Review | HAIKYUU!! The Dumpster Battle

“HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle is a great sports anime film! It delivers a high dose of adrenaline with this intense showdown, but it also has the right balance between fun and emotion.”

HAIKYU!! the anime series celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 6. It has not had any original episode since 2020 but the wait for new HAIKYU!! content is finally over. Indeed, after being one of the biggest titles released in Japan this year, international fans will be able to experience HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle in cinemas too! The film will release on May 31 in the United Kingdom and the United States. You can check at the end of our review, the other international release dates.

AN INTENSE GAME

Four years ago, the third season of HAIKYU!! ended with Karasuno High advancing to the third round of the national tournament. The film tells the story of the third round of the nationals opposing Karasuno High to Nekoma High. This is a much awaited face-off known as The Dumpster Battle. In fact, this showdown is so important that it’s all the film focuses on. And I think this is the perfect medium to tell this story. If it had been part of a fourth season, it would have taken place over several episodes and the intensity of it would have been diluted. With a film, we get fully invested in this volleyball game. It’s just one big thing we get to experience in one sitting.

Having the whole film being about this game truly transports us there. It makes the audience live it at the same time as the characters, it really keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s 84 minutes of pure adrenaline rush. The pace of the film perfectly captures the fastness of the game. Everything happens so quickly, it’s as intense as it gets.

TIME TO BREATHE

A great sports anime isn’t one that just focuses on the sport itself, but one that is able to explore its characters in depth and have a slice of life element to the story. HAIYKYU!! fits that category like Free!, Tsurune, SK8 The Infinity and Fanfare of Adolescence. Yes, the whole film focuses on the game. Though, it also finds time to breathe with flashbacks. These flashbacks give you a better understanding of the characters’ actions, motivations and bonds. The film has the right balance between the fun of the game and the emotional side of the story that comes from both the game and the flashbacks. Kenma Kozuma is actually the real lead of the film. We mostly see the events of the Dumpster Battle through his point of view. He is such an interesting character with his own way of analysing the games.

Obviously, his rivalry/friendship with Shôyô Hinata is explored. Any good sports anime needs this type of relationship between the characters. Rivalries between male characters in anime always have this kind of attraction that goes beyond friendship. The characters motivate one another to do better. Hinata and Kozuma’s relationship is definitely an endearing one. They have opposing personalities and this is why it works so well.

VISUALS

Production I.G has done a great work with the animation on HAIKYU!!. All the game scenes are striking. They convey the intensity of this showdown between Karasuno High to Nekoma High. It has a timely use of slow motion, it’s never too much, just when it is needed. There are also moments where the animation goes faster. You can tell that everything has been carefully planned.

Moreover, similar to Free!, the scenes are animated in a way that feels like it’s an indie film. You often get that feeling with Japanese films. HAYKYU!! has this same level of intimacy. This visual approach to the story puts the focus on the characters while at the same time showcasing the beauty of the environment around them. It’s definitely about capturing the little things.

VERDICT

HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle is a great sports anime film! It delivers a high dose of adrenaline with this intense showdown, but it also has the right balance between fun and emotion. The Dumpster Battle is a must-watch addition to the HAIKYU!! franchise.

HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle will release around the world as followed:

May 30: Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland (Italian-speaking), Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru
May 31: Canada, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States
June 7: Turkey
June 12: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland (French-speaking)
June 25: Austria, Germany
June 27: Switzerland (German-speaking)