Haikyu!!

I started watching anime almost accidentally when I was around 16.

My brother was always into it, and one day I just happened to sit beside him in the middle of an episode. We were watching Haikyuu!! And that was it. That was the beginning of the rabbit hole.

Technically, I had watched Pokémon, Beyblade, and Dragon Ball Z as a kid, but I never really counted that. Haikyuu!! was the first anime I truly watched. Since then, I’ve probably watched close to a hundred anime—and honestly, there was no going back.

For those who don’t know, Haikyuu!! is supposedly about high school volleyball. But it’s really not just about volleyball. It’s about friendships, bonds, failures, pressure, fear, growth—and yes, volleyball too.

At its core, the story follows a high school kid named Hinata, who wants to become an ace spiker despite not being gifted with height. That doesn’t stop him from chasing what he wants. Instead of treating that as a limitation, the show treats it as a challenge—something to work with, not against.

When Hinata enters high school, he meets Kageyama, another volleyball player his age. Kageyama is insanely talented—a genius setter—but he has his own struggles. He’s arrogant, self-absorbed, and doesn’t yet know how to function as part of a team.

The anime revolves around their team’s journey toward the nationals. On paper, it might sound like a simple sports anime, maybe even a “kids’ show.” But it’s anything but that.

It’s inspiring, emotional, funny, intense, and brings you to edge of your seat during a match, in best way possible.

You don’t just root for your team—you end up rooting for the opposing team too. You cry for both sides. You feel the victories and the defeats equally deeply. It captures things we all face in real life:

self-doubt,

self-hate,

envy,

friendship,

hard work,

discipline,

passion,

rejection.

One of the biggest questions the show keeps returning to is this:

Can someone “ordinary” compete with someone who’s truly gifted?

Is hard work enough?

Instead of giving easy answers, Haikyuu!! explores these questions through different characters, each with their own fears, insecurities, strengths, and journeys. Every match feels personal. Every loss hurts. Every win feels earned.

It sends that rush down your spine—that mix of excitement, empathy, and heartbreak—all at once.

People often say that art can change your life—movies, books, music. I don’t usually believe that. Not everything does. Not for everyone.

But Haikyuu!! genuinely changed something in me.

It has shaped my mindset, the way I think about effort, failure, and potential. It’s transformative—but also just ridiculously fun. I could honestly go on forever about individual characters, their arcs, and what they’ve taught me… but I’ll save that for future posts.

I don’t have a “favorite” anime. I don’t think it’s possible to choose a favorite among hundreds of stories you’ve loved. But I do rewatch Haikyuu!! every couple of years—especially when I’m struggling or feeling low.

And every single time, it helps.

It pushes me.

It reminds me to live up to my potential.

It’s loud. It’s funny. It’s emotional. It’s one of those things that quietly gets me through life and hard times.

I’ll probably write more about Haikyu, probably about specific characters and what I love about their journeys.

And if this blog made it sound too serious—it’s not. It’s actually hilarious and incredibly fun.

 I genuinely hope that I’ve convinced someone who’s reading this to give Haikyu a chance, you won’t complain.

Okay then, enough gushing.

Talk to you in the next blog :)