Haikyuu!! fans are losing their minds after the beloved anime got a homage at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On Wednesday, July 31, Japan faced Argentina in the men’s volleyball tournament at the Olympics. During the practice sets, the Haikyuu!! theme can be heard in the background. In fact, whenever the Japanese team scored a point, they played the music.
When Japan finally won the match by two sets (3-1), the anime show’s opening song ‘Tobe Fly’ (‘Fly High’) was playing in the arena. This is a clear nod to the popular sports anime and proves the influence of Haruichi Furudate’s franchise.
However, it’s not the first time we witnessed the series’ incredible influence as Haikyuu!! has been cited as the reason for the rising practice of volleyball in Japan. Clearly the series has already found its way into the Japanese national men’s volleyball team.
JAPAN WON THE MATCH!!!!!!! THEY ARE PLAYING TO BE FLYYY 🇯🇵😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/93rYrxlluU
— ً (@kagstinycrown) July 31, 2024
Not only have the characters from the series appear as the team’s booklets but the manga’s creator has also drawn real-life players from the national team alongside Hinata and Kageyama.
Needless to say, the anime show’s fans are ecstatic with this development. As one fan wrote on X/Twitter, “Perfection. OMG THIS IS GIVING ME SO MUCH FOMO!”
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“I hope Furudate knows how big the impact of Haikyuu!! to the volleyball industry,” commented another, while a third said, “A historic moment.”
A Reddit user shared, “Loved that ‘Fly High’ started playing right as Japan won!”
Aside from Haikyuu!!’s historic presence at the Olympics, there’s another reason behind fans’ excitement. Like today’s match, the fictional Japanese national men’s volleyball team, consisting of Hinata, Kageyama, and others, also played Argentina, with Oikawa in the team, at the Olympics.
To have reality imitate art on such a level is thrilling indeed, especially for the fans. And while we don’t know the result of Haikyuu!!’s Japan vs. Argentina match, we know the real one’s. It’s undoubtedly helping the imagination of fans.
For more on the beloved show, check out how to watch Haikyuu!! in order and how Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle ignores its two best characters. You might also like to check out our Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle review.