As I read the question, my mind formulated an answer right off the bat and without any hint of hesitation. I mean, it's obvious! I was excited about HAIKYUU!: Gomisuteba no Kessen.
I've been reading Haikyuu manga 2 years since it was released and has been following it from 2014-2020. The first season of the anime has also been released on that same year. (I started reading the manga after I watched the first season).
Since then, I've been in love with Haikyuu!. Every time there's a new season, I watch it from the beginning... and when I recommended it to my cousins and my mom, I rewatched it with them. And randomly, I just watch it when I feel like doing so. It's practically my comfort anime.
Since the manga and the anime's 4th season ended in 2020, I had Haikyuu! withdrawal. haha I was really looking forward for season 5 because this part is my favorite from the manga... The Dumpster Battle between Karasuno and Nekoma.
However, sometime before 2024, it was announced that there won't be another season of Haikyuu! and they'd be releasing two final movies instead. At first, I was so disappointed because the manga still has more than 120 chapters, so I can't see how they'd fit all of them in two movies.
Well, I still am... but I don't mind it as much because I feel like the two final movies would just be the events before the time skip after watching the latest movie last May.
Speaking of the movie... in 2023, it was announced that the first movie would be released in Japan in February of this year. I got really excited and has been looking forward to watching it when it's shown on Philippine theaters.
Photos from my Japanese otaku-senpai, Azunyan-senpai!.
When the movie in Japan was released, some of my Japanese friends sent me photos of it. It made me even more excited even though I know what's gonna happen in the movie. It's how they animate and arranged it were what I was anticipating.
Then around April, they finally announced that the movie is being released in various countries around the world, including the Philippines. Luckily, one mall in Cebu was included for the fan screening. The introverted me who almost never goes out, decided to get out of my cave to watch it. I invited my younger cousin who's also into Haikyuu! with me.
!
Photos I took with my cousin during the fan screening...
The fan screening was amazing! It was like watching the movie with a huge bunch of friends as everyone was cheering and even interacting in the theater. It was an awesome experience both for me and my cousin.
The anime was amazing as expected and their was this scene which was shown in Kenma's POV which really made me stand in awe. It was phenomenal. I felt like I was Kenma during that particular scene. My cousin and I went home (I slept over their house since I needed to take him home that night) and talked even when we arrived. We just couldn't stop.
Also, there's another reason why I really had to watch the fan screening aside from the fact that I love Haikyuu and I just couldn't wait for the refular screening two days later. It's the official merch... and most especially this limited edition manga volume 33.5. Since I watched the anime Bakuman, I have been pretty much interested in "names". It's basically a rough draft on which the manga is based on. Let me show you below.
Isn't it amazing how an almost impossible to understand draft like this transforms into a masterpiece?
Now, going back to the final movies... After we watched the first one, they showed a short clip of the next movie which is about the match between Karasuno and Kamomedai.
After seeing that clip, I got this feeling that they're going to include a little bit of the time skip in the next movie, then there would be one last movie which is the game between MSBY Black Jackals and Adlers Schweiden... or even an original anime which includes Japan VS Argentina in the Olympics?
From Vol 45: I so love this game... I hope it get animated someday. <3
(I know... I'm just dreaming, but there's nothing wrong with that, isn't there?)
Anyway, Haikyuu! is no longer just an anime or manga for me... It's an experience. Dang! I feel like rewatching it now after making this post... xD
Thanks for reading and see you next time! (^^,)/