Haikyuu!! Second Season

Honestly, I would never watch a sports anime because it's not what I preferably watch but I'm very glad that I gave Haikyuu!! a chance. Sports anime is probably on my top five of what kind of anime's not to watch but I decided that this year, I should get out of my comfort zone and watch something different. I picked Haikyuu!! out on a whim and because I was bored and had nothing else to watch. I started watching Haikyuu!! the first season about four days ago and just finished the second season. I love Haikyuu!! and enjoyed it immensely.

Story - 10:
The story was ... simple. A volleyball club's journey of getting stronger and defeating their rival. But it was how the story progressed throughout the episodes that makes it so good and exciting. I can't really explain the story because it's probably your typical sports anime but Haikyuu!! drew me in really fast, so I'm giving this a 10/10!

Art - 10:
The art was different from what I'm used to but that's okay because that's what drew me in. The colors were fun and bright when the characters expressed their delight when winning and dark when they lost. The drawings and art was incredible and I could really feel the intense concentration Shoyo and Oikawa had when they were in their matches.

Sound - 10:
When I think of sound, I first think of the opening and ending, and I loved all the openings and endings. I already downloaded Imagination by Spyair and Fly High! by Burnout Syndromes. The openings, for me, created a great build up and excitement every time it played. For the soundtracks, I didn't pay too much attention because I was too focused on the match but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Character - 10:
All I have to say is that the character development was insanely good. You see these characters start off weak and as you watch each episode, you see them grow stronger and stronger. I love all the characters and debated of adding them all to my list of favorite anime characters on myanimelist but I didn't. Each character had their own personality that fit perfectly with each other and that equaled a super awesome and strong team.

Enjoyment - 10:
I enjoyed this anime very much. It was funny, intense, light-hearted yet it made me feel sadden and despair. This moved way up in my favorite anime list because it made my heart pound, it caught my attention, made me scream and shout with excitement and made me want to play volleyball. I love this anime because it's just so interesting and enjoyable.

Overall - 10:
Overall, I would recommend this anime to everyone and anyone. I love this anime and still have their matches fresh in my head as I'm writing this review. I'm just sad that the anime is over and that I have to wait until October to watch season three. But honestly, I enjoyed this anime and love everything about it. Five thousand stars out of ten!!

Honestly, this is the kind of anime where you have absolutely no interest in volleyball but after watching this it makes you wanna try it yourself. The pace and growth of the character development and the reactions when people see Hinata's jump is amazing!! I absolutely, love this anime! I'm literally obsessed with Haikyuu and i can't wait for season 3 to come out! Good plot, BGM'S, etc. For someone like me who has no interest in sports or anything like that, this anime inspires me to do new things, and i could relate a lot to this. It's interesting watching your favorite character develop ... through the plot and learn new things and surprising others, other than this being a sports anime, I believe there's also a lot of comedy involved, i've re watched this over and over again a bunch of times (Tbh, at least like 30 times during my summer vacation) and its hilarious!

Ok. I got into this anime because my friend recommended this to me, saying that i need to watch it. At first when I looked at it, i find the art style quite interesting. I mean i haven't tried watching any sports anime.

The Story i gave it a 8/10, because its cool how they showed the value of teamwork in winning a game. Story is pretty original, them training and all.

Art Style, i gave it a 7/10. It's cool how they were able to create the scene, cause volleyball is a fast game, whenever a player spikes.

Now my favorite part, the characters. At ... first, i expected them to be a boring cast with the main characters taking most of the story, leaving the minor characters in the team not shown. But that didn't happen in Haikyuu, you get to know every player in Karasuno. Also I love the character development in this anime. I gave this a 10/10.

I really enjoyed this anime. 10/10

OVERALL:; 10/10

An outstanding anime of its Time, Haikyuu is probably One of the best Sports Anime in this era.

I really love this Anime because of the faithful adaptation of Production I.G. especially the way they've executed the anime, and most of all I love the OST of this anime, probably my main reason why I love Haikyuu so much(well BGM is the why I've started watching anime in the first place) enough said I just want tell you people that this anime is not your ordinary sports anime where it's only win or lose with a shallow reason, it's an anime filled with unpredictable, well ... developed lovable characters

