Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyu!! Blu-Ray Videos: “The Strongest Challengers,” “The Dumpster Battle,” and “View from the Top 2.”

My husband and I have been fans of the 2.5 D musical series, Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyu!!, ever since we saw their second show “Karasuno Revival” in Fukuoka in 2016. When their new Karasuno cast made their debut with “Fly High” in 2019, my husband, who was working in China at the time, made a weekend trip to Osaka just to see the show. (And he saw it twice!)

Unfortunately, seeing subsequent shows was made impossible to us and just about everyone else when the pandemic struck. Like all theater productions, Engeki Haikyu!! was hit hard by COVID. “The Strongest Challengers,” which began March 2020, had to cut its run short.

Despite the disappointment and financial loss this must have caused, Engeki Haikyu!! persevered. During the shutdown, they released an amazingly creative YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO-mLXG3MtA) with nearly every performer involved in the production. Then once things opened up, they went on to produce “The Dumpster Battle” and the final show, “View from the Top 2.”

And fortunately I was able to get these videos through Animate International (www.animate.shop).Thank you, Animate International for shipping internationally! Thank you, Toho Animation for producing the Blu-rays! (The videos are also available through amazon.co.jp.).

So for those who are sad that the Haikyu!! manga has ended and need something to tide you over until the next anime season, consider the Engeki Haikyu!! videos! You’ll need a Region 2 player to play the discs, and unfortunately, the show and extras are entirely in Japanese. However, if you read the manga, you will get the gist of what’s happening. In addition, various kind people have made show translations available for free on the Internet. At the writing of this post, my husband found subtitles for nearly all the shows and some of the curtain calls here:

https://kanasmusings.tumblr.com/post/614980635395833856/masterpost-engeki-haikyuu-subtitles

If you do decide to watch Engeki Haikyu!!, please support them by buying the videos! And for more details about the pandemic releases, please read on.

Contents

If you have any of the previous Engeki Haikyu!! videos, you’ll immediately notice some differences. The biggest difference is that “The Strongest Challengers” and “The Dumpster Battle” are a dual release that consists of three discs:

Disc 1

• The Dumpster Battle (edited and wide angle version)

Disc 2

• The Strongest Challengers (edited and wide angle version)

Disc 3

• The Strongest Challengers Backstage Footage
• The Dumpster Battle Backstage Footage
• The Dumpster Battle Curtain Call

The Strongest Challengers and Dumpster Battle dual release discs, disc case, and sleeve

Sadly, there’s no curtain call for “The Strongest Challengers.” Usually, that’s recorded at the final show, and it got canceled due to COVID. In addition, “The Strongest Challengers” video was not filmed before an audience. They still give a good performance, but I do miss watching the actor for Tanaka ham it up with the audience during curtain call.

“The Dumpster Battle” did get recorded before a live audience and have its curtain call, but it has obvious COVID modifications. The actors wear clear masks, which I didn’t find too distracting, but they sometimes interfered with the sound quality of the actors’ dialogue. Also, the curtain call was conducted in small, socially distanced groups rather than the mass lineup they usually have.

With “The Strongest Challengers” cut short and theater capacity limited for “The Dumpster Battle,” it’s not surprising Toho Animation packaged the shows together for the fans who couldn’t see it live. It certainly made it easier for me not having to order and ship two items.

Moving on…

View from the Top 2 discs, cover insert, and case sleeve

“View from the Top” consists of:

Disc 1

• View from the Top 2 (edited version)
• Curtain Call
• Special Ending Credits

Disc 2

• View from the Top 2 (wide angle version)
• Interview with the director, composer, Kotaro Daigo (actor for Hinata), and Ryunosuke Akana (actor for Kageyama)
• Backstage Footage
• Studio live session performance by the composer

Because I preordered my Blu-ray from Animate, I got a bonus item which turned out to be four buttons with Engeki Haikyu!!’s version of team mascots. I pinned them to the totebag my husband purchased at the 2019 Fly High performance.

Fly High tote bag with my View from the Top bonus buttons

Like “The Dumpster Battle,” “View from the Top” got filmed before a live audience with protocols in place (i.e. clear masks for the performers, no cheering from the audience). Unfortunately, a couple cast members tested positive for COVID while in mid-run so the last several performances, including the Tokyo grand finale, got canceled.

As a result, this curtain call isn’t the usual fun interaction with the audience where actors are as likely to burst into tears as they are to ham it up with their fans. Instead, each performer makes final remarks solo in front of their character’s team banner. It doesn’t have the same impact as pre-pandemic curtain calls, but I appreciate their efforts.

