up together in a team, where they learn the errors of their ways and develop both as a person and as a player, which I can't go more in depth because spoilers. Eventually the story takes time to focus and introduce other characters, but they're basically the two characters with the most depth since they had the most focus and most of the others are developed in a similar way with significantly less time put into them than the two mains.

Eventually after every character gets through their hurdles and personal conflicts the sports bit finally starts getting exciting and immersive, since now there's tension in the matches since there's no immediate conflict that the characters will have to and will obviously get over. The character progression doesn't dissapear, but it goes past the presentation stage and the series finally puts effort into putting up exciting matchups and situations. It will finally start displaying the exciting facets of the sport and use the already built relationships and characters to give us an understanding of how, why and what they can do in the match. It does often feel realistic although it obviously has the overlytalented bunch of players to keep things exciting, but it's nothing that would spring into your eyes as absolutely unrealistic. If you're interested in sports anime, you have to go through a shounen slow start to get where you want to get, so know that your reward for getting through this is sports in anime, so I advice you to be aware of what you enjoy from sports anime beforehand.

And let me not completely forget to mention what exactly is melodramatic about this show. The overlyinvolved attitude of most people. The series needs to realize that it is displaying highschool volleyball, of people playing it as a hobby and not planning to pursue the sport probably in the future. Yet it has these really overlyemotional moments or overlydramatic where characters scream, cry or fall into deep states of depression over it, to the point where the series made sure to point out that every single team that lost, is not a protagonist, but yet, they all suffer the same when they lose. No, that's wrong. Nobody suffers the same. There's different levels of involvement. But then again, it's a shounen. You expect the series to have each of its moment become dramatic or humorous by the end of the day. Sometimes it overplays how realistically people would be involved into this hobby and it gets ridiculous.

This is pretty much all I have to say about the events in the series. Visually the series is a bit too colorful for my liking but it does put a lot of effort into its visuals and I appreciate the fact that not every character has "yo look at my hair it's fancy so tha means I'm important" hair in it. They're still there but, they're not prevalent and there are characters that are not as distinguishable, which makes it feel more realistic. As I've said, it puts plenty of detail into its animation, which is a good thing to see, with some interesting shots which aren't taking the easy route. Sound wise it isn't as impressive, not having a whole lot that is noteworthy, but I've enjoyed the detail put into how the supporters in the stands cheer on for the players and how they react at certain things. That's pretty much the only thing noteworthy there. Didn't see anything that should bother anyone in this department.

So, before you decide, keep in mind, run this again through your mind: This is a shounen with a slow start that has overlydramatic moments, but overall does decently focus on each character and it has a slow start that rewards with some interesting volleyball matches. If you strive for a sports shounen, it's good. If you don't know what to expect from such an anime, I've explained above, but otherwise it's exactly what you'd generallyexpect besides the intense character focus. If what I said about the series doesn't interest you, I advice deciding against watching this.

I have watched quite a few sports anime and I have to say that Haikyuu is so far the best of them. Most people would argue that Kuroko's Basketball is the best. Yes Kuroko's Basketball is really good but there are too many elements that just seem unrealistic. Haikyuu on the other hand is more down to earth and seems to be as close to reality as possible. The anime is more serious than its other counterparts and concentrates less on the ecchi/harem themes, which is a great thing.
I just love the story, the soundtracks, the characters and the pacing of the anime is quite ... good too. The artwork is more than adequate as well. To people planning on watching this- you won't be disappointed!!

Two of my biggest interests are sports and anime. Ironically enough I had never watched a sports anime. One day I stumbled upon Haikyuu in a Top 20 anime series of 2014 and I decided to give it a try. I was instantly hooked and still am ( watching season 2). Let's begin with my review

Story: 8/10

It's a narrative you've probably heard before, an underdog tale of a volleyball team who had experience success in the past, but now its on ... a decline. I liked the story although at times it did seem like it would slow down and speed up, I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Art: 8/10

I personally really liked the animation and character designs. The characters did remind me a lot of Durarara, but I liked the animation style. Although some characters did look similar I thought it had a good variety and did not have problems distinguishing the main characters. The in-game animation was very good as well.

Sound: 10/10

I think outstanding it's a good word to describe what I think of the soundtrack. Both OP's are very good and for the most part flow well with the opening animation. The same could be said for the ED's. The soundtrack complimented scenes perfectly.

Characters: 8/10

Good variety of characters that gel well. Many characters compliment each other nicely. Kageyama has good development throughout the series. Hinata on the other hand not so much.

Enjoyment: 10/10

I am one of those fans that jumps and screams every match. Haikyuu had me screaming and cheering as if I was cheering on my favorite team. Which of course is one of them now. I was reluctant to try a sports anime, I honestly didn't think it would be any good and I wouldn't like. Man I was wrong. I loved the ride that was Haikyuu!

