This review contains movie spoilers after the first section, but I have not read the manga. Im waiting to read it after the anime adaptation is completed.
This is mostly a response to the common impressions shared in other reviews on this site, in particular about the tone and ending of the movie.
Nonspoiler Thoughts
As many fans feared upon the announcement of the two final movies, the first movie was extremely condensed and cut a lot of content out. This is heartbreaking (can't even begin to imagine how manga readers felt seeing stuff left out), but I think centering Hinata and Kenma to frame the Karasuno and Nekoma rivalry match was a smart way to use the given time effectively.
This film was full of life and crafted with a lot of love, with both the visuals and sound settling extra deep into your bones when watched in theaters. The OST is a great mix of nostalgic old tracks and moving new ones. The only notable production flaws that irked me were the handful of messed up subtitles and Kuroo+Kenma speaking in their adult voices a few times in their flashbacks as children.
Out of all my re/watches, I found the second or third watch to be the most moving. The first watch you're hit with the hype (and humor), while the second is all about the characters.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
Kenma's amazing first-person POV shot at the end is cut short when he attempts to set the ball but it slips on the accumulated sweat. The match ends so promptly that even Hinata isn't aware the game is over at first. Many reviews seem to dislike this and some are unsure if it was intentional or not. It's definitely intentional, but I hope to convince a few fans that this ending was both fitting and executed beautifully.
To start, unlike many of the past matches, I don't think Kenma's final miss was meant to be a devastating/hype "it" moment. This moment is not the climax of the movie, and the delivery reflects how absorbed both teams became. The points are rarely mentioned or emphasized, and all three sets end abruptly.
The most ingenious detail for me was how they didn't focus Karasuno's score on the board leading up to the last rally. Just as Kenma's POV scene begins, there is a shot with the scoreboard in the background with Nekoma's points displayed and Karasuno's half blocked. After they lose, this is paralleled by a shot showing only Karasuno's half of the scoreboard with 25 points. Up until now, the movie continuously pans to the scoreboard to show progression & the previous two match points were shown on the board. Here, there is no zoom in on the board displaying both scores, and none of the characters explicitly mention this rally being match point for Karasuno either because viewers are meant to be distracted from the score.
One of Haikyuu's greatest strengths is how realistic and relatable its cast of characters and diverse experiences are. Character growth is slow, filled with setbacks, and "success" looks very different for each character (ex: Yamaguchi or Kinoshita). I would hate for the movie to have played up the miss simply because it would sell better than the intended emotions this match hoped to convey.
Many didn't enjoy Hinata and Kenma taking so much of the spotlight- which is understandable, the inner monologues and perspectives of side characters are another of Haikyuu's standout strengths- but I still found it extremely moving because their rivalry is so unique.
Typical shounen rivalries often stick to the tropes of "they want to be stronger than the other" or "they're competitive and bicker constantly." Meanwhile, Hinata and Kenma's rivalry is not focused on winning or on their opposite personalities. Each of them have their own motivations outside of simply beating the other team: Hinata wants to make Kenma be invested and have fun, and Kenma wants to be surprised by Hinata's creativity and for the match to continue on.
Kenma stays uninterested in winning or losing the match/nationals from start to finish. Hinata celebrates when Kenma says "this is so much fun" rather than when they win. In fact, Kenma's admission and Hinata's wholehearted cheer (props to the sheer emotion delivered by his VA) are the climax of the movie/match without a doubt. Similarly, the "low" of the movie was not about either team panicking about losing, but about Hinata feeling frustrated & trapped upon seeing Kenma's disinterest and disappointment after his plan began working. All the parallels and Kenma's POVs of past interactions between them are also incredibly sweet.
All this is to say, I think the execution of the match, including the ending, was done with an exceptional amount of intention and respect for the source material.
Coach Nekomata sums up the film with two simple comments in the movie.
>"Curiosity and awe instead of fear..."
"The 'joy from doing' should be what's important, first and foremost."
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