Haikyuu!!

It's got exactly what you want a sports anime to have – suspense, sweat, blood, tears, a drive to constantly outdo each other, and a great team. It doesn't stand out in any genre, unless you count the fact that the boys play volleyball and pretty soon they form a nice team. Watching it, you think it's a shame he's not in high school anymore, because he would have wanted so badly to play sports like this, to give it his all and form strong bonds with his teammates. It's a well-paced series and it's not just the volleyball that drives the series, but the characters that complement each other perfectly. At the same time, they're also fun to be around and you get a kick out of the entire team. On the other hand, I wasn't that impressed with the matches. Sure, it was thrilling at times and I was curious to see what else they would come up with, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat and even though I wanted them to win, again, I wasn't totally into it. The matches couldn't completely absorb me. Still, definitely a very watchable sports anime that doesn't leave an aftertaste. (23.04.2019)

The suspense and action are interspersed with funny or touching moments at such a great pace that your heart just has to pound, you have to root for them and you have to live it. I guess it can't be helped, but the second season of Haikyu!! was for me the best sports anime in the last eight years...? I really enjoyed it. Aside from avoiding the cliché of nonsensical leveling up beyond human strength, but keeping the development of the characters and their volleyball skills believable within human strength, I was so excited that the team here doesn't rely on one character, that it doesn't wait for some intervention from above, but all the points and wins are earned because the characters worked hard, wanted to get better, helped each other do so, and worked well together. It wasn't based on one character, it was based on everything and I'm glad no one was completely overlooked. Add to the great sports action some funny moments, great chemistry between the characters, and a soundtrack that fit it like a butt on a pot, and you have the second series of Haikyu!!. If you enjoy sports anime, definitely don't skip this one. If you like enthusiastic guys who put their whole soul into an activity, don't skip it. If you want to have a good time, don't skip it. The time spent on this anime is definitely worth it. (28.04.2019)