98 Fun Facts About Haikyuu

Who wrote and illustrated Haikyu!!?

Haruichi Furudate played club volleyball through middle and high school, and after his first series, a ghost story, he built his next one around the sport.

In which magazine was Haikyu!! serialized from 2012 to 2020?

Weekly Shōnen Jump published Haikyu!!, so Hinata appears as a support character in J-Stars Victory VS, the magazine's 45th-anniversary crossover fighting game.

Which Shiratorizawa player is nicknamed the 'Guess Monster'?

Satori Tendō traded the court for a kitchen after high school, moving to France to work as a chocolatier.

What role does Shiratorizawa's coach make Hinata take after he sneaks into the first-year training camp?

Ball boy duty kept Hinata off the court, but chasing the ball and watching taller players taught him to read where a spike will land, sharpening his receives.

What inspires the young Hinata to take up volleyball?

Seeing Karasuno's 'Little Giant' on TV drove Hinata to enroll at Karasuno, where he finds Kageyama, whose team crushed his in junior high, has enrolled too.

What nickname does Tobio Kageyama carry from junior high?

Junior-high teammates dubbed Kageyama 'The King of the Court', a jab at his tyrannical, demanding way of directing the offense.

What do rival teams call the fallen Karasuno?

The Flightless Crows was the jibe after Karasuno kept failing its prefecture's qualifiers, until the team beat powerhouse Shiratorizawa in a five-set final to qualify again.

In which prefecture is Karasuno High School located?

Miyagi Prefecture is where the manga's creator moved from neighboring Iwate after high school, enrolling at a design school in Sendai.

What position does Hinata play for Karasuno despite his height?

Middle blocker put Hinata's speed and jump to work as a decoy, pulling blockers away so teammates' spikes can succeed.

Which junior high did Kageyama attend before Karasuno?

Kitagawa Daiichi is where Kageyama's teammates let his set fall with nobody there to hit it, and he was benched, ending his junior-high career in shame.

Who is Karasuno's captain?

Daichi Sawamura was knocked unconscious during a Spring qualifier, and Ennoshita, the second-year who filled in for him, went on to succeed him as captain.

What is Kōshi Sugawara's role on the Karasuno team?

Vice captain and setter Sugawara lost his starting spot to first-year Kageyama, yet the coach still sends him in when morale dips because he steadies the team.

What position does Yū Nishinoya play?

Libero Nishinoya lives for his position in high school, yet after graduating he gives up volleyball altogether to travel the world.

Who is Karasuno's tallest player?

Kei Tsukishima starts out indifferent to the sport, yet he roars in triumph after baiting and stuffing a star spiker in the prefectural final against Shiratorizawa.

What serving technique does Yamaguchi adopt to earn court time as a pinch server?

Float serve lessons were Yamaguchi's secret project: he asked a Karasuno alumnus to teach him so he wouldn't be the only first-year with nothing to contribute.

Who is Karasuno's head manager?

Third-year Kiyoko Shimizu is Karasuno's manager; she recruits first-year Hitoka Yachi as her successor.

What subject does faculty adviser Ittetsu Takeda teach?

Takeda teaches Japanese literature (modern Japanese) at Karasuno and serves as the club's faculty adviser, having badgered Ukai into coaching.

What relation is coach Keishin Ukai to Karasuno's previous coach?

Grandson of the old coach, Keishin Ukai kept refusing the job until he heard of a practice match against old rival Nekoma, and at first he signed on only until it ended.

Which Nekoma player invites a Karasuno first-year to after-hours blocking practice at a summer training camp?

Tetsurō Kuroo helped a rival on purpose: he wanted Karasuno to reach Nationals so that his veteran coach could finally see the two schools meet in an official match.

Which Nekoma player is called the 'brain' of the team?

Kenma Kozume is so uneasy around people that he watches them closely, a habit that lets him spot opponents' quirks and plan Nekoma's counters.

Who captains Aoba Johsai?

Oikawa grew so rattled by his gifted junior Kageyama in middle school that best friend Iwaizumi had to pull him back; he has bristled at so-called geniuses ever since.

What nickname is Shiratorizawa's ace known by?

