Haikyuu!! To the Top

I love how consistent this show is. Each season is just as good as the last and always presenting something new to engage the audience. I loved the approach this season took regarding Hinata, who finally started to try and master some of the more fundamental skills of volleyball as he saw his fellow first years start to advance past him. His concentration face during the times he was a ball boy was really well designed. Also, I noticed that there were some subtle differences in the character designs in this season compared to the other three. I'm not sure if was a different approach ... to shading, a difference in the line work, or tweaks to the design of the face, but there was definitely something different this season. And it wasn't necessarily bad, I just noticed something different. Also, the animation throughout this season is spectacular and it continued to show that the people behind this show really care. It contained a myriad of cuts that really impressed me. The animation was a real standout in the new characters that were introduced this season as well.

I also want to mention how absolutely amazing the OST has been for this series. The composers always nail it with each new season and this is no exception. There's this certain guitar solo track that played a couple times as Hinata starts to understand certain moves that really stood out to me. Overall, another solid half-season. I can't wait for the second-half.

Clarification:

Unfortunately we have come this far .... At the moment, because due to the global pandemic that affects everyone and the cheer houses were no exception. This adaptation of "To the Top" was intended to have 24/25 chapters actually, but as I mentioned the chapters were delayed too long, so they chose to divide this season into 2 parts and the second one would arrive in October if everything goes well. OK and the rate of infected in Japan allows it, otherwise we will continue to wait. But if there is something clear, it is that there is still Haikyuu for a while

General: (7.7 / ... 10)

This new season of Haikyuu was very comforting and somewhat nostalgic, since 4 years have passed since that adaptation of the match against "Shiratorizawa" and despite the time it continues to maintain the same appeal with its daily condiments of good sport and comedy. Although something that if I notice at times was a certain drop in the animation and deformity of faces, but well let's hope they can solve it in the face of the continuation and the worst case scenario does not fall further.
I do not want to return more extensive, finally I remain relatively satisfied, understanding the crisis we all live through but it is still an incomplete adaptation so I cannot give it any more average score at the moment ...

Where to start with Haikyuu's new season?

The season has barely even started and we have been blessed with a fire opening that can hold its head high in comparison with the other.

Even though the season is only roughly 5 episodes in, we see a lot of new characters, really interesting and unique characters, who will pose a threat to the development of Karasuno in this new tournament, and instead of feeling worried for the roster, I can feel the anticipation and excitement to see them duel it out in the air.

So far so good is what I have to say about Haikyuu season 4.

Hello, this is my first review, so I hope I am doing this correctly.

While I am still very much in love with Haikyuu, something about it doesn't feel right. And that for me is the change of style.

I remember seeing the new designs on Instagram and immediately felt my love for the characters drop. Don't get me wrong, I still very much love my good boys, but that only characters that didn't seem to change are Yuu and Tanaka. I miss Hinata's wild, detailed hair and I miss Kageyama's distinctive look that came with the prior seasons. Kageyama in this season just looks different ... and it's doesn't sit well with me. But, I understand what change comes with a few tweaks in storytelling, whether it is through animation and the actual storytelling.

Story: 8

I still consider the story very well written. I have not read the manga as that art style isn't really my thing. I will have to give it an 8. I feel that some story elements are rushed.

Art: 6

This could just be me, but the simplicity of the animation makes is look lazy. Yes, in certain scenes (ex: Kagayama trying to understand the layout of the building that they are playing in a grid-like pattern used as visual to enhance that) are very well but together. I made most of my points in before these rates, so I will not get into that again.

Sound: 8

I am no expert, but it mostly sounds pretty good to me.

Character: 7

Some characters seemed to be dumbed down, personalities don't match with the prior seasons. The characters could be handled better.

Enjoyment and Overall: 8

I still very much love this series. While I feel that many things could be handled better, I will not fault the studio and the team for making such a wonderful series for us.

I hope this looks all right and I hope I could get my point across. Enjoy the rest of this series!

Firstly, the fourth season starts right before the end of the third one, giving the spectator a great chance to compare the art style between both.

Although, some may argue that the quality decreased, I say with confidence that it changes for the best. An uniform mix that includes both the author art style in junction with it's counterpart from the other seasons. But, again, if you are pleased with it or not, it is entirely subjective.

The formula is simple, yet effective. Karasuno's style keeps changing and improving based on other teams. What characters thought about for a matter of seconds, takes minutes (just like JJBA). ... Strategies that make sense, no special powers, carismatic characters and nothing happens based on nothing or plot devices.

Then why are you rating the anime that high? Well, the application is perfect. Not every anime has to be a innovative masterpiece, if you feel pleasure, tension and can understand the character's beliefs, you already have a masterpiece.