This anime is predictable when it comes to results of the game, but what isn't predictable was the execution and the characters, of course it's easy to know who's gonna win but it's not when the characters do their role in the story, they are not empty nor shallow but they've got identity and in the story they are developing so much that you can sympathize with them, and that is the reason to like Haikyuu, not because of the story but because of the Character. The Plot is not that much it has a simple pattern of Training and Winning but it was overshadowed by the execution, and by the developing characters, there only few elements that revolves in Haikyuu and it's only limited to the subject of Why do they play, How to play, Who(are the players and the participants of Volleyball, even passing an exam is for volleyball. Well at least this series is not using cliched setting where you just put some characters as a plot device ladder where the main characters have to step on it in order to make the plot progress nor to make some unrealistic power play like KNB. Overall the story was very decent for its sports anime that balances the character depth and shounen premise. The series treats its characters properly, every team has its own story and development, every character has its own problems and flaws yet the more when the characters develops along with the story, some of the things were light hearted but most of them were serious, especially the problems of the characters they were facing when it comes to playing volleyball (so for not one problem was encountered that doesn't affect volleyball unlike PingPong Animation). So Haikyuu is not just a volleyball anime focused to defeat its opponents, but rather every individual even the opponents gets the chance to change on what they are supposed to be as an athlete no matter what circumstances nor history they have, no matter what kind of people they are, they'll change as long as there's a flaw in their character, which is the reason why it's hard to hate an opponent at the same time it values its shounen premise of trying to reach the goal "Winning" and "Rivalry"

The art and the sound is the creme of this anime, Production I.G. never fails when it comes to these things, and they don't fail when they adapt some series, they can make any stories they adapt 10X better than the original, and they are always faithful to the series. Haikyuu is one of them, the manga has a decent plot but the art was very rough, but in the anime they've made the art so smooth but they add some rough scenes like from the manga but in a better way especially the character's critical moments. The art was so good that you'll easily pick the anime over manga, Design Background everything was just perfect. It's rare these days to see an anime better than manga, most of the time manga is better than the anime in terms of plot or adaptation. The execution, the scenes and the effects, or the whole animation was perfect, no doubt they've got the best art and unlike Ufotable which was known for having the best art but also known for not having a good financial support, Haikyuu's better future was ensured by the production, though Production I.G. might not be the perfect studio, w/out a doubt Production I.G. is one of the best production team. Enough said, the anime got an exceptional art, the execution of the animation was too good, especially the 24th episode where you can see fast camera, great angle, creative scenes and balanced screentime to characters.

The Sound probably is the best of the anime, It's really good, which gives soul to the anime, the sound director makes every episode of the anime like a concert which gives satisfaction to its viewers. Most Overrated anime has a good sound and Haikyuu can be easily get good ratings because of it, much more with great art and great characters and unpredictable execution, which is acceptable to get a higher ratings than the others, though the plot is yet to improve. And the best of the sounds of this anime would fall to the BGM made by Yuuki Hayashi, the VA's did their job perfectly but with the support of the BGM the anime takes it into a new level. I how the composer thinks, he makes some BGMs that doesn't fit the anime yet it fits in when they were used in the right way, some of them can be used as an RPG BGM(I did it to be honest) or use it to relaxed or to study, I just love these sound tracks.

No doubt I've enjoyed it, and even I've read the manga this anime was able to surpass what I've expected. Most of the time when I've read the manga, I really don't watch the anime unless it's pretty good, since mangas are always better than the anime, but this time this anime surpasses the manga. Able to create tension despite of being spoiled and to make you feel even though you know what's gonna happen, it's really good that keeps me waiting every week along with the manga. I'm still waiting for the series to become beyond volleyball Playing, I want some dramas or if possible a romantic subplot, something that makes the series not limited to volleyball, but for now it's just a possibility and I hope the Author can do that. Overall the anime was a fun ride filled with unexpected development, a highly recommended anime especially for newbies and casuals. Also if you really love it pls buy it or watch it in legal terms, but if you're poor like me you can just watch in the anime sites as long as you don't pirate it XD

The 2nd season of Haikyuu!! picks up right where the 1st season ended. The Karasuno volleyball club goes home after playing in Inter-High, focused on the the next tournament, training and practicing to become even better than they were before.

After seeing them play in the first season, I honestly didn't know what Karasuno could do to improve their play. They seemed at the top of their game but this season clearly proves that there are levels they haven't even reached yet. It's actually unbelievably impressive to watch them train as hard as they did and not only improve what they already can do but also ... learn new skills along the way. It's so exciting to watch, even more that the first season.

It is pretty amazing how each character proves themselves to be such a vital part of the team. Leading towards the Spring Tournament, hey are take the next months training with Tokyo's top teams, playing practice matches with each of them, learning new skills and improving their play substantially. And once the Spring Tournament starts, you get to watch them display everything they learned and it's so exhilarating. The matches in season one were incredibly exciting, but season two takes volleyball to a whole different level.