Final Thoughts: 8.5/10 round up to 9/10

I could have done without so many flashbacks, I also would have like more character exposition. Another issue I had was Hinata's friend's that we see in the first episode, but we never hear from again and are given no explanation in the anime. At least that I could remember. The same could be said with Hinata's family. Who we occasionally see. Overall I loved Haikyuu! It kept me hooked every episode. You can't help but root for Hinata and the Karasuno volleyball team. Even if you don't like voleyball or sports in general; give Haikyuu a chance. You won't regret it.

I already rewatch all the season 1 episodes 2 times but I don't feel bored of it.
This series really has the great stories, loveable character, and outstanding seiyuu cast.

I usually did dropping sport genre animes despite of its huge popularity because the story and characters were just too cliched and unrealistic for me. Some of the people in the fandom (especially the fellow hardcore slash shippers) of those mainstream anime bothered me so much. Like, "Oh your ship sucks!" "My ship is more canon than yours!".

Haikyuu!! really feels different for me that I don't even care of that kind of fandom anymore. I am a ... slash shipper myself, but this is the first time I really do watch the sport anime not just for the slash hints, I genuinely watch it for the story and characters development.

I can't wait to watch the second season!

Haikyuu, for me, had been one of those animes, the ones where they weren't very hyped, but just a little. Enough to get you to watch it, and there will be plenty of doubts, being someone who is an action more so of a sports fan, I had belittled this anime too much.

I had not expected much from a sports anime, in fact this was going to be my first ever. But I never realized how genuine and fun an anime could be. I felt as if it took the classic slice of life, but added a new ... feature to it, the simplest thing ever, a volleyball club. Haikyuu was intense enough for me to thoroughly enjoy this anime, it made me laugh when I honestly didn't think it would. Hell even the emotions that went through this anime. Not giving out specifics, but it had made me feel what they felt, and I've never felt that way with an anime.

I'm not sure honestly what Haikyuu did, but it wasn't your average sports anime. This is the only one I've seen but I could already tell, this anime was unique. They made sports exciting and fun, you felt the emotions from a win or a loss and how much effort they put into it. It put action into a different perspective, through volleyball. When they spike it, when they set it, when they save it, it all became exciting, the concept of "Just an anime about a boys volleyball club," was thwarted easily in my mind.

Now I'm not sure if any other sports anime were this good, but I sure as hell enjoyed Haikyuu, for making it exciting, for putting the momentum and the feeling into it. Hageyama's scary accuracy, Hinata's god speed, their first ever match, I had felt like I was part of the crowd every match and I was thoroughly enjoying this. You can feel the excitement, relate to the disappointment, understand their training and hard work, and notice their pain. No other anime has done this to me like how Haikyuu did, maybe it was because it was something very relate able. But whatever the reason was, Haikyuu for now, is my favorite "slice of life," anime.

P.S, mind you I was writing this at 10:36 am, not sleeping the previous day, I am literally wobbling as I type this. Saying this, this is the one review where I am not hyped and ecstatic about. Haikyuu is still amazing though ^

Overall Thoughts: B+

Haikyuu’s core theme is the team. It’s about learning to trust each other when you’re in a team, it’s about winning and losing as a team, it’s about overcoming obstacles as a team. For being that team-focused, Haikyuu really spends lots of its time for the viewer to get to know the team, and handles its characters with great care, even though the plot is by no means unique. It has great animation, a fitting sound and a wonderful voice cast. If you are debating whether or not to watch this, then don’t hesitate and start Haikyuu. You won’t regret it.

Story: B- ...

The overall story is fairly generic for a sports anime, and doesn’t really deviate at all from the Common Sports Anime Plot. The first half of the show is spent gathering up all of the team members, who weren’t playing for one reason or another but were extremely skilled. Then they had to go and get a former player to be they’re coach, who refuses initially but after watching them play caves in for the chance to coach this special team. It follows Kuroko’s same basic storyline (and be extension, Eyeshield 21’s plot) almost to a T, with there being two major tournaments left before the third-years/Seniors graduate. The Fall Tournament is built up to be the big one, their last chance, and they manage to have an impressive showing, but as they should, they end up losing in the semi-finals to a more cohesive team that they aren’t able to overcome yet. However, after losing and having their confidence shaken a little, the team rallies and prepares for one last run at Nationals in the Spring Tournament.

The biggest divergent from the stereotypical Sports Anime plot, is that the first episode actually ends with the Goofy and Energetic Underdog finding out he’s actually going to be on the same team as the Serious, Short-Tempered Genius Rival character. And that was a brilliant subversion of Sports Anime tropes that set up the amazing character interactions and development that made this anime great and worth watching.

