A few of my friends swear by this anime. It finally came our time to watch it at our weekly anime nights and I never imagined I’d find myself so invested in a volleyball anime. By the end of these 25 episodes I was rooting for the squad as I would for my own hometown teams.
We start the season with the orange-haired main protagonist, Hinata. He is a short fellow, but makes up for it with his powerful legs and swift feet. Hinata becomes obsessed with the idea of volleyball and even though his junior high school doesn’t have a boys team, he still practices as best he can.
The show gets going once he hits high school and joins the team there. The early twist is that he made a rival in the one game he played in last year against hyper-competitive setter, Kageyama. I expected him to be the arch-nemesis, but instead he switched schools because his unfriendliness caused his old teammates to turn against him. Now, they’re on the same side.
These two first-years are the backbone of the series. However, by the end of the season I learned to love everyone shown on that image up above. That’s what makes Haikyu special. Watching the team grow, learn to work together, support each other, and become a real threat was inspiring. I can’t help but get up and scream like the Texans just scored the game winning touchdown when Hinata hits a quick spike or Asahi gets his mojo back.
The best part of the show was the tournament. Watching the back and forth as well as the fluctuating strategy between teams was like a chess match. The battle against the Iron Wall was especially hype. It’s hard to imagine Karasuno even standing a chance based on the fact that the Iron Wall completely shut down Asahi last year. But it’s also not the same Karasuno. I loved watching the team’s confidence grow throughout and how much trust everyone had in each other. Definition of a team.
The final match and how close they got to being victorious in the win by two scenario had me on the edge of my seat. As badly as I wanted them to advance, I knew it was too early in the show. The team still has a lot to work on and improve at; such as Hinata serving and receiving better. The fact they got so close says a lot about their potential and I’m salivating at the thought of seeing that unlocked in season 2.
My only gripe is that there’s one girl in the show and her main role is to be gawked at by all the guys. It got annoying and the trope is overused.
Rating: 876/1000
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