One thing I did love was that we already know the characters from the first season so they waste no time getting right back into the story. The beginning is somewhat slow but it is pretty funny. They introduce one new character to the volleyball club, and she's an absolute gem. Definitely a great sequel to the first season, it might even be better. I really can't wait for the 3rd season.

Likes:

-Loved the training, the matches and pretty much every time anyone picks up a volleyball
-Loved the art, during one match, Daichi gets hit really hard in the face and you see the bruise on his face for the rest of the series, I absolutely loved that
-The music was fantastic, the intro really gets you pumped for whats to come
-The characters are hilarious and absolutely love watching them play volleyball
-The matches were incredibly suspenseful and you really couldn't predict what was going to happen

Dislikes:

-I really can't think of any tbh

This is my first review and I may actually sound biased but this is how this anime was for me.

WARNING: HAS SOME SPOILERS.

*PLOT: 9/10
-NEGATIVE POINTS:
1) PREDICTABLE. "Karasuno: A fallen powerhouse"
Let's face it, we all know where this anime will lead to. It's actually predictable but what makes you continue watching it? It's because of the questions: "What will they do?", "How will they face the opponent?" and the like--- in short, it's because of the series of events and curiosity itself.
2) UNREALISTIC PLAYS. Well, I only have two plays in mind and the first was the time when Hinata jumped to reach for ... the ball and landed on the wall. It was their match with Johzenji, if I'm not mistaken. Their captain called him "mini-spider man." The second one was when Oikawa sent a toss to Iwaizumi from the other side of a net. Yes, you can set it there but it's impossible for it to be on point, you know. Yeah, this is an anime so I shouldn't expect it to be 'oh-so-realistic' all the time but that plays killed the realistic feel that I had while watching the match.

-POSITIVE POINTS:
1) DEVELOPMENT. This season successfully showed how Karasuno picked themselves back up after losing in the Interhigh in Season 1. From the training camp up to the matches, they didn't fail to show the changes and developments.
2) PACING. It wasn't too bad either. It wasn't too fast nor too slow.
3) HUMOR: Haikyuu!! wouldn't be Haikyuu!! if it weren't for the tandems like Kageyama-Hinata (Hinata, you dumbass!), Nishinoya-Tanaka (Call me senpai!), Oikawa-Iwaizumi (I'll punch you!) and the like. They sure know where to insert those funny scenes. You would go from an intense "gwaaah!" to a loud "hahahaha!" real quick. It lightens up the mood during matches and adds to the enjoyment.

*CHARACTERS: 10/10
1) DISTINCTION. Each of them has a unique trait that stands out. You wouldn't mistake anyone for someone else. For example, if you say "clever and uninspired," the first one that you'll think of is Tsukki, right?
Also, I like how one team differs from another. They emphasized that teams have their own way of winning.
2) REALISTIC. Aside from the play that I've mentioned earlier… well, this is self-explanatory. You can see it in the anime yourself.
3) GROWTH. "I feel like we're getting in sync more." -Daichi. Growth is the most important factor in this anime and I think they carried it out very well. You can see how they adjust to every match. They did a great job showing how much they've improved not only their skills, but also their personalities as well.
4) SIDE STORIES. I liked how they gave focus to the other characters whom we didn't really notice that much in the 1st season. I thought that I'd only see a glimpse of their side stories but I was wrong. I was actually surprised that they gave Yamaguchi a whole episode. Hands down to that. Showing those back stories made me understand them more and I actually felt like I was connected to them.

*ANIMATION/ART: 8/10
The animation and art was good, just enough to keep the hype and emotions going. Unfortunately, some parts were "recycled." If you'd watch the episodes continuously, you would notice. It was like getting a scrap from a scene and just moving it to another. It would've been better if they varied those moves. Oh, the flashbacks were cool, by the way.

*MUSIC: 9/10
Just like the funny scenes, they know when to put the sound effects and background music. It was on point and it helped the scene's feels flow naturally. The voice actors did a great job and the OST were fine too but "Fly High!" was the one that stood out to me the most. Aside from the fact that its lyrics have a nice message, its rhythm gets you ready for the episode, instilling excitement to the watcher.

*ENJOYMENT: 10/10
I've watch this anime many times already but I still feel like I haven't had enough of it. There's just something about it that hooks you up and makes you want to watch it all over again.

*OVERALL: 10/10
Haikyuu!!, up to the first season and now, exceeded all of my expectations. It may have some flaws but hey, no anime's perfectly made. That's why I'm still giving this a 10. :) It is indeed a must-watch. May you be a volleyball or non-volleyball player/fan, you will surely enjoy watching this anime.

