Haikyu!!

Haikyu!!

Company type	Manga series
Industry	Manga, Anime
Founded	2012
Founder	Haruichi Furudate
Defunct	2020 (manga serialization ended)
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Manga, Anime, Films, Video games, Stage plays
Parent	Shueisha (publisher)

Haikyu!! is a Japanese manga series created by Haruichi Furudate. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from February 2012 until July 2020, comprising a total of 45 volumes. The narrative centers on Shoyo Hinata, a passionate young boy determined to succeed in volleyball despite his short height.

The anime adaptation, produced by Production I.G, aired on MBS and consists of four seasons: the first season ran from April to September 2014 with 25 episodes, the second from October 2015 to March 2016 also with 25 episodes, the third season aired between October and December 2016 featuring 10 episodes, and the fourth season was broadcast in split cours throughout 2020, totaling 25 episodes. The series concludes with the anime film project Haikyu!! Final; its initial installment, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, premiered in February 2024, with a subsequent part officially announced.

In North America, the manga is licensed by Viz Media, while Sentai Filmworks holds the rights for digital distribution and home video releases of the anime.

Both the manga and its anime adaptation have garnered widespread critical praise. In 2016, Haikyu!! was awarded the 61st Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category. By December 2024, its circulation exceeded 70 million copies, placing it among the top-selling manga series globally.

Plot

Middle schooler Shoyo Hinata becomes captivated by volleyball after witnessing Karasuno High School compete at the Nationals. Although he is undersized, Hinata draws inspiration from 'The Little Giant,' a remarkable wing spiker formerly from Karasuno. Possessing notable athleticism and an impressive vertical leap, Hinata establishes his school's volleyball club as its only member at first, dedicating two years to recruiting teammates.

During his last year of junior high, friends join the club, enabling Hinata to participate in a tournament where they are defeated by a team featuring third-year prodigy Tobio Kageyama, a setter known as 'The King of the Court' due to his exceptional skills and commanding demeanor. This encounter ignites a rivalry, motivating Hinata to surpass Kageyama in high school.

Upon entering Karasuno High School, Hinata discovers that Kageyama is also enrolled there. Once a dominant force recognized for producing the Little Giant, Karasuno has since fallen on hard times and earned the moniker 'The Wingless Crows.' By combining Kageyama's expert setting abilities with Hinata's explosive athleticism, they form a formidable setter-spiker duo.

Together, they challenge each other to reach their full potential while fostering strong team dynamics. Their efforts drive Karasuno's campaign to restore its former glory and qualify for Nationals once more. Both aspire to professional volleyball careers and pledge to reunite on the court after high school, committing themselves fully to each other and their sport.

Manga

Conceived by Haruichi Furudate, Haikyu!! originated as a one-shot published in Shueisha's Jump Next! on January 8, 2011, followed by a second one-shot released in Weekly Shōnen Jump on April 25, 2011. The full series began serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 20, 2012, concluding on July 20, 2020. Shueisha compiled the chapters into 45 volumes released between June 4, 2012, and November 4, 2020.

In North America, Viz Media secured licensing rights and commenced publication in 2016. Additionally, Shueisha initiated simultaneous English releases via Manga Plus starting January 2019.

A spin-off series titled , illustrated by Kyōhei Miyajima, was serialized on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ platform from May 13, 2019 until March 24, 2025. Its first volume was published on November 1, 2019; as of December 4, 2024, thirteen volumes have been made available.

A special sixteen-page one-shot by Furudate focusing on a match between Karasuno High and Nekoma High appeared in Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 5, 2024. Moreover, Haikyu!! Volume 33.5, containing an additional manga chapter alongside character art, storyboards, and an interview with Furudate, was distributed exclusively to attendees of Haikyu!! the Movie: Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump on February 16, 2024 with a limited print run catering to two million viewers.

Radio drama

In November 2012, a radio drama adaptation of the series was broadcast on TV Tokyo's Sakiyomi Jum-Bang! show, showcasing various voice actors performing character excerpts. This radio drama was subsequently made available in December 2012 through Shueisha's Vomic platform.

Anime

The anime television adaptation, created by Production I.G, aired from April to September 2014 on MBS and other stations within the JNN, with English subtitles accessible via Crunchyroll. For episodes 1 through 13, the opening theme was "Imagination" by Spyair, while the ending theme was "Tenchi Gaeshi" by Nico Touches the Walls. From episode 14 to 25, the themes switched to "Ah Yeah" by Sukima Switch (also serving as episode 14's ending) and "LEO" by Tacica. The anime's digital and physical distribution rights are held by Sentai Filmworks.

The series’ second season aired between October 2015 and March 2016. The opening and ending themes for episodes 1 to 13 were "I'm a Believer" by Spyair and "Climber" by Galileo Galilei, respectively. For episodes 14 through 25, the themes changed to "FLY HIGH" by Burnout Syndromes and "Hatsunetsu" by Tacica.

Titled , the third season was broadcast from October to December 2016. Its opening theme was "Hikariare" performed by Burnout Syndromes, with "Mashi Mashi" by Nico Touches the Walls as the closing theme. This season also received licensing from Sentai Filmworks.