The comedy was pure gold in this series, and since at least half the cast had that sort of goofy, light-hearted attitude and tone to them, it made the story flow nicer and really made the entire situation seem a little more realistic. These guys weren’t just solely obsessed with being the best at volleyball, they also were just out to have a good time. With this sort of light-hearted tone to the entire series, it made the entire thing a bundle of laughs and one of the funnier anime I’ve watched in 2014. Everyone gets in on the jokes as well, which was great to see and made almost every member of the team extremely likable.

Another point about the story that I really liked was that unlike a lot of other sports anime, there were no “Superpower” elements in it, which was awesome! Everything was extremely realistic in how they portrayed everyone’s abilities (unlike in something like Kuroko, where there are players who can make every shot from anywhere on the court and ridiculous stuff like that). It made the show more believable, and actually helped you relate to the characters more because there was no disconnect of you thinking, “There’s no way someone could actually do that,” which was really cool to see.

Characters: A-

The greatest strength of Haikyuu!! is its extremely relatable, realistic, and lovable cast. This is where Haikyuu!! thrives, since the main team, Karasuno, has some of the best cast chemistry and interactions that I’ve seen in a long time. It really made this show stand out from other sports anime because of just how likable almost every single member of the team was, and it made it highly entertaining to just sit and watch the team member’s interact with each other.

There are seriously about 9 members of the main team that get serious development and screen-time, that helps endear them to the audience and causes you to become attached to the team and really makes you root for them. This is in stark contrast to some of the other major sports anime, like Kuroko’s where on your main team there are only about 2-3 players that really get fleshed out well, and then the best characters are the antagonist, or on the other teams that our Protagonist are playing against. It was cool to see that the majority of the focus was on the team we’ll be with the most.

They did a good job of not info-dumping all of the team members on you at once. Each major player on the team was given one or two episodes for you to get to know them before moving on to introducing the next character, which helped give everyone they’re moments to shine and for you to fall in love with them. There’s not much more you can ask from an anime in terms of number of likable characters, character development, and character relationships, so this gets an extremely high grade.

It doesn't get perfect marks though, because while there were many likable and the entire cast was written extremely well, I'm not sure if there's an All-Time great character in the cast of Haikyuu!! The cast as a whole is able to stand tall with other great casts in anime, but there's no individual member of the cast that ever stands out and is instantly makes the audience gravitate towards them. The closest character to reaching this pinnacle in my opinion is Tanaka, who is one of the best comic relief characters I've seen in a while, but I'm not sure if he quite reaches the ranks of "Best Ever". This could be a testament to the fact that every character in the story is given equal attention by the author, and I'd love to see more authors take this more ensemble cast approach, but for me, there has to be at least one All-Timer in the show to get bumped up to a perfect score in the Character department.

Animation: A
The animation was excellent throughout this show. Production I.G. did a great job with this show, proving once again that they are currently the masters of Sports Anime. The scenes look crisp and the characters' movements always appear fluid.The animation does a great job of ratcheting up the intensity in certain scenes and they do a great job of showcasing the sport. Some of my favorite shots in the series are when players are hitting the ball, and it switches to a 1st PoV. Those are really cool to look at. This anime is a visual feast and absolutely phenomenal to look at.

I take off a point from the grade because the character designs are a little odd at first and take some getting used to and because of this weird thing were they have character’s faces being visible through the nets and the net’s line disappear during these shots. Making it awkward to look at whenever this occurs.

Sound: B-
The soundtrack fit the mood of what was happening on screen which is great, but I never felt the urge to go look up any particular track. That's a must for me to push the Sound of an anime to above anything but "good" is that the soundtrack can't just compliment what's happening onscreen, but it also has to add an element that would otherwise not be there if that track weren't playing then. For me, Haikyuu's OST never made me think that once. The two openings were very catchy and got you in the mood for the episodes, but I felt like both endings were kind of "bleh".

The voice acting was superb, and it was cool to hear some new voices and relatively new VA’s in this series in major roles . Particular shout-out to Hisoka, for doing a great job with Oikawa!

Personal Enjoyment: B+

I had a ton of fun with this show. It made me laugh several times just about every episode and I was completely engaged with pretty much every match the played in. This anime was just a blast to watch and kept me thoroughly entertained throughout all 25 episodes, never seeming a beat during my marathon of the series. I’ll definitely be waiting in anticipation for a Season 2, which can’t come soon enough.

If you're interested in more content from me, check out my Youtube channel: Cafe Anime. Until next time!

I have never really watched a sport anime unless Free! counts, but that's fanservice. And Haikyuu!! is something inspiring :)

Story: 9/10 - A story about an unexpected tiny player named Hinata starts high school and joins the volleyball team. With memories of his past failure at a tournament in junior high, a twist of fate happens. When a certain rival from his past also joins the same volleyball team, Kageyama and Hinata are forced to work together has a team!

