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How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters

High school volleyball has never been more intense with Haikyuu!! - here's now to watch the anime series, the OVAs, and the new movie.

Haikyuu Number 4 — Image credit: Production I.G.

Guides by Trent Cannon, Contributing writer

Published on Mon Jun 03 2024

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You don’t need to play sports to love a good sports anime. In fact, shows like Haikyuu!! (also translated as Haikyu!! or simply Haikyu) are less about the physical activities and more focused on the relationships that form between teammates and rivals. A big part of the appeal of these shows (and the movie Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle) is how everyone in the setting treats the sport like the most important thing in the world. Even niche events like high school volleyball tournaments are given high profiles and higher stakes thanks to manga-ka Haruichi Furudate with Haikyuu characters such as Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama.

If you’re looking to dip your toe into one of the many sports anime out there, Production I.G's Haikyuu!! is one of the best introductions to the genre you could ask for. The animation is stellar, the characters are intensely likable, and the action strikes the perfect balance between over-the-top and grounded. With four seasons, multiple OVAs, and films in the series, it can be tough to know how to tackle this series. If you’re feeling lost, here is how to watch Haikyuu!! in chronological and release order.

How to watch Haikyuu!! in chronological order

Hinata's Back Haikyuu poster — Image credit: Production I.G.

One of the most confusing aspects of Haikyuu!! is the existence of the films, which largely consist of recaps of the previous season with one or two scenes of fresh material. While they’re all interesting to watch, you shouldn’t feel obligated to watch them if you’ve already seen the preceding season.

Helpfully, most of Haikyuu!! is presented in chronological order, with a few of the OVAs being released out of order or alongside each other. These OVAs consist of both original material to the anime that bridges the gap between seasons and manga scenes that didn’t get adapted during one of the seasons.

Haikyuu!! Season 1 Episodes 1-15
Haikyuu!! the Movie: Ending and Beginning – Note that this film largely serves as a recap of the first half of season one.
Haikyuu!! Season 1 Episodes 16-25
Haiyuu!! the Movie: Winners and Losers – Note that this film largely serves as a recap of the second half of season one.
Haikyuu!!: Arrival of Lev OVA
Haikyuu!! Season 2
Haikyuu!! the Movie: Talent and Sense – This film serves as a recap of the second half of season two.
Haikyuu!!: Failing Grades OVA
Haikyuu!! Season 3, 'Karasuno High School vs Shiratorizawa Academy'
Haikyuu!! the Movie: Battle of Concepts – This film serves as a recap of season three with one extra scene added.
Haikyuu!!: Betting on the Spring High Volleyball OVA
Haikyuu!!: Land vs. Sky OVA
Haikyuu!!: The Path of the Ball OVA
Haikyuu!! season 4, 'To the Top' – Note that this season was broken up into two cours, both of which aired in 2020.
Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump

How to watch Haikyuu!! in release order

Hinata in Haikyuu! — Image credit: Production I.G.

It is generally easier to watch Haikyuu!! in release order, though there are a few of the OVAs that were released in the middle of a season to watch out for. Here is every season and film of Haikyuu!! in the order it was released.

Haikyuu!! Season 1
Haikyuu!!: Arrival of Lev OVA
Haikyuu!! the Movie: Ending and Beginning – Note that this film largely serves as a recap of the second half of season one.
Haikyuu!! the Movie: Winners and Losers – This film serves as a recap of the second half of season two.
Haikyuu!! Season 2
Haikyuu!!: Failing Grades OVA
Haikyuu!! Season 3 'Karasuno High School vs Shiratorizawa Academy'
Haikyuu!! Betting on the Spring High Volleyball OVA
Haikyuu!! the Movie: Genius and Sense – This film serves as a recap of the second half of season two.
Haikyuu!! the Movie: Battle of Concepts – This film serves as a recap of season three with one extra scene added.
Haikyuu!! season 4 'To the Top' Episodes 1 and 2
Haikyuu!! Land vs. Sky OVA
Haikyuu!! The Path of the Ball OVA
Haikyuu!! season 4 'To the Top' To the Top Episodes 3-25
Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump

What does Haikyuu!! mean?

