Haikyuu!! is an insanely popular franchise amassing fans from all over the globe, yet less than half of the fandom even knows that the stageplays (Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu!!) exist. These beautiful works of art smoothly combine manga, live-play video, and a soundtrack to die for in two hours or less, staying loyal to the source material with accurate portrayals of every character and their individual story down to the last detail.
The story covers the journey of Nekoma High School’s volleyball team to become Tokyo’s representatives to the Spring Tournament and rise up to the top again, though not without their own setbacks. In two hours, it shows how Nekoma and their competitors Nohebi, Fukurodani, and Itachiyama vie for a spot in the three Tokyo representatives who will step foot on the national stage.
In total, there are nine stageplays, but in my opinion the show-runners and actors outdid themselves with Tokyo no Jin or the Battle of Tokyo, the sixth in the series. It’s considered more of a side story to the main plot, but its glitchy dubstep, catchy one-liners and the cast even rapping in some parts makes it stand in stark contrast to the other stageplays, which hold themselves more as a grand, epic tale.
Tokyo no Jin’s visually stunning storytelling and special effects that serve to bring it to life can immerse anyone in the story. The show’s complex choreography and intricate soundtrack flow well together with the incredibly life-like and charismatic acting (which has been said to have made some of the main actors vow never to push themselves so hard again for a role out of the sheer amount of power it took). There isn’t a single weak spot to be found anywhere. Watching it is an unforgettable experience.