And I just scratched the surface of this anime. There's so much more after that. Character development, a strong structure for a story, and just hilarious ... moments. Maybe it's because I'm unsure how a "great/original" sport anime is suppose to work, but this anime is definitely great. Original? Not sure, but hell, it's inspired me to watch more sport animes!!

Art: 9/10 - I'm very pleased with the styling. It's unique. It's rare to find an original art style these days, and when you find one it's either not pleasing, or in this case, wonderful! The scenery is pretty typical, but good. But what makes this art even better are the game scenes when someone is about to spike and it goes into slow-motion. It really adds to the suspense!

Sound: 10/10 - Ranging from the two OPs, to the two EDs, and all the way to the OSTs, this anime has killer music. The openings really get you pumped to watch the anime and the endings are relaxing, but you still get an exciting feel from them. Last but not least, the OSTs are so pretty in the best situations. Overall a very great soundtrack :)

Character: 10/10 - Oh my gosh. The characters really do range. Some are shy, loud, irritated, hilarious, etc. There's always a development of a few characters by zooming back into the past. And it's very interesting to watch! There's a character for everyone to enjoy.

I gave it 10 because honestly this anime made me laugh and get so happy so many times because of all the characters!!

Enjoyment: 10/10 - I laughed, I freaked out, I almost teared up, and I have enjoyed an anime series for the past two seasons. This will keep you pumped even after you've finished it!

Overall: 10/10 - This is more than likely going to get a second season in the near future. And it is well deserved. Please give this a shot, even if you don't like sport animes, this one changed my mind ^__^

Let's play some volleyball, huh?

Haha! I'm still doing a Tommy Wiseau impersonation what can you do about that? Anyway, cut the crap. Production IG, the creator of Kuroko no Basket comes up with a volleyball anime, Haikyuu.

STORY (9):

The story follows Shoyo Hinata, a junior high student, who was inspired by a national championship match, to pick up a sport on volleyball. Although his height is short, he is determined to succeed in being a championship's star player, nicknamed "Small Giant". So, he formed a volleyball team with members and they trained hard. However, Hinata's team was defeated by "King of the Court" Tobio Kageyama, ... and so Hinata vows to defeat him.

The concept of volleyball sounds fun and interesting.The story actually took the time to develop the characters. Like for example at first Hinata was on rivalry terms with Kageyama, however as the series progress Kageyama worked well with Hinata. I did love the way how this anime develop the relationship between teammates even though they are on different sides.

ART (10):

The animation is in good shape. It sometimes create a lot of tension by the drawings.

SOUND (8):

The ending theme was addictive and opening theme was alright.

CHARACTER (9):

Hinata is hyper-active and determined. I did like his determination

Tobio Kageyama was just like me. I prefer doing things alone but when I see the need to work in a team, I tried to open up with my teammates. Kageyama really had good friends who trust him and cared for him, especially Hinata and Daichi Sawamura.

Koushi Sugawara has a great personality by supporting his teammates even doing hi-5 with his teammates. I really laughed a lot when he hi-5 with them. Like Hit, Ouch...

Daichi Sawamura thinks well on his feet as a captain and he really treats the team as his good friends.

Kei Tsukishima was also an interesting character because of his charisma.

However, the character that I have a problem with is Shimizu Kiyoko. Although she is a senior volleyball player, she barely shows any emotion. She puts on this sour look on her face. Her voice actress was Kaori Nazuka who voiced the main character from an anime that we will not speak of again. Kaori Nazuka has voiced characters that are bland and forgettable and she never improved as a voice actress. Maybe she improved a lot when she voiced some characters that are memorable from other anime, I wouldn't know.

I also wished that some characters might stand out but for the most part I enjoyed them.

CONCLUSION (9):

I really enjoyed this anime. It had great visuals, interesting concepts, well-developed characters and lessons learned from this anime.

There are many ways in developing your strengths.
Uphold your integrity.
Understand and trust one another in the team.
No matter how tough things get, we can succeed.
Being a champion in volleyball is nothing.
Defeat is a learning journey to success.
Nobody is infallible.

A true hero is a person who emerges successful from defeats.

These are the quotes that I came up with. Therefore, if you're into volleyball or sports, do give this one a watch and tell me what do you think about it. I wish I would share more about this anime but I am saving my thoughts for the remaining anime.

I give this anime a 9 out of 10.

Why am I watching a cartoon about volley ball?
Some explain to me why I'm ENJOYING a show about volley ball!
-but I am. There's no doubt.

Haikyuu!! excels at two things: making it's characters feel like people, and showcasing surprisingly intense matches of volley ball. It's just dramatic enough for you to care about the players, but it's melodrama is kept in check by having them actually have to try, and train, and sweat, and run themselves raw trying to get better, but then actually getting better. They neither consistently fail nor perpetually win, as is the case in so many sports shows. Their ... victories are in scale to their efforts, and you can't be sure (in most cases) how far they're going to make it the next time they try, which makes for some very intense matches. Even the practice meets had me watching in full attention, and the actual competitive matches are nothing short of exciting.
Not to mention: it's got jokes.

