The difference between Haikyu!! and real-life volleyball

The popular sports anime has some realistic elements, and some fantasy, too.

Cartoon+volleyball

Courtesy of Viz Media

He’s Spiderman! Shoyo stands on a wall, which is difficult.

Lilly Berretta, JHT Staff Writer

Haikyu!! is what got me into volleyball in the first place. It looked so cool and fun, I was amazed. Before I realized, I became obsessed with the anime and the sport it highlighted. However, there definitely were some differences, as to be expected. 

For one, it is extremely hard for me to spike. They make it look so easy, but I can’t do it right at all. My hand can’t even reach the ball, and I don’t know how to jump like they do, so, that’s kind of upsetting. You’d think it’d be easy to spike a ball.  

Serving the ball looks different, but it’s definitely my favorite part because it’s the only part I’m actually good at. 

When diving like Nishinoya, it’s not as smooth and graceful as the anime makes it to be, and it hurts more than they make it look, but it’s pretty fun to do. 

Receiving isn’t too different, and it’s actually pretty fun. 

I learned how to set by picturing myself as Kageyama, and that helped. It’s basically the same as the anime. One of the main differences, however, is that normally when characters go to spike, they have some sort of thought or flashback or whatever, but in reality you really don’t have that kind of time. You can’t go in slow motion, nor do you stay in the air for that long. 

Those are really the only differences. I still love volleyball and Haikyu!!