Hello everyone!
Welcome back to another anime review.
Haikyu to the top cour 2 epsiode 2 is back and, it’s going strong. The series has been going fast-paced as expected. In each episode, almost three chapters are adapted.
To recap: The Miya Twins left us stunned. They effectively copied Hinata and Kageyama’s freak shot and left the Karasuno team gasping for air. The trust between the two brothers is key to this move. The one hitting the ball knows that the ball will be there for them no matter what.
Inarizaki continues its decisive and bold game to subdue Karasuno. Karasuno doesn’t back out even one bit. The thing about Karasuno is that they adapt to situations and always try to do new things.
When Hinata tried to jump as high as possible and awed both teams, alas to their dismay, he failed to hit a shot. Even amongst strong teams, they want to prove their metal and take out the opponent team.
Coach Ukai devises a plan to stop the Miya Twins momentum. He places Hinata as a blocker on Osamu Miya. He is the receiver towards the unique freak quick and, that’s their best chance at defending.
As they go on to hit the ball, Osamu’s attempt is thwarted by Karasuno’s no. 10 Hinata Shoya. He leaps, blocks, and scores from that shot. The atmosphere in the stadium changes into an ecstatic one in an instant.
Hinata has jumped leaps and bounds since we first saw him. From a kid who wanted ‘to just spike the ball’, he has learned to love the defensive aspects of the game. The way he sets an underhand set to Azumane makes us proud of him. He also blocks the ball in such a way that Nishinoya was given an opening to receive the ball. Instead of instinct, Hinata is using his intellect and experience to face strong opponents.
My only concern about the animation is that they aren’t getting Hinata’s eyes right. In the manga, it’s more filled with passion, determined and bold while, in the anime is has been downsized to show us a character who is determined but a little bit crazy. In some scenes, they do capture the beauty of Hinata, but in most, they fail to do so.
Kinoshita is given a chance to shine in this battle and with the motivation given by his coach, he manages to serve the way he wants. His shot was commandeered, but no worries, he learns a lesson to get better as much as possible.
Tanaka manages to get his shots through but he seems to struggle a lot while doing so. His motivation and energy are being slowly tarnished by the resilient Inarizaki court. It is a glimpse of what is to be seen in the next episode.
Tsukishima has always been a salty diva amid the Karasuno team and, he hasn’t changed one bit. What has changed is that he tries to do things more and does not half-heartedly to stuff. He blocks the quick with immense pleasure because he has always wanted to stop ‘the quick’ that Kageyama and Hinata does. He also jumps up to the highest point on Kagayama serve to score a point.
Yamaguchi is up on the line and ready to serve, but to his surprise, he does not have a point to reset his mind. The sign is blocked by a banner. The mentor saves his pupil by presenting himself with a new reset point and, our boy gets the service ace.
This episode was brilliant with new animation and everything. It is a surprise that an anime could be this good. The Haikyu anime is one of the best in the world and no one can get enough of it. Can’t wait for the next match. The score is tied. Who will catch hold of the momentum? Will Tanaka ‘be pushed’ to the limit or, will he persevere and take back his mojo?
Until next time. See ya!
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