Summary
Haikyu!! features intense and memorable volleyball matches, including practice matches and high-stakes tournaments, that keep fans in suspense. The Fukurodani practice match showcased the skills of Hinata, Kageyama, and Bokuto, inspiring the entire team to work harder.
Haikyu!! is one of the best series about the sport and easily the best volleyball anime/manga out there right now. While characters like Hinata, Kageyama, and Karasuno's Guardian Angel Nishinoya add color to the series beyond the games, Haikyu!! shines brightest in intense battles. Whether Karasuno are competing for a spot in a local tournament, playing at the national level or even just playing a practice match, they give their best.
The world of Haikyu!! is filled with top volleyball talent spread across many different teams. Each of these teams brings something new, exciting, and sometimes unstoppable to the table when they play The Flightless Crows. Karasuno itself is a team filled with some of the most talented and surprising players. Each game in the series feels like a distinct character, Adds more depth to Haikyu!! most sports anime fall short of that.
10 Karasuno vs Johzenji
It's a party on the patio
Karasuno vs. Johzenji was a very exciting match, full of energy and effort from both sides. The match was also a bit hostile as Johzenji winger and captain Yuji Terushima was trying to woo Karasuno's manager and team treasure Kiyoko Shimizu.
Not only did Hinata appear to save Kiyoko, he also appeared on the court to take down Johzenji in two consecutive sets to send the team to the next round of the Spring Qualifier tournament. However, Johzenji refused to surrender without a fight, Even Ennoshita commented that their playstyle was completely unpredictable and dangerous to face. Although Johzenji won a surprising number of points, it was still not enough to take down Asahi and his ponytail.
9 Karasuno vs Fukurodani
Only Haikyu!! That can make practice matches so tense
The summer training camp at Shinzen High School added a lot to the series and gave Karasuno's players a whole new perspective on their opponents. Fukurodani was one of the first schools where the players at Karasuno saw play at a completely different level, inspiring them to work even harder. The practice match was just one set which Fukurodani won 23-25 but it showcased a lot of the skills of Hinata, Kageyama and Bokuto in fashion.
Shoyo Hinata is one of the most underrated characters in anime and manga, which makes it all the sweeter when he surprises his opponents and blow them out of the water. Washio and Akaashi were both very confident in their ability to stop the new Little Giant until Hinata confidently feinted and suddenly won the point.
8 Karasuno vs. Aoba Johsai (First Match)
The King is not messy.
Aoba Johsai was one of the most feared teams in the series when they first appeared. because of one player: Toru Oikawa. If Karasuno values Tobio Kageyama for his quick thinking, calculated decision making, and professional play, they hate Oikawa for the same reasons. He's the older, more refined version of Kageyama, and this match showcased all of his skills. Karasuno needed to beat Aoba Johsai to advance to the next round of the Miyagi Interhigh Prelims, and in three brutal sets, they failed to do so.
The first time Karasuno faced Aoba Johsai was also one of the first times Karasuno experienced true defeat. Even after playing through three sets, with the final third set ending at a terrible 31-33, they still couldn't win. Luckily, this was just a bump in the road for Hinata and the rest as Coach Ukai took the team out to dinner after the match, explaining to them that This is just the beginning, and let them cry their eyes out.
7 Karasuno vs Neighborhood Association
Ace Asahi Azumane returns
At the start of Haikyu!!, Karasuno was missing a very important piece. They played without their third-year winger and ace, Asahi Azumane. Thanks to Hinata, Nishinoya, and a great match against the local Neighbors Association, the Samurai Boys returned in full force. Asahi's powerful spikes are some of the coolest in the series and this match finally saw him fall in love with volleyball again and return to Karasuno fully.
The game itself was a great introduction to the cast of Haikyu!!. Coach Ukai is still getting to know his new team and gets to see many of their strengths firsthand. Hinata and Kageyama even get to practice their fast-break attacks, leaving those who haven't seen it speechless. Koshi SUGAwara also gets some play, delivering steady and reliable serves to some of the Neighbors Association's hitters.
6 Yukigaoka vs Daiichi Kitagawa
First look at Hinata and Kageyama's skills
The 2011 Junior High Track and Field meet between Yukigaoka and Kitagawa Daiichi was extremely exciting and it's easy to see why. Kitagawa Daiichi has legitimate volleyball players while Yukigaoka has basketball players who act like volleyball players, helping their friend Shoyo Hinata. Even though it was a blast, it highlighted important qualities in both Hinata and Kageyama. Even though all the cards are against him, Hinata played her best until the last minute.giving fans one of Haikyu!!'s many inspirational moments.