Haikyuu is the anime that hooked me into volleyball, also being the anime that showed me that you do not need to be a genius in order to become a great player, you do not need to have 190cm to be a great spiker and you do not need to be perfect in order to win.

Practice makes perfect, and enjoyability makes a great anime.

This is essentially the beginning of what we have been waiting for since the very start. In the first half, we see training for nationals and in the second half, we get to see it begin and the result of the hard work of all of the teams there.


I have mixed opinions on this new and very different art style. In some parts, it looks great and actually has significantly more detail and depth. But the faces seem to be a big struggle - the noses look strange and the eyes of the characters make a lot of them look very different and it just ... feels off.

Since the death of Kazunari Tanaka, the original voice of Coach Ukai, you can tell the difference significantly. Hisao Egawa is a great VA but he pales in comparison to the Ukai that we all came to love, which felt like it fit the character better. The op and ed also felt like it wasn't bad, but just wasn't as good as the previous seasons.


Shouyou Hinata (Simpleton Idiot, Chibi-chan, Dumbass)

Tobio Kageyama (King of the Court, Bakageyama, Bateyama-kun, Kalm-geyama, Yamayama-kun, Wearyama-kun, Simpleton Idiot)

This very much feels like the first half of a really strong season, which… yeah, it is. It’s a lot of setup for some major matches that will come to pass in the next half of this season. As such, it doesn’t have the oomph of the previous seasons, at least not yet. That’s not a huge problem, especially since this season has one of the better training arcs with Hinata in particular, but I do think that focus comes at the cost of showing growth in other characters as well. All that being said, it’s some great build-up and I’m looking forward to seeing ... how the second half plays out.

The 10 episodes from season three that focus on one game are now followed by a 13 episode season that gives much more time to breath and refocus before really getting into the national tournament. And Haikyuu!!: To the Top does a good job at getting more into the cast. Kageyama and Hinata both have moments of learning to overcome weaknesses they've had, being communication about tosses and receiving respectively. Hinata finally getting a handle on receiving, which is something much more suited for him on defense than really trying to make an impact on blocking is good to see. Something rubbed me the wrong ... way about Kageyama's few episodes in practice and facing Date Tech. I'm not sure what exactly but the kind of energy that Haikyuu always brings to its volleyball and non-volleyball related moments was just sucked out and I was not into it.

So the first half of the season had some ups and downs, especially with how uncomfortable it was for Hinata to really deal with the consequences of just showing up to a practice camp he wasn't invited to and sheepishly having to be a ball boy for it. That could be comedic in another anime but this plays it realistically. But things improve a lot when the tournament gets going. I loved the New Years episode where everyone is kind of struggling with what to do with themselves when they need to rest and the biggest games of their career are about the start. The episode that finally fleshed out Kiyoko more was great with her kind of playing the opposite of Yachi and her relationship to help running the club. Tanaka is as inspired as ever, and the third years all had nice moments and really came together for a hell of an ending when they played Tsubakihara, Go Sugawara.

The animation was clearly different and took some getting used to during the first episode but it seemed to look better during all the motion shots than before, but there was something a bit off about the more still, talking sections. It's noticeable in some instances but not a deal breaker.

All I need now is a published list of all of Bokuto's weaknesses and I'll feel like I've really completed this series.

**edited and reposted after season finale** SPOILER-FREE!!

I will keep this short:

This is the first time I rate any season of Haikyuu!! 8/10. It's always been 9/10 (I even think about making it 10/10). It's one of the first anime I watched and loved so I may be biased. I recently read the manga as well and I was looking forward to a new seasons for so long.

The characters are still great, the story too, even though this season was a bit slow. I still enjoyed it, not as much as in the manga, but not because it was the second time I was ... experiencing it but because I felt it was lacking something.

Let me say that the new character designs are I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E. They look way cooler, plus it's much more similar to Furudate's current art style. The thing that bums me out the most is the animation and directing. Being different from the previous seasons' is expected, it's been a while, but it's a bit disappointing to me. It's still pretty good, but it's not 'special' and that's what I used to love the most about Haikyuu!! The extensive shading, the extra lines, the thinner lines, the fluidity of the animation and continuity of the scenes. Those extra, unnecessary to the plot of the story layers, or a facial expression changing multiple times, or a background character's pointless movements, are all the things that made Haikyuu!!' extraordinary for me.