Generally story is the best one you can get from a sports anime. this isn't a typical shounen plot. Here, there's a lot of action given by a group of friends trying to become the strongest. An awesome plot full of twists and it's still awesome and original. We don't boring yet of rewatching it. We love so much every single caracther. Hinata and Tobio are very amazing. Oikawa is a great Captain and Iwaizumi a great vice-captain and ace for the their team. There's also have Hinata's ambition on the Little Giant and the rivalry between Tobio and Oikawa. There's ... some scenes very funny.
Haikyuu!!'s one of the best we've ever seen on a shounen anime.

I always find second seasons of sports anime better than the first, mainly because they usually lose in the first season but grow enough to win in the sequel! It makes everything better watching them pick themselves back up only to reach they're goal and rise even higher!
⠀So the story, the matches weren't taking forever in my opinion but my friend disagrees with me on that saying they drag sometimes idk. I get too caught up in the game! So I guess it's a that haikyuu gets you too engulfed in the match to realize it was like five episodes long?! Kageyama ... & Hinata's fight also Tsuki & Yamaguchi was great. Also Tsuki got the character development he needed, the thing with his brother killed me. ;-; And Ennoshita's backstory plus Yachi appreciating becoming the new manager in the end only added to the loads of character development. The characters only grew to be more adorable and intense in this sequel.
⠀Animation was haikyuu is fantastic especially since production I.G is so good with sports series, doing work on series like diamond no ace and kuroko no basuke. Tbh they're one of my favorite studios, I love so much that they've worked on.
⠀The music was fantastic omfg haikyuu ALWAYS HAS GOOD OPENINGS AND ENDINGS, because SPYAIR is one of my favorite artists. Umm uh umm I don't really remember the background music, but I know it sounded really epic in the matches.
⠀I enjoy this series so much I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

INTENSE!!!!!!
The only word that describes all the plot of all 3 seasons!! You will get the right amount of adrenaline during the first episode and then more and more in each next episode. Behind the main topic - sport - there are also theme of friends, hazard, willing, dreams and team spirit!! As a former volleyball player I just felt nostalgic and it seemed I wished I hadnt had a chance to play like anime characters! But the main look is at volleyball games. You just dont want to miss them!! Also you will be awarded with amazing soundtracks that make you have goosebumbs!! ... But actually there is nothing to surprise because Japanese music plays with your soul and makes you heart warm. So DO NOT MISS IT!!!

Haikyuu Second Season!

It's basically a mirror image of the first season, except that the characters are more experienced now and the amount of character drama has been minimally reduced.

Otherwise, everything is immensely identical. You have training battles, over half the season. Then the tournament starts, they fight some started teams and you can see how they both long for victory, but we know who wins. And then comes the battle of the rivals from the first season and so it ends.

Basically, Haikyuu is a sports anime that couldn't be simpler and keeps repeating its sequence of "Training > Training > ... Tournament" along the way you'll see many amusing scenes or confrontations between hot-headed characters.

What makes Haikyuu so special is neither the plot nor the action. But that each character is given at least a "little" personality, making you feel the will of each character. And when you combine this with immensely intense games where you don't know who's going to score, it creates an almost perfect tension.
Of course, not over the entire course of the matches, but only towards the last 3-4 minutes.

[Characters 6]

Most of the characters are still just running gags with their "rolling thunder" or other strange traits or techniques. Who otherwise have hardly any character. And the same goes for the protagonist Hinata. Even though his will is great, it's hard to say that you feel anything with him. Usually, it's the other characters on his team that win over the viewer.

[Animations 7]

Most of the time very impressive animations are presented to us in a very explosive and detailed way. This is usually only the case when a game reaches its "climax". Otherwise, the animations are simply above average.

[Music 6]

Relatively mediocre outro and intro. But for that, very successful osts, which give the games all the more atmosphere.


[Conclusion]

An impressive anime that tempts me to keep watching, unless it's training episodes. Since half of the anime insists on this and they are very monotonous, unfortunately, little can be said about this. However, as soon as the anime gets going, then the house burns down.

[Enjoyment 7]

This is late, but it's an honest review

Haikyuu season 1 was decent. I enjoyed the anime quite a bit and it was hyped.

In Season 2, there are a few things which I didn't like

1) The music could have definitely been better. The background score was poor and it could have had a few more improvements.

2) Haikyuu season 2 developed Yachi's character, however it failed yet again to delve into Shimizu's life. Nishinoya and Daichi also needed some more personal story arcs.

