Haikyuu!! Karasuno Koukou vs. Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou

“Even if we're not confident that we'll win, even if others tell us we don't stand a chance, we must never tell ourselves that.”
-Daichi Sawamura

In today's anime age; a world filled with over-analyzations and deconstructions, it's always nice to see a series like Haikyuu come along as if to passively antagonize critics with its immense amount of hype. I've been quite guilty of it in the past, often thinking there was no other reason to watch a series than to critique how much it made you 'think'. But to all the fault-finding reviewers and critics out there (myself included), I have one thing to ... say... just save your words for once. People aren’t watching this anime to tirelessly dissect its story or characters on a philosophical level. Haikyuu is about having fun, comradery and the love of volleyball. The ultimate underdog story. That's pretty much it.

If you told me a couple of years ago that an anime franchise involving high school sports would become one of my favorites in the medium, I probably would've laughed in your face. But I've come to realize that the quality of an anime goes beyond how it makes you think. How it makes you feel is just as important... because at the end of the day, most of us watch anime as a means to escape the repetition of everyday life and just enjoy ourselves. It transports us somewhere exciting, somewhere we normally don’t experience ourselves. Anime should be fun, and Haikyuu is no exception to that.

Haikyuu's third season could almost be viewed as an expansion pack to the main series, or as one reviewer put it, much like DLC for your favorite video game. This is a fair assessment given the truncated 10 episodes compared to the first two seasons of 26 episodes each. Karasuno finds themselves pitted against the powerhouse Shiratorizawa, in a 5 set match no one expects them to win. There is less character development overall, but more than enough action to make up for it. I’d say this season emulates the intense tone produced by the last few episodes in season 2, my favorites of the entire series. The result is a nail-biting, pulse-pounding thrill ride to the match's epic conclusion. It's just what I needed to get me through a relatively lackluster fall season.

There isn’t much in the way of story this season, due mostly to its shorter run time. Being in a 5 set match is unfamiliar territory for our favorite Karasuno team, which begins to show as the series progresses. Exhaustion starts to become a factor, and for the first time I can remember in Haikyuu, players begin to tire mentally and physically. This incorporates an important aspect of playing sports, making the characters that much more relatable to someone who’s been there. We also see a culmination of the variety of new skills Karasuno’s players have been practicing come to fruition when they matter the most. Whether from Nishinora’s jump-setting or Tsukishima’s read-blocking, each player plays a pivotal role in turning the tides at one or more points during the match. The writers of Haiykuu also continue their emphasis on the backgrounds of Karasuno’s opponents throughout the match. It was a tad watered down from last season, and I would still have liked to see Ushijima’s past elaborated on more.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the whole series up to this point is the sudden mental involvement displayed by none other than the deadpan Tsukishima. Normally Tsuki exhibits a personality as dynamic as a cardboard box, but shocks us all as he begins to become more engaged and driven to help out his team. He emulates the mentality that no one likes to lose, and I found myself actually cheering out loud for him when he blocked Ushijima for the first time. Another refreshing point to bring up about the cast is how passive a role Hinata and Kageyama actually play in this season. As the series progresses, the narrative shifts from the drive and determination of Hinata as an individual to the importance of teamwork and synergy. The result is truly powerful and I’ve begun to really get attached to every member of Karasuno’s team.

Obviously the hype in Haikyuu is beyond unreal, and the third season is the best example of this. Even the relatively stone-faced members of Shiratorizawa get wrapped up in the excitement. Anime has proven time and time again that you can breathe life and intensity into any subject matter. Some people may fault the series for its plethora of overreactions and such, but at this point the viewer should come to expect it based on the precedent laid out by Haikyuu’s first two seasons. It’s the necessary evil of sports anime, but one I have grown to forgive Haikyuu for because I love it the series that much. Even up until the last episode, the result of the match was unclear and allowed me to stay glued to my screen for the entire 10 episodes. Karasuno doesn’t always win, and that vulnerability makes you cheer for them even harder when they do.

Is it better than Season 2? Unfortunately, the abridged format coupled with less interesting characters cause it to fall short of the brilliance surrounding the second installment. Many of the training camp episodes from last season did more to add to the story than I realized, causing viewers to really bond with the opposing players that much more. Not to mention Oikawa being the character you wanted to cheer for but couldn’t. Another aspect of the series I didn’t find to be irritating until this point was the lack of family members from Karasuno’s players being shown in the stands. Instead we are limited to a select few that are grouped together while the rest of the crowd seems to consist of the student body. From attending many high school sporting events in the past, it can be somewhat hard to fathom how the parents of these kids aren’t even in the picture in their matches. A small complaint, but one I just don’t understand. Maybe Furudate (creator) though Haikyuu had enough characters already!

Voice acting is still solid and the music is consistently upbeat and powerful. There are quite a few recycled tracks from the earlier seasons, which I actually found comforting more than stale for the series. The sound editing and effects are some of the best in the business, as Haikyuu delivers again with its realistic gymnasium sounds and crowd noises. The animation also seems like it received a significant upgrade from the show’s debut season, rivaling other sports series like Ping Pong in its level of “over-the-top-ness”.. Granted, only having to edit together one setting for the entire season probably allowed the animation team to expand their skills in other, more intricate areas.

To sum up this season in one sentence (as recommended by one of my MAL pals), Haikyuu S3 is “A white-knuckled underdog story driving 100 mph over the speed limit, wearing a huge grin the entire time.” It’s a series best viewed in one binge-watching session rather than enjoyed week by week, and is only bested by it’s previous installment. If you’ve seen the first two seasons, you’re already behind the curve by not picking this one up... it’s a hell of a good time! Thanks for reading and be sure to look out for more of my Fall ‘16 reviews!

Like many other people, I initially wasn't attracted to Haikyuu. Seeing clips and hearing about anime such as Free made me think that Haikyuu too would be another fanservice sports anime. I was surprised, however, to find that I immensely enjoyed Haikyuu. Haikyuu is by no means my favorite anime, but it is the anime that I have become the most attached to.

Story: 8
If you've watched other sports anime such as Kuroko no Basket, the overall storyline is rather predictable, almost to the point where the anime becomes less enjoyable (as it lacks on that overall sense of surprise that is important in anime). Luckily, ... Haikyuu isn't about the overall story as much as it is about character development and backstory.

Art: 10
They really went all out with the art this season. The action scenes' animation looks incredibly good. Furthermore, they incorporate a lot of interesting visual metaphors which I find appealing (ex. http://imgur.com/a/9Oh9z ).

Sound: 10
The soundtrack for Haikyuu is godlike. Voice actors are good. A lot of people complained that they didn't like Coach Ukai's new VA, but I think it's fine. (R.I.P Kazunari Tanaka).

Character: 10
The characters are probably why so many people like Haikyuu. Haikyuu creates deep, interesting characters that have their own personality. Each set of members on a team will elicit feelings from the viewer. If you personally enjoy character development, Haikyuu has a lot of it, and I mean A LOT (ex. Tsukki).

Enjoyment: 10
I looked forward to watching this every week; so much so that I don't want to read the manga since I'm afraid it will lessen my enjoyment of the anime adaption. After the first season, I became unhealthily attached to the characters (save me).

Overall: 10
You might see the 8 I gave the story. But all that matters is my personal enjoyment so Haikyuu gets an easy 5/7 from me.