Now instead, I get the feeling that the episode I'm watching was made in a rush (very possible because of the deadlines but...... really? you had 4 years and you announced the new season 1 year ago). Like, the movements of the characters are rigid and stiff both during volleyball games and normal dialogue scenes. For example the hair doesn't even move most of the time and if it does, it's the same repetitive two layers (I make gifs). Sometimes layers are missing and it shows during the episode as well. Next thing, there are TOO MANY still scenes or very sloppy slow motion scenes. Nothing like the scenes with Hinata's eyes reflecting the ball midair in a previous season. That scene with Hoshiumi jumping is pretty impressive, but they reused the same scene like, 3 times. His scene during the Spring High Tournament match was really good though. Last thing I want to say: a lot of should have been funny scenes are not so funny, I find the reaction time (facial expressions, dialogue, sound effects) too slow. Speaking of sound effects, they are very generic, and the soundtrack hasn't even made an impression to the point that I don't even know if it exists (OP and ED are amazing though, I love them). Where are the character soundtracks, like the one that played every time The Grand King appeared?

I know a lot of the things I mention are insignificant details to most people, but those are the things I notice the most when watching any anime. I realise it's a lot of work and I appreciate the effort that has gone into this season but it's just good animation. It's ordinary with a few exceptions. There were things I liked of course but that's because of the nature of the story and the characters in general. Of course, I still love Haikyuu!! but I had to share my disappointment. I'm not trying to offend anyone (especially not the people who have worked on this) and I don't know if others agree or disagree with me.

I really hope next season is better!!

Haikyuu!!: To the Top was honestly not as good as the Haikyuu!! series. I really liked the story

and how motivated the characters were in the anime but the thing that bugged me the most

was the art form style. It drastically changed and the characters just didn't look and have the

same feeling anymore. Also, I didn't like how I couldn't watch it in English because I watched

the Haikyuu!! series in English and it was a little off when the characters had different voices.

...

Overall, I give this anime a 7 (Good) because I still love the characters

and the anime overall! :D

Another training arc! I actually really like training arcs because character growth is my favorite! My heart was a little broken seeing Hinata confused and struggling. When we think he has grown so much, Haikyuu teaches us that there will always be something we can improve on. People like Hinata who have that hunger in them will always be tested and it’s about what we can do in these situations to better ourselves. Not just Hinata, but Karasuno individually too! I love it! I got to say though, I got the biggest second hand embarrassment in the first episode, but we still gotta love Hinata ... hahaha!

The music was amazing as always!! I love the opening!

They decided to change the artwork to fit the manga style. I got used to it quickly so it didn’t bother me. I know a lot of people didn’t like it, including the animation. I personally don’t pay attention to animation closely when I watch, so it didn’t bother me. There were some parts that were not up to par due to outsourcing, but there were also some great moments with the animation. The whole feeling of characters, flow, and story were not affected (at least in my viewing experience). So sad that people at the time refused to watch S4 for these reasons.

Ok, when I wrote this review I was already watching Haikyuu season 1-4. And I will combine all the reviews in here

STORY
The story in this anime has the same concept as other anime such as Naruto, Black Clover, and My Hero Academia. What makes them similar is the main character who never gives up and fights from zero to hero. The story in this anime is not boring because they managed to mix the epic volleyball scene with drama and comedy. So in every volleyball match our feelings will go up and down like a roller coaster

ANIMATION
As we know the animation of Haikyuu anime season ... 1-3 with animation in season 4 is slightly different. Actually, my eyes are more comfortable seeing animation in seasons 1-3. But I also have no problem with animation in season 4

OPENING & ENDING SONG
For the opening and ending songs, in my opinion, there is almost nothing special. But I never skipped the opening entitled "Imagination" and "Fly High" for the ending song there is only 1 song that I never skip, the song called "Kessen Spirit"

CHARACTER
There are many characters in this anime, but in my opinion all the characters are the best, because each of them has a unique personality. The story of their past is also told briefly but well conveyed. One of the things I like about this anime is the side characters that their volleyball team is not very strong. They give up because they always lose but they keep fighting to win. Their mental awakening always touches me and makes me want to cry

OVERALL
Overall I really enjoyed this anime. In my opinion, the best season of this anime is in season 3 because in this season Ushijima, who had thought that his team was the strongest team, was defeated by the school he underestimated. Overall I really enjoyed this anime. I was also surprised when I watched season 2 because I didn't expect there would be a new character and the character was named Yachi. For some reason I really hope and think that Yachi and Hinata both have feelings of love :)

Okay I just love Haikyuu!! Period. Season 4 part 1 starts with Kageyama and Tsukishima getting invited to training camps. Kageyama gets invited to an all Japan one, Tsukishima gets invited to one for the Miyagi prefecture at Shiratorizwawa. However, Hinata decides to crash the Shiratorizawa camp and give me second-hand embarrassment. I really hate the new art style though, it smacked me and called me an ugly girl. We do get a few new characters and as expected from Haikyuu, they're really cute. I do have to say though, I really hate the cheering section for Inarizaki, they know nothing about good sportsmanship. I ... can't stress this enough, please go watch Haikyuu, you won't regret it.

