Everything We Know About Haikyuu, Season 5 (2024)

Since its debut back in the Spring of 2014, Haikyuu!! has gradually become one of the most iconic and highly-rated sports anime of all time. With a fanbase that's marked beyond millions of dedicated viewers, the long-awaited celebration of the franchise's end began in 2024. Between major announcements coming from the production side of the anime to large-scale fan events, there's a lot for Haikyuu fans to unpack in preparation for the next and final installments of this series.

The anime left its viewership on a huge cliffhanger at the end of Season 4 in 2020, only providing viewers with films and specials of side stories and recaps that have left fans wanting more. With so many chapters still remaining, anime fans have been asking for the Haikyuu Season 5 release date for years. That said, the fourth season went through delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to critical roles being replaced by TOHO. As such, a Haikyuu Season 5 doesn't look very promising, especially given the two movies.

Updated on May 10, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: One of the two announced Haikyuu!! movies has already been released in a couple of countries, while the second one remains tentative as of this date. Considering the minimal likelihood of a fifth season, however, we've updated this article with some more relevant information about everyone's favorite volleyball anime series.

The Full Haikyuu!! Recap

Since Episode 1, Haikyuu!! has followed the comeback story of the Karasuno Volleyball team, which in the past several years of tournaments has had nothing impressive to show to the nation. With big dreams of proving themselves in tournaments, the team members train to work together and hone their skills to compete against several fearsome competitors. While every Haikyuu!! character is given a chance in the spotlight, the two given the most attention are Shouyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama.

Hinata was initially inspired to play volleyball by Karasuno's star player, "the Little Giant," who, like Hinata, is short in stature but can jump higher than most other players and spike with impressive force. As inspiring as his dreams are, Hinata still has to prove himself repeatedly through each game he plays, as he is constantly mocked for his size and lack of experience. Kageyama, on the other hand, doesn't have lofty dreams but instead an intense drive for perfectionism and victory that has consequently left out his teammates. While no one doubts his innate talents as a setter, who is in control throughout the matches, his inability to work with others proves to be debilitating for the success of any team he's on.

After overcoming his ego and accepting Hinata's potential, Kageyama learns to work with Hinata to bring out the best in them both. Together, they serve as Karasuno's ultimate tag team and secret weapon. It's the power of this partnership that sparks hope for Karasuno, especially among the seniors, who have few chances left to make their mark on the team they love. Throughout Haikyuu !!, Karasuno faces off against fierce challengers, such as their long-time rivalry with Nekoma, the iron wall of Date Tech, their volatile rivalry with Aoba Johsai, the overwhelming legend and crowd-favorite team Shiratorizawa, and the impressively technical team Inarizaki. Karasuno's story is left at a cliffhanger of their pending match against Nekoma.

Haikyuu!! Season 4 Recap, Detailed

Haikyuu!!'s Season 4 covers the All-Youth Training Camp arc and the start of the Nationals tournament, including the intense match against Inarizaki. Kageyama and Tsukishima are invited to the All-Youth Training Camp, which could lead them to represent the nation as volleyball athletes two years later. Jealous of their acceptance and angry about being left out, Hinata sneaks in and is allowed to stay as the ball boy. In this season, there is a refreshing growth in Hinata's character as he learns to do more than chase after tosses and rely on his instincts. While maintaining his place as a ball boy, Hinata observes and strengthens his fundamental skills, which come in handy when his team is in a dire pinch later on.

The All-Youth Training Camp introduces newer characters, such as Korai Hoshiyumi, the ace for Kamomedai, and Atsumu Miya, the setter for Inarizaki. Hoshiyumi is similar to Hinata and the Little Giant in size and skill, serving as a later rival to Hinata, while Miya proves to push Kageyama to be a little more like his old perfectionist self while competing. However, this is something that Kageyama learns to balance later on. After a difficult first match during the Nationals tournament, Kageyama figures out how to serve his team with the right balance of criticism and compassion. This leads them to an intense battle against the highly technical Inarizaki.