Given the monumental amount of hype that Haikyuu seems to have within its own fan base, I hope that this review will not come across as more negative than I intended it to, so I would just like to start by saying that Haikyuu is for sure one of the better traditional sports anime I have seen, but even so it is still far from perfect.

This third season picks up right where the last one left off, throwing us right into the Spring Tournament regional finals between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. And that is pretty much the entirety of what this season is about as it ... is significantly shorter at merely 10 episodes, and all of that is spent on this single best-of-five finals. However, the shorter length also means that there is very little downtime, and thus pretty much every single episode of this season is action-packed and engaging, unlike the second season which spent its entire first half on nothing but lackluster training arcs, so I definitely consider this to be an improvement on paper.

Now I will admit that generally speaking I am not really a fan of hot-blooded shounen series, nor am I particularly fond of sports outside of real life, so this definitely has an impact on my enjoyment of Haikyuu as well. In short, this anime is very predictable. It is one thing to be able to guess the eventual winner, but for example I should not be able to so easily say in which order the sets are going to be won by the respective sides, because it is all made to play out in the way which creates the maximum amount of hype for the viewers. It just... feels pretty fake. And even the rallies within the sets themselves are generally pretty predictable; the camera focuses especially on one player for a bit and lets you see things from his perspective, at which point you can rest assured that the next point or two is going to be decided by him. Eventually the other players will adapt to whatever strategy he is using and then break his streak, at which point the focus will shift to someone else where the same thing will play out. It feels like it is all following a script. That said, I do have to admit that even though it feels pretty unnatural, it is undoubtedly quite effective. Thanks to the stellar directing that Haikyuu has, it really manages to make every point feel important and engaging, and the amount of emotion stemming from the players is not to be underestimated. You can really feel how much this means to everyone and how badly they want to win, no matter the cost. However, that still does not change the fact that the progression of the actual sets is simply too clean and perfect, and feels like it is following too much of a rigid pattern rather than portray the chaos that volleyball so often becomes in real life.

This is where I should probably mention that I am by no means an expert on volleyball and my knowledge of it is limited to what I have learned in PE class and from watching it on TV. However, this also proves a point of mine even further because despite my lack of expertise on the subject matter, I still find that I legitimately know more about the sport than these players do a lot of the time. I feel like Haikyuu oftentimes treats me like an idiot. Why is it that these supposedly national level athletes are just now taught what certain basic positions and tactics like angle blocking are? That makes no sense at all. I mean yes, I realize that the mangaka wants to teach things to the readers/viewers who have little to no understanding of volleyball whatsoever, but could you not have done so in a way which does not straight-up lower the story's sense of realism? For example, you could have just thrown in some short non-canon tutorials for the sake of the audience without interfering with the plot progression at all. On top of that there are also a couple points which are just plain implausible, like that it is supposedly harder to play against left-handed players than right-handed ones. What kind of sense does that make? This is volleyball, not football. The ball reaches its destination in less than a second when spiking so there is absolutely no way the opposite spin direction would have time to curve the trajectory in any relevant way at all, and given how lightweight the ball is I do not see how the spin would make it any harder to pass or receive either.

Another thing that really annoys me about this third season (which is a problem which actually did not exist in the prior seasons) is the complete lack of preparation from Karasuno prior to the finals. I mean think about it; Shiratorizawa is supposed to be the most famous team in the entire region for their age bracket, and they have won multiple big tournaments over the last few years already. On top of that they have a superstar ace player in Ushijima who seemingly everyone knows about. So why is it that Karasuno are seemingly learning who their opponents are during the actual finals itself? They should have tons and tons of easily accessible information about every single one of the starting players they're facing since ages ago, and should thus have been appropriately prepared for what was coming well ahead of time. Especially considering that this is a shounen series where pretty much every player has some super specific skillset like Ushijima's raw power spikes and Tendou's "Guess Monster" gimmick, rather than just being all-round solid players like you generally expect high-level players to be in real life. In other words coming up with hard counters should be much easier here than in reality as long as you know what you are dealing with ahead of time, which again, Karasuno really should have known. Like I can sort of understand the opposite scenario with how Shiratorizawa may have been confident enough in their victory to not really care about researching their opponents, and similarly Karasuno's matches in earlier rounds and tournaments have been against lesser opposition so I guess that excuse might somewhat apply there too, but for this finals, not so much. It is like taking a college exam without studying for it and just hoping that your raw talent will be enough for you to figure out the answers on the spot. Sure, maybe that will work out for you, but it still seems a hell of a lot smarter to just study ahead of time instead. The same logic applies for Karasuno in this tournament finals.

Speaking of skillsets, I also have to say that the aforementioned abilities in particular are pretty ridiculous. Does any professional volleyball player base their moves around trying to read their opponents' eye movements and similar like Tendou does? You think you have time to do something like that in a sport as fast-paced as volleyball? I highly doubt it. And as far as Ushijima goes, I find his ability to be really dumb. For one it is rather uncreative with how it is basically all power and very little strategy involved, but more importantly that kind of strength makes no sense at all. As briefly mentioned earlier, a volleyball is pretty lightweight, and even the most forceful spike can only generate so much kinetic energy as a result. So the fact that Ushijima's spikes could be so strong that they can just go straight through blocks is just ridiculous. There is no way that should happen. In summary, there are quite a lot of aspects of Haikyuu which are just plain unrealistic, which is ironic given that one of the common praises I keep seeing for the show is its supposed realism.

All that said though, I still consider Haikyuu to be a pretty good anime in general because despite its flaws, it is a lot of fun to watch nonetheless, and it is both addictive and engaging. The problems with it mostly lie with the details, but the more general aspects are all quite solid. For one, the production value is extremely good. I am not sure if I have ever seen a sports anime with as fluid animation as Haikyuu has, so Production I.G definitely deserves a large part of the credit for the show's success. And similarly, the soundtrack serves to both severely ramp up the level of intensity of the matches as well as enhance the emotional impact when need be, with all-round crisp and stellar timing. The characters are perhaps not utterly amazing in terms of writing but they have a lot of development, and discounting the part where they sometimes seem clueless to things they really should not be, they generally do feel quite believable and admirable. In this particular season I think it is especially Tsukishima who gets the most development as something that had been building up since almost the very start of the show ends up paying off in full, which was quite satisfying to see. Looking back at how he used to be, it almost feels like watching a completely different person by the end of this season.

Finally, before ending this I would just like to touch upon something concerning this anime's fan base which has always annoyed me and I did not know where else to put it. Time and time again I see people (especially those that have not actually seen it) label Haikyuu as "homosexual volleyball". In a sense this is understandable given the unbelievable amount of Haikyuu-themed male-on-male romance fan art and fanfics there are out there, often sexual in nature, so clearly in terms of how the fujoshi treat it this is not incorrect. However, the actual anime itself is not gay at all. It is not like Yuri on Ice which has blatant homoerotic tension shoved into your face pretty much every episode; Haikyuu has nothing of the sort. I have never seen the guys in this show stare deeply into each other's eyes, be bashful in each other's presence, end up in any compromising positions with each other or shown any signs of being interested in one another beyond mere friends and teammates. I may not be a volleyball player, but I did play football for many years so I can at least say that there is nothing remotely homosexual about simply playing in the same sports team as a bunch of other guys and passionately wanting to win together. So please stop trash talking Haikyuu for supposedly being yaoi-bait and avoiding it solely because of that, because it is not only a silly reason but also just plain incorrect. Blame a certain obsessive minority of the fan base if you so desire, but not the show.

