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I stopped reading Haikyuu at around chapter 70, and I stopped watching Haikyuu mid-season 2 when it came out. I had started reading Haikyuu starting from the first chapter, but somehow I lost interest.

That being said, I recently started to rewatch Haikyuu, and I'm still astonished at myself several years ago--what was going through your mind to ever possibly think that Haikyuu wasn't interesting? I binge-watched Haikyuu from S1 to S4, and then I started my way to restart the manga. Ever since I heard that chapter 402 would be the final chapter, I binge-read from around chapter 70 to chapter 402 in less than ... a week, with my adrenaline pumping from each chapter, racing to catch up to the final chapter. I enjoyed every single chapter, rolling in my bed and fist-pumping whenever there was an extraordinary moment, putting a scowl on and crying whenever something distressing happened. Definitely, the highs hit highs and the lows hit lows.

In truth I am not an athletic person, and I hated sports. I didn't understand why people liked to watch other people move and get sweaty. I really hated running, jumping, or exerting myself. But reading Haikyuu has made me bring to respect sports, and in a way, enjoy watching them whether its on paper or in video. I've read Kuroko's Basket, watched Yowamushi Pedal, and experienced other sports manga that never really sparked my interest in a sport. Reading Haikyuu has made me much more interested in watching real-life volleyball plays and be able to actually understand what's happening/how awesome it is! It's also made me want to move more--to try jumping like Hinata does (which haha, really is difficult), to try spiking like Ushiwaka or Asahi does, or to build up my endurance and become work harder to be fit like... well anyone in the manga!! It's made volleyball and sports much more special and sparkly.

What truly highlights the strength of Haikyuu are the characters. It's nearly impossible to truly hate a character in Haikyuu. Trust me, I tried!

Growing, working, and connecting with others and yourself is the foundation of Haikyuu. Characters are friends, foes, and harbingers of explosive growth in each other. Genuinely, I enjoyed seeing characters interact with each other. The connections between these characters are so genuine and uplifting in the most competitive way. Each opponent for Hinata is simply another character the reader learns to love at one point. The determination to carve their path each person shows in Haikyuu inspires me to become equally as persevering.

To be honest the one upset I have with Haikyuu is the art--personally, I preferred how the characters were designed in the beginning rather than towards the end. However, mangaka Haruichi Furudate is truly awesome. The way the character's expressions are conveyed, the way that the perspective of the match is taken, the intensity yet simplicity of the art, the details of the characters and the background--they've all convinced me to love their new art style. I used to draw and sketch regularly years ago, but I stopped because I simply became too busy. Wanting to recreate some story and art as alive and free as Furudate's art style, I've started again.

If only Haikyuu!! lasted longer!! I was incredibly sad that there weren't more arcs and that Furudate didn't take more time with the last few arcs as I would've loved more detail and insight during these arcs. I won't go much into detail about the arcs but...!! they'll be some of the most rewarding and smile-inducing ones you'll read. Ones that'll make you just like Hinata whenever he sees a cool volleyball move.

Very rarely does a manga truly affect your life. Writing this review now do I realize what a positive impact Haikyuu!! has had on mine. Go read Haikyuu!! I highly doubt you'll regret it!!

The world of Magi is an impeccably designed and sculpted mecca of allusion and fantasy.

Reading Magi makes my mind feel free. Perhaps this would not apply to all readers, but Magi is one of the few manga that made me roll around in excitement, cry tears of despair, and ponder my role in the world. It is a series that, I feel, has made me more humble.

One of the principles that Magi applies excellently to the story is yin and yang--not the simple "good and bad" trope. It is with this that the story, but most importantly, the characters grasp their complexity and realistic human ... depiction. Not to mention, the research done for the manga is done tremendously, with the depictions of the Middle East, Rome, etc. The designs for all the characters are quite beautiful, and the art is complex with serious attention to detail down to the jewelry the characters wear. The amount of research and time put into designing the world is frankly, amazing, and for readers who love theorizing about manga, there is no better series than Magi. The aspects such as international relations, economics, and war also add a pristine finishing touch to the realistic facet of Magi.

I agree with other readers that the ending had an incomplete feel, but with such a large universe such as Magi's, it is difficult to fully explain the entire world--also, it leaves more up to the imagination and theory, to keep the readers fully immersed in the world and its magic ;)

Even if you are not a lover of adventure and fantasy, Magi is a must-read that will leave you craving for the next chapter and the wondrous magic that fills its pages.

I started reading Kimetsu no Yaiba since the anime was getting tremendous praise, but it was kind of a waste of time...

To be short but sweet, the premise of Kimetsu no Yaiba is incredibly interesting with demons and demon slayers being allies and foes alike. Most of the characters are compelling and unique not only in their design but also their abilities. However, the manga is terribly paced. It feels like the growth of the characters and the story are inconsistent and relatively, like a bumpy road. The art is not that amazing nor special in my opinion (at least for the manga). The only ... reason why I read Kimetsu no Yaiba was for the hype and at the end of it, I felt like I was reading KnY simply for the interesting concepts (rather than characters or plot).

Let me start out that I actually gave up reading and watching Haikyuu 3-4 years ago because I started to get bored with the series. I started rewatching/watching Haikyuu just a few days ago and I have whizzed through the episodes since then.

Story: 9/10

Haikyuu feels a bit repetitive at times. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that the second season in particular is a training camp then a tournament, thus many more volleyball games happening in the season.

Also, being simple does not equal bad! In fact, it made Haikyuu much more easier to approach as someone who doesn't really know much about sports. ... Haikyuu has piqued my interest in volleyball, which has never happened with me when I watched other sports animes.

I would have to say that a characteristic of Haikyuu (this season) is that a "special move" is not invincible; the characters are always looking for ways to thwart or overcome this obstacle. I think that the execution of the "special move" of the characters are well-done in that they are show-stoppers, but not invincible. For example the geniuses in Haikyuu are not unbeatable, but have their own mistakes and human aspects.

Art: 10/10

Whenever I watch Haikyuu, it feels like I'm standing on the sidelines directly watching the game. The animation is beautiful and fluid. Kudos to the animators!

Sound: 7/10

The music wasn't bad... but at times personally it didn't feel like a good fit for the episode, and at times it did... It's hard to explain, but the vibe of the music could've matched Haikyuu better.

Characters: 10/10

I have to agree that Haikyuu does appear to have simple/repetitive shounen sports trope, especially in the first season, but by the second season the author did an excellent job honing the characters. The best trait of Haikyuu's characters is that no one is strictly the bad guy--there's a rather yin and yang approach not only between opposing teams, but also between Karasuno's members. Every character evolves in their own way and it's marvelous to watch this unfold. Especially when you see secondary/supporting characters in season 1 get their own screen time, it's incredibly heartwarming and blood-pumping.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Haikyuu had me on the edge of my seat, cheering one moment once a spike got through, pulling my hair out in anticipation, and everything in between. This is the anime you should watch if you want to be carried away by the story, characters, and animation.

Overall: 10/10

As a now-avid fan of Haikyuu, I look forward to the next matches of Haikyuu. The story and characters are done are done in such a well-paced and captivating manner, you will be sure to be enthralled by Karasuno and definitely other opponents as well!!