Anime within the sports genre has been gaining popularity in the past decade due to the thrilling shows that uniquely represent real-life sports and games in creative ways. Presently, within the sports genre, there are two shows that stand out the most: Kuroko’s Basketball and Haikyuu!!
Kuroko’s Basketball, released in 2012, surpassed its basketball counterpart, Slam Dunk, a classic show in the nineties. The anime starred intense matches between Seirin High and the Members of the Generation of Miracles. On the other hand, Haikyuu!! is a newer sports anime with a volleyball punchline; it revolves around Karasuno’s Volleyball team and their aspirations to be the best while leveraging on the Hinata-Kageyama unpredictable attacks.
Plot
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Kuroko’s Basketball plot mainly revolved around the matches between Seirin High and the Members of Generation of Miracles. While Kuroko no Basket has a fair share of thriller-packed matches, the plot lacks in different ways. First, Seirin's growth was unbelievably fast, allowing no opportunity for proper, detailed development – the team mainly banked on Kagami's occasional burst of attack power to pull them through difficult matches. Furthermore, the Generation of Miracles were players portrayed to be monsters in basketball, but Seirin managed to lose to them once.
The matches in Kuroko's Basketball were filled with unpredictable twists and sudden questionable developments – but matches as a whole were predictable. Understandably, the show's main team would be coated in plot armor; however, Kuroko's armor was too invincible. On the other hand, Haikyuu!! offers a richer plot. The story begins with Hinata losing disgracefully, against the opposing team led by Kageyama Tobio, despite his confidence in his untrained jump power. Later on, the show’s scenery changes to reveal Kageyama and Hinata entering the same team, signaling the first plot twist. Within the first few minutes of episode 1, viewers can easily infer that Kageyama is Hinata’s apex opponent; however, Haikyuu!! pulls the rug off viewers' feet.
Haikyuu!! also portrayed a well-organized training schedule for Karasuno. The team worked hard, utilizing even their spare time to grow as Volleyball players. In fact, the anime spends roughly the same time featuring training sessions as matches. Haikyuu!! also highlighted several losses, focusing on other teams apart from the leading characters. Haikyuu!! matches may not be as spiked as Kuroko's Basketball, but they are immersive – allowing fans to experience the characters' emotions.
Plot: Haikyuu!!
Thrilling Matches
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Haikyuu!! has a number of thrilling matches, especially the match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. Right from the start of Haikyuu!!, Shiratorizawa was portrayed as a god-like team that Karasuno had no hope of defeating. Indeed, this was true – Shiratorizawa outranked Karasuno in capabilities. However, Karasuno managed to use every asset in their team to defeat their opponents by a hair's breadth after a grueling five sets. Since Haikyuu!! has a slow development, it is possible that more thriller-filled matches will be incoming in the future.
Kuroko's Basketball elevated their matches to an unbelievable scale. Almost all of Kuroko's Basketball matches are laced with thrilling events, skill growth, and unconventional strategies. Creatively, Kuroko's Basketball furnishes basketball concepts to produce interesting developments. One of the top-ranking matches in Kuroko's Basketball was the rematch between Seirin and Touou Academy. Initially, Seirin lost to Touou in their first match, but their loss paved the way for a match that stunned the audience and other opposing teams. The match progressed from a general team play to a one-on-one play between Kagami and Aomine after both entered "The Zone," a heightened state for gifted players. The match surprised fans due to its unpredictability and spiking developments.
Thrilling Matches: Kuroko’s Basketball.
Character Development
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Kuroko’s Basketball character development was notable but not immersive enough. Most members of the Generation of Miracles, except for Aomine, finally learned how to rely on their teammates to achieve a collective goal. Only Kagami had visible character development within Seirin, the anime's main team. Initially, his basketball plays mainly centered on jumping and dunking, but before the end of the series, his skills evolved to one of a well-rounded basketball player. Kagami also learned how to trust Kuroko to have his back before the end of the show.
On the other hand, Haikyuu!! character development was well-defined and visible for viewers to see. The first was the genius setter, Kageyama's change in attitude. Initially, he was dubbed "The King of the Court” because of his selfish plays. Whenever Kageyama becomes frustrated in a match, his spikes become ridiculously fast, surpassing what a regular player can handle. Shockingly, after a couple of matches with his new, loving teammates, Kageyama changed significantly. He positively embraced his nickname and changed his attitude to one that allowed him to fully unlock Hinata’s potential using his spikes.
Yamaguchi also had decent character growth. Initially, he doubted and undermined his abilities because of his lack of talent. However, this changed when Yamaguchi finally resolved to make a difference for Karasuno using his serves.
Character Development: Haikyuu!!
Talented Players & Plays
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Haikyuu!! has a lot of talented players – Hinata Shoyo, the main protagonist, stands out with his impressive jumps despite his height. The genius setter, Kageyama, is another gifted player, capable of making remarkable tosses after analyzing the court's angles within split seconds. Also, Ushiwaka's powerful serves are nothing to scoff at. However, If Haikyuu!! players are talented, Kuroko’s Basketball players are monsters with astonishing skill sets. One such player is Muraskibara Atsushi, an extremely tall player with near-absolute defensive abilities.
Despite his already advanced defensive plays, his skills as an offensive player are among the best in the series. Single-handedly, the attack power from his dunk crashed a basketball loop in the match against Seirin. Another remarkable player is Akashi Seijuro, with special eyes – the "Emperor Eyes," that allows him to predict players' movements. This ability allows Akashi to counter-strategize and nip players' movement ahead of time. Lastly, the main character, Kuroko, embodies a wide range of stealth abilities, allowing him to temporarily erase himself from the court and show up suddenly at pivotal locations.
Talented Players & Plays: Kuroko’s Basketball.