The first film based on the anime series Haikyu! The Dumpster Battles is being released worldwide next week, and this is why you should see it.
I have enjoyed playing volleyball ever since I tried out for the school team in middle school/junior high. Although I loved playing, I never fully appreciated the sport and sports culture until I started watching the anime series Haikyu!! Now, ten years later, the series is getting its first cinema release, which is also a continuation of the events of season 4 (back in 2020). The film is called Haikyu! The Dumpster Battle. Why? Well, first, let me tell you why the series is so great.
The series is based on the manga of the same name by Haruichi Furudate, which had its original print run from February 2012 to July 2020. The anime aired fairly close to its manga counterpart from April 2014 to December 19, 2020.
The animation has all been done by Production I.G. who have worked on the hit basketball anime Kuroko no Basuke and hit baseball anime Ace of Diamond. Despite their awesome works in sports anime, they really excelled at action films and series like Ghost in the Shell (and the series), the animated sequences in Kill Bill Vol. 1, Psycho Pass, among so many more. Their most recent works include Fena: Pirate Princess, Heavenly Delusion, and airing right now is Kaiju No. 8.
But I would argue Haikyu!! has been their biggest success since they did Ghost in the Shell. Just like how that sci-fi film and series became a cultural phenomenon, Haikyu!! significantly influenced so much in real life as well. Many reports noted how the series led to a major spike in Japan exploring volleyball and other sports as a recreational activity or on a competitive level. The popularity of the anime also led to greater appreciation for school-level sports and the importance of fostering support for young athletes.
So, what is Haikyu!! about? It follows junior high school student Shoyo Hinata, who becomes obsessed with volleyball after catching a glimpse of Karasuno High School playing in the Nationals on TV. The primary reason he is inspired is because the nicknamed ‘Little Giant’ is Karasuno’s short but talent wing spiker. In junior high, he begins to practice and get experience in the sport but sparks a rivalry with Tobio Kageyama after his school loses to Kageyama’s, a prodigal setter nicknamed ‘The King of the Court’ for his high-level skill but highly technical plays.
Hinata gets into Karasuno but quickly learns that Kageyama is also attending Karasuno! They also both discover that Karasuno has lost its reputation as a powerhouse school following the era of the Little Giant. The duo form an unlikely bond when they realize they can actually bring out the best in each other alongside the school’s other players.
What continues to make it an inspiring anime is its ability to show the struggles and training in detail of this boys’ high school volleyball team. It is the moments where we see them struggle together and overcome the challenges on the fly, and sometimes, they have to fail to rebuild their tactics.
While you may not care about volleyball, I can almost guarantee you will care after watching the series because of the hype moments and emotional turmoil. Strangely, it is the sweet satisfaction of grinding an RPG like Elden Ring and the feeling of beating a boss after dying hundreds of times. Even though Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle picks up where season 4 left off. This match alone will hype up anyone, and I have not even seen it yet.
To understand the context of this film, Karasuno has a rival high school (much like real life, with schools competing to represent their region best) called Nekoma High School. Karasuno’s mascot is a crow, while Nekoma’s is a cat, so they call it ‘The Dumpster Battle’ because both teams are wild in their own ways. Also, this match is one hurdle Karasuno needs to get over in order to achieve their last shot at winning Nationals, as most players are in their last year.
Here is a list of dates and times Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle will be out around the globe:
- May 30: Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland (Italian-speaking), Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru
- May 31: Canada, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States
- June 7: Turkey
- June 12: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland (French-speaking)
- June 25: Austria, Germany
- June 27: Switzerland (German-speaking)
This is only part 1 of 2 of the Haikyu!! films to finish off the content of the manga, so there is plenty of time to catch up on the series. The Haikyu!! series is available to watch on Netflix and Crunchyroll too, if you want to experience the full journey. Most places can now purchase tickets for the film on the official website. Whether you are looking for a new anime to start with a lot of heart, or you are a fan, check out Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle next week!
