Haikyu!! fans have been delighted ever since the series announced the worldwide release of its movie, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle on May 31, 2024. The movie’s tickets officially went on sale just a few days ago, and fans can’t wait to finally watch one of the biggest blockbusters in the Japanese anime industry.
Haiyu!! is one of the most popular sports anime series that focuses on the volleyball team of Karasuno High School and their matches against other strong high school teams. However, Haruichi Furudate, the creator of Haikyu!!, once revealed the reason for choosing volleyball for his magnum opus instead of any other sport.
He even shared his experience with the game and how it became one of the most important aspects of his life, even though he hated it at first.
Haruichi Furudate’s Reason for Choosing Volleyball for Haikyu!!
In the 2014 issue of Da Vinci magazine, an interview with Haikyu’s creator, Furudate, was featured which was translated by @rainofashe and shared on Tumblr. The mangaka shared a lot of information about how he came up with the idea of Haikyu!! and how he managed to make it so realistic. Furudate was also asked about why he specifically chose volleyball for his manga rather than any other sport.
The Haikyu!! creator replied:
“I didn’t want to write a story about sports. I started this series because I wanted to write a story about volleyball. I was a member of the volleyball club when I was student, and especially during my high school days, I only went to school for the sole purpose of playing volleyball.”
He further stated:
“I am still attached and unable to let go of that period of time in my life, so via the medium of manga, I wanted to play a volleyball that would “come to an end once I lose” just once more.”
According to the mangaka, his purpose for choosing volleyball was that he did not want to write a story about sports but rather he wanted to showcase his passion for a game that holds a lot of importance in his life, as he himself played volleyball in high school and is still somehow connected to his old volleyball days.
Haruichi Furudate Hated Volleyball At First
The mangaka, while talking about his passion for volleyball, revealed that at first, he hated the game because it was not fun and it was quite difficult to get the ball in the direction he wanted. However, as he played the game more and more, he understood the basics of it and fell in love with it.
Furudate stated:
“In fact, I myself didn’t like volleyball that much at the start. However, it is precisely because of that that got me thinking — it’s the sense of ease that comes with the act of being able to control the ball freely that makes volleyball such an attractive sport. That’s why, even if it’s boring at the start, I want children to continue to play volleyball.”
According to the mangaka, volleyball becomes an attractive sport once you get the hang of it even though it might feel boring at first.
He wants children to play volleyball and understand the real meaning behind the game, just like he tried to portray it in his masterpiece, Haikyu!!.
You can watch Haikyu!! on Crunchyroll.
