‘Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle’ Review: “A Love Letter To Volleyball’
The long-awaited feature film follow-up to the beloved anime Haikyu!! has finally reached US theaters. Based on the best-selling manga by Haruichi Furudate, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle adapts one of the final arcs of the series and focuses on Karasuno High School and Nekoma High School’s volleyball match during the Spring Nationals. The anime has been building towards this face-off for the past four seasons, and fans of the series have been looking forward to this moment for years. And with that said, it does beg the question of how the film will work for longtime fans and newcomers.
The manga, which follows Shoyo Hinata and the volleyball team of Karasuno High School, debuted in 2012 and has been adapted into a four-season anime. The series is planned to be concluded with a two-part film finale, beginning with The Dumpster Battle. Over the course of the series, not only has Karasuno’s rivalry with Nekoma been developed, but the members of both teams have become close friends, each pushing the other to be better. It finally comes to a head in the film with Hinata and Nekoma’s setter, Kenma Kozume, at the story’s center.
Unlike many anime films, which focus on a non-canon story and are fairly accessible to anyone, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle is quite different. Besides a few aside comments introducing the main cast and setting up prior events, much of the film assumes viewers are already familiar with the story, characters, and setting. Because of that, the film wastes no time jumping right into the action of the match. But this may make the movie a bit harder for casual audiences to get into.
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Haikyu!! has always had great animation featuring fast-paced motion, creating an exhilarating atmosphere that allows the beauty of the volleyball matches to shine through. The Dumpster Battle makes use of its theatrical setting and surpasses expectations, making for some of the best action the franchise has seen. Each rally leaves the audience on the edge of their seats with smooth cuts, to the point where one feels they’re at a real game.
While the superb animation is a highlight of the matches, the outstanding voice work truly brings the film and the action to life. With the intensity of the volleyball match, it’s not enough to read the dialogue; the voice actors need to sell the idea that these characters have genuinely been playing an actual game. And they do just that with each call out and gasp; it’s real; you can believe in their passion and exasperation. Which, paired with the sound design, leaves you feeling each set and spike on the court.
All that said, the film is not without some faults. In adapting the manga into a movie, some material is bound to get left on the cutting room floor. But this isn’t a review of how well the film adapts the manga chapters but how well it stands on its own. Unfortunately, in cutting some material, it leaves the pacing feeling a bit rushed. At times, this works for the breakneck speed of the match, but as for the story itself, it feels like it was speedrunning the plot. The flashbacks throughout help slow it down, but it’s not enough to avoid that rushed pace.
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Haikyu!! as a series is not just about volleyball but pushing to become the best version of yourself and The Dumpster Battle keeps that feeling alive. The emotional underbelly of the story can be felt in each rally and set and will leave even newcomers to the series feeling touched by these characters. While designed for longtime fans, the film still has so much to offer, thanks to its beautiful animation and the passion behind the project, which is sure to draw in newcomers to the world of volleyball.– Jacob Campbell
Rating: 8/10
Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle is now in theaters.