Following their participation at the Inter-High, the Karasuno High School volleyball team attempts to
refocus their efforts, aiming to conquer the Spring tournament instead.
When they receive an invitation from long-standing rival Nekoma High, Karasuno agrees to take part in
a large training camp alongside many notable volleyball teams in Tokyo and even some national level
players. By playing with some of the toughest teams in Japan, they hope not only to sharpen their
skills, but also come up with new attacks that would strengthen them. Moreover, Hinata and Kageyama
attempt to devise a more powerful weapon, one that could possibly break the sturdiest of blocks.
Facing what may be their last chance at victory before the senior players graduate, the members of
Karasuno's volleyball team must learn to settle their differences and train harder than ever if they
hope to overcome formidable opponents old and new—including their archrival Aoba Jousai and its
world-class setter Tooru Oikawa.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
This anime is by far one of the best I've watched, next to Kuroko no Basket and Big Windup, which hooked me up on sports anime in the first place. I first came across this anime on a top ten list on youtube; this anime being number one on that list. I figured I'd give it a try and see what it's about, but after one episode I fell in love with it and couldn't turn it off... That is until I got to season two episode nine. Haikyuu is very energetic and fun to watch as well as it always keeps me on the edge of my seat and unable to tell who is going to win or lose the match in the end; which is new to me because most of the others I've watched I could easily tell if they would win or lose. The characters are refreshing and funny to watch, especially the expressions. Even some of the quiet and normally indifferent characters turn out to be likeable after a while, such as the manager, Shimizu and Tsukishima the other spiker. Though it would still be hinata and kageyama who are my favorite characters due to their clashing personalities and extreme rivalry/ friendship. And while I usually don't like when the anime focuses on other characters for an episode or two, I found that I didn't mind it all here, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Lastly, and I think the most important thing, is the rivalries. Now I know every sports anime has this, however to me it feels like Haikyuu took it a step further. The anime I watched had the traditional rivalry where the main characters or characters would keep training to get stronger just to surpass their rivals (and miracously after a couple of practice matches and training they would do so almost easily); however, with this anime The rivalries were also friendships formed by the teams. Like even though they were on different teams the more developed teams still helped Karasuno develop their skills after practicing against them, as well as giving some of the teammates individual help to make them stronger as a player. Not to mention how when they weren't playing against each other they were shown actually hanging out with their rivals and being really friendly towards each other. This is defiantly one of those few anime that I hope will go on for a long time, and even then will still be sad to see it end. On my top ten anime to watch list this will no doubt be number one.
Hype train! This anime gave me a variety of feelings and almost made me cry near the end. It did a very good job of hyping up the final battle with Aoba Johsei and making sure that it delivered on that hype, showing a new character, new techniques and more character development. I think that, in sports anime, one of the most important things is building up the significance of the opponent, not only relative to the main team but also on their own. It allows for there to be an observable connection between the two teams as well as a connection between the teams and the audience. This season does an especially good job of doing so, building up every character that they can and doing it pretty well. However, some developments were only limited to one or two episodes and as such it became kind of cramped trying to fit the match, backstory and hype all in a very small amount of time. This is only really a problem during the smaller matches that built up to the powerhouse Aoba Johsei wherein the show would just speed through and you wouldn't even notice that another match was happening. But I understand the rush, and I think it was well used considering how much hype the final match had behind it. The art and music were spectacular, with the animators showing their flair and giving some shots a crazy amount of impact - combined with the music made the delivery of the final match so much more rewarding. That's not even mentioning the unique character designs and popping colours that were on display throughout the series, making it a joy to watch. Although the whole scheme of things was predictable in that it closely followed normal sports anime arcs - like in Kuroko no Basuke - I was fine with it because of how well it was executed. Almost every character has purpose in the plot, with the series building each one up and even giving most of them time to shine under the spotlight both in the moment and for the backstory. It really helped me to believe in these characters and have the desire for them to win. The training arc helped that development immensely. Overall, this anime surpasses that of the first season, because of the fact that we get to see them smash the competition after so much build up from the training and multiple smaller matches before the bigger one. And even with its minor flaws I would still rate it an 8 - though a stronger 8 than season one (close to a 9).
