For an anime series to work, your character needs to have a real motivation, or, as we now call it, a canonical event that turns their life upside down. In the case of Haikyu We have Shoyo Hinata, a short boy who becomes obsessed with volleyball and tries to revive the name of Karasuno High School, which now only lives on past memories.

Now in Haikyuu: Battle of the Trash Can, we have a certainly advanced story that you won't understand unless you know the most basic concepts of both the anime and the manga. Sure, it's a very entertaining product, however, it's not so easy to follow for those outside the series.

Likewise, its animation is very good, without needing to be shocking. This is because there's quality in every frame, drawing, backgrounds, and so on, but there are also some camera shots and ball tracking that will leave you speechless. At the same time, we also experience some weak moments, but these are minor.

With all this in mind, how can we evaluate this production, which will finally premiere in Mexican theaters on May 30th? It's time to tell you how this anime film, which many fans have been waiting for, is doing.

We also recommend:

A challenge between friends and a motivation to improve

Haikyuu: Battle of the Trash Can is a film written and directed by Susumu Mitsunaka that adapts one of the most notable episodes of the manga written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. This is a direct sequel to the anime, so fans will be happy to have a canonical production.

The story of The Battle of the Trash Can presents us with the first very special official duel between Karasuno High School—where Shoyo plays—and Nekoma High School, where Kenma plays, who plays a sort of antagonistic role—without being a villain. These two schools have already had practice matches, and this is the first time they've faced each other in a duel that will not be rematched, as the winner will survive the high school tournament in Japan and move on.

Beyond Shoyo and Kenma's motives, there's a kind of bond between the players from both schools, as they know each other well from previous training matches. It's even clear that there's a genuine relationship building that sparks between the characters. The only problem is that it can be overwhelming for those unfamiliar with the series. But those who know, as they say, "fall in smoothly" and even quickly empathize with all the funny moments.

The context behind the rivalry between Shoyo and Kenma is presented in a fairly measured way. Well, you can tell there's "something" between the two, but you don't know how much of it there is until the film reaches its pivotal moment. For the average anime consumer, it's fine, but it's equally good and not as good for other audiences, which classifies the film. It's not like The First Slam Dunk, where the film explains itself without needing to know the backstory.

The two teams and the personal challenge

As I mentioned, Shoyo Hinata is the series' protagonist. He's a young boy who wants to revive the reputation of Karasuno High School, which once had "a little giant" among its ranks. To achieve the feat of becoming a national champion, Hinata is accompanied by Tobio Kageyama, a star-maker and one of the pillars of his school.

On the Nekoma High School side, we don't just have Kenma Kozume, who seems to dislike volleyball and plays it as if it were an obligation, despite being a natural strategist. We also have Tetsurou Kuroo, another third-year player at Nekoma who has been paired with Kenma since the beginning. Much of the development of Haikyu: The Battle of the Dumpster focuses on these two, who seem to have a solid friendship that builds without strings attached and sometimes feels forced.

What makes the story of the battle at the dump so special is that there's a genuine respect between the teams and a willingness to stick to their game plan. There are even several twists and turns in the narrative, as there are moments when you truly think everything is going to hell, only to find that, thanks to individual genius stemming from self-belief, things work out, both on one side and the other.

This detail is perhaps what makes the development of Haikyuu: Battle of the Trash CanYou might come away blank, but the emotions don't stop and are self-explanatory. Those who already know the series will bite their nails, scream, and remain in awe, because the animation is so well-crafted and the approaches are solid.

Animation with action and lots of pauses

The work that Production IG does with Haikyu It's proven quality. But how much of an improvement is there compared to the film? It's important to note that feature film budgets are completely different from those of a television series, so quality varies from one product to the next.

In the precise case of Haikyuu: Battle of the Trash Can What we have is a very well-presented product. There are no noticeable irregularities between the character designs or instances where the animators made any kind of mistake. It's good work, and up to that point, it's also unremarkable.

Likewise, the quality of the water droplets is quite surprising, as is the camera movement throughout much of the animation. This is where much of the budget becomes apparent. You can only sense the conscientious work that went into providing fans with spectacular moments, especially in the final stretch, when we get a first-person view that makes you feel like you're actually on the field.

The reality is that the film pauses frequently to establish the context of the film more concretely. Try not to leave any loose ends regarding the characters' relationships, but it's also important to emphasize that this is also a product designed for those already familiar with the story.

Haikyuu fans will love your performance

Now, Haikyuu: Battle of the Trash Can It fully fulfills its purpose of entertaining, but especially for fans of the series. It's not like I'm trying to twist a story you probably already know—because the manga ended in 2020.

The point is, it's a genuine attempt to make fans happy by seeing one of the series' most emotional encounters, but now on the big screen. It might not seem like much of an incentive, but when a great moment from a manga is brought to the anime and then directly to the big screen, the experience takes on a much greater value.

In particular, what's most valuable is that all the characters have a very specific role in their development. They don't fall into the Captain Tsubasa trap of only a few having well-developed dialogue while the rest shout or cheer at each other. There's plenty of room here for small stories to have relevance.

If you're a fan and you're putting on a performance with others, you're sure to have a blast, as there will be cosplay, excitement, and screams everywhere. Perhaps at one of the performances, there will be people carrying stuffed animals, towels, and even scarves. Technically, the movie theater will become part of the stage because of the excitement of the film.

Should you go see Haikyuu: Battle of the Dumpster?

Followers of the series Haikyu They'll be thrilled that the landfill battle film has arrived in Latin America. The wait wasn't even that long, as the film premiered in Japan in February, and a few months later, you can already enjoy this animated film on the big screen. Even if you rush, you'll see that there's a 4DX option, which could be a worthwhile investment because you'll be able to feel the ball bouncing off your back.

But like any other anime, how good is it? Haikyuu: Battle of the Trash CanAs mentioned throughout this review, this is a film designed exclusively for fans of this series. Those unfamiliar with the anime or manga will feel lost from beginning to end, which is quite a lot. The fact is, this production will encourage you to do two things: play volleyball or simply watch the anime, which is available on Crunchyroll.

If you're a big fan, then you have to go see it. It's animated and one of the highlights of it all. Haikyu And that's why the film is worth watching. Those unfamiliar with the film may not have a good entry point into this animated series, but it can help get you excited and motivated to check out the series.