The charm of this setup is that the rivalry itself becomes a teamwork challenge. Hinata chose Karasuno High School out of admiration for the 'Little Giant,' and Kageyama is an elite player nicknamed the 'King of the Court.' The situation in which two people with a big gap in experience and skill must stand on the same court while harboring revenge and a competitive spirit lets viewers watch individual growth and team growth at the same time. The nature of volleyball, a sport in which you cannot keep the ball alive alone, brings the relationship between the two characters into even sharper focus.
Season 1 is the starting point of the journey in which the two take on high school volleyball, and it follows the process of the characters first meeting and building their relationship. It can be watched on Wavve by subscription, so it is well suited for viewers new to the series to start following it in order.
What to watch for
- 01
The motive that Hinata started volleyball out of admiration for the 'Little Giant' he saw on TV becomes the emotional root of a story about moving forward despite a disadvantage in experience.
- 02
How the relationship between Hinata and Kageyama, entangled by the memory of a crushing defeat, changes over time is the key viewing point of the first season.
- 03
Karasuno High School is the school that the person Hinata admires once attended, so the setting itself carries the characters' motivation.
This is a good fit for viewers who like stories of rivals gradually becoming teammates and sweat-soaked coming-of-age tales.