In Japanese, Haikyu means "volleyball", so it's no great surprise that the manga named Haikyu!! is about this ball sport. Created in 2012 by Haruichi Furudate, it's a fairly popular shonen manga, with the originality of focusing on a sport that is rarely played in Japan. The story follows the development of Shoyo Hinata and his friend and rival Tobio Kageyama, as they try to become professional players and great champions.

Volleyball, a little-known sport in Japan

In the Land of the Rising Sun, the most popular sports are baseball, sumo and football (soccer). Even in the top 10, volleyball has no place, with the Japanese preferring golf, boxing, tennis and car racing.

This lack of popularity is the starting point for the Haikyu! manga, which will be published in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2012 to 2020.