The appeal and rating of Haikyu!!: A detailed review of the series and TV #1

Haikyu!! - A story of youthful volleyball and friendship

"Haikyu!!" is a TV anime series based on the popular manga by Haruichi Furudate, which aired from April 6 to September 21, 2014. This work was loved by many viewers as a sports anime that depicts youth, friendship, and the charm of volleyball. Below, we will delve deeper into the details and appeal of "Haikyu!!".

■Overview of the work

"Haikyu!!" is a next-generation sports manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump and has sold over 5.5 million copies. It is produced by Production IG, which always produces the best animation, and the cast includes fresh young talent and a talented cast. The story follows Hinata Shoyo, a boy fascinated by volleyball, who joins the Karasuno High School volleyball club and grows alongside his rival and teammate, Kageyama Tobio.

■ Story

Hinata Shoyo, inspired by the "little giant" he saw as a child, becomes obsessed with volleyball. However, in middle school, he is defeated by Kageyama Tobio, known as the "King of the Court," and vows to get revenge by joining the Karasuno High School volleyball club. There, he meets Kageyama again, and the story of their youth begins as they strive to reach the national tournament, competing against each other both as rivals and teammates.

■ Characters

The appeal of "Haikyu!!" lies in its unique characters. The main character, Hinata Shoyo, is a middle blocker who is small at 162.8cm tall, but has explosive power, jumping ability, and a strong will to never give up. Meanwhile, Kageyama Tobio is a setter with overwhelming talent and is known as the "King of the Court." In addition to these characters, the members of Karasuno High School and players from rival schools are also depicted with their own personalities and growth, drawing viewers in.

Karasuno High School

• Hinata Shoyo - First year, middle blocker, height 162.8cm, weight 51.9kg, birthday June 21st
• Tobio Kageyama - 1st year, setter, height 180.6cm, weight 66.3kg, birthday December 22nd
• Sawamura Daichi - 3rd year, wing spiker, height 176.8cm, weight 70.1kg, birthday December 31st
• Koji Sugawara - 3rd year, setter, height 174.3cm, weight 63.5kg, birthday June 13th
• Ryunosuke Tanaka - 2nd year, wing spiker, height 177.2cm, weight 68.8kg, birthday March 3rd
• Asahi Azuma - 3rd year, wing spiker, height 184.7cm, weight 75.2kg, birthday January 1st
• Nishinoya Yuu - 2nd year, libero, height 159.3cm, weight 51.1kg, birthday October 10th
• Tsukishima Kei - First-year student, middle blocker, height 188.3cm, weight 68.4kg, birthday September 27th
• Tadashi Yamaguchi - First-year student, middle blocker, height 179.5cm, weight 63.0kg, birthday November 10th
• Kiyoko Shimizu - 3rd year, manager, height 166.2cm, weight 51.4kg, birthday January 6th
• Takeda Ittetsu - 29 years old, modern literature teacher, height 166.5cm, weight 59.4kg, birthday January 10th
• Ukai Keishin - 26 years old, heir to Sakanoshita Shoten, height 178.2cm, weight 72.2kg, birthday April 5th

Aoba Johsai High School

• Oikawa Toru - 3rd year, setter, height 184.3cm, weight 72.2kg, birthday July 20th
• Iwaizumi Hajime - 3rd year, wing spiker, height 179.3cm, weight 70.2kg, birthday June 10th
• Yutaro Kindaichi - First-year student, middle blocker, height 189.2cm, weight 74.3kg, birthday June 6th
• Kunimi Hide - First year, wing spiker, height 182.8cm, weight 66.1kg, birthday March 25th
• Hideo Yahaba - 2nd year, setter, height 181.9cm, weight 69.0kg, birthday March 1st
• Takahiro Hanamaki - 3rd year, wing spiker, height 184.7cm, weight 72.0kg, birthday January 27th
• Issei Matsukawa - 3rd year, middle blocker, height 187.9cm, weight 73.8kg, birthday March 1st
• Watari Chikaji - 2nd year, libero, height 171.2cm, weight 62.5kg, birthday April 3rd

Nekoma High School

• Kuroo Tetsuro - 3rd year, middle blocker, height 187.7cm, weight 75.3kg, birthday November 17th
• Kenma Kozume - 2nd year, setter, height 169.2cm, weight 58.3kg, birthday October 16th
• Haibane Lev - 1st year, middle blocker, height 194.3cm, weight 79.7kg, birthday October 30th
• Eisuke Yaku - 3rd year, libero, height 165.2cm, weight 60.2kg, birthday August 8th
• Taketora Yamamoto - 2nd year, wing spiker, height 176.7cm, weight 69.1kg, birthday February 22nd
• Inuoka Hashiru - First-year student, middle blocker, height 185.3cm, weight 74.3kg, birthday November 1st
• Kai Nobuyuki - 3rd year, wing spiker, height 176.5cm, weight 68.9kg, birthday April 8th
• Shohei Fukunaga - 2nd year, wing spiker, height 178.3cm, weight 68.3kg, birthday September 29th
• Shibayama Yusei - 1st year, libero, height 162.5cm, weight 53.3kg, birthday December 16th

Date Technical High School

• Takanobu Aone - 2nd year, middle blocker, height 191.8cm, weight 88.2kg, birthday August 13th
• Kenji Futakuchi - 2nd year, wing spiker, height 184.2cm, weight 71.5kg, birthday November 10th

■ Staff

Haikyu!! was produced by a talented team of directors including Susumu Mitsunaka, series composition by Taku Kishimoto, character design by Takahiro Kishida, animation directors Takahiro Chiba and Toshihisa Kaiya, action design by Yasuyuki Kai, art direction and design by Ichiro Tatsuta, color design by Mayumi Sato, director of photography Yumiko Nakata, 3D CG by Dandelion, editing by Junichi Uematsu, sound direction by Hiromi Kikuta, and music by Yuuki Hayashi and Asami Tachibana. Animation was produced by Production IG.

