‘Haikyuu’ OST played in Japan vs. Argentina volleyball match in Paris 2024

THE volleyball match between Japan and Argentina at the Paris 2024 Olympics felt like it came out straight from the popular manga and anime series “Haikyuu,” especially when its theme song was played after the game.

On Wednesday (Philippine time), Japan’s volleyball team bested the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalists with a 3-1 win during the Olympic men’s volleyball preliminary round Pool C match at the South Paris Arena.

Their game, however, stirred not only spectators but also “Haikyuu” fans when the series’ opening song “Fly High” was played in the arena when Japan won. 

In videos circulating online, the song could be heard as players from Japan and Argentina lined up to shake hands and show sportsmanship. The Japanese crowd, on the other hand, cheered and waved Japan’s flag.

Another netizen shared her experience as a spectator of Japan and Argentina’s match, saying she was “so happy” to witness it live. She also held a plushie of Toru Oikawa, a character in “Haikyuu,” during the game.

A TikTok user commented on her post, “Bro just watched the ‘Haikyuu’ timeskip live.”

In the manga version of “Haikyuu,” the Japan team, featuring Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama, battled with Argentina, which recruited Oikawa as its setter, at the Olympics. 

Before this, Hinata and Kageyama faced off with Oikawa as players of Karasuno High and Aoba Johsai High, respectively, in the early seasons of the anime series.

About ‘Haikyuu’

“Haikyuu” follows Hinata who dreams of becoming the next “little giant” after witnessing Karasuno’s High’s volleyball match during the Spring Tournament. 

He later joined Karasuno’s men’s volleyball team as one of the middle blockers. At the time, Karasuno, which used to be a strong team, fell into a slump and was called “clipped crows.”

With Hinata and Kageyama joining the team as new players, Karasuno embarks on a journey to restore its former glory.

The manga series was completed in 2020 after an eight-year run, highlighting the volleyball match between Japan and Argentina at the Olympics. The manga, however, ended without declaring who the winner was.

In May, Philippine cinemas premiered the much-awaited “Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle,” featuring the match between Karasuno and Nekoma.