#haikyu manga reference

[hellobunny044]

Panels. | Series

panel. in manga art, panels refers to the frame that wraps around one moment in time.

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an original Haikyū AU pairing Udai Tenma (the og little giant)

warning!! : containing some manga content.

word count : 3540

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Panel - 1

“Udai-san, this part and this one need to be reworked.”

“Which one?”

The guy with shoulder-length curly hair shifted, almost sending his chair to fly closer to the serious, glasses-guy. His face serious and his tone polite and organized, while beside him, the curly guy in his hoodie is casually listening to everything he says like an obedient puppy.

“The monologue is too long. It seems unnecessary and a waste of time. That’s it from me.”

“Akaashi-san, don’t you at least have something nicer to say to me?”

“That was the nicest I could be.”

“Geh.”

The curly black haired guy was, Udai Tenma, next to him was Akaashi Keiji, the editor.

Akaashi sighs, “There is also one thing I couldn’t agree with on the next page.”

“Which one?”

“This one.”

Following the editor’s finger pointing at a panel, Udai seriously listened to the way Akaashi specified the whole scene as ‘overly exaggerated’.

“It’s either you come up with another idea to picture the entire event, or you find another way not to make this panel look like this.”

In other words, a just-cut-it-out-of-the-page-and-good-luck-coming-up-with-something-more-worth-publishing.

“Do you think so?”

A confirmation from Akaashi had Udai nod in understanding. He takes his phone out and notes down everything the editor said while casually listening and answering what he needs to answer.

After Akaashi wrapped the discussion up, Udai casually decides, “Alright. I’ll hand it in in two days.”

“No can do.”

“Eehhh?” Staring at the editor’s serious face, Udai insistsing, “Why not?”

The editor sighed before he starts, “You have a fansign next month for this edition. Everything has to be published by the end of this month. I can only accept tomorrow at the latest, at seven in the morning.”

Udai started to whine, dropping his head on the table after Akaashi made a decision on the deadline. But to what end, though? The deadline had been decided and the dearest charming editor, Akaashi Keiji, is simply someone too savage to give a damn about anything when it comes to the deadline.

In the end, Udai did have to work hard to finish the latest edition of the manga tomorrow morning at the required hour.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Udai-san.”

Udai, with a helpless languid look, while hugging the manuscript sheet that Akaashi had corrected, turns around and stares at his editor pityingly. Still having a little determination to negotiate with the charming editor until there is a more humane leniency from him. He put on his most pathetic face in front of the editor, basically trying his best.

“If you understand, please go home and start working.”

Snorting, Udai jerks himself out of the room like some cranky bear, nearly flying, a little uprising against the unfair working hours. Or perhaps, he just hadn’t yet realized that everything is the result of his amazing skill to procrastinate and pile up all his work at one time, forgetting that he is only human and not a manga printing machine that can be pushed to go the extra mile.

But really, drawing is fun.

Since a long time ago, drawing had been an escape from fear, boredom, anxiety, and some random feelings that oftenly creeped up on him.

Whenever those unfamiliar, unpleasantly all too familiar feelings creeped into his mental frame, he would always tear up a piece of paper and start doodling. About anything. Whatever his eyes caught, or whatever his head imagined, or about some places wherever his brain took him to.

In the subtle sound when his pencil met the paper, there was the peace that flushed through, and it almost felt like he was in the heart of a serene forest. Then the chaos inside him would slowly die down.

There is peace in drawing.

Then here he was, back to the room where almost over twenty volumes of his manga were born. In a room where his pen met several strokes of paper in definite or indefinite lines, where his pen met the screen of his computer at busy hours before all those stories were brought to life as some book, namely manga, working for another extra special hour.

Udai Tenma was not a familiar name before the Zombie Knight Zom'bish manga became as famous as it is now. He was just a normal citizen, an ordinary guy living within the framework of a normal story somewhere in Tokyo.

Although he no longer yearns for those days, for those who still remember, they might recognize him better by a nickname other than his real name. Call it The Little Giant.

