When it comes to sports anime, the medium has given anime enthusiasts plenty of options that span various competitions of strength and skill. Hajime no Ippo covers boxing, Slam Dunk covers basketball, and Blue Lock covers soccer, though when it comes to volleyball, there is one franchise that rules them all. Haikyu has long been considered the most legendary anime covering the hard-hitting competition, and in 2027, the anime adaptation is planning both the final cinematic foray and a brand-new television outing. Prepare yourselves, anime fans, because Haikyu vs. Chiisana Kyojin and Haikyu: Where Monsters Go are set to land next year.
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To start, Haikyu Vs. Chiisana Kyojin (The Little Giant) will be the final film for the volleyball franchise, catching up to the source material that came to an end six years ago in 2020. Now facing the quarter-finals, where they will take on Kamomedai High, Shoyo Hinata and his fellow players from Karasuno High will have their work cut out for them in this grand finale. On the flip side, Haikyu: Where Monsters Go is a special installment set to arrive on the small screen that will see Fukorodani Academy and Mujinazaka High squaring off. While neither project has confirmed an official release date, both are set to arrive on the screen next year, and you can check out a new poster for the movie, along with a brand-new trailer for the television special, below.
Haikyu Lives On
While series creator Haruichi Furudate hasn’t hinted at bringing the franchise back with a sequel, a hilariously unbelievable spin-off series has been running since earlier this year. Titled Haikyu: Sudate Hinagarasu, the spin-off is made by a mangaka simply known as “Retsu,” and takes a drastically different approach to the franchise. Rather than focusing on Hinata’s quest to be the best, it focuses on Hinata’s school mascot in a decidedly more tongue-in-cheek series. Obviously, it’s a little too soon to expect an anime adaptation of this spin-off to arrive, but considering the success of the franchise, it might only be a matter of time.
If you haven’t seen Haikyu before and are wondering if you should get in on the volleyball action, there’s a reason why anime fans have fallen in love with Shoyo Hinata’s journey. While volleyball might not have world-ending stakes, the anime aesthetic of the storytelling and the animation from Production I.G. have brought many fans to the franchise over the years. As of the writing of this article, neither the 2027 movie nor the television special has been confirmed for a release in North America, but much like previous films and TV seasons, they both will most likely make their way to the West.
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