Japanese comics are called manga, and Haikyu is an immensely enjoyable manga spanning 45 volumes. The story starts with Hinata Shoyo being awed by watching a volleyball ace nicknamed “The Little Giant” on TV. He develops a fascination for volleyball and revives his middle school volleyball club with the help of his friends. They even make it to a match, but it becomes their last middle school match as their team is squashed by the opposition team’s setter, Tobio Kageyama. Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama in the future. But after he graduates from middle school and joins the Karasuno high school volleyball team, he finds out that his rival, Kageyama, is his teammate. Hinata is short in stature, but he can make up for that with his speed. Meanwhile, Kageyama’s sets are hard to deal with, but they complement Hinata’s speed. They have no other way than to get along and work together for their team. Thus starts the journey of making their team the best in Japan high school volleyball tournaments. This story is filled with thrilling matches, comedy, and wholesomeness. It features a huge cast of characters and focuses on many characters’ development besides the protagonist’s. This story portrays the passion and perseverance of the athletes. The hard work and teamwork and the bonds shared between teammates, coaches, and managers are depicted too. One gripping thing about this story is how realistic its plot and characters are. The future outcomes of the high school athletes are portrayed in a very realistic manner. The character developments in here are truly amazing. Characters like Oikawa Tooru and Tsukishima Kei are really intriguing. Every character’s ambitions, passions, and how they deal with their shortcomings, the friendship between them and their back stories are all very beautiful and emotional to read about. This is an exhilarating read, and at the same time, it will make you emotional and it will put a smile on your face too! You are guaranteed to fall in love with the characters and their journeys.

-Ariana