With Haikyu!! Day comes a double treat for fans. In the lead-up to the release of the Haikyu!! VS Chiisana Kyojin (“The Little Giant) anime film, a new key visual has been unveiled, featuring protagonist Hinata Shoyo in a face-off against Korai Hoshikumi, the star player of Kamomedai High School.
The second half of the two-part sequel is set to bow in 2027, alongside a separate special episode titled Haikyu!! Where Monsters Go. While the previous teaser focused on Fukurodani Academy, namely ace Kotaro Bokuto and setter Keiji Akaashi, the latest footage showcases on-court action between the team and Mujinazaka High, led by one of Japan’s top high school players, Kiryu Wakatsu, corresponding to Chapter 336 of the manga.
The runtime for each title was not announced, but Susumu Mitsunaka will return to direct the animated feature at Production I.G. Picking up after the conclusion of 2024’s Dumpster Battle, Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant follows the quarter-finals match between Karasuno and Kamomedai, in which Korai shares the same nickname as a player Hinata once admired — “The Little Giant”.
The original work by Haruichi Furudate was serialised from 2012 to 2020 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The series received an anime adaptation in 2014, with its latest Season 4 outing Haikyu!!: To the Top released in two cours (quarters of a year) across Winter and Fall 2020. The official description for the series reads:
“Hinata Shouyou, a short middle school student, gained a sudden love of volleyball after watching a national championship match on TV. Determined to become like the championship’s star player, a short boy nicknamed ‘the small giant’, Shouyou joined his school’s volleyball club.”
Both the anime film and special episode are scheduled for release in 2027.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