3) Kageyama is like the typical friend of the protagonist who comes in every Shounen anime. It's just a mirror of Sasuke and Yuno. ... Kageyama had tons of potential when it came to development. The effort put to show his progress from The Great King to a team player was fair, and his interactions were also shown. However, I would like to see more the things from his PoV. Same goes for Daichi and Asahi.

What I liked about Season 2, was the story arc.
The introduction of Ukai was not done in season 1, so fans were eagerly waiting to see his intro in season 2. The anime gave him a proper introduction and his character played a minor role, yet influential since he helped Hinata with his zero tempo shot.

The team improving as a whole, and the personal arc of Tsukishima was absolutely brilliant. The training in the summer camp against the Nekoma group and their training there was also pretty good.

The game against Aoba Johai/Seijoh was very predictable. The author had to introduce a new character to maintain Seijoh's level. However with the practice Karasuno got in the away camps, it should have been an easy victory for Karasuno. It looked like the author wanted to stretch the story a bit more. It diluted the overall quality however (this is purely opinionated)

Normally I start off by saying for whom a series is a good choice or a bad choice but, in Haikyuu's case I already reviewed the first season, and since I thought that the second season was executed better and I enjoyed it more than its first, I'll talk a bit about what improved and some of the things that stayed the same. If you didn't watch the first season and you're just curious about how Haikyuu is at its peak, you could read this review, but note that I speak about the more glaring issues I had with the series in my previous review ... for it. In this one I'll mostly focus on how things changed for the better or stayed relatively the same.

One of the main factors that have caused me to enjoy the series more this season was a result of the fact that the series didn't have to introduce anymore entry pieces and could focus mostly on what I'm watching this series for, the sport. Rather than focus on the drama of the players before the team gets created and how they try to fit with one another, the team is already together, the only thing left is progressively improving it and polishing each character individually. And that's what this season focuses mostly on. Character moments and interesting matches.

Haikyuu always put a lot of focus into its characters, don't get me wrong, the first season literally starts by focusing on how the characters come together and their mentality, however, what it doesn't do particularly well early on is the sport. It takes its time to get to what's entertaining about the sport and how it works in order to entrance the viewer by making sure we understand the characters. And since we already understand the characters...

It will instead put equal focus into the sport, teaching us and the players new techniques and new strategies, as well as introduce new people with different skillsets to spice things up. And as new strategies and techniques are introduced, there's just as many different mindsets and mini character arcs introduced in a fashion that complement each other well, without feeling like the problems the characters encountered are taking away from OUR OWN enjoyment of the sport itself.

The action of the series, the volleyball, finally feels like a proper battle of wits where the team has to use the skills they have honed to perform the most ingenious plays they can in order to win. I can wholeheartedly say that the matches this season were very entertaining and they do fit the description I've just given.

However there's something that didn't really dissapear. And that's the overinvolvement of some characters where it borders melodrama when they react to a negative event. It did somewhat diminish, but I think it's a result of the narrative thread taken rather than an improvement in writing, and there's still some events where you're like "Why does that matter THAT much to you?" or "Why do you have to yell, seriously, you could wait a little bit more and say that casually."

There's hardly any reservation in the actions and reactions of characters to most events, but note that it isn't as ridiculous as I might've possibly have made it sound. I'll try explaining it through giving an example of one arc a character went through, and if you wanna go blind on how things will go in the series, you can skip this paragraph, but trust me, this is just one out of many, so, keep that in mind when deciding, but it's also one of the ones that was more in focus, so what I'm continuing with in this paragraph is a spoiler even if I won't be specific, so also keep track of this fact. So there's this character who's rather reserved and doesn't really want to get into volleyball. You see, the train of thought and the events that influenced him are explained rather well and make sense, basically a person that he looked up to was lying about the fact that he was the best player in a team and then eventually he found out that was a lie and saw that being overlyinvolved in something may cause you to respond in a shameful way when things don't work out and wonders if that level of dedication is worth it if that's how you'll behave if you fail. How do you think he got over this? How do you think he decided to change his ways? Is it by being shown that when you succeed, you'll enjoy what you're doing and take pride in it and that's an addicting feeling? Sure, there's someone that does plant that little seed there, sure. Is it by understanding that an overorgolious ego is a bad thing? No. Is it by understanding that most things that are worth experiencing may cause you to experience shame? No. But what then? A dude goes like AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! in his face, he says cool, and then he gets over it. Well, while there is more to it than that, when an interesting character gets solved with a dude screaming about highschool volleyball, I can't help but be somewhat dissapointed at the blown out of proportion reaction due to overinvolvement.