The term Haikyuu might be unusual to English-speaking fans, but it is a very straightforward name in its native Japanese. While it has other meanings depending on the kanji characters that are used in the word, the most common translation of Haikyuu is the Japanese word for volleyball – pretty appropriate considering the subject matter of the anime itself.

Where to watch Haikyuu!!

Yu in Haikyuu! — Image credit: Production I.G.

As is quickly becoming the case with most anime, the best place to watch every episode of Haikyuu!! is Crunchyroll as it has streaming rights to every episode, OVA, and film (except Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump) that has been released to date. Where you live will determine which dubs you can watch on the anime giant’s website, but it is the one place you can catch every spike, set, and serve the series has to offer.

Those without a Crunchyroll subscription aren’t completely out of luck, however. The first two seasons of Haikyuu!! can be seen on Netflix or Hulu, while the third season can be seen on HiDive. Again, what is available on which platform will depend on where you’re watching it from. Anime licensing agreements are notoriously fickle like that.

What’s next for Haikyuu!!

After Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump, there's already plans for a second Haikyu anime film - as the two were announced simultaneously back in 2022. Fans have expressed some concern that the two movies won’t be enough to adapt the more than 100 chapters of the manga that remain, but we’ll all have to wait until the second movie is released to see how it handles the ending of Hinata's journey.

How realistic is the volleyball in Haikyuu!!

Teammates in Haikyuu! — Image credit: Production I.G.

Realism and anime don’t often go together, but in a show like Haikyuu!!, which is based heavily on a real-world sport, people are bound to critique how well it portrays that sport. Well, we’ve got good news for everyone who likes to analyze their anime that deeply; Haikyuu!! does a pretty good job of showing volleyball in a realistic way.

Kim Yeon-Kyoung, the former captain of the South Korean National Women’s Volleyball team, took a look at the action in Haikyuu!! and came away pleasantly surprised by what she saw. In a YouTube video, she watched the final rally against Aoba Johsai in season two of the anime. While some of the movements were clearly exaggerated for dramatic effect, she found it a surprisingly accurate portrayal of elite-level volleyball and noted that the mangaka had “a high level of volleyball knowledge.”

What is the correct order of Haikyuu?

Just as Shoyo Hinata has shown there's more than one way to play volleyball, there's more than one 'correct' way to watch the Haikyuu anime. For simplicity's sake though, watch Haikyuu!! in release order.

Do I need to watch Haikyuu movies?

Many of the Haikyuu!! movies are re-hashed versions of the Haikyuu!! anime seasons, but that all changed in 2024 with the release of the original film Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump. After Haikyuu season 4, Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump is in many ways season 5 of the anime.

Will Haikyuu have a season 5?

No, Haikyuu!! will not have a season 5 - as Production I.G. decided to continue the story as a pair of movies instead of continying the Haikyuu anime as a TV series.

What timeline is Haikyuu?

According to the Haikyuu manga, the Haikyuu series primarily takes place between 2012 and 2013, though the ending jumps ahead to the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Can you skip the Haikyu!! OVAs?

While we love the OVAs for the extra information they give about the characters and the setting, not all of them are necessary to watch. They have been a mixture of canon and non-canon material, so you can skip some if you want to save yourself a bit of time. The only Haikyuu OVA that has been officially canon - in that it adapts material from the manga - is Land vs Sky. The rest are generally recaps or filler that gives a bit more insight into the characters.

When is the next Haikyu!! movie coming out?

There is still a large chunk of chapters left in the Haikyu!! manga to adapt and just one more film left to do it. That leaves a lot of pressure on the final Haikyu!! movie to do the ending of Hinata's story justice, so expect Production I.G. to take their time with it. There hasn't been a release date announced for the next (and potentially last!) movie in the series yet and we don't expect to see it in cinemas until at least 2025, with 2026 looking more likely.

Each week, Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say "greatest," in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included...