Hyper Projection Engeki: Haikyu!!
Mar. 28th, 2026 10:36 pmSo when I got into Haikyu!! last year, I read the manga and watched the anime. But I also discovered there was a stage play! Or rather, a series of eleven stage plays that covered pretty much the entire story.
They were performed in Japan from 2015-2021, and have recordings on DVD and Blu-ray. Sadly I don't have a region-free player anymore (why are they so hard to find now?) so I've been browsing video clips online.
I love seeing how things get adapted into different formats. But you might wonder - how do you portray a volleyball match onstage?
Physically - with the use of projection screens, sound effects, and - when you have a dramatic slo-mo sequence - a volleyball on a stick moved like a puppet.
Metaphorically - with dance battles!
So these are stage plays, not musicals, ie nobody sings. But they dance! And do acrobatics. Some of the volleyball matches are like dance battles, and the different teams have their own dance styles. Which is pretty cool.
It's also pretty cool to see live action versions of these characters. The actors do a great job of capturing their essence.
Anyway, the opening sequence below (from the second stage play) gives a good sense of the vibe:
Opening Sequence (Karasuno, Revival!)
They were performed in Japan from 2015-2021, and have recordings on DVD and Blu-ray. Sadly I don't have a region-free player anymore (why are they so hard to find now?) so I've been browsing video clips online.
I love seeing how things get adapted into different formats. But you might wonder - how do you portray a volleyball match onstage?
Physically - with the use of projection screens, sound effects, and - when you have a dramatic slo-mo sequence - a volleyball on a stick moved like a puppet.
Metaphorically - with dance battles!
So these are stage plays, not musicals, ie nobody sings. But they dance! And do acrobatics. Some of the volleyball matches are like dance battles, and the different teams have their own dance styles. Which is pretty cool.
It's also pretty cool to see live action versions of these characters. The actors do a great job of capturing their essence.
Anyway, the opening sequence below (from the second stage play) gives a good sense of the vibe:
Opening Sequence (Karasuno, Revival!)