There are many hits out there in the anime department, and, especially as time goes on, more and more popular series are getting adapted into anime. This year alone saw some absolute hits debut for the first time in anime form from Demon Slayer, The Promised Neverland, Dr. Stone, Vinland Saga, and more.

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However, another popular Weekly Shonen Jump series that has had a decent number of years gracing the publication and has three current seasons in anime form—with a fourth season on the way in January—is the volleyball series Haikyuu!!Sports anime are understandably niche in the anime department, but this one has earned the love and respect from many. Given the fact that sports anime are relatively niche, lets go through 10 things that make Haikyuu!! great, even for non-sports fans.

10 It's Light-Hearted, Good-Natured Fun

In a world where there are countless of the most popular anime taking place in setting where there are world-threatening problems and narratives that have to do with daunting antagonists threatening the lives of our heroes, it is nice to have an anime that takes things on a more grounded, light-hearted and good-natured level.

Not that the most popular of anime, like Demon Slayer, aren't absolutely exhilarating, of course. Haikyuu!! is all about a group of ambitious boys going through life in high school doing their very best to be better at their favorite sport, thus making things more relatable.

9 It Teaches You The Ropes

Part of the wall that viewers have to overcome when it comes to trying to get into an anime centered around a particular sport is the fact some people may not know about the given sport in the first place. This could be a problem for both sports and non-sports fans, as those who are fans of sports might not know about, in this case, volleyball, and non-sports fans start from scratch in this particular arena.

This is especially so since volleyball isn't exactly as popular as, say, soccer (or association football to the rest of the world). Thankfully, Haikyuu!! doesn't go in assuming that the fans watching know everything there is to know about the sport. The anime makes it easy for the viewer to digest the basics and eases into the more complex.

8 The Art And Animation

This is arguably one of the most important—next to the actual content of the series—aspect since we are talking about anime, after all. The way the art and animation are done can elevate an anime to being even more successful than it already was (see Demon Slayer)Just like a lower quality art and/or animation quality can take great material and make it mediocre (see season two of One-Punch Man)

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Thankfully, everything about Haikyuu!! is appealing and eye-catching. The art style is very well done and the animation is very smooth, which helps the scenes of actual volleyball action.

7 The Volleyball Plays Are Strategic

Even if you are not a fan of volleyball in particular—at least before watching this specific series—or just do not know enough about it or maybe a combination of both, the strategy involved in each important volleyball match is something anyone can appreciate. This is especially so if you happen to like strategy and overall strategic thinking in your action or battle anime.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, for example, involves a lot of the protagonists trying to outwit their opponent strategically, at least until Jotaro decides to just plow through them with brute force with Star Platinum. JoJo is a strange comparison to make here, but the point is that, if you like strategy and strategic thinking in your anime, the level of intelligence in the volleyball tactics is something that can be enjoyed—even if it is a sport and not actual battle.

6 An Endearing Cast Of Characters

Any narrative needs to be populated with characters in their world that each are unique and enjoyable throughout. Thankfully, Haikyuu!! offers plenty of characters, each with their own endearing personalities, that make them distinct and lovable. Shoyo Hinata is the cheerful, determined, and ever-optimistic main protagonist, while Kageyama is the talented, serious, and driven one to a fault.

These are just a couple of the protagonists of the series that leave their mark, and there are more characters that each feel unique. Even some of the side characters on other teams have noticeable character traits that make them stand out on their own.

5 It's A Quality Shonen

While some shonen manga and anime series try and imitate aspects of the shonen formula and fail, there are plenty that have done this and done it successfully. Haikyuu!! has the aspects you would expect of a shonen, but this is definitely not a con in this case. It makes high-quality use of what makes a shonen series tick and executes it perfectly in this series.

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Shoyo Hinata is passionate about volleyball, but his overall small stature and lack of talent compared to his peers hampers him. He models himself after "The Little Giant" and aims to be the best ace player he can be for his team. Since this is a sports anime about a high school student, it makes this goal much more relatable and believable.

4 It Mixes Sports With "Slice Of Life"

This is another aspect of the series that helps to really appeal to the fans whether they happen to be interested in volleyball or sports in a more general sense. "Slice of life" is anime in which you typically follow the sequence of life events in the characters' lives.

This particular sub-genre of anime is also quite popular, and those that are more-so fans of this genre rather than sports will still find something to like about Haikyuu!!. The sports and volleyball aspect of the story provides a good backdrop for the events of the characters' lives and what those events will be centered around.

3 Well-Paced Volleyball Action

Obviously, this anime series is not a high-octane battle and "action" show in the traditional sense. There are no evildoers running amok in the world of the series and creating havoc for the main cast of protagonists and thus getting into insane and violent fights. There are no villains, in other words.

The action, in this sense, comes from the battles of volleyball Karasuno High School has with its competition. In that sense of the term, "action," the volleyball action is very well-paced. Like in classic anime style, the characters think and discuss the strategy behind their and their opponents' plays, which, as discussed earlier, is appealing on its own. The plays themselves are also fast-paced and fun to watch.

2 Flawed Characters

Part of what makes the cast of characters in this series so appealing is that they are not perfect beings. They are high school boys first and foremost. Therefore, they all have their own problems to deal with and learn to overcome.

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Shoyo Hinata has to learn to overcome his technical volleyball setbacks through training and learn to develop an identity as a player separately from the identity of Kageyama, the "King of the Court." Kageyama himself as to learn to not be so overbearing and strict on himself and his teammates, as that is what is holding him back. It is an absolute joy to see these imperfect characters learn, try, and eventually succeed in their own world.

1 It's Always Inspiring

Ultimately, the message that is consistently conveyed throughout the series of Haikyuu!! is that of an inspiring one. Despite all of the problems that each of the characters find themselves facing throughout the course of the narrative, they always inspire themselves to overcome their obstacles.

They get back up in the face of failure and charge on ahead for the next goal at hand, looking only to get stronger as people and volleyball players. In turn, they inspire the fans watching these characters to go about their lives as they succeed, fail, and everything in between.

NEXT: Demon Slayer: 10 Things To Look For In The New Movie