The idea that sports anime, known as “spokon,” don’t work outside of Japan has existed for a while. However, considering the numerous famous sports anime that have achieved reasonable success outside of Japan, this notion doesn’t seem to make much sense. A good sports anime is generally well-received. There’s something charming about watching a group of people push themselves, achieve their goals, and grow through their rivalries. That’s why it’s not surprising that Haikyuu!! has always had a passionate fandom.
The fandom is not only passionate but also fortunate. After four seasons of the anime, Haruichi Furudate’s manga will conclude with two movies. Produced by Production I.G and the same team responsible for the series, they have the challenging task of wrapping up a story that the audience has been closely following for 9 years, 3 movies, and 85 episodes.
Fortunately, we now know more about these movies. Firstly, the first of the two movies will be titled “Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle” and will adapt the match between the players of Nekoma and Karasuno. The Japanese release date is set for February 16, 2024, with an international release date yet to be confirmed, much to the disappointment of fans worldwide. To ease this a bit, we do have the first trailer for the movie, promising the same spectacular action the series is known for.
After “Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle,” there will still be another movie without a name or release date yet. This movie will adapt all the events from the match between Nekoma and Karasuno to the end of the manga. This means that the final movie will have to cover a lot more material than this first one or make significant cuts to the final arc of the manga. In the meantime, you can watch all four seasons of Haikyuu!! on Netflix.