In any case, the third season of Haikyuu is an overall solid addition to an already well-established franchise which for the most part maintains the same strengths and weaknesses as its prior seasons despite being less than half the length. It is also more straight to the point than ever before as there is significantly less fluff, and as a result every episode feels fast-paced (but not too fast) and important. And while I wish that it had done a couple things differently, as a whole it is nonetheless a very enjoyable anime which is definitely worth checking out. Not that I see why you would not watch this season as well if you have already invested enough time to get through 50 episodes of it previously. If you have seen and liked the first two seasons already, there really is no reason to not watch this one as well.

“You are only an amazing ace if you can create a miracle.”

Scratch that cheesy quote! If there is one idea this anime solidifies, it's, “You are only an amazing anime if you can create perfectly timed miracles!”

Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou VS Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou is literally, as the synopsis on MAL states, an anime where the whole plot revolves around the over hyped game between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. This is the third installment in the Haikyuu!! franchise and I recommend you all to watch how a studio who lacks enough manga material to field a full 25 episode season, manages to show their over-hyped ... fans one match in 10 gruesome long episodes. Let’s be honest, they know the fanbase would’ve watched it regardless being padded with endless flashbacks to justify the “miracles” during the game.

There really isn’t any story to this anime. It’s just an anime about one game. The difficulty lies in how can you make one game super interesting when you’ve used up pretty much every possible curveball scenarios a team must overcome in the past two seasons. Simple, throw in Mr. Super Android Perfection, Ushijima, Wakatoshi, whose major difference is he can spike with his left hand. Did I mention, he is also mister Perfection? How will the mortal humans of Karasuno overcome this new hurdle? Maybe they will have to use their cliché secret weapon aka the power of friendship, bonding, camaraderie. Top that with over use of flashbacks to justify why one player is able to block one single spike or net a point. Being the final game in the competition, there are 5 sets, so logically, viewers would think 2 episodes per set. WRONG. Another slider the studio throws at the viewer is they made one game over in the blink of few seconds and spends 4 episodes over another game. The pacing of the show is damaged tremendously by the amount of flashbacks explaining every little strategy and over usage of slow-mos. We get it, you want the viewers to understand volleyball, but you have to stop dumbing it down so much, especially when it is the 3rd season. Nevertheless, you can legit create a drinking game out of the amount of times Mister Perfection is in the air trying to take a spike. Be warned though, Production IG is not responsible for your hospital bill. The best thing about the story is that they knew when to stop from pulling a Naruto level filler.

If an anime lacks story surely the characters would be memorable right? Wrong. Other than maybe one or two characters, no one else really went through any major growth or change. Heck the fans had more character growth than the players did during this game. The anime tries to stray away from the main characters, Hinata and Kageyama, and focus on Tsukki and Mister Perfection (Ushijima). But the major refreshing character to come out of this anime is Tendou aka Guess Monster. It is really hard to attach yourself to any characters and it feels like if fans enjoyed a certain character prior to this season, they will closely identify with that character. It’s good that every character pretty much gets similar screen time so it adheres to the concept of winning or losing as a team except for the bench players. Let’s be real, why would both team’s coach even put them in such a crucial game. One major issue is that most players still lack the ability to jump serve this late into the competition. Aside from the characters being pigeonholed into having yaoi moments for the fandom/fanfiction most of the characters will be easily forgotten.

Up to this point, it might feel like why should we watch such an abysmal show that suffers greatly in story and character. Well if there is one thing Haikyuu!! franchise gets right time after time, it’s their art and soundtrack. By utilizing hand drawn animation and bold vibrant colours, the studio is able to provide a rich realistic style of anime that is unique and memorable for the viewers. The animation stayed true throughout the series. Regardless, being a sports shounen anime where you will come across multiple players that pretty much look the same. It makes you wonder did the studio do it to make the major character stand out or the only way they know how to differentiate one character from the other is thick or thin eyebrows. Although the OP and ED song for this anime didn’t really stand out like in previous seasons but keep in mind that OP/ED tends to be subjective. However, the background music was spot on during the games. They were able to create the necessary hype and cliff-hanger the show requires to further along the plot episode after episode.

Overall, criticisms aside, Haikyuu!! 3 is a great sports anime whose primary goal is to showcase the epic David vs Goliath story of Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. They did execute that really well except they took two too many episodes to show it. Instead of stretching it to 10 episodes they could’ve released a movie or make it a 6-7 episode short anime due to lack of manga material. Regardless, I would recommend watching the first two seasons prior to watching this anime and don’t forget to binge this season. I had fun watching it, provided me great laughs and memories but tbh I wouldn’t rewatch this particular season. Although the ending of the anime did promise another sequel and here’s to hoping the next season will be far better than this season!

Thank you for reading this review. Be sure to check out my other reviews as well as Haikyuu!! S2 review. I hope you all found it helpful and if you have any helpful feedback/criticism hit me up on my pm. I don’t bite :3

P.S. Fav quote: "If you are going to stare at someone, atleast stare at a girl" – Coach Washijou, Tanji

(Review got removed because it was updated to completion ;-; gotta make the climb back)

Well, pains me to say, but I’m gonna be the wiener who has to tell everyone the flaws of Haikyuu! again.

I’m going to preface this review by saying that because I actually play volleyball, lots of the issues I have with the show are specific to someone who has knowledge of high-level high school volleyball, so because the vast majority of this fanbase doesn’t know anything about volleyball outside of this show, you might not be as annoyed at certain things as I am. This is just one humble man’s opinion.

I ... want to make clear that Haikyuu is not a bad show by any means, and in fact, I think it’s better than the vast majority of sports anime. Unfortunately, I don’t like shounen, which Haikyuu makes itself painfully obvious that it is. There’s no subtlety, everything is tell, don’t show. They try to teach you the sport of volleyball as you watch and act like you’re 8 years old while doing so. They have to explain each and every little intricate rule, which ultimately makes the show less entertaining and harder to sit through, especially when you know everything they explain in the first place.

Obviously the animation for this show is fantastic, as expected. There is nothing to complain about from the art or sound departments, except for the fact that S2 had a better OP, but that’s subjective ;) Soundtrack can’t be expected to be incredible for a 10 episode series about literally one match, but the sound design and effects are spot-on as usual, so I don’t think it really matters at all.

One thing I can truly say is a virtue of the show (aside from the gay undertones, those are always of quality) is that the atmosphere of the matches in Haikyuu are great. There’s enough tension and stress without it causing the viewing experience to suffer, but it’s also realistic enough to not just turn into a joke or feel like there are no consequences. The rivalries are quite plausible and well-developed (if a bit cheesy at times) and I love the camaraderie between members of different teams, it warms my heart.

Another thing I like about Haikyuu is how nothing comes easy. You sometimes see in sports shows that if you just put training in, you can’t lose. That’s not the case at all, you have to have talent or your work means nothing. The players in Haikyuu all have to use their individual skillsets to better the team’s chances at winning, and while it’s not necessarily a revolutionary concept, it’s executed well beyond mediocrity.