Ushiwaka echoes Ushiwakamaru, the boyhood name of samurai hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and it fits the opening syllables of Ushijima Wakatoshi, the left-handed ace's full name.

Which school does Kōtarō Bokuto, one of Japan's top five aces, captain?

Fukurodani Academy's captain takes to Hinata at a summer training camp, teaching him feints and rebounds and proudly calling him his number-one disciple.

Which brothers, Atsumu and Osamu, star for Inarizaki?

The Miya twins stun Karasuno at Nationals by copying the freak quick on the spot; after graduation Atsumu turns pro while Osamu quits volleyball to run an onigiri shop.

Which school does the short but explosive Kōrai Hoshiumi play for?

Kamomedai High's ace stands about 169 cm, yet his all-round play at the Spring tournament leads commentators to dub him a small giant.

After the time skip, which national team does Aoba Johsai's former captain play for against Japan?

Argentina draws him because he follows José Blanco, the setter who inspired him as a boy; he joins CA San Juan, takes citizenship and lines up against Japan in the manga's last chapter.

Which pro club does Hinata join in 2018 after the time skip?

MSBY Black Jackals sign Hinata in 2018 after a tryout, and the league sets him against Kageyama, his Karasuno partner turned opponent.

Which V.League club does Kageyama play for after the time skip?

Schweiden Adlers put Kageyama on the same side as Ushijima and Hoshiumi, aces he once faced across the net in high school; he later leaves for Italy's Ali Roma.

In which country does Hinata train in beach volleyball after graduating?

Brazil is where Hinata goes alone to train on sand, hoping to widen his range of skills; he comes home with far better balance and a place in the V.League.

Which company, run by Nekoma's former setter, appears among Hinata's sponsors after the time skip?

Bouncing Ball Corp. is run by a stock trader, pro gamer and YouTuber who tells Hinata he sponsors him because he has money to spare, and will stop if Hinata gets boring.

Where does Kuroo work after the time skip?

The Japan Volleyball Association hires him for its sports promotion division, and he is soon pitching Hinata a collaboration video with an old teammate to pull new people into the sport.

What job does Sugawara hold after the time skip?

Elementary school teacher suits the third-year who mothered Karasuno's juniors and stayed supportive even after a first-year prodigy took his starting place.

Which studio animates the Haikyu!! series?

Production I.G has made every season and film; Susumu Mitsunaka directed the first three seasons there, then came back to write and direct the 2024 cinema release.

Which team ends Karasuno's Interhigh run in the first anime season?

Aoba Johsai take a third set that runs past deuce by finally blocking the freak quick, only to lose the final to Shiratorizawa themselves; the season closes on Karasuno's defeat.

Which prize did Haikyu!! win in 2016?

Shogakukan Manga Award prizes are not reserved for the sponsor's own titles: Haikyu!! took the 61st shōnen award while running in another publisher's magazine.

What is the subtitle of the first Haikyu!! finale film, released in February 2024?

The Dumpster Battle is the series' name for Karasuno against Nekoma: crows against cats, both scavengers of the rubbish heap. The film is their first official match; until then the rivals had met only in practice games.

Which part of the anime was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic?

The fourth season's second cour slipped from July to October 2020, so the manga printed its final chapter that July before the anime's delayed nationals episodes had even begun.

Which company licenses the Haikyu!! manga in North America?

Viz Media is part-owned by Shueisha, the manga's Japanese publisher, and announced the licence at New York Comic Con; the anime went to Sentai Filmworks instead.

Which first-year is Nekoma's tallest player?

Lev Haiba, half-Russian and about 194 cm, only took up volleyball in high school, so he missed the first practice match with Karasuno and still struggles with basic receives.

What subtitle did the fourth anime season carry?

To The Top follows Karasuno to the nationals and stops after the second-round win over Inarizaki, leaving the long-awaited Nekoma match for the cinema.

Which Karasuno spiker quit after Date Tech's blocks?

Asahi Azumane is so shaken by the defeat that he stays away until a practice match against the neighbourhood association restores his confidence; at the Interhigh he finally breaks through the same Date Tech block.