Production

The stage arrangement, aside from minor details on the periphery, were identical for the three Spring Tournament shows. This might have been due to budget constraints, but it does also make sense from a storytelling standpoint. (All of the matches are taking place at the Orange Court, after all.)

There are two (!) rotating tables at the front of the stage, an elevated platform at the rear, and a retractable ramp connecting the two levels. The front of the stage, the ramp, as well as the rear wall of the stage function as surfaces for Engeki Haikyu!!’s namesake high end projectors to cast their magic. This gives projections huge flexibility upon the stage and really makes images pop. Throughout the shows, you’ll see various cast members wiping off those surfaces (under the premise of cleaning the sweat off the Orange Court).

“The Dumpster Battle” and “View from the Top 2” also use flying harnesses but only very briefly. The majority of action is comprised of performers moving in sync with projections, dance numbers, and dramatic scenes.

Review

Most preceding productions incorporated two matches into a single show, but Engeki Haikyu!! dedicated an entire show to each of the Spring Tournament matches. Given the prestige of the competition, it was a good call. Plus, it was less exhausting for me as a viewer. “The Best Team,” which covered the Aoba Johsai rematch and the Shiratorizawa match, was a long show, and though I enjoyed it, I was worn out by the end.

Of the Spring Tournament shows, “The Dumpster Battle” is the one I’d watch over and over, even with the COVID masks. “The Strongest Challengers” was set up as a setter battle similar to “The Winner and The Loser,” but Kageyama doesn’t have the intense history with Atsumu that he did with Oikawa. Also, a lot of attention is given to the Miya Twins, but the Inarizaki team as a whole doesn’t have a distinct identity the way Dateko, Nekoma, or Nohebi do. Also, nearly every team has a signature dance move, but if Inarizaki had one, it didn’t stand out to me.

Nekoma, though, is a team included in several Engeki Haikyu!! shows, has a distinct personality, and has multiple rivals among the Karasuno team. The Dumpster Battle is the culmination of a relationship that dates back to old Ukai and Coach Nekoma’s youth, and Engeki Haikyu!! did a fabulous job incorporating all those elements as well as the childhood promise between Kenma and Kuroo.

On top of all that anticipation and emotion, the show capitalizes on Kenma’s gamer mindset to maximize projection effects. There’s a hilarious fantasy interlude at the opening of Act 2 that has nothing to do with the plot but uses their projections in a spectacularly entertaining way. (Seriously, I’ve watched that scene eight times, and I still think it’s awesome.)

It’s worth noting that the actors who play Kenma and Kuroo (and a few other Nekoma players) have been with the production since Nekoma first appeared in “Karasuno Revival.” As such, they get extra attention and screen time in the Curtain Call and Backstage Footage. So be sure to check that out if you’re fans of Kondou Shouri or Nagata Takato.

Oh, and Fukuzawa Yuu, who plays the Nohebi captain Suguru, returns to make commentary on the dumpster battle. This guy’s moves are so captivating, my eyes automatically jump to him anytime he’s in a dance number.

“View from the Top 2” runs into similar issues as “The Strongest Challengers” in that Kamomedai doesn’t quite have a memorable collective personality or signature dance. This matchup is mostly framed as a battle of little giants between Hinata and Hoshiumi before the OG of little giants, Udai. It also weaves in a Kageyama character arc outlining his journey from lonely King of the Court to one surrounded and supported by his team, but it has more to do with Kageyama and Karasuno than with Kamomedai.

Act 2 of “View from the Top 2” serves as a postscript for our characters. Hinata’s years in Brazil gets summarized a few lines of narration then the timeline jumps to the evening of the Schweiden Adlers-Black Jackals match where we see what everyone looks like post-high school. As they’ve done in other productions, Engeki Haikyu!! projects video of previous cast members (some of which interact with the live cast) to show how their characters fare as well. Although the manga dedicates three volumes to the Schweiden Adlers-Black Jackals match, Engeki Haikyu!! limits it to the highlights, which works well to wrap up the production without dragging it out.

Thus, Engeki Haikyu!! reaches its conclusion. Clearly, COVID ruined a lot of plans (including our plan to see the final show in person). To tell the truth, my husband and I were afraid the company would fold when “The Strongest Challengers” got canceled. Yet they persevered to bring Haikyu!! to a valiant finish, and for that, they have our heartfelt thanks and admiration.