The highly anticipated second film in the Haikyu movie project, Haikyuu the Movie: VS The Little Giant, has brought a subtle yet significant change in its branding. Originally announced as part of the Haikyu FINAL two-part movie project, the movie’s official website has removed the “Final” wording.
This change raises questions about the anime adaptation’s future and whether it will be the conclusion of the series, since it was already clear to fans that the second movie might have trouble adapting the entirety of the manga that is left.
A Shift in Marketing
When the Haikyuu FINAL project was first announced, it was presented as a two-part film series meant to conclude the anime adaptation of Haruichi Furudate’s popular sports manga. The first installment, Haikyuu: The Dumpster Battle, premiered in February 2024, covering Karasuno’s match against Nekoma High. However, despite the project being referred to as Haikyuu FINAL, The Dumpster Battle itself never included “Final” in its title either.
Now, the second movie, VS The Little Giant, is also marketed without the “Final” label, leading to questions about whether the branding shift signifies a change in how the anime will conclude. However, the official website clearly changed its wording, and you can see the versions from February 16 (via the Internet Archive) and from today.
What Could This Mean?
At this time, no official statement has been made regarding the change, but the lack of “Final” in both movie titles suggests that the branding may have been used to describe the overall project rather than the individual movie.
The Haikyu manga continues beyond the Kamomedai match [SPOILERS AHEAD], covering a major time skip where Hinata trains in Brazil and later competes on the international stage along with Tobio. While there has been no confirmation of an adaptation for this portion of the story, the marketing decision leaves room for the possibility that Production I.G has not definitively closed the door on adappting it separately from the two movies.
It is important to note that this is only an analysis of the marketing approach, and there has been no announcement of additional content beyond VS The Little Giant at this time.
Looking Ahead
Whether this movie serves as the definitive end of the anime or leaves room for future adaptations remains unclear. We will have to wait for further announcements from official sources to confirm whether Haikyuu will extend beyond the Karasuno vs. Kamomedai match or if it will just adapt the rest of the manga with that movie.
In addition to the upcoming movie, a special anime covering Fukurodani VS Mujinaza was also announced.
Background
Haruichi Furudate is the creator of the Haikyu manga (stylized as Haikyuu!!), which was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from 2012 to 2020. The series ended with a total of 405 chapters, which were compiled into a total of 45 volumes. Viz Media licensed the manga in English.
The anime adaptation, produced by Production I.G., began in 2014. The second season followed in Fall 2015 through Winter 2016, while Season 3 aired in Fall 2016, covering Karasuno’s match against Shiratorizawa. Season 4, titled Haikyu: To the Top, was released in two cours, airing in Winter 2020 and Fall 2020.
Besides the anime, the franchise also has multiple OVAs, spin-offs, stage plays, and video games. The first movie, Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle, premiered in theaters early last year, before becoming available for streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll starting October 31, 2024.
Source: Haikyu Official Website
©Haruichi Furudate/Shueisha, Haikyuu Production Committee, MBS
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