Haikyu!! Dumpster Battle Review – More Than Worth The Four-Year Wait

Four years after the end of the Haikyu!! anime, its sequel film, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, has finally been released. The Dumpster Battle is one of two theatrical films planned to close out the anime, and it continues where season 4 left off, with Karasuno and Nekoma set to finally settle their rivalry with a match in the national tournament.

With how big of a series Haikyu!! has become over the past decade, there were a lot of expectations being levied at The Dumpster Battle, especially for people who would have preferred a fifth season. Fortunately, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle is a more than worthy follow-up to the original anime, with its writing, animation, and overall direction being as great as the anime’s, if not greater.

Even if the film wasn’t canon, any fan of Haikyu!! and sports anime, in general, would be remiss to pass over what might be one of the best anime films of the year.

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle’s Lack Of Recap Is a Strength and a Weakness

Can Haikyu!!’s movie be watched by itself?

Despite it being four years since the massively successful Haikyu!! anime ended, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle spends very little time recapping past events, and that’s both good and bad. On the one hand, the relative lack of recap means that Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle trusts its audience enough to either still remember everything important or to simply be smart enough to piece everything together as they watch the film, the latter of which is more than possible with how everything is presented. Add in how popular Haikyu!! is, and it makes sense why the film would prioritize simply telling its story.

On the other hand, the lack of a recap does make the film a little inaccessible. Naturally, it’s very hard to sell a film like this to anyone who hasn’t watched or read Haikyu!!, but even for old fans of the series, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle can be confusing for anyone who’s forgotten key plot and character details, and with four years having gone by since season 4, that’s very likely to happen. It’s not the kind of thing that will ruin The Dumpster Battle, especially for older fans, but it’s one of the few things that holds it back, regardless.

Of course, with the Haikyu!! anime having been released on Netflix recently, fans old and new have no excuses to not catch up before watching this great movie.

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle’s Animation Is a Sight to Behold

Haikyu!! has never looked better

Production I.G’s Haikyu!! has always been known for its great animation, and that’s on full display with Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle. The film, just like the original anime, has consistently gorgeous animation from start to finish. Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle stands out in particular for the use of an innovative technique that mixes 3D animation and unique artwork to make its animation look even better. Coming four years after the end of the anime, the expectation was for Haikyu!! movie to at least look better than the series, and it has delivered on that front too.

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle’s Direction Takes the Anime to Another Level

Directed by Susumu Mitsunaka; based on the manga by Haruichi Furudate

Another hallmark of Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle is the stellar direction the film employs from start to finish. The editing of the film allows the game to move along very quickly while still giving time for key plays. During these important moments of the match, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle uses a unique camera angle to make the plays look as dynamic as possible. That sort of direction was always a hallmark of the anime, and it’s great to see it being maintained in the film so many years later.

What also sells the direction is how well it complements the animation. The music and camerawork always do a great job of emphasizing both the heart and intensity of every scene. That especially shows itself in the scenes of Hinata regaining his confidence for a massive spike and Kenma frantically playing from a first-person perspective, with both scenes having their gorgeous animation taken even further by the way every facet of the direction built up to and conveyed them. Those scenes and many others are amazing to watch, and the direction is the biggest reason.

A big part of this impressive result, of course, stems from the film’s director, Susumu Mitsunaka. Mitsunaka was the director of the first three seasons of Haikyu!! and was replaced by Masako Sato for season 4, which many people saw as a step-down in quality. Whether that’s true is hard to say, but as shown in the film, Susumu Mitsunaka’s return to Haikyu!! resulted in this movie having some of the best direction of the entire franchise, and it’s hard to say if there was ever a dull moment to be had.

Haikyu!!’s Writing Is as Great as Ever in Its Theatrical Debut

Haikyu!!’s writing never misses

More than the animation and direction, though, what sold Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle as a film was the always-great writing of the series. For starters, despite the intensity of Karasuno and Nekoma’s match, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle always finds a way to interject a lot of great comedy into the story, whether that’s in how Haikyu!!‘s characters play off each other or just from someone doing or saying something funny. Haikyu!!’s comedy has always been a big selling point of the anime, and it’s great to see that it hasn’t missed a step, in the slightest.

Regarding the cast playing off each other, that’s also a major highlight of the writing. The anime had been building up Karasuno and Nekoma’s match for years, and sure enough, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle does a great job of paying off all the various relationships formed between the two teams. The various friendships and rivalries are all touched upon and concluded in natural ways that perfectly build upon what came before them. Every dynamic has a great payoff, whether it’s heartwarming or heartbreaking, and old and new fans alike are sure to be satisfied with the results.

The biggest standout among the cast of the Haikyu!! film is, without a doubt, Kenma. Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle finally completes Kenma’s arc of learning to love volleyball, and seeing him slowly grow more invested in the match not only does a great job of paying off his arc but also makes his sadness at losing when he just started liking volleyball even more bittersweet. All of it is further emphasized by repeated flashbacks to Kenma’s relationships with Hinata and Kuroo, and by the end of the film, he’s easily one of the best-developed characters in the entire anime.

The match between Karasuno and Nekoma was always going to be a big event in Haikyu!!, and Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle delivered on all fronts. The writing, animation, and direction have never been better than they are here, and despite the quick pacing of the film, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle manages to get everything about its story across to its audience in as exciting a way as possible. Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle perfectly lived up to its hype, and its follow-up is sure to be even better.

HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle (2024)

“HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle” brings the long-awaited showdown between Karasuno High School and Nekoma High School to the big screen. The film focuses on the intense rivalry that has been building up over the series, highlighting the fierce competition and strategic play between the two powerhouse volleyball teams. As Karasuno’s Hinata and Kageyama refine their quick attacks, Nekoma’s captain Kuroo and genius setter Kenma prepare counter-strategies to match their opponents’ prowess.

Director

Susumu Mitsunaka

Release Date

February 16, 2024

Studio(s)

Production I.G
, Toho
, Shueisha
, MBS
, dentsu
, Sony Music Entertainment
, movic

Writers

Susumu Mitsunaka

Cast

Ayumu Murase
, Kaito Ishikawa
, Yûki Kaji
, Yuichi Nakamura
, Koki Uchiyama

Runtime

85 Minutes

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