Haikyu!! Season One Part Two Review
Haikyu!! still remains to be one of my favourite anime around with part two only furthering that point, and I can say already that you should be watching it.
If you haven’t already watched the first part of Haikyu!! then, well, you have two parts of an anime you should be buying! Haikyu!! Part One obviously follows on from where Part One leaves us but I won’t speak much about the story as I don’t wish to spoil it for anyone. I will say that there’s plenty of character growth, even more exciting and intense Volleyball matches along with new characters who you’ll quickly grow to love, and by the end of the season you’ll already be itching for more. I found myself on the edge of my seat rooting for Karasuno to win their matches, something which is made difficult as the other teams are also very likeable and you end up not wanting to see anybody lose. Haikyu!! is a great story about teamwork, friendship and determination which I know I’ll want to experience time and time again.
Production I.G, who’ve also animated the brilliant Kuroko’s Basketball, bring Haikyu!! to life beautifully. It looks wonderful in motion and perfectly captures the excitement, desperation and joy of the players who are playing the game that they love. The explosive action of the matches and watching the characters jumping with joy or crying after being defeated on the court is something that emotionally resonates with me as I want the best for all of these characters – no one deserves to lose, but sadly one team always has to. Production I.G have stayed faithful to the manga (which is the original source material) and its unique art style which looks stunning in motion and keeps up with the fast-pace of the show. The visuals and narrative compliment each other and Haikyu!! is nothing other than one of the highest quality anime shows you can watch.
There’s no English Dub and whilst the option would always be appreciated, but the Japanese voice-over is excellent. I’m a big fan of the soundtrack, especially its amazing opening and ending themes, and how it works with the visuals. The squeaking of the shoes on the court, the sound of the volleyball hitting skin or the floor, and the players ragged breathing as they push themselves to their limits (in a good way, of course) adds to the overall atmosphere of the show and makes it feel authentic – one thing I’ve always said about Haikyu!! is that, as a sports anime, it has its feet firmly on the ground whereas some other sports anime feel a little less realistic.
Haikyu!! is an anime you most definitely should be watching, even if you aren’t a fan of sports let alone Volleyball, because the themes of friendship are strong and who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself a new sport to be interested in. Haikyu!! is one of Manga UK’s strongest licenses and there’s a good reason as to why you see so many Haikyu!! cosplayers at conventions around the world, and that’s because this is a series that’s bursting with quality and it’s one I’m itching to watch again now that I’m speaking about it! It’s also a perfect Summer anime for those looking for one and with Summer now upon us, there’s no better time to get into Haikyu!! – although I could easily say this for any season.
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