I don 't usually drop animes, but Haikyuu!! is one of the most boring anime I have ever seen. It took me like one day and a half to even finish the first episode. I was only able to watch till episode 5 and it was really hard.

The story is probably the most boring think I have ever seen and not only in anime. (first episode spoilers but not really spoilers) I mean, it 's a little boy who watched a great volleyball match in the TV and started dreaming to be a great volleyball player himself, even tho he has no talent at ... all but just strong will. He mostly fails but has his few lucky moments and tries to make friends along the way. There is nothing intersting. I find volleyball in general boring but I was so hyped up about Haikyuu!!, because I saw that a lot of people like it and some of my friends recommented the show, and I thought it might make me to start liking volleyball, but it only made me believe that it is even more boring from what I thought. There is nothing intersting about it. They will train of course, they would go to tournments, sometimes they will win, sometimes they will lose, and that 's the worst thing that can happen. And I can 't make myself care about it.

The art is at most okay. Some scenes are a little bit more detailed but most of it seems sloppy and I don 't know, it seems really boring. I guess it 's not really just because of the art itself but it 's nothing really good or intersting.

The opening and the ending were some of the most boring things I have ever heard and I didn't like them at all. I don't really understand why they chosed such a boring opening for a show like this, I think is should be something that would hype you up and make you feel more excited, not like you wanna sleep for the next hour.

As for the characters, I couldn 't care less. My friends had told me that what 's best about Haikyuu!! is the character development, but I can 't wait to see if that will ever happend, cause I simply can 't even dream a moment that I would care about any of them. There are tons of similar characters in other anime series that are better-writen and more likeable. I can 't see anything intersting or nice in any of them, the are really boring and I can 't force myself to care about them.

I did not enjoy spending that much time watcing it and I can 't see myself finishing it, like ever. It took me at least one day to watch every episode I have watched so far and I don 't think I will spent more time watching this.

Overall, it is not a great anime as I have thought and as a lot of people say, if you ask me. It 's the only anime I have dropped so far because it was SO boring.

Is Haikyuu!! a volleyball version of KnB? Yeah, pretty much. Does it mean it's bad? No, not really.

In my honest opinion, sports genre in anime, especially shounen related, has gone way too stale over the past few years. They're all driving the same formula, and, while it is fun and games, it's also extremely predictable and at times flat out boring and unwatchable. Unfortunately, Haikyuu!! suffers from same problems most of these sports anime do - it takes every play in the book and drives it home without stopping. The one spin, though, is that the initial "rivals" become teammates, but that's about it. ... You'll probably see me comparing this anime to a few others during this review, but I think that it's best to do that since they're so similar.

The story of Haikyuu!! follows Hinata and Tobio as they battle their way through the pains of high school volleyball. If this anime fails anywhere, it's probably here - as I said, it's a complete and all-through textbook drive of cliches and predictability. Think KnB, think DnA, think Eyeshield - it's exactly that. A group of people gathers with one unified goal, they have some kind of a special talent(s), but they quickly learn those talents aren't enough so they have to keep training harder to beat their "rivals". You'd think that's a spoiler, but it seems that it's pretty much given in today's sport genre in anime. The story follows the code and it never lets it go, drilling it to max until the very end. Short version? Extremely disappointing. The lack of progress is not as obvious, since there are quite a few matches through the game, but you quickly learn that the story is nothing special. By the time you reach episode 10, you'll know how this anime will end and lead off into the second season. I'll give credit that matches are exciting, but that's far less of a credit to the story than it is to the animation. Other than that, nothing really to talk about.

Production department, as with any anime, had its ups and downs. Outside of volleyball part, animation is just terrible. Stiff movement, or rather no movement at all, is just painful to watch after some really exciting sequences during the matches. Speaking of matches, for the most part they're animated quite well. "Special moves" have their punch, action is fast and fluid, and ... well, as I said, it is really like volleyball version of KnB. Literally - albeit a tad bit more realistic. I did like the color pallet since it was quite bright, and facial expressions, may it be comedy or something else, were done rather well. On the sound department, there are a few noticeable songs that will be repeated to hell throughout the anime, but they're quite well done so you won't mind them as much. There will be some voices that will annoy you, but even that for the most part is good.

Characters are the best part of this anime - but, to be honest, they always are. In order for a sport anime to succeed, it needs to have good characters - and Haikyuu!! delivers there. Fun and outgoing, over-thinker and loner, kind giant, loud-mouth kid-looking guy, cute girl manager, surface-calm, beneath-demon kind of a guy ... you get it. Outside of maybe our two MC's, characters, for the most part, remain exactly the same, but they're fun to watch. They deliver some flat out funny moments, and with them on-board it doesn't feel like much of a pain to sit through this anime. Honestly, though, you've seen these characters all before. The only saving grace is that they are executed well and that's it. Nothing original or outside the norm.

