Haikyu!!, Vol. 22 - Haruichi Furudate 3.75 stars

review to follow

Haikyu!!, Vol. 23 - Haruichi Furudate I reread this and liked it better the second time around
3.75 stars

3 stars


I was disappointed with this volume because the Karasuno team is only in a fraction of it. Instead, the action centers around the match between Nekoma and Nohebi as they battle it out to see who goes to Nationals. I like Kenma and company well enough, but they just don't have the same character appeal as Hinata and Kageyama.

Full review to follow

Haikyu!!, Vol. 21 - Haruichi Furudate 4 stars

Oh-ho-ho! The fifth and final set of the Miyagi Prefecture qualifier round finals is still blazing to a close. Karasuno and Shiratorizawa both refuse to yield, and the grueling play is starting to take a toll. With Tsukishima injured and off the court, things are looking grim for our intrepid heroes. Will exhaustion get the best of them?

Yow. The entire volume is centered on the final set. It is never ending. After a widening gap between the teams, Karasuno, through sheer force of will, manages to catch up and tie the game. Then the teams trade a point back and forth for what seems like FOREVER! I would have died. Seriously, I would have dropped over from the exertion. The guys keep slagging the ball back and forth over the net, capitalizing on mistakes, making mistakes of their own.

We learn a little about Coach Washijo. He’s a short guy, just as short as Hinata, and that held him back from playing the game he loves. There’s a flair of jealousy, when he vows that his team won’t lose to a player like him. While Hinata isn’t the most technical player, he is one of the most dedicated, and he refuses to let his physical limitations get in the way of his goal to be the best player he can be. Washijo’s distain for Hinata hit me wrong, and instead of his past making him sympathetic, I thought that it made him seem shallow. Maybe it was hard for him to own up to his own defeat, that he let himself be sidelined instead of forcing his way onto the court.

Now that the Finals are wrapped up, I wonder where the story is going to take us. I hope that we have some team building, and some conflict with incoming 1st years. I will miss the 3rd years as they move on with their lives after high school and volleyball.

Grade: 4 stars

4.25 stars
Hold the phone! The battle between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa rages on! Who will win? How many volumes will it take to contain this game?!

Viz generously provided me with a review copy of volume 19, so I didn’t have to wait until after the New Year to pick up where we left off. And where was that? Oh, yeah, during the volleyball slugfest between two tenacious high school teams. Shiratorizawa takes a more traditional approach to the game, while Karasuno has a more off the cuff playing style. Shiratorizawa had the advantage of strength and height, while Karasuno is made up of a team of stubborn, never say die players. Even when they are clinging to the cliff of defeat by their fingernails, they still manage to get it together enough to pull out a surprise play that keeps them in contention.

I enjoyed that Kei was given a splash of the spotlight during this tough match. Kageyama and Hinata are constantly hogging it, with their flashy teamwork and combos. Now it’s Tsukishima’s turn to make some impressive plays. And I think that a guy who showed up for volleyball practice out of a sense of duty has finally found a love for the game. Before he was going through the motions, but after a super-duper block, I think that a spark of competitiveness and appreciation of the game has finally lit inside his usual standoffish heart.

It was fun to see Grandpa Ukai make an appearance in the audience. It was also fun to learn more about the players and what motivates them, and to see how they react under the intense pressure they are under. If they lose this match, they are done. The season is over, the 3rd years will never get to go to Nationals, and Hinata will probably cry himself to sleep.

Grade: 4.25 stars

Haikyu!!, Vol. 18 - Haruichi Furudate 4.25 stars

The pressure is on! If Karasuno can’t stop Shiratorizawa, they are going to get knocked out of the Spring Tournament, and their dreams of going to Nationals will be over. Shiratorizawa is a powerhouse, with the huge playmaker Ushijima driving the team. Will Karasuno be able to adjust their techniques to make it through the match?

Right now, things are looking a little grim for Karasuno. Shiratorizawa is comprised of gifted players, all of them hand picked by their grumpy old coach. He only cares about winning, and he thinks it’s foolish to use flashy plays with high school students. The tried and true are all he believes in, which led to friction between the older Ukai. Now that his grandson is running the show, Coach Washijo doesn’t think too highly of his strategies. He’s also a yeller, and when he gets frustrated by his players, he lets loose. Glad this guy isn’t my coach.

Every single player on Karasuno has the opportunity to have a great play, and I enjoyed their moments of triumph, however brief they may have been. Tsukishima is fast becoming a favorite, and when the chips are down, he gets to deliver a few stings to the overly confident Shiratorizawa front line. Every time he did, I gave a little cheer. He went from being a complete PITA to a guy I really like.

Kagayama keeps getting stuffed, and Hinata’s quick stunts aren’t helping much in the short term. Karasuno is like a swarm of gnats, though, and their inability to back down is wearing away at Shiratorizawa. I am now caught up in the series, and it’s going to be an agonizing wait for the next volume!