Kageyama did the same, albeit a bit more forcefully and rudely. This game was Hinata's last in middle school and it made him want to play more. Other characters might have been discouraged by such a one-sided defeat, but not Hinata. He was simply grateful for the experience, thanking all of his teammates for being there from the beginning.
5 Karasuno vs. Cao trung Tokonami
Looking back at the captain's past
If Tobio Kageyama and Shoyo Hinata are Karasuno's masterpieces of art, then Daichi Sawamura is their canvas. Without their captain and defensive rock, they wouldn't be able to give their all every game. The Karasuno vs. Tokonami High game is great because it shows a little bit of Daichi's past and highlights the fact that, at his core, He is a great leader and an all-round team player.
Tokonami High School has Hayato Ikejiri, Daichi's old classmate from middle school. While Karasuno is clearly better, Daichi's words about never giving up still echo in Hayato's head, causing him to dig even deeper than usual. The best part of the match is when Hayato recounted Daichi's words to his teammatesenergizing them and allowing them to continue the fight a little longer.
4 Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai (2nd Match)
Sweet revenge
Aoba Johsai handed Karasuno one of their heaviest defeats earlier in the series, so if there weren't tons already, there are now. King Toru Oikawa returns with a new weapon – Mad Dog Kentarō Kyōtani. Kentarō is an opponent unlike any Karasuno has faced before; he is selfish, aggressive, and most of all, extremely strong. He came on the court at the end of the first set and stole a breakaway shot from teammate Kindaichi, shooting the ball with extraordinary power and narrowly missing the target.
The second set was extremely intense, as Kentarō unleashed an unanswerable cutting shot straight past Karasuno. The rest of the set was filled with some of the best back-and-forth volleyball the series has ever seen, with Kageyama and Oikawa at their best. However, after three grueling sets, Karasuno emerged victorious.
3 Karasuno vs Nekoma
Real Battle at the Dump
There is a lot of competition throughout Haikyu!!. There's the Great King Toru Oikawa and the King of the Court Tobio Kageyama, the Greatest Trickster Hinata and pretty much everyone he fights against, but the greatest rivalry in all of Haikyu!! is between Nekoma Cats and Karasuno Crows. The Dumpster Battle was a difficult match that went on for a long time. This is also one of the healthiest sports competitions that Haikyu!! ever expressed.
The match was a must-win for both schools as only the winner could move on to the next round of the 2013 Spring Tournament. Although the other matches in the series were at least somewhat competitive. hostile, but no matches were detected in this rivalry. Instead, Karasuno and Nekoma brought out the best in each other, ending in a hard-fought victory for Karasuno.
2 Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa
Hinata and Tsukishima, Meet the Unstoppable Ushiwaka
Wakatoshi Ushijima may be the greatest volleyball player in Haikyu!!. He is tall, strong, and has a spear so strong it can cut his opponent's hand. Shiratorizawa was Karasuno's top team in the Miyagi Prefectural Spring Qualifiers but after the only five-set match of the series, Karasuno took the lead and advanced to Nationals as the Miyagi Prefecture representative.
Wakatoshi is as scary as he looks. At first, his smashes and serves looked like they would pull the match towards Shiratorizawa, but after an incredible save from Tsukishima, he came back into his own. Karasuno continued to attack relentlessly until they finally defeated the mighty Shiratorizawa 3-2 in sets, advancing to the next opponent and the next tournament.
1 Karasuno vs Inarizaki
Say Hello and Goodbye to the Miya Twins
Inarizaki not only has Haikyu's two best players!! are Astumu and Osamu Miya, but they also have Aran Ojiro, Shinsuke Kita and Rintaro Suna, three more players who will be stars on whichever team they play for. Not only did Inarizaki bring the heat to their players, but they also brought one of the loudest and most commanding bands in the series. There aren't many better moments Astumu Miya silenced the entire Inarizaki band with just a hand gesture.
Karasuno vs. Inarizaki has the best music in the series. The match is filled with uptempo jazz, making the match feel more like a high-stakes dance than a tournament. With amazingly explosive music and some of the strongest and smartest opponents in the series, Karasuno vs. Inarizaki is easily the best match of all. Haikyu!!.