There are many other things I like about this show, these are just the ones I’m best able to provide my unique opinion on rather than just the standard “i like haikyuu beucase haikyuu has good plot and characters and hype!”. If you want to know my opinion on anything, go ahead and ask me.

Now we have to get to the things I don’t enjoy about Haikyuu!

The main complaint I have is how stupidly overpowered Ushijima is. Even the players on the US youth national team aren’t as unstoppable as him. That kind of power to just blast through blocks does not exist, his inability to be stopped, and the fact that he only hits hard (no variety) just grinds my gears. They also pretend like he’s special for being left-handed as if no other players in Haikyuu! are lefties?

I feel like that this show has reached a point where they’ve run out of ways to make each match interesting and unique. In the last season there were so many matches played and there’s only so much variation that can exist before it all begins to blend together. Their way of mending this problem was to add massive ass-pulls to add extra flavor such as the “Guess Monster” bit, the whole Shiratorizawa underdog setter thing, Tsukishima for no reason at all just becoming a blocking lord, the forced backstory for the third-years in episode 6, all the little annoying conversations under the net, and various other little quirks that feel forced and unnatural.

Now on to the games. They’re too perfect and choreographed. Everything that happens is either pass, set kill, or bad pass, cover, free ball, other team passes, set, kill. There’s no chaos, which is what makes volleyball such a unique sport, the unpredictability and sheer magnitude of sensory overload and things you have to pay attention to all at the same time. Now I understand that they can’t animate all of this because that’s just unreasonable, but it still makes it feel like Haikyuu! is doing the sport of volleyball a disservice because of it. The games don’t feel smooth, they feel like a writer mapped them all out (which obviously still would’ve happened if they DID feel random, just don’t worry about it and hit that “Helpful” button below my review) and eliminated unpredictability. This could’ve been helped by all the actions and transitions being sped up, but I recognize that you gotta fit 5 sets into 10 episodes so whatever.

The final thing that made me want to poop my pants were some of the ridiculously basic things these players are just learning. I cannot believe in episode 2 they had to explain what the position “Opposite” was. Position names are quite literally the first thing you learn in volleyball and the opposite is just anyone who hits on the right side. Boggles my mind. Something else they mention is using the strategy of taking away angles to force them to hit to certain areas. That is also something you learn the very first time you learn how to block. Why does it take Tsukishima explaining every single move to his outside for them to just put up a competent block on their own? So frustrating how easy it should be, but Haikyuu! takes everything easy and makes it difficult. Yet again, I don’t get how these national-level high school athletes don’t understand this basic stuff.

I don’t really understand why everyone is so crazed with this season. Rank #6 overall is ridiculously high for a 10 episode show about a match of volleyball. In my opinion, it was worse than the previous 2 due to its lack of diversity and having to always take itself way too seriously. I’m also fearful of what’s to come. The ending was very predictable and with them going to nationals, it’s going to be potentially annoying to have to see the writers try (and possibly fail) to come up with unique, engaging ways to present challenges posed by foreign teams. Is it going to be basically just the same thing as the last 2 seasons except with different characters? Who knows?

Thank you for reading my review! I’m always open to feedback, so if you have some, feel free to hit up my profile.

Story: In this third installment of Haikyuu, the anime continues to follow the events of the manga with no significant changes. This season centers on the finals arc against Shiratorizawa, a powerhouse school known for its tall, strong, and talented players and has consistently represented the Miyagi prefecture in the National Spring Tournament.

Art and Sound: Even for those who keep up with the manga and therefore know everything that will happen in the anime, it's like you're discovering what happens in the match again for the first time. If there were any blocks, receives, or plays you read in the manga that made you cheer ... in excitement, it was made even better in the show with the use of slow-motion sequences for dramatic effect, and the imagery of crows and eagles as symbolism for Karasuno's strength in numbers, willpower, and determination. As always, the songs used in Haikyuu are positive and inspiring, like it's saying you can accomplish anything you put your mind to without it sounding trite.

Character: Development is seen in secondary characters in big ways. Certain supporting characters get as much screen time as the main cast, showing backstories and idiosyncrasies to help develop the plot and give the show substance. This makes it hard for viewers to have just one favorite character.

Overall: It'll be a damn shame to not read and watch Haikyuu. It's a roaring good time and can entertain any viewer even when they have a preference for other genres.

I take it back, I take it all back. I originally wrote a review during the season where I was of the opinion that this season was lacking compared to the first two. Still good, but not as great story wise. Well I just watched the final episode and hours later I'm still an emotional wreck.

If you're a fan of Haikyuu!! (as I assume you are, since this is Season 3) don't get discouraged while watching this season. Originally, I had thought that since this season was one long game that the story was a bit lacking. That it may have been a mistake to ... make the season solely focused on Shiratorizawa. But, my friends, I easily admit I was so wrong. The build up that the entire season works towards... it's just epic.

Watch it, and you'll understand what I mean.


My original review, just to show that I really was of the mind it was lacking:

Haikyuu!! is basically my favorite anime of all time, to reiterate on my review of the first season. To also reiterate sports anime aren't really my favorite genre,

But even though I'm a huge fangirl I have to admit, this season isn't as great as the first two. I'd give it a 7.5 if I could. What's largely lacking is the story. Of course, since the season is less than half the number of episodes of each of the previous seasons it's going to not have room for as much development. But it's still a little disappointing that it's literally just one long stretched out game. I've done something I've never done with Haikyuu before... and that was hope that a scene would hurry up and be over. Saddened me a bit. I do understand that they set it up as it is because they have to pace out the anime in accordance to where the manga is.

Anyway, there's not really much to say that hasn't been said about Haikyuu!! already, excellent plot, excellent sound, excellent characters. The only flaw this time is the lack of story development/complexity. On one hand, I think they made a mistake and should have just waited to make season 3 a longer season, with this Shiratorizawa match + what is to come. On the other, I get that it's supposed to be THE match, the one that seasons 1 and 2 were building up towards, so melding it into a season with other plot points of Haikyuu!! would have sort of lessened it's importance and impact.

That's basically it. It's an entire season spanning one match, so you can't really discuss much about it. What I can say as a fan is that despite the lack of story development, there is some nice character development among some familiar characters that make it really nice to watch.

Something else random... I don't really get why people are continually criticizing it because it's not as realistic as real life volleyball. There is NO, literally NOT ONE SPORTS ANIME THAT IS REALISTIC. Insane, athletic moves that not even pros can pull off being performed by school kids? Weird, unrealistic moves that don't exactly exist in real life being performed by school kids? Plot points that put a twist/unexpected spin on the sports rules? WELCOME TO SPORTS ANIME. Kuroko no Basket, Ace of Diamonds, Major, Initial D, Free!, Yowamushi Pedal, Prince of Tennis, Days, etc. etc. etc. even Chihayafuru, a "card sports" anime: the moves are always unrealistic, the players are always better than the pros. However, Haikyuu!! is one of the few that actually make the unrealistic moves/power/skills on the more realistic side. It seems like a really weird thing to rate badly... just my opinion.

This season of Haikyuu was consistent in terms of the qualities Haikyuu has presented so far.

