Following a successful theatrical outing, Haikyu!! is set to return to the big screen with even more volleyball action in store. A special event in Tokyo has debuted a new trailer for the second half of the anime’s two-part film sequel, alongside a surprise announcement of a separate project.
Titled Haikyu!! VS Chiisana Kyojin (“The Little Giant”), the upcoming feature picks up after the conclusion of 2024’s Dumpster Battle, where protagonist Shoyo Hinata and his team from Karasuno High School face off against Kamomedai High School in the quarter-finals. It won’t be an easy match, however, as the latter’s star player, Korai Hoshiumi, shares the same nickname as a player Hinata once admired — “The Little Giant”.
Other details, including a release date and runtime, were not revealed. Susumu Mitsunaka is returning to direct, with Production I.G. resuming animation duties as before. The official visual for the movie was also unveiled, accompanied by a tagline that translates to, “Now, onwards to the highest point.”
Karasuno High School won’t be the only one basking in the spotlight, as a special episode focusing on Fukurodani Academy was announced for the small screen. Haikyu!!: Where the Monsters Go will cover the quarter-final match between the Bokuto-led team and Mujinazaka High, featuring one of Japan’s top high-school players Kiryu Wakatsu, corresponding to Chapter 336 of the manga.
Check out the teaser below:
The original work by Haruichi Furadate 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 first film debuted in cinemas early last year before it became available for streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll in October. 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.”
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.
Kevin Low