With that name, youths familiar with the volleyball of his day would immediately raise an eyebrow, amused, welcoming with a sky-rocketing expectation in the face of that particular figure who in his days was revered for his outstanding ability despite a fairly obvious weakness. The very figure to conquer the orange court of the famously annual national’s spring high volleyball tournament with some player known as the crows.

But those days are over.

Just like the beginning of a fiction novel, the past was left behind and the reader moves on to the next chapters, looking forward to what might lie ahead.

Udai Tenma is one of those readers who diligently turns the pages of the life story that fate had written for him.

His days as the little giant had come to an end when he decided to turn to the next chapter. Now, he is in the chapter where he is just the ordinary Udai Tenma, the manga artist Udai Tenma, living up to the result of his hard work creating over twenty volumes of manga, and is currently and will always be struggling with deadlines from his editor.

———————————————————

Udai-san, the deadline is tomorrow by seven am in the dot. Please don’t be late.

———————————————————

Udai grimaced as he read Akaashi’s message from the notification bar of his phone.

It’s not that he will pretend to be on a temporary memory-lost something funnier.

He is working hard.

Despite almost swallowing some of his curly strands as his mouth is busy munching some chips, his hands are busy working on what he had to fix on the entire panel.

“That damn Akaashi really is a dictator. He’s such a sadist. He really is one.”

His hands take a slight pause, scooping up a handful of chips that are almost gone on the other side of the table and feeding himself. He is busy. Very busy. Munching and working on those panels at the same time.

********************************************************

Udai could barely finish the latest volume of his Zombie Knight Zom'bish.

He grimaced at the fact that the editor is a sadistic perfectionist who alwa time, valuing time too much.

Of all the things that made him grimace more was how Akashi was always she looked like a pathetic misfit every time he handed in a new script.

At first glance, while waiting for Akashi to finish scanning the revised panels with his eagle eyes that always demanded the best of the best that he, as the artist, could come up with, Udai's feet shuffled anxiously under the table as his brain roamed, thinking about whether Akashi Keiji had ever once looked as pathetic as himself right now.

When Akashi Keiji is working as an editor, the room will be so quiet that Udai swears he could hear a needle dropping from the next room. Udai was even convinced that the charming editor had stppped breathing to look for mistakes that aren't worth publishing, to make sure that they wouldn't slip away from his eyes. But honestly, if anything, Udai couldn’t ask for someone better than Akaashi Keiji of all people.

One of the reasons would be that, "There are chips in the second drawer."

Udai had a bad habit of biting his finger as he waited patiently for the dearest editor to do his job scanning over the revised book. And Akashi, surprise surprise, apparently had gotten used to that bad habit of the manga artist, so, amusingly, he prepared the chips in his drawer. Knowing well that the artist had a high level of addiction to msg.

There will always be only a chip in the drawer and that's for Udai.

The curly-haired guy swears that Akashi is probably a hero who only ate healthy food on a daily basis, probably had been sworn over whatever good and bad throughout the heavens and the earth that he shouldn't eat chips.

Witnessing the way Akaashi Keiji being such a perfectionist that he is, making Udai almost lost the last trace of worthiness in himself.

If Akaashi Keiji is just a normal human being, then it should be that Udai Tenma is just a trash.

"Akaashi-san, you're indeed the most understanding person I've ever met in my life."

"Please eat something more proper at home, Udai-san."

Munching, Udai glanced at Akashi and replied, "I eat properly. It's just that, it's not complete if I don't get chips in a day. It's like my brain's freezing."

He held the chips solemnly in his lap while gazing out the window of Akashi's room.

Tokyo was slowly getting to start its bustling, busy morning as he would soon take a rest after this all was over.

"If you eat chips and work hard for the next volume, I don't have anything to say."

"I eat chips while working."

"You've always been on more chewing terms than drawing."

"For the record, I came just in time before the deadline, Akaashi-san. Let's not forget about that."

Udai ignored that Akashi sighed just after he spoke. It was the loudest and clearest he ever heard.

It was quiet for some time until Akaashi turned the last page and all the checks were completed.

Glancing at the table, Udai was still half-chewing when he asked, “Are you finished, Akaashi-san?”

Akaashi confirms, then adds, “If there are no obstacles, the publication will proceed as scheduled.”

