Haikyuu!!

This anime is an accurately aimed cannonball between the eyes of all those who are convinced that sports anime is not for them and avoid it like the plague. Haikyu!! is a sports anime, but it is not primarily an anime about sports. The volleyball practices, tournaments and matches here only provide the narrative framework, or rather the backdrop against which the main thing that is going on – namely the development of perfectly written characters and their interactions. Although there is someone who could be described as the main character, there are many other characters vying for attention in the background, none of whom are neglected and each of whom is portrayed as realistically and in as much depth as possible. The plot of Haikyu!! is all about the clash of different motivations, overcoming mutual differences and animosity, finding commonalities, and finding ever new ways to improve teamwork. The creators let the heroes win and lose, the black and white nature of good and evil is done away with from the very first moment, and the events we see on screen transcend sports and can be applied to any group of people trying to achieve something together, and primarily by trying to change themselves. The realism comes to the fore here, so you do not have to worry about any silly displays of superhuman powers and techniques with overcomplicated, ridiculous names, as is sometimes the norm of this genre. All of the above is spiced up with a nice dose of humor and thrilling fights that will keep you on the edge of your seat, great soundtrack, likable artwork and smooth animation – and so there is no doubt about the rating I should give. Although the other seasons are also of high quality, I consider the first season to be the best due to the fact that there is the most room for what makes this anime so impressive, that is the aforementioned character development and relationship building. So if you are one of those who eye sports anime suspiciously, I recommend watching Haikyu!! as an excellent way to see the light. (09.07.2019)

The fourth season of Haikyuu!! is a prime example of how a change of director and especially of lead animator can play a huge part regarding the quality of a new anime season. In the light-hearted first half, this change has not yet manifested itself enough to matter significantly, but in the second half, the results of shaky leadership are laid bare right from the start. The original manga may be a guarantee of quality in terms of content, but after all the brilliantly staged matches at the end of the second and third seasons, it is hard to believe that the ping-ponging of a ball on display here should be the most important and consequential match yet, the outcome of which determines our team's continued existence or non-existence in the national tournament. Most of the second half feels like a slavishly and somewhat forced rendered imitation of the manga, unnecessarily slowed down by ill-timed flashbacks and noticeably lacking what was commonplace in the previous series – dynamic action scenes, well-set pacing, building a thick atmosphere, and, a direct hit on the audience’s goal. There is a noticeable improvement but only in the last two or three episodes, when the fight escalates to the finale, the pace and dynamics of the scenes increases and some moments are reminiscent of the best of the previous season, however, at the same time, there is a feeling of resentment at why the rest of the season could not have been like this. Overall, I give the better part of 3 stars, and perhaps naively, I have faith that the original creative pairing will return in full force for a fifth season. (19.12.2020)