If you haven't read the previous paragraph, what it boils down to is well done and articulated characterization with a hint of overblown emotion to spin it in the right direction where you might occasionally scratch your head or look in the other direction for a few seconds.

That's pretty much it. The series didn't really weaken in any aspect as it went on, the animation is still consistent and well detailed, the sound of the series seems to be in better sync than in the previous season, overall, it genuinely feels like a better series.

Ultimately this season of Haikyuu featured interesting matches that were consistently entertaining and always bringing something new to the table, characterization that was always welcomed on screen rather than snatching some of the spotlight for the sport itself, albeit sometimes still overlydramatic, but definitely better in terms of that than its preceding season. It turned Haikyuu from an ok show for me to a good one. If you're looking for the same things as me from a sports series, the end result was good for me.

"If I hadn't become a manager, I wouldn't have been able to watch today's matches, wouldn't have been so excited and flustered or been so happy when you won, and my heart wouldn't have felt so warm. It's all because I watched each of you work so hard to do something that you couldn't do before... If I hadn't been here, I would have never had that experience. So, thank you."

Haikyuu!! began as an impressively solid and well-rounded anime, with strong characterisation and development, but it had some flaws. Shoyo was too often far less interesting than everyone around him. The team's manager, ... Shimizu, was a beautiful cipher with roughly one line every two episodes. Tsukishima could be little more than a surly grouch. The anime's scope in subject matter was limited wholly to the gym, with no sense of life beyond that, and its emotional scope was limited to the sports narrative boilerplate themes and feelings of vicarious joy after hard work resulting from disappointment. Like all the best second seasons, this one manages to improve on every flaw while maintaining its former level of quality.

Haikyuu!! Second Season frequently surprised me with its willingness to depict real, serious conflicts and problems. The fear an aging ace on a team might have of being usurped by a rising star (and how that would balance with the team's dynamic), is explored, as are tensions between Shoyo and Kageyama: resulting from Shoyo's desire to evolve as a player past the rigid set plays that used his athleticism without letting him grow or learn, and Kageyama's dismissive attitude that someone who can't function properly as a cog in the wheels can't have opportunities wasted on him. The reason for Tsukishima's unwillingness to truly engage and emotionally invest in his team is revealed, and it's both psychologically realistic and even a little brutal.

New characters are introduced who expand the horizons of the show, giving it more depth and emotional range, and Shimizu becomes a fully-formed character in her own right. The matches are better than ever, because Karasuno is too, and the raised level allows for even more intense competition with complex strategies and in-game evolution. And all the little touches, like a strong serve from someone we've seen fruitlessly practice for twenty episodes, or a quick block showing the developing tactical senses of a brainless rookie, are twice as enjoyable because we've been along on this ride and become invested in the journey because of the show's solid characterisation and constant, organic development. Haikyuu!! Second Season is what shonen anime should aspire to be.

Haikyuu taught me a very important life lesson:
To improve, one must sometimes must be willing to endure long periods of "deprovements".

We often think of the path to expertise can be conquered by perseverance and hard work. Perhaps working smart can help a great deal.
This paradigm of thinking is prevalent in almost every sports and shounen anime out there. Keep on pushing and never give up - you will improve bit by bit and eventually hit there.

Haikyuu goes against this popular and often untrue opinion.

[Mild spoilers below.]

In the show, when the dynamic duo realized that their insane quick has hit a wall, they deconstructed their ... technique and went through a period of hellish training in order to evolve their quick. This meant that they have to endure a massive performance drop against their opponents. Previously they had only lost 2 or 3 points, but when they were in the midst of training, they had to endure losses of 10 or more points, because they kept failing at executing their new quick.

Eventually, when everything came together, it resulted in revolutionary growth that would otherwise not happened if the duo chose to remain in their comfort zone and simply kept practicing their old technique.

This phenomena is evident in elite running (see 80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster By Training Slower by Matt Fitzgerald). In order to become faster, elite runners train by performing 80% of their runs at a slow speed (below ventilatory threshold). This runs counter-intuitive to the idea that in order to run fast, one has to practice running fast during training sessions. Yes, to run fast, one must not succumb to the temptation of showing off high speeds during training. Short term pride is not worth the last laugh one will get by staying disciplined and being willing to "deprove" to improve.

[Weaknesses]

One of the weaknesses of the show is perhaps the non-realism of the new quick (see 0207xander's review). Maybe the author, or his editor felt that they could make increase the "cool-factor" by giving the ball some crazy spin, but it would have been better if the basis of the new quick is based on principles that are actually applicable to real life volleyball.