But I'd also like to note that due to its length and enviroments being pretty much stuck in one place due to this season consisting of a really long match, this season of Haikyuu will feel more like a long high budget OVA than a new season. It is a continuation of where it has left off previously, with the finals between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa, the match taking the entire length of this season. There's no new story elements, and the character development that the characters got is now presented ... in how the characters evolved, especially a specific character. And just like the other matches of Haikyuu, it focuses on presenting the opponents as well, with the series taking time to explain the motivation and strengths of most key characters in the team. The third season is pretty much the culmination of the character development the characters went through, as well as the presentation of the team of Shiratorizawa, and that's pretty much why the series is so long, and also why it feels like an OVA. It doesn't serve anything new or unexpected, but presents the facets of the series that its fans enjoyed, which is what I think the ideal OVA should be. And as a result of such I consider this season to be good, because it seems well aware of what works in well in Haikyuu.

The match itself is fun, it presents Karasuno's versatility and willingness to try new things against a team that has honed their skills in a strong and consistent style to overpower their opponents. While this may make Shiratorizawa sound like a boring team, since this means that mostly Karasuno's players will try to make interesting outlandish plays, Shiratorizawa's team players all have different skills and capabilities, and its the presentation of those skills that is the entertainment value coming from that team, as the team also values individual talent and the ability to score, over necesarily having strong teamplay. So you'll have a player who's a very strong spiker, one who's a very strong blocker, and other such examples.

In terms of drama, I still think Haikyuu is a tad ridiculous, but it didn't really have the opportunity to be overlydramatic this season, because its main focus was a more subdued character in terms of presenting his development and that behaviour helping in relieving a bit of the overcompetitiveness that kinda bothers me in Haikyuu. The overlycompetitive nature of Haikyuu is mostly an issue of the former seasons, so I won't go on talking about it.

The animation is consistent and looks as good as it always did, but I assume the fact that they didn't really animate any other locations than two places is due to budget constraints. However, the animation didn't go on a downwards spiral in terms of quality, it's just as fluid and detailed as always. The OST from what I heard was recycled, so there shouldn't be any changes that should unnerve you. Even if there were changes and I'm wrong, I couldn't notice it, and as such, the OST is at least very similar in style and there shouldn't be any problem caused since it's the same thing.

To end things, I still think its likely that if you enjoyed Haikyuu, you will enjoy this season, and if you didn't, this season won't change your mind. I don't believe that Haikyuu has either risen or declined in quality, and the reason it is well received is because its fans are being delivered the things it has had set up and the things it has prepared it for. Which any good series should know how to do and Haikyuu did. Just be aware of how much you've enjoyed the series so far before starting this season.

Only a word for descript this Third season; Tsukishima!!!
The scene with Tsukishima and Ushijima was very epic.
All caracters are very amazing..Every single character looks very good, especially Tsukishima,Ushijima and Tendou. They was very amazing. Don't forgetten the scene with Iwaizumi and Oikawa megane. Aww They are very perfect together.
The anime style is unique and very well made, you can see the mark of the mangaka on each character despite the fact that they are all very different. The soundtrack looks is very good. Every scene has a song which fits perfectly. Each track is able to get us in the mood for the specific ... moment, being it sad, funny or exciting. We get goosebumps on every game and we almost cry with the flashbacks. The animation studio is godlike and each movement flows like magic on the screen. Haikyuu!! is also funny and is full of "chill out" moments that make us smile. The background stories, the side characters talking on the bench, everything is just amazing to watch. One of the best shows ever, it never gets boring.

Haikyuu!! Season 3

The cherry on the cake. The top of the iceberg. The worthy ending of a spectecular show (for now). Haikyuu!! is a great show overall, with fluent animations - and even those are getting better from season to season and in the biggest moments even excel that, great and deep characters, a lot of hype and action and PURE enjoyment!

I don't want to go into too much detail into why this show is the greatest sports anime of them all so far, but there is actually nothing they do horribly wrong. Every other sports anime so far had some flaws somewhere, and if ... it wasn't for anything really important, it were the animations (example Hajime no Ippo) which hold them back from being the best of all time. Haikyuu!! just does all this right and puts a lot of emotions into it aswell. On top of that, it has one of the best anime OST there is on this planet, and i really can't say this enough. The overall soundtracks got re-used a lot during the show, but everyone .. each of this soundtracks was and is amazing.

The First Season was the introduction, how i like to call it, to the show, characters and the sport. But also to the story telling and character development from this show. You started to like the characters, love the way it's told and the way the matches are presented. At the same time, all this was genuinely well done. 9/10 for the First Season.

The Second Season was the build up. It was the continuation of the rivalry told in Season 1 and it builded up the characters and hype even more. We had a great training proccess, not only in abilities but also character development and growth. We got a lot of new and nice characters and even more rivalries. 9,5/10 for the really unique Second Season.

The Third Season was the Final. The continuation of the Second Season, right where it left off. But not only that, it really brought up all the emotions and the character growth we got to see in some moments the two seasons before. This third season really shows, how the creators of this manga & show did a god damn amazing job at pacing this and yet having a lot of character depth, so you could feel for the characters. The ending of this season itself was just a perfect way to end it in a typical Haikyuu!! style and to fulfill all the satisfactions the fans had. 10/10 for the worthy Finale.

Overall, as i said earlier, there is very little Haikyuu!! does wrong, and the only reasons i can see for people to not like this show is the dislike against Sports anime or against the sport Volleyball. Any sports anime fan's heart will burn hot and melt at the end of this show. I really can't say enough, how amazing this anime is and i am so fking glad and proud of it being so high on the ratings. It REALLY deserves that! All Hail Haikyuu!! <3

This is my first review so i would like to start by saying that normally i dont write reviews no matter how great the anime but this anime really drew me in. This anime is probably one of the best if not the best sports anime i have ever seen the story was superb as if you see making a 10 episode anime of a single match is simply extraordinary.
As far the art it was as if it drew me right into the court.
Sound was very good considering it is a 10 episode anime
Characters were simply awesome getting to know a new side ... of tsukki was a great feeling.even flashbacks of the shiratorizawa gakuen players were shown even if it was a 10 episode anime
Overall i would say this anime is really worth it and i liked it very much
Not for a single minute i was bored while watching this anime.
P.s-i waited the whole damn time for this season to complete so that i could watch it in one go man i am so pleased to say that this anime was worth it

I'm not a big fan of sports anime.. At least it was what i thought. I was really skeptical when i began to see Haikyuu, but now, i'm very glad i watched it. It's like if a hidden passion for sports anime has awakened inside me, and Haikyuu is in the top of it. I don't know if this third season is the best; it's actually hard to choose just one season; to me, each one of them has its qualities, and they're equally outstanding.

In terms of story, this third season is a direct continuation from the second, so the story mustn't be judged alone, ... but as a whole, and it's great. Especially the unexpected ending of it, the last few seconds of the episode 10, which opens a new arc to the series, and i'm very anxious to see it, praying for the confirmation of a new season.

There's nothing to say about the art. I think that even the ones that hate Haikyuu consider the art excellent. There is a very fluid animation, varying with many different styles to suit the different sensations the moments shall pass to the person watching it. Yes, it's hard to describe... Just watch it!!

The sound is another aspect that i haven't much to talk. It's also outstanding. In both types of soundtracks, dramatic and exciting, Haikyuu stands out. Even though in this third season i missed some of my favorites musics from second season, like Confrontation with the King, they present us with other great ones; and the complete absence, believe me, of any sounds, in some moments, is the best thing they ever made.

