Today, fans of HAIKYU!! came together at Anime NYC to celebrate 10 years of the beloved anime series. Hosted by TOHO animation, Keiko Matsushita (animation producer), Shoichiro Taguchi (producer), and surprise guest Riki Azuma (manga editor) were in attendance for FLY & CONNECT.
With the recent release of the second of two films that will close out the anime adaptation, HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle, the room was buzzing with excitement as the guests dove into a behind-the-scenes chat about the making of the film. They discussed the decision to adapt this part of the series into a film rather than another season of the show, which allowed the production team to give this climactic battle the theatrical treatment it deserved (versus having to split it up episodically).
They also went into detail about how the film is positioned from Nekoma setter Kozume Kenma’s perspective, with particular emphasis on an incredible scene during the game that’s animated from his immediate point of view. While it took plenty of work behind the scenes from everyone involved — from tasking the sound department to frame volume relative to where Kenma was standing to Yuki Kaji’s (Kenma’s VA) continuous take — the final product (which was shown during the panel) was an epic feat.
Check out the full thread of our live play-by-play from the panel below.
HAIKYU!! is a slice-of-life sports anime, based on Haruichi Furudate’s manga series that concluded in 2020, which follows high schooler Shoyo Hinata on his journey to become a star volleyball player. Seasons 1 through 4 are now streaming on Crunchyroll.
In case you missed it, read our review of The Dumpster Battle here.
