Japan uses the power of sports anime Haikyu to spur its volleyball team to victory at the Olympics against Argentina
Jul. 31, 2024Fly high!
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The Olympic Games has featured a surprise reference to sports anime Haikyu during a recent men’s volleyball match between Japan and Argentina.
Several points in the group match on July 31 were accompanied by the volleyball anime’s ‘FLY HIGH’ opening song. The track also played immediately following Japan’s victory inside four sets in what was a must-win game. Coincidence? I think not.
Even better – and to prove it was no fluke – a separate OP theme, ‘Phoenix’, was also playing during warm-ups and fans were seen sporting Nekoma towels. See for yourself below.
Haikyu fans who tuned in also noticed a resemblance between Argentina’s kit and the(spoilers for the manga)Team A all-star team, which featured Oikawa and Hinata. To continue the Oikawa connections, others pointed out that the Argentina vs. Japan match mirrors Oikawa and Kageyama’s own fictional international showdown between the two countries during the Tokyo Olympics during the Final Arc.
Back in the anime world, Haikyu is getting set to bring the series to a close with a second feature film in the near future. The first movie,The Dumpster Battle, covered Karasuno’s Nationals match with long-standing rivals Nekoma.
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I’m the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you’ll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.
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