To end this review, Haikyuu has one of the best character development that i have ever seen. All of the main characters and even most of the supporting ones have their importance. It's hard to find a character that you'd say ''I hate this one", and, actually, the only one that i had this feeling in the first two seasons became the best of this third season, so, yeah, Mr Furudate, the author, likes to play with our feelings.

So, Haikyuu is one of the best animes i have ever seen and i recommend it to every anime fan. And to the ones that love sports anime, you MUST watch it!!!

Story (9); Art (10); Sound (10); Character (10); Enjoyment (10);
Overall (10).

Lord... since its premiere I must have watched and re-watched this season's Haikyuu!! for 20 times now and I am always mesmerized-- not only by its magnificence, but also by its timelessness.

For the prior two seasons, what made Haikyuu!! series stood out was the dynamic animation, sheer volume of character development, and Fast-and-Furious-like sports sequence. At this rate, most studios would just settle with already high level of quality and avoid 'flying too close to the sun'. Production I.G. is not one of those studios, though, and that is one daredevil, all right. As if they had studied really well what could have been for ... their own creations Kuroko no Basket and Diamond no Ace, Production I.G. decided to elevate everything for this Haikyuu!!'s latest entry because, well, why settle for great if you could be legendary?

And Lord, did they make this entry legendary, indeed.

Our two protagonists, the sun-fire Hinata and earth-strung Kageyama, are still our two protagonists but our hero, this time around, is Tsukishima Kei-- which is both a surprise and a non-surprise at the same time. Looking back, the major frustration among the fans was how criminally underrated Tsukishima was. Sure, he got some major moments during the second season but after the whole world read what would happen afterwards in the manga, no doubt the expectation on how Tsukishima would come about in the anime adaptation was crazy high. In fact, while Hinata and Kageyama are always the top dog on being inspiring, it is always Tsukishima that is the most compelling, interesting, and mysterious (cue the fan girls screaming). Thankfully, Production I.G. does Tsukishima real justice. Every facial expression is on point, every sweat is heart-melting, every roar is contagious, and every close-up demands a spin-off (I'm sure the world won't mind Tsukishima-centric saga, Furudate-sensei).

Finally, have I mentioned already that fourth season is underway? Lord, it's time to rewatch it again. Ultimately, do you want to know what makes an anime both magnificent and timeless? When it is already good and then it gets better and better and better and you know the rest.

#felixlovesanime

STORY: This is basically the moment where we all have been waiting for. In this season, two teams faced off against each other out of 5 sets. We can see the intensity and skills that both teams bring to the court. We can also see most of the characters that have made their appearances from the previous season. The anime emphasizes on the moves of the volleyball players (especially spikes and overhand serves). Both teams are being savages towards each during the matches… I find it to be amusing and hilarious (especially when its coming from Karasuno). The essence of what Haikyuu represents is still ... being maintained in this season.

OVERALL: Still an awesome anime to watch. In all honesty, I'm surprised that this season has 10 episodes and not 12 (like the previous seasons). -- I'm not sure why they decided to go on that route. Overall, I still love what I am seeing with the matches. Win or lose -- Karasuno is an amazing team and I'm happy that we get to grow with them.

When I think about Haikyuu!! season 3, one thing comes to mind

DISAPPOINTMENT

For me at least as an avid fan of Haikyuu!! season 1 and 2 what made Haikyuu!! so special was the concept of a human/humans overcoming unrealistic odds without unrealistic things happening (As in Haikyuu!! was grounded in realism). Though the story did not have much to it and the pacing was off at times, whatever was done was usually done fairly well.
The characters were 2 dimensional and didn't have much to them other then their 1 or 2 major qualities, but this did not bother me much (Since actually depicting human ... behavior precisely in any form of audio visual content is near impossible).
The art was quite unique and the animation was well done (Relative to some of the animation I've seen in some of the other sports anime) (Not to mention the 2nd opening of season 2 and ending 2 of Season 1). The soundtrack also almost perfectly fit the moments that displayed on screen. With all this Haikyuu!! season 1 and 2 managed to create its own environment and sense of feel that got you uplifted and hyped.
This is what was there in Haikyuu!! season 1 and 2 for me.

Now coming to the topic at hand Haikyuu!! Season 3:
By god why did they do this.
The pacing is horrible (By horrible I mean HORRIBLE). The soundtrack has degraded. Nothing spacial in the OP and ED. Humor has become silly and vague.
Mr. Perfect Shiratorizawa has appeared and can do anything (Realism goes to hell). The focus has shifted from the MC (Hinata and Kageyama) and whatever story Haikyuu!! season 1 and 2 had has gone to hell.
Note: Animation is still great.(If not better then season 1 and 2)

But other then the above reasons why disappointment comes to mind when I think of Haikyuu!! season 3 is because I think that Haikyuu!! has lost something special that it had.
I think that that whenever good audio visual content is produced it has its mood or environment and this sense of emotion that it brings into you when you experience it and this has been completely changed and to a great extent Haikyuu!! season 3 has lost what Haikyuu!! season 1 and 2 had.

Despite all this I enjoyed Haikyuu!! season 3(Though not more then season 1 and 2) and think that it was one of the better anime of the season but I just feel that Production IG could have done a better job(I understand that some of the points I have made are due to the fact that the anime was only ten episodes and focused only on one match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa but I still feel it's execution was lacking greatly).

Would I recommend this to someone looking to watch anime:
YES
Would I recommend this to someone who has seen Season 1 and 2 of Haikyuu!!:
NO

As of now all I am doing is waiting for Season 4 of Haikyuu!!(Hoping that it will bring back what Haikyuu!! season 1 and 2 had.)

Holy hell, if the last season gave me a panic attack, this season gave me a heart attack.

The storytelling is. so. freakin'. good. You really would have a hard time beating Haikyuu!! when it comes to intense, suspenseful, and effective storytelling. I can't brag on it enough.

Unlike the previous seasons, this season of Haikyuu!! didn't offer much when it came to individual character development. However, when it came to developing ability and strength, this season was all about it. This is the season where they take their growth and use it for all it's worth, and it's riveting.

The quality control of this anime is ... impressive. There isn't a single scene I didn't enjoy watching. I think a lot of it can be accredited to the voice actors, as well. They set the mood for a scene perfectly along with the animation, which is top shelf as always.

The joy you feel from watching these guys play volleyball is so genuine, and I can't wait for the next season whenever that may come. Here's to more and more Haikyuu!!

Haikyuu!! Season 3 is one of the most widely anticipated anime of Fall 2016. This season covers a 5-set match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. The good news is that it is only 10 episodes long and can be easily finished within a few days.

Story: 7/10

Haikyuu!! Season 3 is rather different from the previous 2 seasons, in the sense that it does not focus on the duo, Hinata and Kageyama. Instead, the star of the show is Tsukishima Kei, one of Karasuno's middle-blockers. What I like about the story is that the rivalries are well played out and despite that the match was rather predictable ... (no spoilers), the characters show that nothing comes easy and there is no one team which overpowers the other totally. This season is filled with emotions and epic moments, which is another strong point.