As much as I've complained about Haikyuu!!, I did enjoy the anime. It has exciting matches, funny characters and fluid animation. It succeeds where any popular sports anime succeeds and fails where any popular sports anime succeeds. For instance, matches are more exciting than Diamond no Ace's, special moves are not as exciting as in KnB or Eyeshield, animation is more fluid than in Eyeshield, characters are better than in KnB, etc., so they kind of balance themselves out.

Overall - I do recommend it, even if you're not a sports fan. It's an easy watch and, unless you watched either one of the anime I've mentioned before and flat-out hated it, I don't see a reason why you won't enjoy this anime as well.

Haikyuu manages to strike a happy medium between the conventional shonen sports anime and something more realistic, which leaves out the hyperbolic special techniques of manga like Eyeshield 21 or overt melodrama. It is, above all else, solid and and a competent piece of work.

As with most sports animes, the plot isn't particularly unusual or exciting - the genre is limited to a pretty standard formula of introduction, practice matches, training, a tournament arc, and repeating the process. The characters are also largely drawn from the typical mould - a cool, highly talented loner, a solid and experienced captain, a kind senpai with wisdom ... to balance out his lack of talent, an enthusiastic and slightly delinquent-ish enforcer - but they manage to be fleshed out and distinguished beyond their stereotypes. The protagonist, Shoyo Hinata, is arguably the least interesting character, being that there's nothing beneath his earnest and naive volleyball-loving surface, but the rest of the cast makes up for him in spades.

Kageyama ("King") is highly talented and aloof, and in another anime this would be the end of our insight into him, but Haikyuu gives him the familiar neuroses of a high-strung perfectionist who couldn't accomodate his team and wound up alone, and also gives him a satisfying arc by showing him learning to step outside his shell and grow as a person. Another conventional feature of sports anime - a player's position being in some way a metaphor for their personality - is used throughout Haikyuu in a far more interesting way than we'd usually get. As the aggressive and antisocial type, Kageyama would usually be a spiker, but as the setter, he needs to be able to provide service to his teammates in a way that brings out everyone's full potential - to do his job well, he needs to actually communicate and get to know them.

The most magnetic of the side characters in this season, Oikawa, is a former senpai of Kageyama's, and a thoroughly unpleasant, smug, cocky, and psychologically insightful guy, who uses his ability to read people to vicious effect in games. But despite all those seemingly-villainous attributes, he too is a setter, and in his masterful ability to connect with his team, he demonstrates a maturity which makes him more complicated than you might assume. That ability to provide a surprising dimension to seemingly-flat characters is present throughout Haikyuu, which finds a way to make everyone feel a little real.

Tanaka might be a bit of a delinquent, but he's also comically elated by being called senpai, and his superficial (but hilarious) idiocy hides mature resolve and a surprising amount of wisdom. Karasuno's team advisor Takeda might be a volleyball amateur, but he shows both wisdom and adorable ingenuity and perseverance in making sure they get the best practice matches. Unlike the drama resulting misunderstandings and standoffish idiocy in a lot of other media aimed at Haikyuu's demographic, the characters in Haikyuu talk to each other and communicate constructively to reach a shared understanding and help the team.

Aside from its characters, Haikyuu's other main strength is its keen sense of development - where you might initially think "Why doesn't he just spike it like THIS?" of Shoyo's early stumbles in matches, later training and innovation on his part (and others) show an evolution in techniques and strategy which makes volleyball seem genuinely interesting - and I say that as someone with no interest in it. The key to a good narrative is following premises to their logical conclusions, and when it comes to character development, Haikyuu demonstrates growth and change on the part on almost everyone in response to their changing circumstances.

Rather than flaws, what keeps Haikyuu from being a masterpiece are its limitations - the limitations of conventional shonen sports anime and a focus on the sport itself which doesn't allow for the concerns of real life to intrude on it. One of the things that struck me as surprising near the end of the season was the third-years conferring with a guidance counsellor about whether they should keep going with club activities or focus on their exam - this shouldn't have been a surprise at all, as it makes perfect sense, but Haikyuu is so laser-focused on the sport that you gain no understanding of what lives Shoyo, Kageyama, Daichi, Tanaka, Oikawa, or the other characters lead when away from the court and the gym. The fact that it's able to make them engaging (for the most part) despite this is impressive, but given the grounded realism of Haikyuu - its lack of overly flashy techniques and the relatively subdued nature of its characters, who all (besides maybe Shoyo) seem like people you might've known in school - some details of the world outside volleyball would have helped make it even more real and immersive.

Regardless, as it stands, Haikyuu is a well-put-together anime with a strong grasp of traditional narrative techniques and solid characterisation and development, as well as excellent animation and an attractive art style. It's a good advertisement for the value of the medium, and that's more than enough.

