I've never written a review before, but with my overall scoring for Haikyuu!!, I feel as if I need to explain myself. One of my favorite anime is Kuroko no Basket (all three seasons). Watching KnB before Haikyuu!! directly impacted my overall rating. Without further ado, here are my scores for each section.
Story- 6
Haikyuu!! is, from my knowledge, the typical sports anime when it comes to the story and how it unfolds. It starts with main character #1 and quickly introduces main character #2. The first main character is usually the one who has raw talent and wants to be the greatest, while the second character is already in possession of insane talent with an arsenal of polished skills. The way Haikyuu!! unfolds is just way too similar to KnB for me to be okay with it. It's as if every character in Haikyuu!! is just a counterpart to someone in KnB, and that slightly upsets me and shows me how little thought actually went into making this anime. I do have to say, the games are always exhilarating and fun to watch!
Art- 8
Ever since I began watching anime, art has been the main drawing point to me. If an anime doesn't look good, I can't watch it, that's just how it is. Haikyuu!! looks very clean with a simple style. Most scenes are very soft to the eye and some just purely depict the feel of the moment which is awesome and deserves praise.
Sound- 6
I've never really based an anime off of sound, but thinking about it now, there are no songs or opening themes that come right to head when I think of Haikyuu!!. Though not bad, nothing really sticks.
Character- 8
Though I feel as if every character has a certain relation to characters from KnB, each character still has clear development and advancement. Characters who are involved in the main story line continue to grow in fascinating ways that draw the viewer in more and more. Haikyuu!! creates a bond between viewer and character, so you really feel what they feel. Some of the scenes almost moved me to tears just because I felt what they did.
Enjoyment- 9
Very few anime actually cause me to jump out of my seat and hit the verge of tears, but Haikyuu!! is one. Right when the credits begin to roll, I'm begging for the next episode to see what happens next. The only reason I wasn't compelled to give a 10 is because there is no reason a single game should take 3-4 episodes. I understand you have to fit small details in and everything, but 4 episodes is just stretching.
Overall- 7
If I hadn't watched KnB before Haikyuu!!, there is a high chance I would have given a 9 or even a 10. It really upsets me that the stories unfold so similarly and the characters are easily comparable to each other. Even with that thought, Haikyuu!! still completely drew me in, and made me enjoy and long for every minute of every game.