However, the plot has quite a few weaknesses. I didn't like how Ushijima was stupidly overpowered. The show emphasized very strongly on his spiking skills and the fact that he was left-handed, which is something I don't get because I am sure that he is not the only left-handed spiker in Haikyuu!! Also, this season has too much explaining, which is a typical fault in many sports anime. I understand that there should be explanations for the volleyball techniques but the explanations are over-done. It is better to show more and tell less.


Art: 9/10

The art and animation is consistent and is fluid, as expected of Production I.G., the studio which produced Kuroko no Basuke and Shingeki no Kyojin. The art for the opening and ending were excellent.

I liked how the studio uses metaphors to show the team''s feelings and challenges. For example, the scene in the opening where the Karasuno team is in front of a mountain which morphs into an eagle (representing Shiratorizawa) depicts the challenges the team faces. The lighting is darker in this season, compared to the other seasons. This increases the intensity of the matches. Kudos to the animators!


Sound: 9/10

The opening and ending tracks are recycled and have the same theme as the OSTs from previous seasons. Voice-acting is on point in general and the voice-actors did a great job in expressing the characters.


Character: 8/10

As I've emphasiised in the 'Story' section, Kageyama and Hinata do not receive a lot of development in this season. Tsukishima Kei's character development is one of the highlights of this season. From a disinterested player, he had changed into one of the star players who is determined to fight with the team till the end. His character development is indeed impressive and flows nicely over the 10 episodes. Tsukki, you're the real MVP of the season.

Shiratorizawa's introduction is effectively and they are great opponents. The Shiratorizawa team is memorable, especially Tendo Satori the 'Guess Monster'. Overall, the team is not stupidly overpowered, maybe except for Ushijima.


Enjoyment: 10/10

Full of intense action and episodes that leave the viewer hanging, it is no wonder that Haikyuu!! Season 3 is currently the top sports anime on MyAnimeList. I had enjoyed this season very much and every episode had left me hanging on my seat and wanting more.


Overall: 9/10

Haikyuu!! Season 3 wasn't a disappointment and I had certainly enjoyed it. I am looking forward to Season 4, which should be coming out next year. I would highly recommend this to every sports anime fan. However, I would encourage you to watch the previous seasons to get a grasp of the characters.

Thank you for reading this review and I hope you have a nice day!

Haikyuu season 3: Karasuno vs. Shiratorizawa has a very apt subtitle because this truncated 10 episode season is literally just a depiction of the final battle between Karasuno and the previous representatives of Japan at the national volleyball level. I saw another review call season 3 "Haikyu S2 DLC" and honestly that's a good way to think of it. Season 2 was near perfect (I gave it a 10/10) and season 3 just adds more content to tide fans over until the next big release, so to speak. That all being said, everything I said about season 2 applies to this new season of Haikyuu ... as well, so I'm also giving it a 10/10 overall.

I remember thinking "if you told me they were gonna stretch out ONE SINGLE VOLLEYBALL MATCH to cover an entire season, I'd laugh in your face and say that's horrible!"But I was so wrong. Season 3 has every reason to fail, stretching a volleyball game over 10 episodes just sounds like a bad idea, but Haikyuu manages to pull it off perfectly and for that I have to give them credit. I realized that I'm glad they didn't just tack on this final match of the tournament as say the last 2 episodes of season 2. Here we have an extra long game of 5 sets (instead of the usual 3) and for the first time exhaustion is a factor in Haikyuu, as we see players low on stamina literally unable to move their legs at times. Giving this game a full season allows us some breathing room to get to know the characters on the opposing side a bit better.

I miss Oikawa from season 2 (he's my favorite character) but I must admit Ushijima is a damn good rival character for this season. This dude is a total beast with monstrous serves that are so powerful they rebound off the floor almost up to the ceiling! Ushijima is so damn powerful and he's able to push through pain and exhaustion through sheer willpower to such an extent, he feels like he could be a shonen protagonist in another show that's just visiting this one, y'know? Flashbacks are used sparingly during the game but they give us good enough glimpses into certain characters' backstories. I'll also mention the red haired weird-looking dude, who became a lot more sympathetic once you saw some of his past. On Hinata's team I have to make special mention of Tsukishima, who has really come a long way since season 1. This cynical dude used to put in the minimum amount of effort but this season he's so concerned with winning the game he even plays with an injured hand! Tsuki has this whole plan of how to block the previously-unblockable Ushijima spike, and when he finally pulls it off and shuts down Ushijima, it's soooo damn satisfying.

Haikyuu's sound and art continue to be some of the best this medium has to offer. Just when I think we've hit the peak of Haikyuu's OST, the Burnout Syndromes return with the OP Hikari Are, which is so mindblowingly epic that it puts even their last OP Fly High to shame. That image of the white bird attacking the crows made my jaw literally drop! The artwork and animation of this show continually astound me, and I have to make special mention of the scene where Tsukishima sees the volleyball reflected in his sports glasses right before he blocks Ushijima's spike? Yeah that was so gorgeous I replayed it like 5x lol. I feel like the artwork had especial attention to detail this season, though, like the part after the end of the match when you actually see characters' eyes are red and puffy from crying so much? Can't remember the last time I even saw that in an anime! So yeah Haikyuu S3 is perfect DLC to an already perfect S2.

Finally the long-awaited match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa is here. Besides the fact that the title is basically a spoiler for those who aren’t caught up to the series, it represents what this season basically is about Karasuno and Shiratorizawa competing to become Miyagi Prefecture's Representative for the Spring High National Playoffs. What was originally teased as the start of the second season finally gets put into play in this short, but fast-paced third season. After the Karasuno vs Aobajousai match at the end of the second season, Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa has a lot to accomplish if it wants to live up to the title ... of being the most intense match yet.

~{Story}~
Sports anime tend to work on a simplistic story, and they basically run on its sport, characters and their interactions. Haikyuu was the same in the first two seasons and the same goes for the third one. As a matter of fact, this season has the least amount of plot compared to any other season since this is just one match. However, it’s the tiny moments that build up this match into being something much special. The season continues off from the end of the last season after Karasuno won against Aobajousai to compete against Shiratorizawa for the title of representative for the Spring High Nationals. Then starts a long, but fast-paced 10-episode match between the two teams. Though whether the results are predictable or not really depends on what you expect Karasuno’s trend to be. And even if it does feel predictable, there’s so much going on during these matches that it’s hard to feel disinterested about what’s going on.
Story: 8.5/10

~{Presentation}~
This season of Haikyuu basically has the same style and directing the previous seasons had. It has it sense of style, one that is similar to most team sports anime. Despite the fact that this season is just a match and there’s no breather moment in this season, there’s still that trademark Haikyuu humor mixed in the seriousness. Even though this is a much shorter season, it has the highest chapters adapted per episode rate compared to the previous seasons, therefore the season feels like it’s always going somewhere. Even though 10 episodes may seem too much for one match, Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa is actually a 5-set match instead of the usual 3 sets. And as a matter of a fact, maybe more episodes would’ve been a little better. After all, the third set basically takes place in a couple of minutes. Haikyuu has always set a standard for consistent production values in not just sports anime, but in anime in general. This season manages to be the best-looking season, and that says a lot. This match manages to be thrilling throughout at the slight bits of flashbacks that are scattered throughout the match adds to the buildup and characters.
Presentation: 9.5/10

