Haikjú!!

I quite often hear the opinion that Haikyu!! is the best sports anime series and I have to agree. I like Kuroko's Basketball as well, although Haikyu!! is funnier and does not even need to feature characters with constantly developing sports "superpowers" to keep the suspense going. Sure, many of the characters have above-average and almost unbelievable talent; however, unlike Kuroko's Basketball, Haikyu!! does not give us that all the time. Rather, it emphasizes that volleyball is a team sport and that good results are all about a combination of teamwork and team spirit. The characters are great, and I enjoy the interactions between the two main protagonists and the fact that the characters are evolving, which was very apparent, especially in the first season with Tobio Kageyama. Plus, the anime's creators are very good at the episodes that do not have any acting in them, so I found the first two episodes of the second season quite entertaining. Plus, there is a new manager in training, and I like her too because she comes across as a cute girl, and even though it is pretty clear where her character will go next, I already believe I will enjoy watching her. I like the animation, and the soundtrack is again awesome. The narrative is heading in exactly the right direction. All in all, an absolute 10/10. (2015.10.10)

The conclusion needs to be massive and epic! Anyway, dedicating an entire anime series (even if, in this case, it "only" has ten episodes) to just one single volleyball game is a pretty big gamble. Could this kind of thing sustain a drive with the same characters over and over again, and in a game that is supposed to be five sets long, which in itself feels drawn out? Speaking for myself, I would have to say it could. Admittedly, I do miss those interesting, funny, and breather passages between the games and the more significant deepening of the relationships within the team. However, the question is whether that was necessary. After all, the team had fought their way through to the finals, and they took us on a journey. So there does not need to be too much focus on the relationships because the team is actually functioning as it should, and we just need to see how they are doing now to feel good. Plus, there are a few nice twists, with individual players pulling the latest tricks and ideas out of an imaginary hat. However, these still feel realistic, so we see improvement in, for example, a player learning how his teammates play in other positions. Another very positive thing is that this final game is hardly about one team at all. Shiratorizawa Academy has a talented team and is a worthy opponent, and the screenwriters introduce us to some of their players. In fact, you could say that the attention and such classic "flashbacks" are mostly focused on them, so you are introduced to the players of this team as well, to get to know them. Perhaps you are going to be rooting for some of them a bit, and all the more to enjoy the one big dramatic final game. Of course, you could expect a strong atmosphere with the final and plenty of twists and cliffhangers from this anime series. That is all there, even though I have to admit that it does not feel forced in any way. So the conclusion has to be massive and epic, and Haikyuu!! has done it again, in my opinion. 9.5/10. (2016.11.18)