As I prefer more-realistic sports anime (the feeling of realizing something cool is actually realistic upon further research is truly exhilarating), this is the one area that Haikyuu falls short of my expectations (thus a 9). Otherwise, this show is a masterpiece.

Okay. I am not going to write a novel. I really enjoyed it makes me laugh I think the main character is the cutest thing and I love the team. THAT BEING SAID. I have some issues. One Tskushima and his attitude has really ran my patience. If this is so tragic for you and you don't understand why everyone is working so hard just to lose WHY ARE YOU HERE. GO AWAY. His sour attitude held the teem back.


Other issue like with season one I was really over all these geniuses that don't need the coach to strategize. And by the way everybody ... is ten steps ahead when they're a powerhouse. But my biggest 2 issues are 1) mad dog wasted character given to us only to make that final battle difficult. And 2) I have seen many sports anime and I do not believe they are strong enough to take nationals. I'm knb the team was already strong but only two players gave them that push. In this show they are struggling. I really loved the show but it has its flaws.

Note: This is a short review of the whole series.
If somebody were to ask me what is the most important aspect of a show I'd say it's the characters. If asked why, I'd give as an example Haikyuu!!
The story of a bunch of high school kids playing volleyball sounds boring and uninteresting- and it really is. However, why do I love this show so much? Because of the characters. Once you really start caring about them, everything they feel- you feel it too. Their passion, their insecurities, their sadness and, of course, their happiness. And everything that is important to them- is important to you ... as well. Yes, this show is about a bunch of high school boys playing volleyball- but, trust me, you’re going to feel every second of the volleyball games like you’re the one who poured all his/her passion it.
You are probably curious to find out why am I saying the characters are so great- what’s so special about them? Well, couldn’t really say it’s something special- it’s their relatability, personalities and the way they are portrayed. Each and every individual has one trait which makes them likeable: Hinata’s undying love and passion for a sport in which he has a major disadvantage- and his overflowing ambition to become great despite his shortcomings, Kageyama’s willingness to change his rough personality in order to fit in better with the team, Nishinoya’s amazing enthusiasm, team spirit and willingness to not give up, Daichi’s amazing leadership which keeps the team together - and the list could go on.
I also mentioned how incredibly relatable these characters are. In Haikyuu!!, there’s always this feeling that the characters are starting from the bottom- that they are in no way great but they are working their hardest, doing their best and are feeling the same nervousness a normal person would feel if they were in their situation. I love how they put a lot of focus on some character’s lack of self confidence (which for me personally is as relatable as possible), on their fear of losing, on the pressure of living up to their own expectations and on the disappointment in themselves when they make a mistake. In Haikyuu!!, you always have your fingers crossed for the characters to succeed the techniques they plan on doing cuz you saw how hard they worked and how much they want wish to able to do them. However, you do seem them fail a lot. And when they succceed- it makes you feel so damn happy and proud.
Yes, Haikyuu!! is by no means a dark or serious show- it’s a light-hearted, at times funny and endearing story that will have you feeling happy, excited and sometimes nervos thanks to our loveable characters.
Ending note: this was my first ever review- hope it wasn't too bad.

Whoa, did this season nearly give me a panic attack!

I'm continuously impressed with the stellar storytelling in Haikyuu!! It really is deserving of all the praise and attention it gets. Watching this team dig themselves up from the bottom of the barrel to a point where they're actually a formidable powerhouse is stunning to watch. As always, this anime lines its story with wonderful narration as well as exceptional animation. Getting riled up over sports is not something I do often, but you can't help it when you watch Haikyuu!!

As far as individual character growth this season, it was outstanding. Not only did literally every ... character develop at least one new skill, the entire team developed together as well. It truly is inspiring to see these characters grow and change. It's also a testament to the quality of the anime itself that they can add in so many characters while still maintaining a degree of backstory and development for each of them.

I'd still recommend Haikyuu!! to anyone who enjoys a good story that melds with great characters. It's one for the ages.

" Losing isn't always the end, sometimes it becomes the beginning. " - Jospeh Duffy

The story itself is of a typical shounen genre and the experience of winning and losing that it portrays is another ordinary taste that every anime with similar genre has. The taste of winning a match and conquering others is certainly unforgettable, but the taste of losing will etch inside the heart and leaves all sort of regrets and blames inside as an invisible torture. What comes next is the determination and the enthusiastic fire that is bright enough to melt it. And Haikyuu managed to do just that.