The match against Inarizaki introduces the brilliant middle-blocker Rintaro Suna, powerhouse spiker Aran Ojiro, and wing spiker Osamu Miya, Atsumu's twin brother. Karasuno is discouraged during this match due to Inarizaki's setter, Atsumu Miya, and his overwhelmingly unpredictable serves. On top of that, Inarizaki is empowered with a variety of techniques, including the Miya twin's ability to perfectly copy Hinata and Kageyama's quick attack. After the tide of the game switches back and forth between both teams, Karasuno begins to feel run-down. However, his fighting spirit returns after a clutch save by Hinata and hearing hearty laughs from the audience.

In one last stand against Team Inarizaki, Kageyama, Tsukishima, and Daichi push themselves to the limit to keep the ball from falling on their side. When the ball is in the hands of the Miya twins, they go for a final score with a minus-tempo quick attack. However, after a block from Kageyama and Hinata, the ball falls on Inarizaki's side and scores the final winning point for Karasuno. Season 4 ends with a hint of the aftermath of this victory, which will be the Nationals match of Karasuno versus their long-time rivals Nekoma.

What To Expect From Haikyuu!! Season 5

Currently, There's No Talk of Incorporating a Fifth Season

In August 2022, Haikyuu's official Twitter page from Japan announced that the series would end with two films rather than a full season. The Twitter account also shared that there would be a special kick-off event for the movie held in August 2023, but it was postponed to September 2023 for a special festival dedicated to the anime.

On September 24, 2023, the event known as Haikyuu Fest was held at the Tokyo Musashino Forest Sports Plaza Main Arena in Tokyo. 9,000 attendees, along with members of the production, celebrated the announcement of the two films that will end the beloved sports anime. Attendees were given exclusive updates and had the chance to say farewell and celebrate the franchise.

Eight of the main cast members, including Ayumu Murase (as Shoyo Hinata) and Kaito Ishikawa (as Tobio Kageyama), were in attendance, demonstrating that the main voice actors will be returning for the films. The actors joined together for a special reading of a script written by the mangaka Haruichi Furudate. Fans were also treated to live music performances. Among the exclusive updates shared with fans, the one that was also released outside the event was the trailer and date of the first film.

Haikyuu!! Final First Film Release Date In The US

TOHO Animation's YouTube channel released a trailer for the first film on the day of the 2023 Haikyuu Fest. Titled Haikyuu: Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump, the film's trailer opens with Hinata's first meeting with Nekoma's setter, Kenma Kozume, and proceeds to highlight the evolution of their friendship and rivalry. This recap of their relationship leads to the cliffhanger of Season 4, where the Karasuno and Nekoma teams stand against one another before their match at Nationals. The next half of the trailer teases the dramatic match that will ensue between the two teams, ending with a bit of joyful banter from Hinata and a sharp grin from Kenma.

The TOHO trailer also shared the film's release date with fans, which was February 16, 2024 in Japan. With all promotional focus being on this next film, there is no news released on the second and final film that will close out the entire anime. That said, American viewers will only get to watch Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump when it releases across the US on May 31, 2024. Early reviews have already come out from Japan, with many fans praising the movie's exceptional animation, particularly the action sequences. With an 85-minute runtime, Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump was an overall success at the box office. That said, it certainly left anime fans wanting more.

How Much of Haikyuu!! Is Left For The Anime to Cover

While some fans may be excited to have more Haikyuu!! to watch, many are concerned about the end of the series being released via films rather than a full season. One of the major concerns is that the two films may not be enough to cover every detail of Haruichi Furudate's original manga. Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump only covered the story between Chapters 293 and 327, totaling around 30 chapters of information.

However, there are another 75 chapters left, which couldn't possibly be compressed into a single movie without losing much of the character development. Events like the various time-jump sequences, the Brazil arc, Oikawa's triumphant return, and the main characters' current whereabouts have to be woven into the story to please the deserving fandom. That said, there is no confirmation on when the second Haikyuu!! Final film will be released. Fans just have to cross their fingers and hope for the best at this point.

Haikyuu!!

TV-14

Animation

Comedy

Drama

Determined to be like the volleyball championship's star player nicknamed "the small giant", Shoyo joins his school's volleyball club.

Release Date

April 5, 2014

Creator

Haruichi Furudate

Cast

Ayumu Murase , Kaito Ishikawa , Yu Hayashi , Satoshi Hino , Miyu Irino , Koki Uchiyama , Soma Saito , Nobuhiko Okamoto

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4

Production Company

Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), Production I.G.Production I.G.

Number of Episodes

89