The long-awaited “Haikyuu!!” animated series will be returning soon with two final movies. The movies will be picking up where the last season of the anime left off, with the protagonist, Shoyo Hinata, and his team now heading to the Tokyo national tournament. The two-part finale will be titled “Haikyuu!! The Movie – Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump” and will serve as the conclusion of the series.
The initial “Haikyuu!!” series, is based on the Shōnen Jump manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. The series followed the story of Shoyo Hinata, a high schooler who after catching a glimpse of Karasuno High School playing in their national championships, is inspired to pursue volleyball as a profession. During his journey, Hinata meets with formidable foes and friends alike. Their exhilarating playstyles lit his spirit for volleyball on fire. Struck by his enthusiasm, the Karasuno Boys’ Volleyball team is determined to reach higher than ever, fly higher than in the past, surpass the other teams, and reign the court. Ultimately aiming to win the nationals. Overall, the story displays mind-blogging sportsmanship and impressive team buildings with dashes of comedy and heated battles, an enjoyable show for sports and non-sports fans.
Over four seasons with 85 episodes in total, “Haikyuu!! To the Top Part 2” ended at around chapter 292 of the manga. The two movies are said to be covering the remaining 110 chapters and 5 arcs the anime had yet to touch. Production I.G, the original studio that animated the “Haikyuu!!” animated series is returning to animate the two movies, along with the original vocal cast coming back to reprise their roles (more information here). The first movie has been listed to have a run time of one hour and 25 minutes. The movies have already been released in Japan on February 16 however, no international official date has been confirmed yet.
“Haikyuu!!” Final Official Teaser:
Many long-time fans have been excited by the news and can’t wait for its official release in the United States.
A sophomore at Eleanor Roosevelt, Eva Tan shared, “Ever since the end of season 4 in 2020, I felt like I never got the proper closure the series deserved. Instead of a season, I felt like two movies would be more impactful and maybe expose the series to a wider audience.”
“I really enjoyed the series, even though I don’t enjoy watching sports,” she added.
Another thrilled sophomore “Haikyuu!!” fan, Kaya Hildreth at ERHS expresses, “I think it’s a good way to end the series, I’d recommend watching ‘Haikyuu!!’, it’s a good anime for people who like sports anime. I loved watching ‘Haikyuu!!’”
While many “Haikyuu!!” fans remain enthusiastic about the release of the two movies, some are concerned with the short run time of the series finale. Elisabeth Resendiz, a junior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School exclaimed her grievances “I really liked the original series, so it makes me sad to see it end, especially with only two movies, it feels a bit rushed.”
