One of Today’s Olympic Volleyball Matches Was a Manga Fan’s Dream Come True
Haikyu!! and the 2024 Olympics were the last two things I thought I’d be uttering in the same sentence. The former is about fictional boys who aspire to be pro volleyball players, and the latter is a real sporting event with 4D people.
But the 2024 Paris Olympics made that possible with Team Japan and Team Argentina’s preliminary men’s volleyball match. People who only watch the sport probably don’t understand the excitement. Why are anime fans suddenly interested in real-life national volleyball teams?
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, fans were spotted carrying banners from the fictional high school teams of Haikyu!! I thought I was imagining things when I saw an Oikawa cosplayer in the crowd during the live stream of the match.
That’s not the only Haikyu!! themed phenomenon that bled into the Olympics in real life. The opening theme song, “Phoenix,” from the fourth season of Haikyu!! was played while Team Japan was practicing before their match. Even a couple of players from Team Argentina were photographed with a plushie of Tooru Oikawa, a character from the series.
Why are Haikyu!! fans invested?
It’s because one of the last chapters of Haikyu! features a phenomenal match between Team Argentina and Team Japan. In the story, our favorite characters graduated high school and became pro volleyball players. The titular protagonist, Hinata Shoyo, made it into Japan’s national team against all odds. It didn’t matter that he was shorter than the average volleyball player. Hinata still became an extremely skilled pro player. With him on Japan’s national team is his long-time friendly rival, Tobio Kageyama, as well as several other notable characters in the series.
In the manga, Tooru Oikawa, another underdog in the series, joined Team Argentina. Despite his talents as a setter, he was unappreciated in Japan and had never competed in the national inter-high school championships. He left Japan and became a national player for the men’s volleyball team of Argentina. Chapter 402 of the manga, titled “Challengers,” showed Oikawa representing Team Argentina. It was implied that Team Japan and Team Argentina fought.
Who won between Team Argentina and Team Japan?
Furudate Haruichi, the author of Haikyu!! left Team Argentina and Team Japan’s match unresolved. But now that the 2024 Paris Olympics have happened, fans could definitely say that Team Japan won.
Team Japan won three sets against Team Argentina, who won only one set. Oikawa, if he were real, would’ve been shattered. For once, as an Oikawa fan myself, I’m glad that Haikyu!! isn’t reality.
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