Udai nods, “I guess I can rest now.”

“Please.”

Udai almost complains, but instead he helps himself to stand up and excused himself. “Then. I’ll go home and rest. Ja ne, Akaashi-san. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Udai had stepped away when Akaashi called out. So he stopped and turned back to the editor who immediately greeted him with a question.

“Are you free on the weekend?”

Udai frowns. He did not expect such a question coming from a guy at all.

“This weekend?”

Akaashi showed two tickets to Udai who was increasingly confused about what he was dealing with. “I got extra tickets for the theater show on the weekend.”

Udai paused for a moment, trying to figure out the best response in the midst of his confusion. Wait a minute. “We’re... going together?”

“No. I’m busy this weekend.”

Of course.

Udai feels betrayed by Akaashi’s flat, nonchalant answer. Something so obvious shouldn’t have been said out loud like that. And how do he explain this… he feels rejected and uncomfortable as his head went everywhere, to the most ridiculous things he could think of.

“You can go with anyone with those tickets.”

“Anyone?”

“Anyone. Someone of your friends or maybe your girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?”

Then Akaashi’s question came like a bolt of lightning, “You don’t have something like that?”

Udai laughed blandly. “No.”

His laughter was gone but a smile was forced to line his lips when he rewarded the editor with a more or less the same question. “Why don’t you take your girlfriend instead?”

“I told you I’d be busy this weekend.”

Udai was caught off guard. He was half taken aback when he asked, “You have a girlfriend, Akaashi-san?”

“Yes.”

“Eeeehh? But who?” It would not be an exaggeration to say that Udai was almost shrieking at that surprisingly unexpected fact.

But on the other hand, Akaashi was too casual about it.

“Of course it’s none of your business.” The editor responded. This time he added, “If you can’t take these tickets, you’d better go home and rest. Please reduce your eye bags by getting enough sleep and eating regularly. Your fansign is next month, Udai-san.”

Udai laughed, he shook his head as he said, “Akaashi-san, you must have been a strict nerd with an angelic heart.”

“Thank you. I don’t know if I have ever been a nerd for even once.”

“Geeeh.”

Akaashi’s brows lifted, watching the curly-haired manga artist, “hm?”

Udai turned after bowing very politely to Akaashi, forcing the editor to return the bow properly. He then excused himself politely and closed the door very quietly. Weekly Shonen employs one hell of an editor and it’s Akaashi Keiji.

********************************************************

After a long and fairly strict process, the 22nd volume of Zombie Knight Zomb’ish was finally released. Reader responses were varied, but positive responses dominated. Then after all the process was over, the long awaited fansign that had been scheduled had come.

If asked about how familiar he is with fansigns—given that he is a manga artist—then Udai would honestly say that to this day he is still unfamiliar with some interaction with fans or fan service in modern words.

At his first fansign, Udai barely said anything and just kept his head down, focusing on the part where the fans came to ask him to sign their books. It wasn’t until Akaashi came whispering to him, telling him what he should say and do when his fans came, that Udai improved.

It wasn’t just a newfound nervousness. Since long time ago, Udai had never been very good with people. He had never really grasped the full feeling of being attached to his surroundings. Or maybe, he had, but only briefly.

Today, however, as the manga artist Udai Tenma, when he was confronted with fans lined up to wait their turn for just a few seconds with him, he had to overcome that weakness of his.

Sitting behind the the table was Udai, dressed more neatly than usual: not in a hoodie or plain t-shirt wrapped in his usual dark jacket, but in a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair, well... his hair remained in its usual style. Only, this time, he tried his best to avoid Mr. Akaashi always-demanding-the-best-of-what-one-can-give Keiji protests by styling his hair a bit neater.

From beside the desk where he sat, it was Akaashi who stood watching him like an owl from time to time.

“Good afternoon, thank you for coming and reading Zombie Knight Zomb’ish!”

In front of him was a quiet middle school student, reminiscent of the days when he was a student: the aloof, hostile, not really stood out, high-schooler Udai Tenma.