What forces Tsukishima off the court in the Shiratorizawa final?

A finger injury from blocking the ace's spike sends him to the infirmary and leaves Karasuno falling behind, but he returns before the set ends and Karasuno complete the upset of the champions.

What award did Shoyo Hinata win at the 5th Crunchyroll Anime Awards?

Best Boy went to Hinata at the February 2021 ceremony, but the Best Protagonist prize he was also nominated for went to Catarina Claes of My Next Life as a Villainess.

Which band performed 'Imagination', the first opening theme of the anime?

Spyair opened the first two seasons and came back for the 2024 film with 'Orange', sung by a new vocalist who had replaced the original frontman the year before.

In May 2020, which manga kept Haikyu!! off the top of Oricon's weekly sales chart?

Demon Slayer's twentieth volume went on sale the same day as Haikyu!!'s forty-third, 13 May 2020, and outsold it to take the top of that week's chart.

Why are Hinata and Kageyama left behind when Karasuno leave for Nekoma's training camp?

They failed final exams and had to sit make-up tests that day; Tanaka's older sister then drove the pair all the way to the camp so they could still play.

Who composed the score for the Haikyu!! anime?

Yuki Hayashi came to music as a rhythmic gymnast choosing his own floor-routine tracks; he scored Haikyu!! with Asami Tachibana and also wrote My Hero Academia's music.

What is the series of Haikyu!! stage plays that began in 2015 called?

Hyper Projection Engeki takes its name from the staging: manga-style effects and video are projected around the live actors, with Kenta Suga as the first Hinata under director Worry Kinoshita.

Why could Shoyo Hinata barely practice volleyball during his first two years of junior high in Haikyuu?

He was its only member, so he spent two years asking other students to help him practice. Friends finally joined in his last year so he could enter a tournament.

What do Hinata and Kageyama win to prove their teamwork after Karasuno's captain shuts them out of the gym?

A 3-on-3 match against fellow first-years settled it, after the pair were told they could not join until they got along. Their first quick attacks turned the game.

Where does Keishin Ukai work when he is not coaching the Karasuno volleyball team in Haikyuu?

His family's convenience store is a regular stop for the players. He turned the coaching job down at first, then agreed to step in for a single practice match and stayed on.

What nickname has Date Tech earned in Haikyuu for the highest blocking rate in its prefecture?

The Iron Wall is built on three-person blocks and read blocking, and the team prints the name on its own banner.

What forces Shoyo Hinata to drop out of a major game in Haikyuu, a twist its creator planned early?

A fever takes him off the court. The author chose it early to show that the urge to compete could not carry Hinata through the nationals on its own.

Which animals represent the Tokyo school whose red banner reads 'Connect' in Haikyuu?

Cats, because 'neko' in the school's name is the Japanese word for cat. The team is known for its chemistry, strong floor defense and receives.

Which two colors belong to Karasuno High, the fallen powerhouse that Shoyo Hinata joins in Haikyuu?

Black and orange are the school colors, and the team's all-black banner carries a single word, 'Fly', printed in white.

Which loud Karasuno second-year ends up married to the team's manager after the Haikyuu time skip?

Ryūnosuke Tanaka harbors feelings for her from the start, and he and his friend Nishinoya are regularly disciplined for their antics.

Which anxious first-year is recruited in Haikyuu to manage Karasuno once the third-years graduate?

Hitoka Yachi joins as assistant manager after Hinata talks her round. By the time skip she is a college student bound for an advertising design company.

Which teammate is the go-to person for handling ace Kōtarō Bokuto's mid-match mood swings in Haikyuu?

Keiji Akaashi claims to have memorized a list of at least 37 of Bokuto's weaknesses, yet he deeply admires him as a player.

What do Karasuno's third-years decide after the Interhigh defeat that ends the first season of Haikyuu?

To stay on the team rather than retire is their choice, which gives them one more shot at nationals through the spring tournament.

Which Haikyuu player, who once skipped practice for months, captains Karasuno after the third-years graduate?

Chikara Ennoshita came back because he missed volleyball. He first proves himself by stepping in when the captain is knocked out against Wakutani South.

