HAIKYU!!: Hinata, Kageyama and the Karasuno team on court

October 27, 2026

Recommends – Haikyu!!, the Sports Anime for People Who Skip Sports

A short kid who wants to fly, a genius nobody can play with, and a volleyball club that learns to win together.

Volleyball is the stage here the way boxing is in great films: the people are the story. You do not need to know a single rule to love it.

The premise – Too short to play, too stubborn to quit

Shoyo Hinata is small, fast and determined to play volleyball like the champion he once saw on television. His first real match ends in a crushing loss.

The player who beat him, the gifted and impossible Tobio Kageyama, turns up at the same high school, Karasuno, on the same team. They cannot stand each other, and they are about to become the best duo in the country.

HAIKYU!!: Kageyama and Karasuno and Tsukishima and Nishinoya

Why it works – Every player gets a story

Hinata and Kageyama lead, but the quiet blocker, the nervous substitute and even the rival teams all get their own reasons to want the win.

Production I.G makes a single rally feel like a final, and Haruichi Furudate's story never makes the losers into villains. You end up cheering for both sides of the net.

HAIKYU!!: Hinata and Kageyama and Karasuno

The verdict �� Start, then try to stop

Four TV seasons and the 2024 film The Dumpster Battle tell the story so far, and the first season alone is enough to get you hooked.

If you think sports anime is not for you, give it three episodes. Most people who say that end up watching every match.

Where to watch

HAIKYU!! was listed on Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix in the USA when we last checked, in October 2026. Catalogues change by country and by month, so check the service where you are.