Udai wrote down that fan’s name after he spelled it and signed in the same place as where he signed it to the fan before him after learning that he had no special requests. Just like that, the youngster excused himself quickly from the spotlight. Udai was intrigued by the bit of the past that the fan brought before him, catching a little fragment of himself that used to hate attention in more or less the same way.

His smile lingered as he greeted the next fan who was surprisingly excited to meet him. Without prompting, she expressed her thoughts on his work. It was always pleasant to hear some people express their likeness about how good his works are, but to hear someone passionately declare an addiction to his work was something quite ridiculous and amusing.

Just before security let the next fan in, from behind came Akaashi who commented, “At least that person won’t be having an msg overdose.”

Udai still had a chance to reply, “Come on! It’s not that I’m addicted to some weirder things.”

“Alright. Please turn around and say hello to your fans, Udai-san.”

Udai returned to being the manga artist his fans had been eager to meet.

“Good afternoon. Thank you for coming and thank you for always reading Zombie Knight Zomb'ish!”

Udai didn’t expect that someone would talk about anything other than how much they loved and appreciated his work. He did not expect that the day would come when one of his fans would say something about him.

“Seeing you in person really amazed me. You have a very handsome face and a very sweet personality.”

“Eh?”

Udai almost stopped when he realized that of all people, he was the one who objected most to what was said about him instead of feeling grateful that one of his many fans was saying nice things about him in person. No, instead he was amused at himself blushing over the unsubstantiated accusation.

He swore he wanted to say something in his defense if only their time was not up and he had to attend to the next fan immediately. In the end, in a low tone under his breath, Udai said, “You must have the wrong person.”

Behind him, he caught an amused huff that made him take the time to slightly threaten the dreamy editor through his gaze. He had just enough time to return before the next fan arrived, more than enough to hear how the first thing the fan noticed was that the very editor standing behind him had a cute face.

That was definitely not something new. It was no secret that Akaashi had a charming face that attracted attention from the moment Udai first met him. As a man, Udai admitted that Akaashi had everything that made him worthy of being called a handsome man: a certain amount of coolness, a charming face, a serious and hardworking tendency in everything he did, a dexterity that he picked up from his days as a setter at one of Tokyo’s powerschools, and a fashion sense that was definitely a ladies’ delight. But definitely not with how fans express Akaashi Keiji in their dictionary.

Udai swore that he desperately had to hold back his laughter when the fan said that Akaashi looked like a baby owl.

If only Udai had enough time to pull out his cell phone, he would have taken a picture of Akaashi blushing. A super rare sight.

From then on, after the fansign, Udai started bringing up the fan’s words. It was clear to see how the strict editor Akaashi Keiji was caught off-guard by a fan praising him out of the blue.

At lunchtime, Udai didn’t stop teasing Akaashi about it, being so serious when stating that soon, the editor might be getting his own fans, or might soon be holding his own fansign considering that, at the end of the fansign, some fans had gathered and questioned whether the editor-san could get into the photo.

After quite happily colonizing Akaashi with the childishness he suddenly developed at the last minute, Udai excused himself and went to the toilet.

When he finished, Udai was walking at a leisurely pace. But fate wrote something different by still making him bump into someone even at the most leisure pace he took, even when he made sure that he paid attention to his surroundings this time.

Right in front of the corridor, a cell phone fell to the floor, followed by its owner he had just bumped into who immediately bent down to apologize and immediately followed to pick up her cell phone at the same time as Udai who also rushed to grab the phone for her.

Udai did not immediately get up when his eyes caught something he did not expect. Something unfamiliar yet familiar and warm in his memory. He stopped when the person he bumped into walked past him.

The sound of her footsteps gradually moving further away from her back, then stopped.

Seconds slowed in his world. The bustling sounds of the shopping center were drowned out by the silence that suddenly erupted through this unexpected coincidence. His heartbeat slowed down as if accounting for every second that passed. Inside his head, questions about this and that swirled around. He was not exaggerating anything to say that his world had once a blizzard. When the voice came, the snow in his world melted away, forcibly driven away with the unfamiliar warmth of spring bursting from the bottom of his chest when the voice rang in his ears.

“Udai... san?”

There were a few seconds that he missed before he helped himself to turn around, welcoming a presence he never dared to expect to be anywhere before his eyes.

