Haikyuu!!’s “disappointing” future is upsetting fans

Haikyuu!! has had a wonderful time in 2024 with the new movie, but fans are still upset about the franchise’s future.

Few sports anime have achieved what Haikyuu!! has done. From significantly increasing volleyball practice in Japan to getting several nods in the Paris Olympics 2024, Haruichi Furudate’s work has solidified itself as one of the most influential anime and manga franchises out there.

Not just that, the franchise released its first proper movie, Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle, in 2024. The film has made a huge box office record globally and is considered one of the best anime movies of the year. 

However, despite its multiple successes, fans are still worried about Haikyuu!!’s future. After The Dumpster Battle, the franchise has another movie planned. The second film is adapting Karasuno’s match against Kamomedai in the Nationals.

While this sounds pretty exciting, manga readers are less than happy. That’s because there’s still a lot left in the Haikyuu!! manga and all of it cannot be contained in a single movie. This also means the manga’s last arc is being completely ignored.

It’s a shame because the last arc is the culmination of the development of the characters throughout the story. Cutting it out takes away the impact of their individual character growth and the core message of the series.

Besides, fans think the Kamomedai match should’ve been adapted into Haikyuu!! Season 5 rather than a movie. According to them, the film has to cut out a lot of important scenes in order to make it compact, and as a result, misses out on significant aspects.

For example, Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle ignores two of its best characters to reduce the runtime of the movie. The same can happen in the second film, which is why fans want an anime show instead.

“I just want to know the reason?? Like Haikyuu!! is still so popular with such a loyal fanbase who will wait as long as needed to have everything animated properly but they settled on…. movies? It’s so disappointing,” posted one user on X.

“I don’t think I will ever understand how this decision was finalized, it makes less and less sense the more time that goes by and as Haikyuu!! continues to explode in popularity and influence (and clearly there’s a demand/market for it),” joined another.

“I think it is physically IMPOSSIBLE to fit all the things left with only one movie. Why was this the final decision?” wrote a third.

A fourth commented: “Should’ve been a season for the Kamomedai match to Brazil arc then a Final final movie.”

There’s been no announcement about the continuation of the Haikyuu!! franchise after the second movie so far. But hopefully, the makers will pay heed to fans’ expectations and come up with more projects.

For now, check out our Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle review and what the movie’s stars have to say. You can also find out how the anime proves sports anime is finally having its moment.