The anime Haikyuu!! has given the sports anime genre a whole new meaning with action, comedy and the dramatic problems that athletes can face on their journey to success, especially when your only 5-feet tall!
Haikyuu!! features a small high school boy, Hinata Shoyo, who has a dream of becoming the best volleyball player in Japan. Following his idol (the tiny giant), he ends up attending Karasuno High School to pursue his dream. Once Hinata makes it into the volleyball team, he meets the arch rival from his past, Kageyama. It only gets worse when he finds out that they must both work together if they want it make it to Nationals. Dealing with rivals, challenges and proving who is on top, this show is one to watch.
The introduction of Hinata himself and who he is as a person is small, but the introduction to his hopes and his dreams is large as it shows you what he dreams of with a detailed explanation of what he wants to become. One of Haikyuu!!’s forms of entertainment is its witty comedy, which is greatly used when it comes to Hinata trying to succeed but failing miserably. Hinata himself is a loveable idiot that tries to succeed when he is greatly disadvantaged but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Hinata isn’t just a lost cause when it comes to playing volleyball as he is extremely gifted when it comes to jumping. When Hinata joins Karasuno High School and has an unexpected meeting with his arch enemy Kageyama, they both discover their power house manoeuvre. They are quick to be included in the team and are ready to be on top.
Sports animes are a special type of anime. It takes a lot of work for sport animes to become well-known as some can focus on the drama instead of the action, but Haikyuu!! was easy to love. When I saw the artwork in action and the team Karasuno playing against other teams, it made it easier to get drawn into, as it is filled with lots of definition in the characters and their surroundings.
Another thing that a sports anime must have is drama, which isn’t shown as much as it should, but you will be shown the hardship of Hinata and especially Kageyama. The most important thing about a sports anime is the action which is easily shown in Haikyuu!! when two teams face off in tournaments or just simple games. Personally, the action in this anime is amazing. Even when they are playing a practice match against other teams, it would still be treated and shown as if it was a ‘full on’ game.
Other characters that you will meet don’t all have strong back stories but each and every character has their unique personality. This is all contributes to this anime, making it funnier, more dramatic and most importantly, entertaining. The artwork and definition in characters is simply to die for as it gives amazing shading and contrast in colour, while still abiding by simple anime artwork so then it turns more into reality than cartoons. The backgrounds are not in the same league as the characters artwork which is quite disappointing in my opinion. It shows simple colours that don’t give a more life-like vibe, but it doesn’t make this show any less interesting or entertaining.
In summary, this anime is one of the best sports animes I’ve watched because of its jammed packed ball of action, drama and comedy. Not only is this season filled with action and drama, it is also very popular due to its inspirational characters that honestly made me want to pursue volleyball for a short period. The only downfall was some of the backgrounds were shown unnecessarily that drew my attention away from the characters, but the good story line made up for it.
Positives:
- Good comedy
- Action packed
- Cliff hangers
- Intriguing/Funny characters
- Inspirational story line
- Good soundtrack
Negatives:
- Unnecessary background use
- Less detailed settings
- Limited details in other characters
- Not enough background music
Rating: 7/10
What are your thoughts on this anime? Let us know by commenting below.
– Written by Andrew Craig