I don't know what it is, but I've always been a huge fan of sports anime. It's just been my thing. I think through my own experiences with sports and through randomly finding and falling in love with Eyeshield 21, it's just found a place in my heart. That being said, I've read most of the classics and thoroughly enjoyed them, but I don't think any shounen sports anime have been crafted to the perfection that is Haikyuu!!

Now, I won't leave you hanging there. I have good reason to think this. Obviously there are great examples out there of Sports Anime doing really new and ... innovative things, but I'm not judging Haikyuu!! based off of its innovativeness. In that regard, it's probably the weakest part. The story is the usual underdog with one very particular skill he excels at and using hard work to cover the pure physical and mental gap between himself and the best players. That's the usual, and is basically the calling card for shounen sports. The real strength of this show is the amazing work put into not only the art but the soundtrack too.

Production IG made this into the most gorgeous sports anime I've seen, and it does so much with so little. Every fluid motion, every adversity, every moment of teamwork and camaraderie all is animated to perfection. The whole art style matches the sport flawlessly, and the constant motion of the teams setting and spiking is a sight to behold.

Then you go ahead and mix in the wonderful soundtrack, and it just sets itself apart from its competition. Every bit is perfect. It matches the mood and the feelings of the characters. It moves you and makes you not only enjoy the whole experience, but gives you added depth to the characters. Music is an incredible thing, and when done properly it is so much more than just background noise. Haikyuu!! is a perfect example of this.

Again, the story itself is the usual shounen approach of the main character and team working hard and moving forward together. It takes it's own path and isn't too predictable, but you'll see the usual shounen cliches. The characters are another bright part of the series because of their, well, character. There isn't a dull or unimportant one among them. I think the supporting cast is really what can make or break a series, and so having a stellar group just cements this show at the top.

Even not considering all of these aspects, the show is just fun. You get pumped up and excited for the players. You root for them. You want to see them overcome the walls in front of them. You want to see this team fight its way to the top.

So, yeah. Through my many many experiences with sports anime and manga, I haven't experienced a perfect thrill ride like Haikyuu!! ever before. I can't wait for the upcoming season and seeing what is in store for my Karasuno Crows.

So first of all it was never my intention to watch sports anime, I'm sorry I thought you were "nothing for me" because I don't play any sport or the whole sport anime genre was ONLY about the sport, but this anime together with kuroko no basket changed my opinion. This is one of the most teeth-crushing, nailbiting anime I have ever (yes! Ever!) seen. The battles with our two main characters badass Kagayama and adorable Hinata were so exciting. Not only outstanding openings,art and characters the whole complex gave a nice, warm feeling. I gave the story a 9. The story is about Hinata ... who wants to become just like "the little giant" but never had the chance to gain experience and kageyama, the OP volleyballer who sucks at making friends. Together they join a volleyball team when they attend highschool but the relationship between them is not that okay. Art style [9 ]because, seriously, it's beautifull. Very unique and i have to say that I love the wreckles beneath their eyes. [9] for sound because the openings and endings cannot become even more catchier. The characters are outstanding and unique because of their own behaviour and design. Not only kageyama but also the rest of the volleyballers. As I said at the beginning I've never underestimated an anime genre before so this was a suprise. A [10]. And overall [10]. If you are new to anime this is DEFINITLY A TRY-OUT!~ And if you're already known with the sports genre then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??

How do you make a show about volleyball interesting? I'll tell you how! Throw in a bunch of amazing characters, an exciting story and a kickass soundtrack. "Haikyuu!!" really is an amazing show that you shouldn't miss out on! From start to finish I was glued to the screen, and not one time did I feel that it got boring or was slow. Each episode ends in a way that makes you want to watch the next one, and the next one, and the next one and all of a sudden it's 4 in the morning.

I don't think I've enjoyed a sports anime as ... much as I enjoyed "Haikyuu!!" and the great thing about it is that you don't even have to like volleyball to enjoy it, because what makes the show so great in my opinion is the characters. They're really likeable and fun in their own ways. Their interactions with eachother feels pretty natural and sometimes their clashing personalities lead to some really funny moments. There's also a lot of character development, and it's awesome to see as the show progresses how they become more mature as both individuals, but also as a team. You're really rooting for them, and want to them to succeed which makes the show even more exciting. The soundtrack is also awesome and the sound when the ball is being spiked is so satisfying (it's like you're on the court!).

Overall this show is amazing. It teaches you the importance of teamwork and friendship as well as being just pure hype! Follow my advice, even if you're not interested in sports, and go watch "Haikyuu!!". You won't regret it!

Well, I'm off to watch season 2 now! Thanks for reading!

