Farewell, My Paradise: Haikyuu Ends After Eight Years of Serialization

Hinata Shoyo and Kageyama Tobio’s journey came to an ending.

Haikyuu’s final chapter was like a love letter from Haruichi Furadate to the readers. The chapter brought back many beloved characters—including the ones readers haven’t seen in the time skip arc—and gave the readers a sendoff.

“Haikyuu!!” is one of the most popular sports mangas around the world. Haikyuu’s ending left many fans satisfied with hints of melancholy. There are tons of other sports manga and animes, but why do people seem to gravitate towards Haikyuu? What makes it so different from the others?

Paoping Y., a senior at AISG, believes that a part of the reason people adore Haikyuu so much is because of the diverse cast of characters’ “personalities and struggles were so relatable and real that the audience was really able to connect and come to love each and every one of them.”

The final chapter takes place at the 2021 Olympics; Hinata and Kageyama are playing for the Japanese national team. The teamincludes characters, such as Ushijima, Bokuto, Yaku, and Astumu, who used to play against each other when they were still in high school. Oikawa is also present in the last chapter but as a player in the Argentina national team. The readers only get a glimpse of the final match.

Andrew Z., a junior at AISG, says that “the ending was good and tied up a lot of loose ends. [He] really liked the open ending as it gave readers an opportunity to interpret how the final match may go.”

The final chapter of Haikyuu is a celebration and recognition of these characters’ growth and achievements, and readers can’t help but feel proud of the characters’ they rooted for.

Paoping Y. says “[Hinata and Kageyama] have grown so much and I really respect how they were able to better themselves through their constant dedication and work.”

Andrew Z. also says that “[Hinata] showed a huge improvement throughout the whole manga and Kageyama had really nice character development.”

Another character that showed huge character development is Oikawa. Oikawa is a determined and hard-working character; he also brings out the best in his teammates but never got the chance to compete nationals in previous chapters. It felt very deserving to see that all his hard work has not gone to waste.

Going off of what Andrew said, the ending is a poignant reminder that although the series is done, Hinata, Kageyama, and everyone else’s story will continue even if the readers won’t witness it anymore.