In case you haven't seen Haikyuu S2 yet I'll be spoiling a lot of S1 and S2 in this review so you are warned. So, after the match between Karasuno and Aoba Johsai ended with Karasuno's defeat last season, where does the story go from there. In usual shounen anime affair, a training arc! But this time, the training arc is actually really good. Haikyuu is an anime that manages to hold every bit of your attention even in it's downtime and this training arc is no exception. The season starts with the introduction of Hitoka, the future manager for Karasuno and she quickly became on of my favorite characters. Her bouncy, upbeat personality made for some very entertaining moments and the expressive animation adds to the comedy by quite a lot (this goes for every character, not just Hitoka). While her arc is short, it stands out in this series as a perfect introduction to one of the best new characters. As for new characters, this season introduces an insane amount. While Nekoma returns for the training camp we also see new teams that will definitely become important later on. Bokuto being one of the better new rival characters, as he actually fits the role of rival by teaching the heroes while also providing them with a difficult challenge to overcome. The new addition to Nekoma's team, Lev, was also a nice inclusion. Him being another friendly rival to Hinata. Aoba Johsai also has a new member in Kyotani, one of the most interesting and formidable opponents to Karasuno. He seemed like a generic lone wolf hothead character but he became very likable towards the end of the final match. Growth seems to be a big aspect of this season as we see Karasuno's training help them learn to handle defeat and come up with new strategies to win. Hinata and Kageyama's new quick attack being a perfect example of this newfound growth. One of my favorite scenes in this sequence was when a previous very minor character, Ennoshita, got his time to shine. I wasn't really expecting him to have a scene like this, but it happened and it was amazing. Before this point, I didn't really see the point in having Ennoshita and his two friends just in the background doing nothing, but this whole scene more than made up for that. It also foreshadowed how he might end up as Karasuno's new captain which makes me even more excited for the future seasons of his show. Yamaguchi's redemption scene was also really good as well. It was predictable that it would happen but it was still great nonetheless. I didn't mention this in my S1 review but the soundtrack to Haikyuu is very good. Composed by Yuki Hayashi, who is now famous for his My Hero Academia score, the Haikyuu soundtrack perfectly encapsulates the frantic nature of the volleyball matches and the inspirational nature of shounen storytelling. It's the perfect soundtrack to Haikyuu and each and every song is worth listening to outside of the episodes. The two opening tracks are awesome as well, 'Fly High' being a stand-out. The song that really stole the show for me however was 'Climber', the first ending theme. It's such a fantastic song that fits the vibe of this show so well. It's inspirational while also melancholic, perfectly fitting for the training arc that it plays in. It wish it played throughout the whole season because I liked it a lot more than the second ending which was really forgettable and didn't really fit with the show in my opinion. The second arc of this season is the Nationals Qualifiers and it is probably the best Haikyuu gets at this point. Each team Karasuno faces is distinct and has their own quirk or interesting backstory to it. They're all exciting to watch and lead into the final rematch very well. Once again, Karasuno faces off against Aoba Johsai in a battle of pure adrenaline. While I still liked S1's Aoba Johsai match better, this is still not far behind. Kyotani steals a lot of the focus away from Oikawa and Iwaizumi but having the three of them dominate the match made it always fun to watch. Oikawa's relentless serves and Iwaizumi's insane spikes provided Karasuno with a crazy challenge to overcome and it was always enjoyable to watch. The way Haikyuu pumps the viewer up is something that should be applauded. I can't speak for all sports anime since I haven't seen many, but if they're anything like Haikyuu, this could be one of the best anime genres. S2 improves very little from S1 for me but it doesn't matter since it's really hard to improve what's already great. Haikyuu remains as a must watch for anyone who hasn't seen it yet and I'm glad that a show like this has an insane amount of mass appeal. S2 gives me even more confidence to say that Haikyuu is one of the best shows of last decade, maybe even of all time.
