Hinata as a protagonist IS cliche but honestly it works so well in this story, a story where it’s about a sport that values height. His optimism is realistic and you see him fail and stumble over himself as he tries to improve and become the best. Hinata and his team don’t suffer from the plot armor cliche you see many shonen protags get, which is extremely refreshing. They fail, struggle, and improve. The plot line is somewhat unpredictable in the later half of the series which is a nice breakaway from the formula most sports mangas take. You will see what i mean.
All the volleyball matches here are written so purposefully—Furudate writes with so much intention and it’s admirable. Most matches are set up with teams with opposing philosophies, or similar ones. These matches further develop characters and give them profound character arcs that feel realistic. They also force the characters to confront their issues head on and come to terms with them. Issues that occur in real life, and issues that readers can relate to. To me, volleyball is just a vehicle that Furudate uses to portray real life struggles and conflicts, and it’s done well. What’s nice is that most of Haikyuu’s themes (like talent vs hardwork for example) is applicable to everyone and anyone pursuing their passion—this is mainly why I took to this manga so well.
In terms of art there is not much to say other than the fact that it is phenomenal. At first it is somewhat rough and clumsy but within 20 volumes Furudate certainly finds their footing within their art style. It grows and develops with the characters, and supports the themes very well. The paneling and calligraphy is innovative and gorgeous. The double spreads are breathtaking and whenever I lay my eyes on one, I find myself staring for a couple minutes. The paneling shows the dynamic matches very very well, Furudate is extremely ambitious with their composition and it’s always fun to look at their spreads and see how they choose to portray a match. The usage of angled panels contribute to the high energy, and the amazing perspective shots of the characters are accurate as well as stunning. The style itself is endearing as well as amazing. Furudate’s stylistic language is so cool and portrays motion extremely well—which is important in a manga about volleyball.
if you are a character driven reader who enjoys meaningful character arcs and found family, this manga is definitely for you. (maybe not much so for more plot driven people.) Haikyuu’s character writing is what mostly drives it—I found myself rooting for rival teams and empathizing with them. Furudate is also insane at writing rivals in a way that is profound and relatable, but also serve to move the plot forward, and develop Hinata more as a volleyball player.
There is much more I can say about Haikyuu--it has grown along side me all these years and I am extremely fortunate to have witnessed it. It's a series about volleybal first and foremost, but as you read more and more you will find that it is beyond that. It portrays the human passion, bonds, and rivalries that drives us to get up every day and live and do what we love. Furudate poured their heart on these pages and panels, and these characters are forever an extension of their optimism.