What do Saeko and her group bring to Karasuno's cheering section to change the rhythm against Inarizaki?

Taiko drums arrive as Inarizaki's large marching band and cheer squad are drowning out the visitors. Saeko, a college student, performs with a wadaiko team.

Which stern third-year ace becomes an athletic trainer for Japan's national team after the Haikyuu time skip?

Hajime Iwaizumi spends high school stopping his captain from overworking himself, then works with a Japan side that includes Hinata and Kageyama.

Which Haikyuu spiker, described by coach Ukai as a double-edged sword, is nicknamed 'Mad Dog'?

Kentarō Kyōtani earns the name by hitting every ball at full power without checking for the block. He can spike with either hand.

Which former junior-high teammate of Tobio Kageyama does Shoyo Hinata call 'Turnip Head' in Haikyuu?

Yūtarō Kindaichi was one of the two players who asked their coach to bench Kageyama, and he feels guilty on seeing how his old teammate has mellowed.

Which towering Date Tech player has a habit of pointing at the opposing ace before a match in Haikyuu?

Takanobu Aone looks intimidating but is kind and soft-spoken, talking only when he really needs to. He bonds with Hinata after their match.

What does Shoyo Hinata find missing from his bag before Karasuno's first match at the Spring Nationals?

His shoes were in a bag he had swapped by mistake, so Karasuno's manager ran to the station and got back just in time for the match.

Which animals represent Inarizaki High, whose name shares its kanji with a Shinto deity, in Haikyuu?

Foxes are tied to Inari Ōkami, so the team is drawn with foxes and torii gates. Its banner reads 'We don't need the memories'.

What does Inarizaki's calm captain Shinsuke Kita run after the time skip in Haikyuu?

A rice farm suits a captain raised by his grandmother to believe 'the gods are always watching', which made him calm, collected and thorough.

Which top-three ace from Itachiyama Institute wears a face mask off court and is obsessed with hygiene?

Kiyoomi Sakusa dislikes crowds, and his power comes from extremely flexible wrists that let him send a spike wherever he wants.

What is Yū Nishinoya seen doing after the Haikyuu time skip while his old teammates settle into careers?

Traveling the world fits the loud, energetic player who was the shortest on Karasuno's roster and counted as one of its two prodigies alongside Kageyama.

In which European country does Tobio Kageyama play club volleyball by 2021, after leaving Japan's V.League?

Italy is where he joins Ali Roma in Serie A, while still playing for Japan's national team.

What career does Karasuno's dependable third-year captain take up after the time skip in Haikyuu?

Police officer is his job with his home prefecture's force, a fit for a kind leader whose rare 'scary' side terrified his own teammates.

Which sport did Karasuno's third-year manager compete in before joining the Haikyuu volleyball club?

Track and field was her sport until the captain asked her to manage the team. Though aloof and quiet, she cares deeply about its success.

What nickname does a rival captain give Karasuno's upbeat third-year Kōshi Sugawara in Haikyuu?

Mr Refreshing reflects his positive mindset. He looks after the juniors like a mother figure and is sent on when morale is low.

Which role does coach Ukai see Shoyo Hinata fill in Karasuno's match against the Neighborhood Association?

The ultimate decoy uses his speed and leaping to mislead opposing teams, which earns him a starting place despite his lack of technique.

Which veteran coach struck up a friendly rivalry with Karasuno's old coach Ikkei Ukai in their youth?

Yasufumi Nekomata returned to coaching and set up practice games so the two schools could finally settle the old rivalry in an official match.

Which role in a school play does Hinata recall to persuade a nervous first-year to manage Karasuno?

Townsperson B was his own bit part. The recruit had once played a tree and feared she would be no use, until Hinata talked her into joining.

Which penalty does Karasuno keep doing at the Tokyo training camp while Hinata and Kageyama are absent?

Diving drills came in penalty laps after each defeat, because the team kept losing without its first-year duo.

How does Shoyo Hinata swing at Tobio Kageyama's sets in the first version of their quick attack?

With his eyes closed, he simply leaps and swings while Kageyama puts the ball on his hand. At the Tokyo camp he asks for a version he can control himself.

