Sometime last week, something miraculous happened. I was browsing online and I saw this random recommendation about a volleyball anime, the name of which I had heard pop up here and there in various comments and websites. Not being a fan of sports anime, yet having nothing better to do, I decided to watch the first episode, to kill time if nothing else.
So then, would I recommend this anime to someone else?
I finished the first season in two days. So yes, I would recommend Haikyuu!! to everyone else.
Story: Exhilarating. Exciting. Heartwarming. Those are some of the many descriptors I could give to Haikyuu!! if
...
I were required to summarise the story. It follows Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama as they join the Karasuno Volleyball club, with ambitions to reach the nationals, and more than that-to play the game the love.
It is by no means a novel concept. A once majestic team now thrown from the top, looking to reclaim their legacy with the addition of some exceptionally talented players to the new year, who also happen to be rivals. But where Haikyuu!! succeeds is in the execution of the above concept, to near perfection.
I found myself rooting for Karasuno as the season progressed, wanting to see each character get their own victories, no matter how minor. And that's the best part about this show. Everyone wins, some more than others. Unlike cerain sports anime (looking at you, Kuroko no Basket) Haikyuu!! is different in that our protagonists aren't unbeatable forces of nature.
They win. They lose. It shows us that simply because one or two players are geniuses, victory is not guaranteed. This keeps the tension going, as I kept wondering who would take the match, unlike KnB, where I was bored after the first five episodes.
Another way I can describe the story is that it is to a certain extent, realistic. Never once did I think that any victory or loss Karasuno achieved or suffered was undeserved, and that's how it should be. Each team has their own strengths and weaknesses, and there is an underlying strategy to all matches, no matter how small it may seem.
It progresses well too. Save for a few episodes an scenes where I found myself bored enough to look at something else, it kept me glued to my screen, especially in the final tournament matches. I admit, I almost cheered at the final match's ending because of the excitement.
What works so well for Haikyuu!! is that it's not the story of one boy, or two boys(KnB again.). Rather, it is the story of a team, consisting of individuals of differing personalities and ideals. The way their interactions, and those between them and their rivals (I refuse to use enemies or antagonists) are written make Haikyuu!! an extremely entertaining watch.
Story: 9/10
Art: Production I.G did a very very good job with the art and animation. In fact, it surprised me that they did KnB as well, because the difference in art styles and direction is so vast between the two. For example, Haikyuu likes to use a paint brush like art style some times to emphasize force and fluidity, which conveys the feeling without being too over the top.
Generally speaking, motion is fluid, and you really feel the speed and weight behind each strike on the ball. Very well done, I must say. This is especially true when Oikawa does his service aces. I swear, he had my heart pumping whenever he set one of those bad boys up.
All in all, this is some excellent work by Produciton I.G.
Art: 10/10
Sound: Do you remember those three words I used when I was describing the story? Ctrl+C & Ctrl+V because that's precisely what this soundtrack is. Some background OSTs are just pure awesomeness, specially those when they're strategizing or analyzing. The openings and endings are nice, as well, though I am sad to say I skipped those some time because I wanted to watch the matches so much.
Voice acting is also done very nicely, specifically those in the background. The cheers in the final matches genuinely conveyed excitement and purpose, rather than just being yells of 'GO!!'. And this is doubly true when Oikawa's about to drop a service ace on some fools.
Sound: 10/10
Characters: Let me make something clear. I hated Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama. I don't like overly cheery 'I want to play all the time no matter what!' protagonists, nor do I like overtly genius characters. I may be alone in this, but the fact that I loved Haikyuu's characterization in general should tell you what my opinion of them are.
I don't like Shoyo because he feels too much like a simplistic dead-set idiot. I get my Luffy and Ichigo from Luffy and Ichigo, I don't need it from others as well. Kageyama, on the other hand, felt like he had no equal, and thus had no challenge to overcome.
I was wrong. So very wrong. I never grew to even stand Hinata, but Kageyama is a different matter. I saw his genius being countered by experience, strategy, and intelligence, and I suddenly didn't have as much a problem with them as before. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like him, but I get where he's coming from. (Unlike Hinata)
But as I said before, this is the story of teams. And that's where Haikyuu!! shines. The characters of both the home and rival teams are very well fleshed out, to the point where there were instances when I started hoping for the rivals to win, because I felt they deserved it more than Karasuno. Not to say Karasuno is bad, by any means. Every member -the ace, the libero, the spikers, setters, blockers, even those outside the court like the benched or the manager and coach- is developed at least in some minute way, and that, I think, is excellent.
Character: 7.5/10
Enjoyment: Like I said, it was hard to find faults with Haikyuu!! Not because it's a masterpiece, but because it draws you in so well it's hard to focus on anything else. Believe me, there is no chance that you'll come away from this disappointed. That, I can guarantee you.
So go on. If you were considering watching Haikyuu!!, then by all means, jump straight in.
Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall: Service Ace/10
Dec 19, 2015
Sometime last week, something miraculous happened. I was browsing online and I saw this random recommendation about a volleyball anime, the name of which I had heard pop up here and there in various comments and websites. Not being a fan of sports anime, yet having nothing better to do, I decided to watch the first episode, to kill time if nothing else.
So then, would I recommend this anime to someone else? I finished the first season in two days. So yes, I would recommend Haikyuu!! to everyone else. Story: Exhilarating. Exciting. Heartwarming. Those are some of the many descriptors I could give to Haikyuu!! if ... 
Dec 17, 2015
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(Anime)
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Steins;Gate
(Anime)
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So, obviously there are quite a number of reviews for Steins;Gate that convey how I feel about it very very well. However, if you're someone who is still on the fence about watching this show, allow me to attempt to persuade you to start.
Steins;Gate is simply put, one of the-if not the- best pieces if fiction I have ever seen. Here's why. Steins;Gate is from the outside, a seemingly simple tale of a group of friends who want to achieve time travel. Really, that's it for the first half of the show. In fact, I'll admit that I was only mildly interested throughout the first twelve ... |
