Shiladitya Ray
Haikyuu!! is a Japanese sports anime series which is based on an award-winning manga of the same name. Written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate, the manga was first published on February 20, 2012, and new volumes are still being published. Following its publication, the manga was an instant hit, and in the Honya Club’s prestigious Zenkoku Shoten’in ga Eranda Osusume Comic 2013 rankings, it was ranked fourth.
In 2016, the manga was also named the winner in the Shōnen category at the 61st Shogakukan Manga Awards. Unsurprisingly, the manga has been adapted into an anime series, and Season 1 of the show premiered on April 6, 2014. The anime adaptation was praised far and wide by the fans of the manga, and consequently Haikyuu!! was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 4, 2015. With fans clamoring for a third season of the show, Haikyuu!! was again renewed, and Season 3 made its way to viewers’ screens on October 8, 2016. Still unsatisfied, fans of the anime and the manga are now demanding a fourth season of the immensely popular show. Here’s everything we know about the prospects of Season 4 thus far.
Haikyuu Season 4 Release Date: When will it premiere?
‘Haikyuu’ season 3, titled ‘Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou vs. Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou’, premiered on October 8, 2016. That being said, a Season 4 trailer, which premiered on December 22, 2018, revealed that a ‘Haikyuu!!’ anime kickoff event is being planned for September 22, 2019, and just recently, it was also confirmed that the ‘Haikyuu’ season 4 is all set to premiere on January 11, 2020.
Though the trailer does not reveal much about its plot, one can clearly notice that the animation quality of this season is a notch above all of its predecessors. So the patience of all ‘Haikyuu!’ fans is finally going to pay off and now, all we have to do is just hope that this season will a tleast be as good as all the other seasons. January 2020 might seem a little far, so till then, you should certainly check out other great similar sports anime.
Haikyuu English Dubbing:
For those who prefer watching anime in English, Haikyuu!! has a pretty decent English dub, and you can find links to watch the English dub on Anime Planet. In case you face server issues, you can also watch it on Crunchyroll.
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Haikyuu Plot:
For those unaware, “Haikyuu” is the Japanese word for volleyball, and unsurprisingly, the show is on volleyball and follows Shouyou Hinata, a youngster who aspires to be an ace volleyball player.
Inspired by watching a volleyball legend called the “Little Giant” during his childhood, Shouyou grew up with dreams of becoming an ace volleyball player. To further his ambitions, Shouyou revives the volleyball club in his middle school, and after much training, the youngster leads a team to a tournament. However, Shouyou’s dream comes crashing down when his team’s first match becomes its last and they are brutally crushed by the team led by Tobio Kageyama, who is also known as the “King of the Court”.
Crestfallen but still determined, Shouyou decides to pick up his game. After graduating from middle school, Shouyou joins the Karasuno High School and soon makes it to the school’s volleyball team. Determined to become better than Tobio, Shouyou suffers a shock when he finds that his rival is now his teammate in the school team. Left with no option, Shouyou has to fight for his place in the team, a feat which is made extremely difficult by his small stature. On the other hand, Tobio, despite being a brilliant player, has his own problems, and he eventually finds a friend in Shouyou. As the show progresses, Shouyou and Tobio work past their differences and start working together as they try to lead their volleyball team to glory.
The Karasuno High School’s volleyball team eventually goes on to participate in the Inter-High tournament, and following their participation, they set their sights on winning the prestigious Spring tournament. When the school team receives an invitation from their long-standing rival, Nekoma High, they agree to participate in a training camp which sees participation from notable volleyball teams across Tokyo. As they play against some of the best teams in Tokyo, the Karasuno High School volleyball team becomes better and better. Meanwhile, Shouyou and Tobio also start working on an attack with the aim of getting the better of the best teams. Finally, the team have to face their new archrival, Aoba Jousai High, and its world-class setter, Tooru Oikawa, in a high-octane encounter.
Despite all the odds, the Karasuno High School volleyball team manage to emerge victorious, and they reach the climax of the Spring tournament. However, standing in their way of advancing to the nationals is a powerhouse of a team from the Shiratorizawa Academy, which boasts the presence of Wakatoshi Ushijima, one of Japan’s top three aces. With the match against Shiratorizawa Academy being the Karasuno senior players’ last chance of advancing to the nationals, the team have to give it their everything if they are to inch closer to their dreams of becoming volleyball stars.
Haikyuu Characters:
Although Haikyuu!! has dozens of characters, the two main characters in the show are the star players of the Karasuno High School volleyball team – Shouyou Hinata and Tobio Kageyama. Below, we’ve given you a brief background on them.
Shouyou Hinata: A die-hard volleyball fan from childhood, Shouyou grew up watching the volleyball legend called the “Little Giant” play, and has dreams of becoming an ace player himself. It’s quite fitting that Shouyou’s inspiration is the Little Giant, since he himself is of a small stature, unlike most volleyball players. However, Shouyou compensates for his lack of height by his exceptional ability to jump. Despite starting off as a complete beginner, Shouyou displays an unnatural prowess at the game, and floors the Karasuno High School with his natural affinity as a spiker. As far as Shouyou’s personality is concerned, the youngster has a cheerful and energetic disposition, and has the ability to make friends easily. Throughout the show, Shouyou also demonstrates an unparalleled drive to improve his game, and unsurprisingly, he improves drastically with each game he plays. Although Shouyou starts off on the wrong foot with Tobio, the two later become good friends, and a fearsome duo in the high school volleyball circuit.
Tobio Kageyama: A volleyball prodigy who is regarded as an absolute genius in the school volleyball circuit, Tobio has proudly carried the nickname, “King of the Court”, from his middle school days. Although a loner with an autocratic attitude, Tobio manages to change his attitude for the better when the joins the volleyball team of the Karasuno High School and begins to understand what it feels like to be a part of a team. With the help of Shouyou in Karasuno, Tobio becomes a better team player as the show progresses, and he forms a formidable partnership with Shouyou which sends fear down the spines of his opponents. As far as his position in the team is concerned, Tobio plays as a setter and demonstrates a nigh unparalleled understanding of the game.
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