Where do Hinata and Kageyama race each other every morning after becoming teammates at Karasuno?

To the gym is their daily sprint, a contest Hinata vows to keep up until he has beaten Kageyama in every way he can.

What does coach Keishin Ukai do for his devastated Karasuno players right after their Interhigh exit?

Treats them to a meal, telling them that food is essential to getting strong. The next day Hinata and Kageyama shout out loud to get over the sadness.

What condition does Yū Nishinoya set before he will play again for Karasuno in Haikyuu?

The ace must return first, he insists. Until then he only helps the team get better at receiving the ball.

How does the summer training camp at Shinzen High end for Karasuno and the other teams in Haikyuu?

With a barbecue for the players, held after Karasuno loses one last practice game to Bokuto's side.

What do Inarizaki's supporters do whenever the opposing team steps up to serve at the Spring Nationals?

Boo loudly is what they do, yet Inarizaki's own ace server silences the same crowd before his serve because any noise breaks his focus.

Which Japanese publisher collected Haikyuu's chapters into 45 tankōbon volumes between 2012 and 2020?

Shueisha first tested the series as two one-shots in 2011, then began the weekly serial the following February.

Which Japanese voice actor plays Shoyo Hinata in the Haikyuu anime and its 2024 film?

Ayumu Murase has said he had fewer job offers when he took the part, and that proposals increased once the anime aired.

Which Japanese voice actor plays Inarizaki's Atsumu, first seen at the All-Japan Youth Training Camp?

Mamoru Miyano voices one of Inarizaki's two famous brothers, a gifted but demanding player who is sometimes at odds with his teammates.

Which band performed 'Hikariare' and 'Phoenix', opening themes for Haikyuu's third and fourth seasons?

Burnout Syndromes first joined the series with 'Fly High' in the second season, and 'Phoenix' later earned a nomination for Best Opening Sequence at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

Which handheld console hosted the Haikyuu games 'Tsunage! Itadaki no Keshiki' and 'Cross Team Match'?

Nintendo 3DS owners got both volleyball games, in 2014 and 2016. Hinata also turns up as a support character in the crossover fighter J-Stars Victory VS.

Which Nekoma first-year is the first player able to counter Hinata and Kageyama's freakish quick attack?

Sō Inuoka shares Hinata's excitable nature, and the two rivals become friends who chat in sound effects that nobody else understands.

Which school, captained by Yūji Terushima, plays a risky, unpredictable game against Karasuno in Haikyuu?

Johzenji loses when Terushima's attempt to copy Karasuno's synchronized attack goes out of bounds, after which the team's third-year manager retires.

Which Karasuno alumnus from the Neighborhood Association teaches Tadashi Yamaguchi his signature serve?

Makoto Shimada works at Shimada Mart, and Yamaguchi sought him out after watching him use the serve in a practice game against the alumni.

Who directed the first three seasons of the Haikyuu anime before returning to write and direct its 2024 film?

Susumu Mitsunaka handed the fourth season to Masako Satō, then came back for the feature that continues straight on from the television series.

In which Japanese prefecture, home to the town of Karumai, was the creator of the Haikyuu manga born?

Iwate-born, the author played in volleyball clubs through junior high and high school, often going to school just for the club activities.

Which Japanese studio distributed the 2024 Haikyuu film, which earned over 11 billion yen at home?

Toho released it in February 2024, and it finished as the second highest-grossing Japanese film of that year.

What does Kōtarō Bokuto call Shoyo Hinata after they bond at the summer training camp in Haikyuu?

His star pupil is the title Bokuto hands out. The easily delighted ace makes friends with other schools and lifts teammates and rivals alike.

Which English-dub voice actor plays Shoyo Hinata in the Haikyuu anime, opposite Scott Gibbs as Kageyama?

Bryson Baugus returned to the part for the 2024 film, which Crunchyroll brought to North American theaters at the end of that May.

In which Kansai prefecture is Inarizaki High, known for its large marching band and passionate fans, located in Haikyuu?

Hyōgo is why nearly the whole team speaks in a Kansai dialect. Rintarō Suna, recruited from Aichi, is the one exception.