The highlight of ... the show is the characters' insane determination and their endless will to keep going, to keep coming up with different attack and defense styles and to train non-stop just to improve the styles as to win the next match. It hurts to lose something even after you gave it all you got and others comfort you with words that has no meaning to you, but it hurts more not to try harder and to lose again.

The story depicts it well, that we can emphathize their bitterness in losing and their happiness in fighting through the other god-like teams with their overwhelming strength and teamwork as we cried out inside in joy for them.

The characters are made up of a vast ensemble of different quirks for each player inside the team and for the other teams as well. The art style managed to match each characters with their personalities perfectly, from a cowardly ace with huge body, a small-sized middle block with insane jumping power and speed to a new cute and shy manager who is lack of self-confidence but brings a huge impact to the team. The characters' charms are the main drive that keeps the story entertaining and serious depending on the situation, you can laugh at the interaction between the mis-matched duo, Kageyama and Hinata and the entire team yet at the same time you can feel their passion and drive while playing a match, and how they keep backing each other up that you just want to cheer for them.

The sounds match quite good with the tense and cheerful situation, to keep us either on the edge of our seat or dwell inside our joyful heart as we want to see more of their actions and quirks. Most noticeable OST for me is " Fly High " by Burnout Syndromes which is perfect change for the show and rise up my love for it even more.

Overall, Haikyuu is not just an anime that those who are interested in volleyball will enjoy, but it will appeal to anyone that is up for a shounen anime for a change as it is entertaining with a bit of comedy and present a grasp of losing and winning as a team. The very embodiment that makes Haikyuu much more interesting.

Let's get right into it.

Haikyuu!! is a Dramatic Sports (Volleyball) anime with bits of comedy placed here and there.

Visuals: Season two of Haikyuu!! carries on the visual effects of the first season, there's not much to say about it, it's very refreshing to the eyes just like the first season.
[Rating: 9]

Music: Phew man, Haikyuu!! is one of those animes that goes from sensual relaxation to an absolute adrenaline rush, and that's almost completely because of the music. It works perfectly to progress a situation enough to have you on the edge of your seat.
[Rating: 9]

Characters: Similar to season one, the characters are put in the ... spotlight, and the flaws that were present when it came to the characters in season one, quickly dissipated in season two. Motivation is perfectly highlighted in each character's background as they're introduced, although simplistic, it perfectly mops up the problem and doesn't leave any character neglected like it did before.
[Rating: 10]

Conclusion: Haikyuu!! season two carries on the same amount of detail and beauty as the first season, but improves upon it's characters' background and motivation. If anything season two is perfect for me as an adrenaline junky, I was on the edge of my seat almost every other episode and really enjoyed how detailed the explanations were with each move, without taking a plethora of time to explain it. I thoroughly enjoyed the first season, and enjoyed the second just as much or maybe even more.
[Rating: 10]

[Rating: 38/40 = 0.95]

I've never made a review here, but this is my favourite anime of all time, so I thought I need to do it. I haven't review the first season (I'll do it), but that's just because I think this season is better. Now, I'm going to begin the review.

First of all. The story. (8/10)

This is an sport anime, so much shounen, and also a little slice of life. Although in other seasons I've waited for the matches to begin because the slice of life moments were exhausting (i'm looking for you, season 4), in this season, the first 12 episodes, although they have some matches, ... we see the characters training and socializing with other teams or characters, and it's done so well you can't get bored of it. It has a lot of comedy, and luckily, my kind of comedy, what works for me, but it also has its serious and great moments. If you have seen the first season, and then see the first season of this season, you'll feel the need to continue seeing it. Episode 1 of this season is one of the best in the series. The pacing is perfect, and all episodes feel important. Of course, I can't give it a better score, as it doesn't focus on the story, because of being an sport anime.

Art. (9/10)

This anime isn't made by kyoto animation, so the animation and art isn't ALWAYS perfect. But that's why I give it 9 instead of 10. The art itself is good, but the animation is incredible. You need to see it by yourself.

Sound (10/10)

This anime's OST is incredible, I listen to it years after completing it, because it has some incredible themes. Seriously, it's one of the best things of it.

Characters (9/10)

The characters in this season gets a lot of development, and we see a lot of them, but I can't give it a 10 because of one character that gets its final development in the next season, leaving us without knowing how will he end.

Enjoyment (10/10)

At this point of the review, some people may think that I'm being very exaggerated with this scores, but you might consider that Voleyball is my favourite sport. I like to play it and see it a lot, that's why I love this anime. Also it shows perfectly the techniques and the volley love its players has.

Overall: 9/10