His world turned into a black and white panel as all the color he knew returned to the girl.

“You’re... Udai-san, right? Udai Tenma-san. Right?”

Udai knew what name he would call, what he would say when his senses reconnected with that presence. Her.

He swallowed, swallowing all the feelings that came together in this unexpected encounter, trying to stem them with a little courage to open his voice.

“Sasaki?”

Sasaki Tsubasa, the one who is staring at him with a glimmer of newly flushed pleasure in her eyes. Her smile amused. Her eyes warm. Steadily, not awkward like him, she helped herself to face him properly.

“Oh. It’s really you, Udai-san.”

The time her smile bloomed, his world that once was a black and white panel, turned colorful. Just like when cherry blossoms bloomed during the first day of spring, she was there to color everything again.

“Thankfully, I didn’t get the wrong person.”

—

next chapter coming soon.

[ask-shining-hoshi]

i’ve been trying to make art in the haikyuu style since i found the series almost ten years ago but this might be one of the only times i feel like i kinda got it 

even if it was heavily referenced 

[newgabeorder]

Imagine & Learn Once More With Shoyo and the Karasuno High Volleyball Team!

Welcome back, anime fans. I'm Gabriel Ramos, your DJ and broadcaster for Toon Time Theater. I have been thinking of how to use my timeslots wisely and more effectively, and I decided to bring back HAIKYU!! to finish off the rest of the first season. I previously dropped the series when I finally discontinued E/I programming for the first time, but by the time I brought back Dr.STONE I also had to premiere Ascendance of a Bookworm for a more varied E/I lineup that isn't Shonen Jump-heavy.

Here is the lineup for April 21, 2024 until a fourth U-PICK winner gets decided, but you don't have to take my word for it.

210424

Element Cannon

7.0A - Pokémon Master Journeys

7.5A - X-MEN (Episode 3)

Amazing Fantasy

8.0A – TSUBASA: Reservoir Chronicle (Season 2, Episode 30)

8.5A - ZOM 100: BUCKET LIST OF THE DEAD (Episode 4)*

Stealth Assassins

9.0A - Ninja Kamui (Episode 11)*

9.5A - NARUTO SHIPPUDEN E485*

SHONEN JUMP

10.0A - ONE PIECE*

10.5A - DRAGON BALL Z KAI (Episode 8, rerun)*

Hall of Fame

11.0A - IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix (Episode 24)

11.5A - HAIKYU!! (Season 1, Episode 14, E/I)

* Also on Toonami

Not to mention U-PICK No.4 is official. From April 28 to May 5, I will run a U-PICK poll, and during this time period you have to vote for what cartoon you want me to live-stream in May depending on my mood. Your possible choices are as follows:

• BLACK CAT*

• The Apothecary Diaries

• The Rising of the Shield Hero (Season 1)

• Re:Zero ~Starting Life in Another World~ (Season 1)

I have made it so most of the choices are modern cartoons. Hopefully you will all participate in this poll this time, since the previous one was lackluster anyways. I am also jumping on the isekai bandwagon by making The Rising of the Shield Hero and Re:Zero possible choices. (It seemed no one voted for Sonic X previously, despite being an isekai.)

* This is Gonzo's and FUNimation's animated adaptation of the Shonen Jump manga of the same name. BLACK CAT can also refer to one of Train Heartnet's aliases. I made BLACK CAT a possible choice since I have no plans to broadcast MY HERO ACADEMIA (another Shonen Jump cartoon), but I have to give my viewers another alternative that would also grab attention since BLACK CAT is part of the Shonen Jump brand.

[thatbuggygirl]

So super close to being done with Haikyu (I have two more volumes of the manga to go) and it still throws me every time Suga is referred to by his entire surname or -even moreso- his full name.

[kloudprince]

Ok cool, what kind of stuff are you into? You said you're in college, what's your major?

Currently very into a minecraft youtube series referred to as the life series. It involves a lot of content creators from the Hermitcraft and Empires servers. I'm also a huge anime & manga fan. Fav series is Haikyu. I also really like Superhero comics and other adjacent media. (big MCU fan) I also really enjoy history and geography. I quite literally just look at maps for fun lol

As for college, I'm an English major and am working on getting my teaching certification. I'm also gonna try and get a creative writing certification. I love writing stories, one of my favorite hobbies.