■Broadcast information

"Haikyu!!" was broadcast every Sunday from April 6th to September 21st, 2014. The broadcast time was from 17:00 to 17:30, and it was available on many broadcasting stations nationwide, including Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) and TBS Television (TBS). It was also streamed online and was available to watch on Bandai Channel, Amazon, acTVila, Rakuten Showtime, J:COM On Demand, Xvie, VIDEO STORE, milplus, Video Pass, U-NEXT, Hikari TV, TSUTAYA TV, PS Store, VideoUnlimited, Movie Full, etc.

■ Episode

"Haikyu!!" consists of 25 episodes, and the story progresses with each episode. Below are the subtitles of each episode.

• Episode 1: The End and the Beginning (2014/04/06)
• Episode 2/Karasuno High School Volleyball Club (2014/04/13)
• Episode 3: The Strongest Ally (2014/04/20)
• Episode 4: The View from the Top (2014/04/27)
• Episode 5: The Tension of a Timid Person (2014/05/04)
• Episode 6: Interesting Team (2014/05/11)
• Episode 7: VS "The Great King" (2014/05/18)
• Episode 8: The Man Called "Ace" (2014/05/25)
• Episode 9: Toss to the Ace (2014/06/01)
• Episode 10: Admiration (2014/06/08)
• Episode 11: Decision (2014/06/15)
• Episode 12: The Cat and the Crow Reunite (2014/06/22)
• Episode 13/Good Enemy (2014/06/29)
• Episode 14: Strong Enemies (2014/07/06)
• Episode 15/Resurrection (2014/07/13)
• Episode 16: Winners and Losers (2014/07/20)
• Episode 17: Iron Wall (2014/07/27)
• Episode 18: Back Protection (2014/08/03)
• Episode 19/Conductor (2014/08/10)
• Episode 20: Tooru Oikawa is not a genius (2014/08/17)
• Episode 21: The Ability of Seniors (2014/08/24)
• Episode 22/Evolution (2014/08/31)
• Episode 23: A move that changes the flow (2014/09/07)
• Episode 24: Escaping the "King of Solitude" (2014/09/14)
• Episode 25/3rd day (2014/09/21)

■ Theme songs and music

The theme song and insert songs of "Haikyu!!" also enhance the charm of the work. The theme song and ending theme are introduced below.

Opening Theme

• OP1 "Imagination" - Episodes 1-13
  • Lyricist: MOMIKEN
  • Composer: UZ
  • Arrangement: UZ
  • Sung by: SPYAIR
• OP2 "Ah Yeah!!" - Episodes 15 to 25
  • Lyrics: Takuya Ohashi, Shintaro Tokita
  • Composer: Takuya Ohashi, Shintaro Tokita
  • Arrangement: Takuya Ohashi, Shintaro Tokita
  • Sung by: Sukima Switch

Ending Theme

• ED1 "Tenchi Gaeshi" - Episodes 1 to 13
  • Lyricist: Tatsuya Mitsumura
  • Composer: Tatsuya Mitsumura
  • Arrangement: NICO Touches the Walls & Takashi Asano
  • Sung by: NICO Touches the Walls
• ED2 "LEO" - Episodes 15 to 25
  • Lyricist: Shoichi Igari
  • Composer: Shoichi Igari
  • Sung by: tacica

■The appeal of the work

The appeal of "Haikyu!!" lies above all in its realistic depiction of volleyball and the story of the characters' growth. The story begins with the rivalry between Hinata Shoyo and Kageyama Tobio, but gradually depicts the growth and friendship of the entire team, drawing viewers in. In addition, each character's personality stands out, and their growth and conflicts are depicted realistically.

The volleyball match scenes in particular are incredibly realistic, successfully conveying the tension and excitement of the match to the viewer. Production IG's animation skills shine through, depicting the players' movements and expressions in great detail, providing a sense of realism that makes viewers feel as if they are watching an actual match.

Music is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of the work. The opening themes "Imagination" and "Ah Yeah!!", and the ending themes "Tenchi Gaeshi" and "LEO" have melodies that match each scene and stir the emotions of the viewers. In particular, SPYAIR's "Imagination" is loved by many fans as a song that evokes the passion of youth.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Haikyu!!" is highly acclaimed not only as a sports anime, but also as a youth drama. The character growth, team unity, and realistic depiction of volleyball matches have attracted viewers and gained many fans. In addition, coupled with the popularity of the original work, its popularity has continued unabated even after it was made into an anime.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• Realistic depiction of volleyball - Thanks to the technical skills of Production IG, the match scenes are depicted very realistically. Recommended not only for volleyball fans, but also for those who like sports anime.
• Character Development - Each character's personality and growth are carefully depicted, leaving a deep impression on the viewer. The relationship between Hinata and Kageyama is particularly not to be missed.
• The Passion of Youth - The passion of youth, friendship, and the process of hard work are depicted, resonating with viewers. Recommended for those who like youth dramas.
• The appeal of the music - The opening and ending songs enhance the atmosphere of the work and stir the emotions of the viewer. This is a work that music lovers can also enjoy.

"Haikyu!!" is a story of youth that goes beyond the boundaries of a sports anime and is loved by many viewers. Please watch it once and experience its charm for yourself.