Haikyu!! has been a pillar of sports anime for the past decade. The misfits of the Karasuno High School volleyball team and their journey to become champions again have proven that every team member matters which is executed magnificently by its wonderful character development. Not many sports anime achieve this level of character building, and it’s that kind of foundation that has brought the series to its heights today. Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle takes Karasuno and their counterparts from Nekoma High School to the movie theater for their very first official match – bringing all the emotion, intensity, and beautifully animated action of the TV series along with it. The relationship between the opposing sides of the “Dumpster Battle” – so named for a theoretical battleground from the team’s Japanese names, “karasu” for crows and “neko” for cats – makes for a contentious face-off of pure friendly rivalry. It’s a contest fit for the big screen, and one of the series’ best matches ever.
It’s a truly unique matchup: Both teams are respectful to and gracious with one another, and they’re almost identical in many ways. The anxiety and dread of Haikyu!!’s on-court action melts away. Instead, it feels like both teams are excited to show each other how far they’ve come, even though their goal of winning Spring Nationals is on the line. It’s this relationship that really makes the movie shine in comparison to the rest of Haikyu!!
Since this is a direct sequel to the TV series, there’s some expectation that we already know most of the protagonists’ backstories. Any callbacks to previous episodes are brief; there are longer stretches focused on the history of two key figures in this long-standing rivalry – Shoyo Hinata of Karasuno and Kenma Kozume of Nekoma – but those are integral to The Dumpster Battle’s story. The struggle of investing in the full rosters of each team is real, but the transitions between flashbacks to their training and the match are pretty seamless, working as quick reminders of their growth in a movie full of action sequences. These moments don’t outstay their welcome, and instantly show the weight of the moves that play on screen.
With every opponent that Karasuno has faced, the character backstories tug at the heartstrings – and Nekoma is no exception. The Dumpster Battle gives us a deeper look into the team and their two main stewards, Kenma and Kuro, who are childhood friends. And with Karasuno and Nekoma being as friendly as they are with each other, it can be difficult to pick a rooting interest. At times, The Dumpster Battle is like watching two of your best friends in an elimination match – you want both to succeed, but one has to fail. It’s a grueling watch at times, but what happens on the screen kept me locked in.
Production I.G. does an amazing job with the visuals and showcases a unique perspective – such as a POV shot during a rally – that isn’t typically seen in the seasons prior. It connects us with the characters on the court, and we feel the tension of the match as if we were in their shoes. The studio also worked on the Haikyu!! series, and they clearly stepped up their visual game for the movie event, depicting the impact of speedy blocks and capturing the minute details of the teams’ sweat and tears as the game progresses. They even went above and beyond by choosing to stay on certain wide shots and showing the full range of character movement as the ball rallies back and forth. Meanwhile, Production I.G. continues to do what they do best, peppering in impact shots of the ball hitting the floor and fierce battles in the air. Making sports visually appealing is not an easy feat, and Production I.G. deserves all the praise for their work on Haikyu!!