What about you? What sorts of things are you interested in?

[haikyuushop]

Haikyuu Purple Pullovers Hoodies: share your passion around Manga and Haikyu Anime by proudly wearing this Sweatshirt! Japanese Style Sweatshirt : dress with what suits you 100% organic cotton with quality fibers FREE STANDARD DELIVERY To choose the size ideal, refer to the size guide below. You are advised to take 1 size larger than your usual size. Material Polyester, Cotton

[suckishima]

“There’s just something about a good, hot meal that makes it feel like everything’s gonna turn out okay.” - Chp. 369 Food Becomes Muscle

[gggordia]

after hours

[pastaandpencils]

I’m binging Haikyu, so might as well make my own volleyball team 

[xpao-bearx]

*Chucks volleyball to your face*

Now that I got your attention... Hey-ho, fellow Haikyu!! simps~ \(☆o☆)/

I have recently reached the point where I'm too fooken deep in my HQ obsession and I have done what most fans both love and hate: Putting blood, sweat, and tears into creating an OC!

Okay, maybe I'm being a lil dramatic, but oh well xD

Anyhoe, below is my beloved baby! She's still a work in progress and I'll maaaybe post more updates about her, but so far this is what I got (I've also TRIED writing her similar to the official character profiles from the HQ manga)! Also, only mah lovely waifu @dramione-4-lyf knows more info about this OC that I shared :3

P.S. I'm really hoping to write a fanfic with her one day and if you're ever interested in RPing or even just chatting with trashy ol' meh, then pls feel free to HMU anytime! 😄

《^^^All credit goes to the incredibly talented artist!!! I simply made this avatar HERE》

💖ICHIKA NANAMI💖

The Bimbo

"Like, DUH, of course I know how drop dead gorgeous I am! But that's not all there is to me, y'know!"

Karasuno High School

Class 1-1

Position: Karasuno Boys' Volleyball Club Team's (Self-Appointed) Cheerleader

Height: 5'5" (almost 5'6")

Weight: 135 lbs (as of April, 1st year of highschool)

Birthday: July 30

Favourite Food: Potato croquettes (or korokke)

Current Worry: She wants to make friends, but most people avoid or are mean to her for some reason that she can't understand.

ABILITY PARAMETERS (5-Point Scale)

Speed: 3

Power: 3

Jumping: 4

*Technique: 4

Intelligence: 2

Stamina: 4

*NOTE: The technique parameter on this scale refers solely to Ichika's skills in regards to cheerleading, not volleyball or anything else.

[hellobunny044]

Panels. | Series

An Original Haikyū AU Pairing “Udai Tenma” The Original Little Giant Of Karasuno High School

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Summary

< panel. in manga art, panel refers to the frame that wraps around one moment in time on a manga page. >

Udai Tenma, a manga artist, currently doing well with his high-selling Zombie Knight Zomb’ish, is dealing with the stress of his looming deadlines and the demand from his task-focus, super perfectionist editor, Akaashi Keiji. During a meet and greet for his manga’s special edition, Udai bumped into his first love from high school, Sasaki Tsubasa. Memories of their past meet-ups start flooding back, and Udai begins to wonder if he has really moved on.

********************************************************

Chapter List

Panel - 1 “Crunching Pages, Unlocking Hearts”

Panel - 2 “Memory of An Encounter”

Panel - 3 “Scratches, Lines, Panels”

Panel - 4 “Ink Stained”

Panel - 5 “Reflection of The Unfinished Panel”

Panel - 6 “Smiles and Longing”

Panel - 7 “Contact”

Panel - 8 “Unreliable Man”

Panel - 9 “A Broken Wings and Awkward Glances”

Panel - 10 “Resurfaces”

Panel - 11 “First Love”

Panel - 12 “Wings”

Panel - 13 “Summer’s Spring: Volleyball, Manga, and Love”

Panel - 14 “Summer’s Spring: Volleyball, Manga, and Love part II”

Panel - 15 “Echoes of The Lost Love”

Panel - 16 “Reset”

Panel - 17 “Revisiting Old Flames and Rekindling Regrets”

Panel - 18 “A New Panel”

Panel - 19 “Unforgotten Regret”

Panel - 20 “Brand New Ending”

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: The Top 10 Anime OPs of 2020 According to YOU!

