Haikyu!! Anime Review

Comedy.  Drama.  Intense moments.  Competition.  Guys in little shorts.  Haikyu!! has it all in spades.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Haikyu!! is a manga that did everything right, yet I couldn't stay interested.  The whole time I was thinking, "If only there was an anime adaptation..."  Then, low and behold, here it is.

Just like the manga, the story follows Shoyo Hinata, a boy who wants to become the greatest volleyball player in the world.  There just one problem.  He's small.  So he's a little man trying to rule in a big man's world.  While he never gives up, he realizes he's fighting an uphill battle.

Hinata wants to be a volleyball player after watching the Little Giant...

...realizes his height is the ultimate handicap in the volleyball world.

Of course, he's not alone in his quest.  He has an entire team behind him, including rival turned ally Tobio Kageyama.  Together, they play volleyball until their asses fall off.

Hinata vows to beat Kageyama one day...

...only to wind up being his teammate.

There is a lot a humor.  A lot of it comes from infighting as the team learns to become...well...a team.  There's also a particularly hilarious scene where they hit the vice principal in the face with a volleyball, causing his toupee to fly off.  There are a lot of other funny scenes, but that's there one that really stands out.

That has to hurt in more ways than one.

Hinata's  clumsiness...

...drives a lot of the humor.

There is also plenty of drama and tension.  From the most pointless practice game to the big tournament games, they all feel like a big deal because the characters think they are.  Much like the humor, most of the drama comes from infighting and the sheer number of assholes in the series.  Surprisingly, none of this leads to a fist-fights, though a few almost break out.

There's plenty of anger...

...infighting...

...rivalries...

...and tension.

There's no shortage of assholes, like these guys...

...this guy...

...gotta call out  Kageyama, too.

As for fanservice, you'd better like guys in little shorts, because that's all you'll see about 95% of the time.  There are girls as well, but their presence is next to meaningless.  Despite this, I couldn't find one gay character (though the Nekoma High setter isn't very masculine).  Simply put, this is a series where they could have went in a gay direction and they didn't, which is sort of a relief.  It's just boys partaking in the manly art of competition.

There no fanservice here unless you like guy legs.

This dude has a heck of a physique.

Yes, there are girls, but they're all but worthless here.

There is a lot of character development here.  Hinata and Kagyama grow as player, as do other characters.  Even seemingly meaningless character have a story to tell and a path to travel.  They all are forged in the furnace that is the volleyball court.

Follow Hinata and others through pain...

...triumph...

...defeat...

...and heartbreak

In the end, Haikyu!! is a series the didn't disappoint me.  It has everything a nonviolent series geared toward males needs.  Comedy, drama, tension, victory, defeat, and boys growing through hardship.  No nonsense, cutesy stuff, or moe bullshit here.  Makes me want to give the manga another try.  Don't miss it.