~~~___Determinação___~~~ ~~~img220(https://img.freepik.com/vetores-premium/grafico-de-design-de-icone-de-punho-de-determinacao_706143-357.jpg)~~~ O foco da temporada no início, foi concentrada em diversos episódios de treinos, e mostrando as fraquezas e individualidades de cada personagem. Ao ver os motivos de um personagem para querer tanto algo, entendemos que há uma determinação por trás de tudo aquilo. E para mim, é o ponto mais forte de Haikyuu 2. Vemos a introdução de uma nova personagem, [Hitoka Yachi](https://anilist.co/character/89124/Hitoka-Yachi). Nos trazendo uma mensagem incrível de que por mais que determinação seja importante, ela não precisa ser a base de tudo, e nem mesmo, precisa ser grandiosa para você alcançar os seus sonhos. Existe mesmo algum problema em ser um "Habitante B" ou, você usará isso como desculpa para não ter uma atitude nobre de perseguir aquilo que você almeja? - Felizmente, temos [Kiyoko Shimizu](https://anilist.co/character/67689/Kiyoko-Shimizu), a veterana do terceiro ano que auxilia e ajuda o clube. Ela é extremamente importante e aparece mais frequentemente na temporada, sempre motivando [Hitoka](https://anilist.co/character/89124/Hitoka-Yachi), assim como, o [Hinata](https://anilist.co/character/64769/Shouyou-Hinata) também desempenha um papel bem importante de acolher a mesma. Com o arco de treinamento, vemos mais um paralelo envolvendo a determinação de um personagem. [Kei Tsukishima](https://anilist.co/character/67329/Kei-Tsukishima) estava se distoando bastante dos demais nos treinos, com sua falta de vontade e interesse em melhorar no vôlei. Após [Tadashi Yamaguchi](https://anilist.co/character/71609/Tadashi-Yamaguchi), a pessoa com quem mais tem vínculo no clube, o convencer a melhorar mais, entendemos o motivo de [Tsuki](https://anilist.co/character/67329/Kei-Tsukishima) não mergulhar completamente no esporte, por mais que ele goste bastante. E sinceramente, eu achava o mesmo bem apático, mas, com essa temporada - consegui gostar bastante do [Tsukishima](https://anilist.co/character/67329/Kei-Tsukishima) e como ele cresceu durante todo esse drama. [Tadashi Yamaguchi](https://anilist.co/character/71609/Tadashi-Yamaguchi), um covarde, que foge, ao invés de lutar. Até mesmo um covarde pode ter uma determinação e lutar por algo, sendo que o mesmo não usa sua melhor arma, e foge quando nós mais precisamos de um contra-ataque? - Temos a resposta que sim. O personagem evolui bastante e prova o seu valor em um dos momentos mais importantes de toda a temporada. Mesmo com falhas, arrependimentos, e medo - você pode ser um herói. ~~~___Personagens___~~~ ~~~img220(https://dspncdn.com/a1/media/692x/9f/d8/32/9fd832ca88a96ec56b11cedd73fd05b4.jpg)~~~ [Tadashi Yamaguchi](https://anilist.co/character/71609/Tadashi-Yamaguchi) Para mim, o destaque da temporada - e o que mais me surpreendeu nessa temporada. O seu desenvolvimento é notável. O foco da temporada foca bastante na determinação dos personagens, e para mim, ele é a capa de tudo isso. Provando que se você exita com sua arma mais poderosa, não lhe sobra nada. De um covarde, para um herói. ~~~img220(https://cdn.donmai.us/original/56/32/56322bf38dda354a29443f6810a2f087.jpg)~~~ [Kei Tsukishima](https://anilist.co/character/67329/Kei-Tsukishima) O bloqueio absoluto. Ainda abordando o tema: determinação - vemos o crescimento de um personagem que vivia bem apagado durante os treinamentos do Karasuno. Descobrimos os seus impasses pelo seu passado, que por ora, nos solidarizamos com Kei, um jogador extraordinário e importante para o time. ~~~img220(https://cdn.donmai.us/original/c0/d6/c0d6735ff4b60899baeaae607d8185f5.jpg)~~~ [Hitoka Yachi](https://anilist.co/character/89124/Hitoka-Yachi) *"Não acho que você precise de uma determinação inabalável ou um motivo nobre para começar a fazer algo."