Overview
Haikyu!! is Haruichi Furudate's volleyball manga, serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from 20 February 2012 to 20 July 2020 and collected in 45 volumes. Shoyo Hinata falls for volleyball after watching a short player nicknamed the Little Giant compete for Karasuno High. He enrolls at that same school and finds himself on the team with Tobio Kageyama, a gifted but prickly setter who beat him in a middle school tournament.
OtaHub's take
Haikyu!!'s appeal comes from how seriously Furudate treats every position on the court. The story does not revolve only around the Hinata and Kageyama duo but makes room for the libero, the bench spikers and the rival teams, so each match is seen from several angles. Volleyball tactics are explained clearly without becoming dry, and the theme of height and personal limits is handled with care: Hinata has to learn to compensate through speed, technique and an understanding of the game.
Production I.G's anime premiered in April 2014 and ran for four seasons before moving to a closing film project that began with Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle in 2024. The next film, Haikyu!! the Movie: VS The Little Giant, will adapt the Karasuno versus Kamomedai match, with Susumu Mitsunaka directing and writing; the official site places it in the 2027 plan but has not announced a specific release date.
Verdict
An easy entry point even for people who have never cared about volleyball, and especially suited to readers who like sports stories built on teamwork and growing up. Since the manga is complete, the whole story can be read without waiting for new chapters, including the post-nationals material that the films may not adapt in full.
