Haikyuu!! is among the most popular sports anime of all time, telling the story of Hinata Shoyo and his time in the Karasuno High Volleyball Club. There has been multiple seasons of the show, each spanning close matches against familiar rivals and new faces in training, sparring and tournaments.
Along the way, there has been some brilliant opening sequences to get viewers pumped up for the volleyball action ahead, so we’ve gone ahead and ranked all Haikyuu!! openings based on music, animation, visual effects, symbolism, and imagery.
7. Ah Yeah!!
Don’t get me wrong, I love this opening as much as any of the others, but one of them had to be ranked in last place. When it comes to Ah Yeah!!, I feel that some of the animation is a little more simplistic, than other openings, with the feet of the Karasuno team stamping into place next to one another looking more odd than anything else.
However, this doesn’t stop the fact that the music has very calming, relaxed vibes and the animation is matched to it. And I’ve got to admit, the sequence of the Karasuno members popping into the camera as it zooms out, followed by Oikawa’s notorious jump serve as the chorus kicks off, followed by the dynamic angles of the rally that follows. I love Ah Yeah!! for what it is, but unfortunately it’s slightly outshined by other openings.
6. Imagination
Imagination is the first Haikyuu!! opening, setting the tone of the show and giving viewers an indication of what to expect. This opening has an extremely catchy song to pump everyone up before the episode begins and showcases the Karasuno Volleyball Club members’ hard at work training as a team (despite the differences they still hold at the time).
There are some impressive animation techniques in here, such as the perspective shot of one of the members receiving the volleyball from their coach’s serve, and the satisfaction of Hinata and Kageyama’s new quick attack being synched to the “oh, oh!” of the song. The last sequence is also very symbolic, showing the little giant standing on the Nationals court, before switching to Hinata, who now wears the same number, and shares the same dream.
5. Phoenix
Phoenix is the first opening for Haikyuu! To the Top, showcasing much of Hinata’s journey to get to where he and his rivals are now standing in terms of growth and development in their volleyball journeys. While this opening starts slow, utilizing subtle, slight animations to show off the new art style, the illustrations of each frame are exceptionally clean and clear, which helps to create a bright and bold visual impact on the eye of viewers.
It’s a little bit disappointing, however, that the rally scene in this opening is nowhere near as dynamic as others. All of the moving camera angles and flashy movements are gone, instead replaced with separate scenes of each character’s action, which means it doesn’t quite feel as seamless as openings of the past. For this reason, Phoenix sits just beneath the middle in terms of rankings.
4. I’m a Believer
I’m a Believer is the third opening in the Haikyuu!! series, showcasing Karasuno’s training camp alongside Nekoma, Fukurodani, Shinzen, and Ubugawa. This opening uses some really interesting angles, such as having the team coach and manager talking while the players do warm-up drills in the background, each one identifiable by their simplified shape and movements. Plus, watching Hinata and Kageyama glare at each other as they slam their water bottles back down and run back to the action is just classic, at this point.
Most importantly, the rally scene in this opening is nothing short of phenomenal, utilizing first-person perspective to make the viewer feel like they’re a part of the action, which is quite special. And watching Karasuno line up for their training match against Fukurodani at the end? The perfect way to end the opening, as Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima, Noya, and the others all learn so much from these matches and the new faces they’ve befriended along the way.
3. Toppako
Toppako is the second Haikyuu!! To the Top opening, which showcases Karosuno going up against Inarizaki and the power plays of the Miya twins. This opening is rather symbolic, showing brief visuals of Hinata even way back in his Junior High uniform to show how far he has come from back then. In comparison to Phoenix, Toppako makes much more advantageous use of dynamic camera angles and expressive movements which makes things feel much more ‘alive’ than stagnant.
This looks brilliant in the clean, bold visual style that To the Top utilizes, and is amplified by a great track to bring that same Haikyuu!! excitement to viewers in anticipation of the episode to come. Plus, can we just talk about that scene where players from both teams have subtle animations layered on top of one another as the camera pans up, before fading into Hinata? Now that’s what I call a transition!
And to top it all off, this transition flows into one of the best rally scenes in all of Haikyuu!!, even if it is brief. I mean, the camera following Hinata as he zips through his teammates across the court and approaches the net – absolutely stunning. This is exactly what I had been hoping for in Phoenix, but finally, Toppako has delivered with astounding quality.
2. Fly High!!
Fly High!! is the fourth opening of the Hiakyuu!! anime, and a beloved anthem that many fans hold near and dear to their heart. First of all, the song is one of the best musical pieces in the franchise, and the story that it tells with the visuals of this opening is beautiful.
We first see Hinata jumping up to spike the ball, and then a crow (which is the Karasuno mascot) taking off in the sky. This is particularly special, as Hinata longs to be able to “fly” in the air like the Little Giant, soaring despite the restriction of his height. We then see Hinata standing with his eyes closed, with silhouettes of blocker hands in the background, which is his biggest obstacle. Next, Kageyama comes into the shot, symbolizing how he can enable Hinata to overcome these obstacles.
Following this, an amazing rally scene kicks off with the chorus, with the camera panning dynamically from Hinata’s fake, Asahi’s spike, and onto the other side of the net, only to continue in seamless transitions showcasing Noya’s dive and save, Oikawa’s jump serve, and lastly, Hinata slowly rising in the air to “fly” and spike the ball, with everyone closely anticipating the swing, showcased in flashes of freeze frames.
The final seconds of this opening is also very impressive, using the transition of the net stretching out, Hinata jumping into view, and then hitting the volleyball into the camera, which then becomes the screen background to finish the opening.
1. Hikari Are
Not only is Hikari Are an absolute gem that is sure to get viewers pumped up for the intense action of this game, but this opening is also visually impactful, and full of symbolism for fans to admire. First, we see our beloved Karasuno members climbing a huge mountain, which transitions into an eagle (Shiratorizawa’s mascot) that unfurls its wings, symbolizing Karasuno’s climb from the very bottom of the pack to get to this point, and their new obstacles of Ushijimi and the ‘eagles’ looking down upon them.
Then, as Shiratorizawa awaits on a dimly lit court, a flock of crows (Karasuno’s mascot) flies onto the opposing side. We then see these crows take off as the chorus kicks off, with a single crow flying past Hinata’s iris and into the sky, once again indicating his desire to soar on the volleyball court. I love the fact that the following rally is on a dimly lit court, with only Karasuno’s side lit up, as this indicates that they’re going up against the biggest threat yet, and puts all focus on their players.
Plus, this rally is once again, phenomenally animated, using smooth, dynamic movements and rushes to portray that level of intensity. Following this, we see Ushijimi rushing for one of his brutal spikes, an eagle’s eye transitioning into a shared gaze between Ushijimi and Hinata, and then crows overshadowing Hinata’s face, once again indicating just how high the stakes are in this match.
As the rally continues, there is a gorgeous scene where Hinata soars into the air to spike, and transitions to a crow flying through the sky, showing that he is finally beginning to ‘take flight’ and rise to this extremely high level of gameplay; in other words, he’s on his way to making it. As Hinata soars, the crows return, and light up the dimmed volleyball court; portraying that when Hinata flies, his teammates will be sure to follow.
Lastly, as the teams approach one another, a clash of lighting occurs, and the eagles and crows flash above them all as the opening comes to an end. Need I say more? Everything about this opening is on another level, definitely making it stand out in comparison to other openings.
Published: Dec 20, 2023 08:18 pm