* - A frase que diz bastante sobre o seu enredo na história. Hitoka tinha bastante dificuldade para se encaixar em qualquer atividade que seja. Mas, o clube, os incentivos e ensinamentos de Kiyoko Shimizu a direcionou bastante. Não se pode menosprezar uma Habitante B. ~~~img220(https://image.cdn2.seaart.ai/2023-07-17/46083600977989/098de3168f69a3db40d241821a167d2a9aacefab_high.webp)~~~ ~~~___Opening's & Ending's~~~___ ~~~Teremos três definições: *Skippable, Watchable & Inevitable*~~~ ~~~[Opening 3 (I'm a Believer)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=araVYtu-RN4)~~~ ~~~img220(https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000193023639-luxhpa-t500x500.jpg)~~~ ~~~Fraca. Não consegui suportar ouvir essa música completa nenhuma vez. Não compensa. *"Skippable".*~~~ ~~~[Ending 3 (Climber)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw8NVd6hrPw)~~~ ~~~img220(https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000111023984-pz0q8n-t500x500.jpg)~~~ ~~~Uma música bem gostosa, não lembro de ter pulado Climber tantas vezes, além de ser bastante sentimental, com lindos visuais. *"Watchable".*~~~ ~~~[Opening 4 (Fly High)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aNg8cV65Os)~~~ ~~~img220(https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000519306555-t5p3oj-t500x500.jpg)~~~ ~~~Incrível. Pular Fly High talvez seja um crime. Divertida e com um refrão marcante. *"Inevitable".*~~~ ~~~[Ending 4 (Hatsunetsu)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-qyX5hJGU)~~~ ~~~img220(https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-SpKNcoMB4iN6yEDT-BUos1Q-t500x500.jpg)~~~ ~~~Um completo Ok. Não surpreende em nada. É realmente Ok. *"Skippable".*~~~ ~~~___Resumo da Segunda Temporada ( ⚠️ Contém Spoilers )~~~___ Tobio e Hinata visitam o colégio Shiratorizawa. Nova encarregada do clube, Hitoka. *"Não acho que você precise de uma determinação inabalável ou um motivo nobre para começar a fazer algo."* Um lindo episódio sobre a Hitoka. Ela se junta oficialmente ao Karasuno como assistente. Karasuno treina com vários times. Hinata está sedento para melhorar, e se tornar um Ace. Treinamento excessivo de todos os jogadores. Esplêndido. Tsukishima distoa de todos os outros - mas decide lutar. Mais treinamento. Torneio da primavera começa - Karasuno vence a primeira partida contra Ohgiminami - Karasuno vence a segunda partida contra o homem de dois metros. Dois meses de treinamento, e as eliminatórias decisivas começarão. Karasuno vence o primeiro set contra o Jouzenji, e vai bem no segundo - Karasuno vence o Jouzenji. E está contra o Wakunan nas quartas de finais. Com Daichi machucado, Ennoshita é o substituto. A sua coragem é impressionante. No saque, Yamaguchi exita, por medo. Exitar com sua melhor arma te sobra o que? - *Absolutamente nada.* Karasuno vence o primeiro set contra Wakunan. Os arrepios e o suor nos olhos é inevitável. Ennoshita se torna grandioso na parte final, e Karasuno vence Wakunan após três sets. Espero que, no ano seguinte, ele se torne o capitão da equipe. Vence o primeiro set disputadíssimo contra o Aouba Jousai - com um *espetáculo* de animação. A determinação de um ex-covarde. A sensação de fugir é sempre pior. Por isso, Yamaguchi lutou contra tudo que o amedrontava. Magnífico. Absurdo - Aouba Jousai vence o segundo set. Terceiro set disputado. *O episódio 24 foi cinema. Meu Deus.* Todos os takes foram *incrívelmente* pensados, parabéns para a produção, animação absurda, músicas de se arrepiar com timbres de se tirar o fôlego - um jogo que é impossível de piscar, pois a bola não cai. Impossível de respirar assistindo esse episódio, só me resta rasgar muitos elogios. Para mim, até agora, o melhor episódio de Haikyuu. Karasuno vence o Aouba Jousai por 26x24, e está na final. Os corvos sem asas, os rivais em desgraça, finalmente estão sendo reconhecidos. São aplaudidos por toda a escola. Enfrentarão o Shiratorizawa.
