Haikyu!! Second Season

Episode 4

It's Tokyo time for the Karasuno boys! Well, for most of them – Hinata managed to fill in all of his answers just a row off on one test and Kageyama totally flubbed another one. Don't worry, though – Ryo's got their collective back and has arranged for them to get a ride to Tokyo with his semi-crazy older sister, who brings the first breast-jiggle to the show. She also brings some...creative driving, and it's hard to decide what the best part of the car ride scenes is: Kageyama and Hinata flailing in panic or Kageyama snoring as he sleeps in the backseat. Him smiling as he gets in the car is also a contender – he shows more varied emotions and actions in this episode than in most of season one.

Mostly this episode is about introducing the next set of opponents for our team, and there are plenty of stand-outs for Karasuma to worry over, especially since their team is noticeably weaker before the two test re-takers arrive. I kind of wish we'd gotten to see more frustration expressed about that on the parts of the other team members, but I suppose at this point it's just a given that things will go better (or perhaps best) when Hinata and Kageyama are playing. It's nice that they're such a close group, but a few extra emotions, just in a fleeting facial expression, would have made things even more intense. The closest we come to that is Yachi listening to another team put her team down; she clearly takes umbrage at the insult that Nekoma was making up Karasuno's prowess on the court.

The most important introduction appears to be Nekoma's new center blocker, a half-Russian giant named Lev. Lev only just started playing volleyball in high school, so his power as a player is impressive, particularly his whip-like arm movements, which catch Hinata's eye almost immediately. Lev's head is a little swelled by how quickly he's mastered the game, but his boasts of being the ace despite his position do make Hinata rethink just what it means to be one, and anything that can help him to grow as a player can only be a good thing. It does, however, raise a question voiced by another team's coach: does Karasuno want to evolve or to simply solidify? Hinata, although he may not yet fully realize it, is for evolving in gameplay and technique; a few of the others might be more inclined to simply strengthen what they already have, which could lead to conflict within the group.

Being back to a game-based episode, the volleyball action is also back, and looking good. There's a weird focus on butts that I hadn't noticed in previous episodes, particularly on number 4 of the teal team's, which isn't really a bad thing, but oddly noticeable. Little details are terrific, from Kageyama's rumpled clothes while he's sleeping (and when he arrives at the gym) to Tsukishima having to be guided into the gym because he's either not a morning person or just has a hard time waking up. There's something snake or lizard-like about some of the new characters introduced, where the main characters look more elfin, so I'm not sure if that's a quality issue or an attempt to differentiate the players by more than hairstyle and color, but it is a little off-putting, particularly in Lev. On the other hand, Lev's body language, such as the slouch of someone who doesn't want to stand out for being tall, is very well done.

The competition, practice though it is, is heating up, and Lev has really galvanized Hinata into making some serious changes and improvements. The balance of character development and gameplay looks to be returning to where it was in season one, and it doesn't look like Haikyu!! will be slowing down any time soon.

Rating: A-

Haikyu!! Second Season is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rebecca Silverman is ANN's senior manga critic.