Title: Haikyu!! 2nd Season

Publisher: Sentai Filmworks

U. S. Release Date: April 17, 2018

Format: Blu-ray/ 25 episodes / 625 Minutes

includes English Dub or Sub

Genre: Shonen; Action, Sports Drama

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A

Synopsis:

Haikyu!! tells the story of Shoyo Hinata’s dream of reaching the nationals as a volleyball player. Being short, he was originally inspired by another player he had seen on TV called the “Little Giant”. He became a driven player and upon entering high school, his self serving plays kept him from being a team player. The team didn’t want him, but he was determined and began to accept his place and become a part of the whole team, specifically learning to partner with his old rival Tobio Kageyama.

In Season 2, after some losses, the team realizes they need to find ways to develop. They believes practicing with better teams will help accomplish that. They luck out and get the opportunity to attend a training camp in Tokyo which will include other top volleyball teams around Japan. One “small” snag, their grades must meet a minimum and several of the players are having problems with that. Hinata’s determination throws him into an education blitz, including the help of the newly recruited assistant manager Hitoka Yachi. Not everyone is going to pass with flying colors.

The training camp is intense as they are pushed to new limits and spar with old and new rivals. They lessons learn are inspirationsal and the team members see deeper into the world of volleyball. Now they will have to balance old habits with tried and true plays with the new skills and ideas. The passion to make it into the Nationals sweeps the team and even the 3rd years put the games first over their college futures. Each game leading to the finals will be given all the strength and skill they can muster and will be energized by their new found understanding of the game and true teamwork.

Commentary:

It had been a while since I saw some of season one. Well, season two is just as good, but in a slightly different way. We don’t get as much of the world outside the volleyball court, this time it is what is inside the players that is the focus of what is brought to the game. Most of the time seem to be spent in game play, the details really have taken a center role as the action is visualize in many dynamic ways.

Who is this anime for? I think it is suitable for almost everyone. I know people, male and female, in their teens and others up through their 50’s who enjoy this Haikyu!! I am not into sports, but this anime and game action really draw viewers in. I am sure a lot of it has to do with the clever and artistic animation, angles and interpretation of game play. Time is slowed down and all the elements are highlighted to build the awareness and anticipation of the viewer. Still, a volleyball player have told me it’s true to the game.

The characters are normal and flawed like everybody else, what catches the viewer is their drive and determination, sheer passion for the game, the goals they set and the work they put into achieve them. Even when they find a way to improve, they have realized that isn’t the end of it. They can’t stagnate, and what works today, will not be the answer for tomorrow. They will face new opponents and old rivals will always try to figure out their moves. They and us now know that more is there to discover; the men they are becoming, the zest for life and the push to achieve for themselves, the team and the school … and for the deep respect for the game, their opponents  and the players who came before.

Overall Grade:  A

Haikyu!! leaves you in a better mood when you finish than when you start, that worth an “A” right there.  Action, inspiration, the inside and out of being human and comedy round it all out nicely.