Announced at Jump Festa '19, the fourth season, , debuted in January 2020 on the Super Animeism programming block. This season comprised 25 episodes divided into two cours; however, the second cour experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first cour featured "Phoenix" by Burnout Syndromes as its opening song and "Kessen Spirit" by CHiCO with HoneyWorks as its ending. The second cour's themes were "Toppakō" by Super Beaver (opening) and "One Day" by Spyair (ending). Crunchyroll simulcasted this season internationally.

Original video animations

A total of four original video animations (OVA) episodes have been released. The initial OVA, titled "The Arrival of Haiba Lev," premiered at Jump Festa on November 9, 2014, and was later issued on March 4, 2015, as a limited-edition DVD bundled with volume 15 of the manga. The second OVA, named "VS Failing Grades," debuted at Jump Festa on November 3, 2015, and became available on May 2, 2016, alongside volume 21 of the manga. Two further OVAs—"Land vs. Sky" and "The Path of the Ball," which adapt the Tokyo Nationals qualifiers arc—were released on January 22, 2020.

Compilation films

Supplementary compilation films followed after the anime aired. Prior to the second season’s release in 2015, two compilation movies premiered: Haikyu!! The Movie: Ending and Beginning on July 3 and Haikyu!! The Movie: Winners and Losers on September 18. After concluding the third season, two additional compilation films were announced and released in September 2017: Haikyu!! Genius and Sense on September 15 and Haikyu!! Battle of Concepts on September 29.

Anime films

On August 13, 2022, it was revealed that two Haikyu!! Final anime films would serve as the series’ conclusion. The first film, titled Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, premiered on February 16, 2024. In April of that year, Crunchyroll secured theatrical rights for North America and select international markets, scheduling its release in the US and Canada for May 31. The second film, Haikyu!! vs. The Little Giant, along with an anime short called Haikyu!! Where Monsters Go, was announced on March 2, 2025.

Video games

Haikyu!! Tsunage! Itadaki no Keshiki was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on September 25, 2014. This was succeeded by Haikyu!! Cross Team Match, also for Nintendo 3DS, on March 3, 2016. Furthermore, Shoyo features as a support character in the Jump franchise crossover fighting title J-Stars Victory VS, which is available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita.

Stage plays

Starting in 2015, a series of stage adaptations titled Hyper Projection Engeki: Haikyu!!, directed by Worry Kinoshita, premiered with Kenta Suga portraying Hinata.

Manga

In 2016, Haikyu!! earned the 61st Shogakukan Manga Award in the category. It secured fourth place in Honya Club's Zenkoku Shoten'in ga Eranda Osusume Comic 2013 ranking and was voted the eighteenth best Weekly Shōnen Jump manga by readers of Da Vinci in 2014. The series consistently appeared on Da Vinci magazine's annual "Book of the Year" list, ranking fourth in both 2014 and 2018 and maintaining high positions through to 2021. In TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo poll of 2021, it achieved eighth place.

By December 2016, circulation figures surpassed 20 million copies, increasing to over 28 million by January 2018, exceeding 33 million by December that year, and reaching more than 70 million by December 2024. It was the sixth best-selling manga in Japan during 2015 and ranked eighth in 2019, climbing to fourth place in 2020 with sales exceeding 7.2 million copies that year. Individual volumes often ranked prominently on Oricon and Tohan sales charts; notably, volume 24 led Oricon's weekly sales chart in December 2016.

Leroy Douresseaux from Comic Book Bin commended Haikyu!! for its profound portrayal of psychological and personal struggles alongside sports competition, emphasizing its strong character development and focus on team relationships beyond volleyball itself.

Anime

In November 2019, Polygon recognized Haikyu!! as one of the decade’s finest anime series of the 2010s, while Crunchyroll included it among their "Top 100 best anime of the 2010s." Similarly, IGN featured it among the decade’s standout series. According to Crunchyroll, during winter 2020, Haikyu!! ranked within the top ten most streamed anime across regions including the UK, Canada, Oceania, Mexico, and Brazil.

The anime received the Sports Series of the Decade award at Funimation’s Decade of Anime poll. On Tumblr’s Year in Review rankings, it placed second in 2020 and third in 2021 within the Top Anime & Manga Shows category. At the 5th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, lead character Shoyo Hinata won "Best Boy" and earned a nomination for "Best Protagonist"; additionally, the fourth season’s opening theme "Phoenix" by Burnout Syndromes was nominated for "Best Opening Sequence".

South Korea’s National Women’s Volleyball team captain Kim Yeon-koung praised the series for its authentic depiction of elite volleyball play and acknowledged the creator’s expertise. Critics such as Melina Dargis from The Fandom Post highlighted its emphasis on teamwork over individual prowess, while Noelle Ogawa of Crunchyroll underscored its portrayal of personal development within a supportive context. Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network lauded its meticulous details and inclusion of non-playing characters as essential contributors to team success.

Isaac Ackers appreciated how the anime builds tension by decelerating critical moments instead of hastening action sequences, thereby enhancing viewer immersion. Rafael Motamayor from Slash Film praised how Haikyu!! masterfully blends character arcs with sports excitement, supported by Production I.G’s animation quality and Yuki Hayashi’s musical score that elevate volleyball into an engaging dramatic experience. Guillermo Kurten of Comic Book Resources noted its appeal extends beyond sports enthusiasts due to compelling storytelling and character depth. K. Thor Jensen from Mashable counted it among the premier sports anime series available.