10/10

Okay.. My review is going to be short but sweet for all those people who are contemplating whether to watch this anime or not. You know how you rarely find that one anime that makes your stomach tumble with excitement? An anime that makes you smile like a creep as you watch it.. An anime that makes you thrilled and feel fulfilled? That was Haikyuu! for me! I finished the first season in a day! This anime made me long for more of its similarities. I felt satisfied as many of you should feel while watching anime! If you are searching for an anime with ... lovable charcters, good development of plot and Heart-thumping, adrenaline-pumping , stomach-flipping anime... This one is for you!

Its my first time writing a review.. Please do tell me if this was of any help.. or if this wasn't that short at all! hehe :3

Yours,
The anime crazy Howling Phoenix!

Watching this series brought me back to the days when I played volleyball for my high school, but as can imagine coming from someone who is writing anime reviews I rode the bench for all it was worth. But enough with the self deprecating humor, despite not being a starter I still managed to have fun and teach the younger members of the team what I knew and provide some laughs. I still had an impact on my team which is the main theme of this anime and the sport it focuses on in general. This series was successful due to its large amount of ... character depth, realistic and suspenseful matches, and a healthy dose of humor.

The story starts off with not the most original premise as two rivals are forced to work together after choosing to attend the same high school. The main focus of story are, Hinata a short but athletically sound goober, and Kageyama, the skilled but conceited setter. The two clashing due to their differences sets up some of the funnier moments of the series, but as the two learn to work together is where the series offers some of its best moments. Unlike other sports it is impossible for one player in volleyball to truly dominate the game without having strong support from their teammates, and the two protagonists play out this theme as the two need each other to unlock their true potential on the court and unleash their awe inspiring attacks.

The narrative for the first half of the series is based on the team improving and introduces most of the main players and characters, while offering insight into how the game is played. For those not familiar with the sport, Sensei's character asks most of the mechanical questions so they can be cleared up for newbies. As the characters are introduced you can see how they are perfectly tailored to offer their own unique role to the team and series, and that even without the input of some of the more minor characters, Karasuno would not be able to play at a high level. It is satisfying to see the pieces slowly come together as they recruit old members and new ones. Some of the characters also have some surprisingly deep emotional baggage, which made their comeback all the more satisfying but I also felt that sometimes their was just a bit too much flair of drama as we learn more about some of the characters.

The series really hits its stride once it reaches the second half and they start playing for real in the March Madness style tournament, I loved how it jumped straight into single elimination format as it greatly added to the intensity and suspenseful of the matches. The matches themselves are very well done we see both the protagonist and their foes adapt and play their hearts out playing the game they love, and it makes for some truly great volleyball to watch. The music of the series adds to the intensity of the matches, adding to the suspense during a big play or playing more somberly as the characters reflect struggle to cope with being called on or possibly letting down the team they love so much and have to face the prospect of not playing volleyball, their greatest passion. The matches are highlighted by not only by action, but also by the smart play by both teams. Sometimes the matches feel akin to a chess match as every action taken by the players is well thought out executed. For example a player will attempt to break another team's best passer in order to lower another team's morale, and use this lull to gain momentum.I thought the ending was executed beautifully as well and tied into the theme of the series of how your teammates are always there for you no matter what and as long as you have the will and the passion to fight the game never ends.

Another interesting aspect of the series is how fleshed out the players on the other side of the net are, it is unusual to see opposing players developed so much. However it pays off for the most part as it makes the matches that more intense by having them face "Real" players rather than nameless and "evil" players. Many times you are given insight into the other side of the court and you see how these players are similar to our protagonists, they love the sport and have worked harder than anyone to get to the position they are in, and it sometimes it feels that the opponents have a more legitimate claim to victory than the heroes. None of the opponents are completely unlikable, and we see them work together and stress teamwork as they cleverly try to outmatch the Ravens, and we see their struggle right until their bitter end. It could also be argued that this is the series' greatest weakness, as it takes away time from the heroes of the story and their team, and in fact many members of opposing teams are fleshed out much more than character's on the protagonist own team. Some of the opposing team members are more like palette swaps off the Karasuno team, which could explain why they are so likable and its fun to see them interact with their counterparts on the heroes' team, as the characters they are based off of are the one's that are fun to watch.

The animation of this series is top notch, which is to be expected by Production IG. Their are also some nice visual effects in the series, as often the character's fears will come to life on the court through the use of imagery, or it will help boost the humorous scenes.

Overall this is a fun series that is able to provide some funny laughs through the interactions of its wacky characters and the snide remarks they make, sometimes to break the tension during the more suspenseful parts of the matches. It features some great development for most of its characters especially Kageyama, but some characters feel left out. The value of teamwork is extremely important in volleyball, which is something that Haikyu!! manages to nail perfectly while providing some action packed, mostly realistic, and suspenseful matches. It does all this while maintaining a strong sense of humor throughout, and its easy for me to say that Haikyu!! stands head and shoulders over its competition.