Amidst the popular shonen genres, sports anime stands out in most aspects. Haruichi Furudate’s series, Haikyu, is one of them. From teamplay to character building, it is a celebration of the sport itself. Unsurprisingly, the mangaka’s work enjoys cult popularity worldwide though there’s a caveat to that as well.
Despite the series’ popularity and reception, the mangaka was initially hesitant. Like most veterans in the industry, he wasn’t exempt from the fear of serialization. It is valid considering the amount of edits and phases most mangaka experience. The fear, however, stemmed from his qualms as revealed in an interview.
Haruichi Furudate and his qualms regarding serialization
From camaraderie to competition, Haruichi Furudate encapsulates the world of sports perfectly. This is true with the idea of team play in the series. Like most sports Shonen series, he exemplifies the feeling of belongingness and determination. His protagonist, however, is different from most cult sports anime. Especially with the motives behind his ambitions.
Shoyo Hinata’s journey in Haikyu!! starts from admiration and treads on a path of determination. Regardless of that, the series excels in portraying the core emotions behind sports. Despite his series’ cult popularity, even Furudate had several qualms about his manga as he later revealed.
In an interview with DaVinci, the mangaka revealed his doubts regarding his series. Especially when it comes to the serialization process. He quoted:
Even when I heard that Haikyu!! would be serialised, rather than feeling the joy of grabbing the opportunity of serialisation, I thought, “So it’s finally the beginning of the ‘ending’…” I’m always surprised by how pessimistic I can be. This would be my first and last chance to be able to write a story about volleyball in Jump, so if I ever lose focus, that would be the end.
Be it cuts or edits, the mangaka’s doubts are pretty much valid. Especially when it comes to the manga industry’s backbreaking process. To survive the brutal process and overworked hours is a big feat. This eventually paid off as Furudate’s series stands as an iconic celebration of the sport itself.
Haikyu is a true celebration of Volleyball as a whole
It is no surprise that Haikyu made its way into one of the top sports series. Its realistic portrayal of teamplay is attributed to the mangaka’s experience with Volleyball. Compared to other series, the mangaka’s love and knowledge are what makes it superior to its contemporaries.
From playing Volleyball to observing the gameplay, the mangaka’s research is reflected in the anime. What is even interesting is that the series stems from the authors’ love for the game. For his love of the sport, he quoted:
I started this series because I wanted to write a story about volleyball. I was a member of the volleyball club when I was student, and especially during my high school days, I only went to school for the sole purpose of playing volleyball. I am still attached and unable to let go of that period of time in my life, so via the medium of manga, I wanted to play a volleyball that would “come to an end once I lose” just once more.
It is this very love and admiration for the sport that made Haikyu one of the most popular and celebrated series. It also made a huge impact on culture and society through its portrayal of sportsmanship.
While the mangaka’s qualms seem valid it did pay off considering his love for the sport and his work. Understandably, most mangaka wouldn’t want the edits to hinder a reader’s understanding of the genre. Despite his hesitation and doubts the series fared well amidst the competition.
Haikyu is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.
