How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (2024)

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission.Read our editorial policy.

High school volleyball has never been more intense with Haikyuu!! - here's now to watch the anime series, the OVAs, and the new movie.

How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (1)

How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (2)

Guides by Trent Cannon, Contributing writer

Published on

Popverse's top stories of the day

  • Critical Role is coming to NYCC 2025, and Superfans have first dibs on a big pre-show event
  • Star Trek: Lower Deck's Noël Wells imagines Tendi's life, post-series: "She would become a Trad Wife"
  • How to livestream London's MCM x EGX Comic Con panels including Hazbin Hotel, Ghosts, Futurama, and more!

You don’t need to play sports to love a good sports anime. Shows like Haikyuu!! (also translated as Haikyu!! or simply Haikyu) are less about the physical activities and more focused on the relationships that form between teammates and rivals. A big part of the appeal of these shows (and the movie Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle) is how everyone in the setting treats the sport like the most important thing in the world. Even niche events like high school volleyball tournaments are given high profiles and higher stakes thanks to manga-ka Haruichi Furudate with Haikyuu characters such as Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama.

If you’re looking to dip your toe into one of the many sports anime out there, Production I.G's Haikyuu!! is one of the best introductions to the genre you could ask for. The animation is stellar, the characters are intensely likable, and the action strikes the perfect balance between over-the-top and grounded. With four seasons, multiple OVAs, and films in the series, it can be tough to know how to tackle this series. If you’re feeling lost, here is how to watch Haikyuu!! in chronological and release order.

How to watch Haikyuu!! in chronological order

How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (3)

One of the most confusing aspects of Haikyuu!! is the existence of the films, which largely consist of recaps of the previous season with one or two scenes of fresh material. While they’re all interesting to watch, you shouldn’t feel obligated to watch them if you’ve already seen the preceding season.

Helpfully, most of Haikyuu!! is presented in chronological order, with a few of the OVAs being released out of order or alongside each other. These OVAs consist of both original material to the anime that bridges the gap between seasons and manga scenes that didn’t get adapted during one of the seasons.

How to watch Haikyuu!! in release order

How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (4)

It is generally easier to watch Haikyuu!! in release order, though there are a few of the OVAs that were released in the middle of a season to watch out for. Here is every season and film of Haikyuu!! in the order it was released.

  • Haikyuu!! Season 1
  • Haikyuu!!: Arrival of Lev OVA
  • Haikyuu!! the Movie: Ending and Beginning – Note that this film largely serves as a recap of the second half of season one.
  • Haikyuu!! the Movie: Winners and Losers – This film serves as a recap of the second half of season two.
  • Haikyuu!! Season 2
  • Haikyuu!!: Failing Grades OVA
  • Haikyuu!! Season 3 'Karasuno High School vs Shiratorizawa Academy'
  • Haikyuu!! Betting on the Spring High Volleyball OVA
  • Haikyuu!! the Movie: Genius and Sense – This film serves as a recap of the second half of season two.
  • Haikyuu!! the Movie: Battle of Concepts – This film serves as a recap of season three with one extra scene added.
  • Haikyuu!! season 4 'To the Top' Episodes 1 and 2
  • Haikyuu!! Land vs. Sky OVA
  • Haikyuu!! The Path of the Ball OVA
  • Haikyuu!! season 4 'To the Top' To the Top Episodes 3-25
  • Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump

What does Haikyuu!! mean?

The term Haikyuu might be unusual to English-speaking fans, but it is a very straightforward name in its native Japanese. While it has other meanings depending on the kanji characters that are used in the word, the most common translation of Haikyuu is the Japanese word for volleyball – pretty appropriate considering the subject matter of the anime itself.

Where to watch Haikyuu!!

How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (5)

As is quickly becoming the case with most anime, the best place to watch every episode of Haikyuu!! is Crunchyroll as it has streaming rights to every episode, OVA, and film (except Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump) that has been released to date. Where you live will determine which dubs you can watch on the anime giant’s website, but it is the one place you can catch every spike, set, and serve the series has to offer.

Those without a Crunchyroll subscription aren’t completely out of luck, however. The first two seasons of Haikyuu!! can be seen on Netflix or Hulu, while the third season can be seen on HiDive. Again, what is available on which platform will depend on where you’re watching it from. Anime licensing agreements are notoriously fickle like that.

What’s next for Haikyuu!!

After Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump, there's already plans for a second Haikyu anime film - as the two were announced simultaneously back in 2022. Fans have expressed some concern that the two movies won’t be enough to adapt themore than 100 chapters of the manga that remain, but we’ll all have to wait until the second movie is released to see how it handles the ending of Hinata's journey.