Haikyuu é um dos melhores animes de esporte que já vi, ele consegue desenvolver muito bem os personagens e seus respectivos estilos de jogo, essa temporada conseguiu trazer muito bem a emoção e tensão nos jogos junto com cada jogada impressionante. Elogio a direção por conseguir fazer utilizar muito bem a trilha sonora, e as tomadas das cenas como também elogio a animação espetacular. Gostaria de falar da história que eu realmente achei muito boa, mas nada que eu não esperasse, mas mesmo assim ela é muito, como melhor dupla dessa temporada pra mim seria os irmão miya. Gostaria de ressaltar o desenvolvimento do Bokuto ... como personagem e como sua personalidade funciona ele é um personagem muito engraçado e carismático.

I had to rewatch this show for the 20th time to finally decide to make this review, and even that i barely know what to say.

Sports anime are like a cointoss, you either get some good animes or bad animes, it really doesnt matter the core base of the sport, like kaiji did at times making a simple card game look like an intense cluster of mindblowing moments or diamond no ace made baseball look fun.

Haikyuu does the exact same with a really simple story, but this show is less of the story but more on the characters.

Everytime i rewatch haikyuu i remember "Run with ... the wind", a pretty similar type of anime where the characters are the whole focus of the show. If in season 1 we got a beginners and friendly character introduction, in season 2 you get bombed by new characters and evolutions of the same, that also goes for the rest of the season.

The really amazing concept that this anime keeps on bringing is that no character is there on the pitch, like every character is relatable or alive at the same point as the main protagonists, so you can simpatize with them as you like.

The music and hype moments where outstanding but the art was sometimes clunky and the animation was way more inferior to the previous departments

Overall is an amazing season filled with whole new worlds to explore and incredible moments.-

I am a huge fan of the series so far and I can say happily that while I don't think this season in particular is the best of the best so far, I think it's carrying on well.

The show picks up where the third season left off with the result of the Karasuno VS. Shiratorizawa and a pretty major announcement for two of Karasuno's players.

This season kind of starts much like the beginning of the second season and as a result may seem a little boring to some in comparison to what we come to expect but let me tell you that its not all ... that bad. Also if they plan to repeat the same thing as season two then it means the second half of season four is going to be absolutely bonkers

This season though for the most part is hyper focused on Hinata again after he did what he does and while he might be fumbling around to start things off he certainly picks himself up as well as a lot of little quirks from just being observant. Who would have thought that it was possible to pick up so much new information from being the eyes off the court huh?

On a much less hyper scale we get to see a little of another point of view which in its own way has its method of inserting a few of the power players from the upcoming tournament

Anyways after most of the seasons build up to the tournament we finally start it and after one match and a few points we get the net taken down... Now as disappointing as that may sound fret not as it is well into 2020 at the time of this reviews writing and we can just continue onward without a hitch.

Admittedly I did this on purpose after watching like 10 episodes back then because I hate waiting weekly as it is and much less so for an Anime I can say I really really enjoy.

In closing while this season doesn't have the most stellar looking animation quality and action packed rallies or stress inducing set/match points there is still good substance for me. They certainly didn't forget to include the character traits that we came to know and love for the ones that did get the screen time as well as a decent bit of humor sprinkled in for me.

That does it for this half. Apologizes but I felt I had to be very vague at the start to not spoil anything... See you all on the other side!

Overall rating: 6, further review below

I hate it. I hate it so much.

Someone explains to me why the best part, of the entire anime mind you, was actually the one with the training arc. Like holy shit, this just opened my eyes to the fact Haikyuu would have been an outstanding slice of life anime, but it just had to be an average sports shonen instead. Despite my disappointment at this realization, and the fact this cour is the lowest rated out of the main Haikyuu series, to me, this is the highest point of Haikyuu, and it probably will be regardless of how far ... the source material will stretch in the future. And yes, this is 100% my perspective as a SoL nut speaking.

As for what happened during the not SoL moment. You know? The thing this whole anime is supposed to be about? Yeah, it's cool. I mean, it's more of the same but at least now the music is good. Or maybe it was always good but now I'm this bored. At that point, it's just a constant of my life to notice new things because I got bored.

What I'm trying to say is, Haikyuu is a sports anime, about volley to be more accurate. Although, the best moments have very little to do with volley. Which I guess is true for this kind of sports anime, the ones without shiny dope powers. Yup, Haikyuu is a very slow trend upward, except this time, where the rise wsa sharp before calming down to business as usual.