Haikyu!!: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Haikyu!!: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

The return of the Karasuno High School volleyball team.

Haikyu!! To the Top is a new installment in the beloved anime franchise. The series is based on the original manga by Haruichi Furudate. The series opening theme song is "PHOENIX" by Burnout Syndromes and the ending theme song is "Kessen Spirit" (決戦スピリット) by CHiCO (with HoneyWorks). Haikyu!! To the Top features animation from acclaimed studio Production I.G (FLCL, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). Haikyu!! To the Top is destined for greatness with fans of the series.

There has been a shake up with the Karasuno High School volleyball team. The new school year has led to a renewed determination from the team to qualify for the National competition. Yet the original team is split apart when some of the members are asked to go to special camps and get training otherwise not-afforded.

Tobio Kageyama (Kaito Ishikawa) goes to the All-Japan camp – changing up the entire season play. Kei Tsukishima (Kouki Uchiyama) attends a special camp in Miyagi for first-year players. Shōyō Hinata (Ayumu Murase) starts to wonder if he is falling behind on his goals.

Determined to improve his volleyball skills, Hinata decides to crash the first-year player camp and join in on the newcomers fun. Even if joining the first-year players means just watching from the sidelines, Hinata becomes determined to learn from the new players. Hinata sees it as an opportunity to learn more from the mistakes and successes of the newcomers.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Karasuno High School volleyball team continues to practice their skills. Can Shōyō Hinata learn some new volleyball skills and make it to the top? The game is on – like Donkey Kong!

Aim for the top!

The animation reigns supreme. The series continues to be a great looking production. The series comes from art director Ichirou Tatsuta (Welcome to the Ballroom, Bunny Drop). The art direction is top notch on the series. The series is also under the chief animation direction of Yu Kobayashi, who is typically involved on productions as a key animator – including on programs such as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Hayate the Combat Butler!! – where the results impressed and helped him to eventually find himself in this role.

The series manages to showcase the excellent character designs by Takahiro Kishida (Durarara!!, Final Fantasy: Unlimited) as well. The characters each have their own distinctive styles and the production does a solid job of reflecting their uniqueness. The effott by Kishida is appreciated.

The cinematography by Yumiko Nakata (Kimi ni Todoke - From Me to You, Giovanni's Island ) is visually rewarding. The series has a bright and colorful aesthetic which fits the tone of the series exceptionally well. This is not a grim- and-dark production. Rather, Haikyu!! To the Top is a fun, upbeat, and joyous looking series. There is a lot of charm in the style of the cinematography.

Haikyu!! To the Top also benefits from a quality score composed by Asami Tachibana (DARLING in the FRANXX, Between the Sky and Sea) and Yuki Hayashi (My Hero Academia, Welcome to the Ballroom). The music on Haikyu!! To the Top is fun and engaging. The score delivers quality showmanship: aiding the drama of the games and the tensions between the characters. A great collaboration between Tachibana and Hayashi.

The screenplay by Taku Kishimoto (Silver Spoon, Bunny Drop) is perhaps the greatest element of Haikyu!! To the Top. The storytelling is simply charming and fun to experience. There isn't ever a feeling that the series is somehow overstaying its welcome. The characters are enjoyable to spend time with and the production excels as a result. Kishimoto is a superb screenwriter and has a lot of fun with the concept and exploring the saga of the Karasuno High School volleyball team.

Masako Sato (Busou Shinki: Moon Angel, My Senpai Is Annoying) handles directing duties on Haikyu!! To the Top. The series is a bundle of fun and that is one of the reasons the anime became such a massive success. The direction does a solid job of showcasing the volleyball competition within the Karasuno High School team. Sato delivers on what audiences expect: a fun volleyball series with a great cast of characters. Fans won't want to miss out.

Haikyu!!: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Haikyu!! To the Top is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. This is another outstanding presentation from Sentai. The color reproduction on the release is exceptional. Detail on the release is impressive as well. Line art is well defined. The encode is excellent and doesn't suffer from any egregious issues with compression artifacts. The release is solid and fans will be pleased.

Haikyu!!: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: the original Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles) and English DTS- HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The high-resolution lossless audio tracks are impressive. The English dub sounds quite good. Dialogue is crisp and clear. The music score is well reproduced. The sound design is simplistic but effective for a 2.0 stereo mix.

Haikyu!!: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes two bonus OVA episodes. The OVA episodes are a nice inclusion on the release and dramatically enhance the supplemental package. Special thanks to Sentai Filmworks for not only giving fans the entire saga in one go (with both parts of the story arc) but for giving fans these OVA episodes as well (on the same release).

Disc 3:

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 3:04)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 21:02)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Food Wars – The Fourth Plate (HD, 1:33), My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (HD, 1:32), Ahiru no Sora (HD, 1:17), and Alice in Borderland (HD, 1:32).

Haikyu!!: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Haikyu!! To the Top is a charming and sweet anime. The production has outstanding animation and a great cast of characters. Screenwriter Taku Kishimoto (Bunny Drop, Silver Spoon) provides the series with an impeccable voice. The series is well-directed by Masako Sato (Busou Shinki: Moon Angel) as well. The animation is rewarding. The Blu-ray release features a solid video-audio presentation and a nice selection of bonus features (including multiple OVA episodes). Recommended.