Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle Review

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle is right around the corner, and if you allow us to take a soft guess, you’re probably here since you can’t stop thinking about going to the movie! And if you’ve just stumbled upon this article, here’s a little on what’s going on:

Movie Title: Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle 

Directed: Susumu Mitsunaka

Original Story: Haruichi Furudate

Studio: Production I.G 

Release Date: May 31st, North America

After 4 years of waiting, the dumpster battle is finally all set to begin. The franchise saw many new fans as well, But everyone’s wait for the battle against Nekomata is finally set to end. We would also like to thank Crunchyroll Canada for the opportunity to review the film!

Let’s dive into our Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle Review: 

PACING

Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle has an opening that instantly aligns with the pacing and tune of the anime four years ago. Even if you’re tagging along to watch the movie with a friend who’s not watched the series before, the setting and overall experience will only set them to be another Haikyuu aficionado. 

The pacing of the entire movie is excellent, and the fresh introduction of supporting music will put you right into the Haikyu excitement from the beginning of the movie itself. It is very rare for anime film formats to have a strong start instead of a long setup, but in Haikyu, the action starts right from the beginning to the last minute. 

Fans worried about the repetitiveness of the matches since Karasuno faced and defeated Inarizaki, but you don’t have to worry about anything. The movie will show off Karasuno’s excellent evolved skills across the team but at the same time, Nekoma has also evolved itself over the period. 

The movie will put you under serious stress with the intensity of the match and emotionally touch you with a perfectly timed climax and supporting twists. There is no predictability at any time in the movie, and you’re guranteed to be hooked for the entire runtime. 

Towards the end, there’s a continuous first-person POV animation, that definitely gave us goosebumps for the quality and details.

STORY

Right after defeating the wrath of the Miya brothers from the team Inarizaki, Karasuno made their way to the third match. Nekomata, a team Karasuno repeatedly failed to defeat during Tokyo practices, is now facing off at a battle for the national title. 

Popularly and in the legacy of both the teams, the match between Karasuno and Nekomata is known as – The Trashcan Battle. Primarily representing the fight between actual crows and cats. Crows represent Karasuno well. Together as a flock, they are an aggressive and ruthless team who do not fear to fly across the court. Nekomata on the other hand are as cunning, fast, and intelligent to play mental games against their opponents. 

But as the movie and match began, Karasuno quickly carried on the momentum from their previous game and quickly put down points. But deep down, Nekoma is known for allowing a lead for their opponents and hence was always in control of the game, quickly changing the winning chance of the first set. This is where the movie truly begins and Karasuno’s real fight kicks off. 

Kenma the setter of Nekoma, plays the primary role of the antagonist in the movie as he suppresses the signature of the move of Karasuno for the entire game. With Hinata suppressed, the team’s cheerful positivity and breakthrough opportunity are suddenly snatched away. 

As a gamer, we’ve always learned that if you cannot defeat an enemy directly, you can always defeat them mentally. And probably this is exactly why Kenma, who is also a gamer is fighting against Hinata differently. Will Karasuno escape the trap put down by Nekoma? You’ll have to hit the theatres to find out. 

VERDICT

Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle is a spectacular movie and the grandest of gifts for all Haikyu fans. The battle that fans have been waiting for four years could not have been better than the movie. An excellent pacing, dubbing, story, and the animation itself together make it one of the best anime movies we’ve seen this year. Go get the tickets before they get sold out!