~{Character}~
Just like most sports anime, Haikyuu has always been about the characters more than anything. Without a compelling cast of characters, it’s hard to feel interested in a sports anime since they tend to rely less on its story. And Haikyuu was able to prove that with its previous two seasons. This season features the same likable characters you know and love, while introducing a lot of new characters from the Shiratorizawa side. The two main characters of the series, Hinata and Kageyama, are put into good use in this season and has plenty of moments to shine. However, they don’t overshadow their fellow teammates as almost everyone gets a time to shine in this match. Some Karasuno characters get a lot of character development they were originally lacking, especially Tsukishima. Tsukishima was always a cool and enjoyable character, but nothing really made him feel that complex… well, until this match happened. This season managed to show how he feels about volleyball as a sport and how much dedication can come from him. All of the other characters like Nishinoya, Sawamura and Sugawara are all put into good use too. However, the Shiratorizawa characters feel slightly blander compared to Karasuno’s other rivals, but they still manage to be an interesting team. The star of the team, Ushijima, manages to be what people were expected from him, but unfortunately nothing more. Though the series manages to show his sudden dedication for the match fairly well, it never gives any reason to why we should care about him. Slight bits of his past and childhood helped, but not enough. Another well focused character, Tendou, manages to be a lot more enjoyable, and managed to be the most interesting Shiratorizawa player. His derpy expressions and cocky attitude makes him the most unique character of the series. However, the series tries its best to play the sympathetic card for him, but it felt ineffective. All of the other characters do a good job in contributing to the series.
Character: 9/10

~{Art}~,
Haikyuu’s third season manages to keep its art consistent throughout, even more so than the previous seasons. With the previous seasons, the art always looked good, but during matches it looked ever better. This season is basically just a match, so therefore the entire season ends up looking gorgeous beginning to end. And considering the fact that this season was only 10 episodes, it was probably a lot easier for the animating staff to keep things a lot more consistent. The art in the manga has a rough and stylish feel too it, but also it can look very messy at times. The anime manages to get rid of the messiness, but also maintains the style of the manga. Whether it be the character models, or their reflections on the floor, everything manages to look very pretty.
Art: 9.5/10

~{Animation}~
For a sports anime, it’s very important for the animation quality to be top-notch since the matches are one of the biggest selling point and if they don’t end up looking good, it can feel very distracting. There have been many cases of where a sports anime was done with little effort, so the matches can end up looking like slideshows with just still pictures (I’m looking at you, Days), or things can look a little crude. With its first two season, Haikyuu not only proved that it’s not only one of the most beautifully animated sports anime, but one of the best-looking anime in general. And with this season’s length, the studio was able to keep the animation quality top-notch and very consistent. The character movements are fluid and the way the camera moves during matches looks amazing. There’s one particular moment near the end of the series where the camera rotates around the court while Karasuno does a synchronized attack, and it’s clear that Production I.G has way too much time on their hands and way too much effort to spend.
Animation: 10/10

~{Voice Acting}~
For the most part, all of the seiyuu from the first and second seasons come back to reprise their roles. Just like as before Murase Ayumu and Ishikawa Kaito does a great job as the energetic Hinata and the levelheaded Kageyama. The rest of the Karasuno characters’ seiyuu do a great job as usual too. Uchiyama Kouki in particular did a great job as Tsukishima, especially since his character plays a bigger role than before. The Shiratorizawa characters’ seiyuu also do a very good job too. Takeuchi Ryouta does a good job as the deep-voiced Ushijima. Kimura Subaru (who’s surprisingly half-German and looks very western) does a fantastic job as the quirky Tendou and hopefully he gets more holes after this. One thing to note is that Ukai’s seiyuu, Tanaka Kazunari, passed away not too long ago (may he rest in peace) and his role as Ukai was replaced Egawa Hisao starting from the ninth episode. Tanaka did a great job during his final moments as Ukai, and his final line from the series is a very powerful one for sure. Egawa sounds quite different, but he’s not decent.
Voice Acting: 9/10

~{Music}~
Just like the previous seasons, this season of Haikyuu manages to have an outstanding soundtrack that complements its content. The OP, “Hikari Are” managed to be my personal favorite opening for Haikyuu, even though this opening is much different from the previous ones. Unlike the older openings, especially the ones that were done by SPYAIR, where it was more hype-inducing and fast-paced, this season’s opening is more in a slower tone and has a more “put-all-you-got” motivational feel to it. And the lyrics are really good for it too. NICO Touches the Walls returns to do another ED, “Mashi Mashi”, and it’s pretty good. It has an upbeat feel to it and it’s quite fun to listen too. It’s was used well at the end of the last episode. As for the background music… it’s incredible. Anything Hayashi Yuuki composes ends up being amazing. Just like the OST for the first two seasons, this seasons manages to use its music into creating more buildup and increase the tension and hype during the match. Some of the tracks are the same as the previous seasons and there’s some noticeable new ones.
Music: 9.5/10

~{Enjoyment}~
As a Haikyuu fan myself, this match has been immensely enjoyable from beginning to end. Despite the fact that Shiratorizawa isn’t as interesting of an opponent as Aobajousai, their strength manages to make the match feel more intense and become this most thrilling match from the series so far, and it’s much less predictable than Karasuno and Aobajousai’s rematch. And as someone who really liked Tsukishima’s character, it was really nice to see that he’s more complex than he seems. And with the much faster pacing, things manage to feel more thrilling than its original source. Supported by fantastic production values and top-notch music, Haikyuu manages to hit all the right notes in making a successful sports series.
Enjoyment: 10/10

In the end, this short, but fast-paced season of Haikyuu manages to do everything you would come to expect from this series. With more character development for the Karasuno team, Haikyuu manages to prove that they can do more with their characters and shows what potential these characters have. This season manages to have fantastic production values, even by Haikyuu’s standards. Although, the characters in the Shiratorizawa team isn’t as complex or likable as people were hoping, but they manage to be a strong competitor for Karasuno and they add to the tension. For those who haven’t started this series yet, you owe it to yourself to watch this series. If you’re wondering if Haikyuu is fujoshi-pandering or doesn’t have anything to it other than its sport, rest-assured, it’s nothing like that. And for those who liked the previous seasons, there’s no need for me to recommend this season to you since you’ve probably already watched it.

+ A fantastic match that tops every match preceding it.
+ 10 episodes of non-stop, fast-paced fun with a lot of tension used to build-up moments.
+ Outstanding production values that remain consistent until the very end.
+ Fantastic soundtrack that is used to add tension and hype to the match.
+ The Karasuno characters get good development, especially Tsukishima, as he gets fleshed out well.
- Despite them being a strong competitor, the Shiratorizawa characters aren’t as likable as Karasuno’s previous rivals.

Overall: 9.4/10

This anime will get you pumped .... Idk why people rate it with 6/7 ....
Its actually overall 10 ... It has everything action , massive tension .. And ending of the last game will just made your blood boil .

When it started i was like eh another game when they will be losing and at the and they will be getting it back but..... There is one BIG BUT . Which is that it was actually close . The back story to enemy team was sick . And also seeing Karasuno fighting back and getting themself together as a team and fighting against only ... one player which was The Ace number 1 from the other school was just insane. When Ace from the other school got blocked by 11 it made me just just out of my chair and scream THERE YOU HAVE IT !


I myself was freaking screaming at the and it almost made me cry but in a good way.
This anime is just masterpiece !