How realistic is the volleyball in Haikyuu!!

How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (6)

Realism and anime don’t often go together, but in a show like Haikyuu!!, which is based heavily on a real-world sport, people are bound to critique how well it portrays that sport. Well, we’ve got good news for everyone who likes to analyze their anime that deeply; Haikyuu!! does a pretty good job of showing volleyball in a realistic way.

Kim Yeon-Kyoung, the former captain of the South Korean National Women’s Volleyball team, took a look at the action in Haikyuu!! and came away pleasantly surprised by what she saw. In a YouTube video, she watched the final rally against Aoba Johsai in season two of the anime. While some of the movements were clearly exaggerated for dramatic effect, she found it a surprisingly accurate portrayal of elite-level volleyball and noted that the mangaka had “a high level of volleyball knowledge.”

What is the correct order of Haikyuu?

Just as Shoyo Hinata has shown there's more than one way to play volleyball, there's more than one 'correct' way to watch the Haikyuu anime. For simplicity's sake though, watch Haikyuu!! in release order.

Do I need to watch Haikyuu movies?

Many of the Haikyuu!! movies are re-hashed versions of the Haikyuu!! anime seasons, but that all changed in 2024 with the release of the original film Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump. After Haikyuu season 4, Haikyuu!! Decisive Battle in the Garbage Dump is in many ways season 5 of the anime.

Will Haikyuu have a season 5?

No, Haikyuu!! will not have a season 5 - as Production I.G. decided to continue the story as a pair of movies instead of continying the Haikyuu anime as a TV series.

What timeline is Haikyuu?

According to the Haikyuu manga, the Haikyuu series primarily takes place between 2012 and 2013, though the ending jumps ahead to the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Can you skip the Haikyu!! OVAs?

While we love the OVAs for the extra information they give about the characters and the setting, not all of them are necessary to watch. They have been a mixture of canon and non-canon material, so you can skip some if you want to save yourself a bit of time. The only Haikyuu OVA that has been officially canon - in that it adapts material from the manga - is Land vs Sky. The rest are generally recaps or filler that gives a bit more insight into the characters.

When is the next Haikyu!! movie coming out?

There is still a large chunk of chapters left in the Haikyu!! manga to adapt and just one more film left to do it. That leaves a lot of pressure on the final Haikyu!! movie to do the ending of Hinata's story justice, so expect Production I.G. to take their time with it. There hasn't been a release date announced for the next (and potentially last!) movie in the series yet and we don't expect to see it in cinemas until at least 2025, with 2026 looking more likely.

Where can you meet the voices behind your favorite anime characters from Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, One Piece, and Fairy Tale? At New York Comic Con, of course! Come for the Anime guests, stay for the weebs – plus have access to hundreds of exhibitors with anime and manga merch, exclusives, and giveaways. Limited Thursday NYCC 2024 tickets are still on sale.

More on anime...

  • How Jujutsu Kaisen subverted Shonen tropes to become one of the most popular manga of all-time
  • A World without Goku: How Akira Toriyama's death could make Dragon Ball Daima the end of Goku's story
  • Why the finales of My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and One Piece feel like the end of an era in manga
  • Why I don't talk about Rurouni Kenshin as an anime journalist

Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news

How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (7)

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

Comments

Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.

View Comments (0)

Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy

Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture

Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.

How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (8)

Related Topics

  • Crunchyroll
  • Production IG
  • Shoyo Hinata
  • Haikyu!!
  • Haruichi Furudate
  • Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle
  • Haikyū!! Karasuno High School vs Shiratorizawa Academy
  • Haikyū!! To The Top
  • Haikyu!! The Movie: Ending and Beginning
  • Haikyu!! The Movie: Winners and Losers
  • Haikyu!! Genius and Sense
  • Haikyu!! Battle of Concepts
How (and where) to watch the iconic volleyball anime Haikyu in release and chronological order with The Dumpster Battle in theaters (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Fr. Dewey Fisher

Last Updated:

Views: 5803

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Fr. Dewey Fisher

Birthday: 1993-03-26

Address: 917 Hyun Views, Rogahnmouth, KY 91013-8827

Phone: +5938540192553

Job: Administration Developer

Hobby: Embroidery, Horseback riding, Juggling, Urban exploration, Skiing, Cycling, Handball

Introduction: My name is Fr. Dewey Fisher, I am a powerful, open, faithful, combative, spotless, faithful, fair person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.