My impression of the first season of Haikyuu could be described as "positive indifference." I enjoyed it overall, but the pacing was slow, the writing unbelievable (weirdo quick-attack my ass), and although the matches ended up being fun to watch, I couldn't understand why all my friends loved it so much (besides playing volleyball themselves). Boy was I wrong. Season one was the set; season two was the kill, ramping it up from 0 to 100 and maintaining that excellence for 25 perfect episodes in a row. ~~~img500(https://media1.tenor.com/m/jhwRDQj29pcAAAAC/haikyuu-anime.gif)~~~ All the characters who were meticulously set up in the first season deliver massive payoffs in the second. This show understands what it is to be a young athlete better than any piece of fiction I've ever seen. _Everyone_ can find someone to root for and identify with here. Whether you're the breakout star freshman year, or the bench warmer, the underperforming senior, the person considering quitting, or even just an adult who's never played before and recently discovered a late-blooming passion, there is someone in this show whose story will resonate with your own. For me, there were at least three. This show feels real in a way very few others have me. But it also feels utterly fantastical in the most beautiful way possible. In my opinion, one of anime's greatest strengths as a medium is not depicting ordinary life, but rather enhancing it and portraying it under a ray of golden light. Haikyuu is also a perfect example of this. Teenage boys in real life aren't this nice or cute; teammates usually aren't perfect families of support and brotherhood; matches don't go this well or look this cool; and practicing can really fucking suck. But nonetheless, there exists some beauty, some joy, some perfect moment in every pursuit that keeps the athlete, musician, artist, or what have you coming back. Haikyuu S2 ignores all of reality's ugly flaws and portrays those most glorious highs in a glossy sheen of pure, humanly unattainable perfection. Non-stop. For 25 episodes straight. Even the scenes where characters are suffering feel romanticized and desirable. That tantalizing golden experience is what I think make Haikyuu so universal, inspiring children to chase it and sending those who had in the past into waves of nostalgia. It's addictive. Like cocaine. Except instead of a drug that ruins your body and mind it's... healthy exercise and making friends. "But wait," you might be protesting, "isn't that so unbelievably pretentious? How can you watch something that sparkly and still take it seriously and suspend your disbelief?" And that's what's so fucking magical about this show: it takes your ass into Perfect Magic Wonderland with its story and _grounds_ you into it with its aforementioned characters. These boys are _your_ boys. Yamaguchi's first service ace? That happiness is _your_ happiness. Kei's wavering resolution and eventual comeback? His determination is _your_ determination. Chikara's rise from bench player to sleeper captain? His pride is _your_ pride. You've been in these players' shoes before. You understand them; you empathize with them; you _are_ them and thus you root for them the same way you'd root for yourself. The hater in your brain might ask, "Erm, where are there parents? How do these kids have this much time and energy? What about college plans?" But you tell it to shut the fuck up. After all, they're going to nationals. And you're gonna watch them. And you don't ever wanna leave. And just in case you weren't properly sucked in, the matches themselves are just truly a sight to behold. Production is hands-down amazing all around. The camera frantically swoops and cuts, smear-frames convey motion in its rawest form, scuffling and slamming and roaring sound design raises your blood pressure, and the OST: a wall of bass and drums and screeching jazz/power-rock/classical smash-up acts as frenetic backdrop of constant adrenaline. Charming character interactions on court and believable set-plays also lend a sense of authenticity, further immersing you into the action. When the crowd cheers, you cheer. When Aoba Johsai crows "ooooooooOOO ___LEEEE___ " as Oikawa winds up his serve, you crow with them. I didn't even know who I was rooting for half the time. And the writing??? Calling these some of the best-directed "fight scenes" in all of anime wouldn't be an understatement. Shit had me jumping. ~~~img250(https://media1.tenor.com/m/553iN7qe0KgAAAAd/oikawa-anime.gif) img250(https://media1.tenor.com/m/pyMAWmCoMXUAAAAC/yahaba-haikyuu.gif) img250(https://media1.tenor.com/m/-vdPpgcYssoAAAAC/kageyama-tobio.gif) img250(https://media1.tenor.com/m/HlQqrq4rHnwAAAAC/haikyuu-volleyball.gif) ~~~ Haikyuu is inspirational. Haikyuu is nostalgic. Haikyuu is just a really fun watch. But above all, Haikyuu is universal. Perspectives of this show are as diverse as people's own experiences with youth sports or activities in general, but anyone can relate to this show. Anyone can see themselves within any of the characters. Anyone can fall in love with these boys and their sport and their passion for it. Maybe you'll reminisce about your old middle school soccer days and wish you tried a little bit harder, and wonder where you'd have ended up today. Maybe you'll feel motivated for next year's swim season and promise to give it 110% whereas you previously just scraped by. Maybe you'll feel inspired to try something new, and realize that your success is only measured by how hard you try and how much fun you have. But no matter what, you'll feel something. Some kind of empathy, connection, excitement, maybe even some jealousy. And if you don't? I'm sorry, there's something seriously wrong with you: maybe try getting that checked out. I'm only on S2 :sobbing: how am I gonna survive the rest of this peak I'm gonna overdose