  As we near the voting period for the Anime Awards where we will collectively determine the anime bests of the year 2020, the well-worn adage of “never skip the OP” comes to mind. I’m confident we’ll make the best choice, but there were many great OPs this year that won't make the cut to be highlighted in the nominations. So let’s take a look back at some of the year’s greatest not determined by our admittedly extremely qualified panel of judges, but by numbers and you, the fans.

  We’ve been posting up OPs on YouTube all year and have even made a playlist for 2020 — so what better way to unbiasedly look at the year's best than with the most important votes of all? Views. Below I’ve composed a Top 10 list of anime OPs featured on Crunchyroll Collection YouTube Channel by views at 30 days so as not to give an unfair advantage to OPs posted earlier in the year. This is not a perfect metric — as I’ll get into a bit later — but delivers either an interesting look at what people have been watching this year or, at the very least, some great new additions to your playlist on YouTube ...

  10. Black Clover - "Everlasting Shine" by TOMORROW X TOGETHER

    The collision of anime and K-pop will become a theme on this list, so it’s only natural that it should begin with the collaboration between TOMORROW X TOGETHER and the anime that has never missed an OP. Black Clover hit off its next slate of anime-original content under the supervision of Yuki Tabata with a killer opening highlighting the magic knight captains. "Everlasting Shine" cleared 800k views in its first month and joined the series’ killer playlist snuggly between songs by Snowman.

  9. HAIKYU!! TO THE TOP - "Phoenix" by BURNOUT SYNDROMES

    BURNOUT SYNDROMES brought in the new year with a bang, heralding the beginning of Haikyu’s spring tournament arc with yet another absolute banger of an OP to compete with their own iconic "Hikare Are" and "Fly High!" Phoenix rose to claim 900k views in 30 days, especially impressive since Karasuno had no highlight opponents facing them down in the first half of the new TO THE TOP season.

  8. Black Clover - "Stories" by Snowman

    Black Clovers 11th OP had a lot of weight to carry introducing the first post-manga content the anime had to offer and nailed it with a Snowman collaboration so good that the group not only got signed to return for OP 13, but Daisuke Sakuma voiced an anime-original character designed just for him in Episode 140. "Stories" came just under 1 million views in its first month at 950k, joining the pantheon of hit Black Clover OPs.

  7. Rent-a-Girlfriend - "Centimeter" by the peggies

    I don’t know about you, but ever since Sarazanmai’s spectacular ED "Stand by Me" featuring the peggies, I’ve been waiting for more anime music by the group, and it is absolutely not a surprise to see their next collaboration on this list. They delivered an absolutely addictive song which TMS elevated with some great dance moves and brilliant color work. A smart move, as we’ll see later in this list.

  No metric for measurement is perfect and "Centimeter" may be the best example of where this list sells an OP short. The song barely cleared 1 million views in its first month and placed the peggies in the Number 7 spot, however, the viewership on Rent-a-Girlfriend’s OP has only accelerated since, and it now sits comfortably at 6 million views, tying it for second place in overall viewership. Looking back again in another six months, it might even be Number 1 ...

  6. Black Clover - "Black Catcher" by Vickeblanka

    The original Black Clover OP artists returned to close out the anime’s last wildly-escalating manga-adapted arc with a killer OP that got served up twice. First in a dark black-and-white aesthetic going into the series climactic battle, then again in brilliant color after the conclusion of the epic conflict. 

  "Black Catcher" brought in 1.1 million views in what is an astonishing sweep in popular viewership for this list. Every OP Black Clover dropped this year made it into the top 10. A spectacular feat for a series that serves up a new one every cour.

  5. Re:ZERO Season 2 - "Realize" by Konomi Suzuki

    In a series so notorious for outright ignoring it’s OP and/or EDs for the majority of its episodes to pack in as much extra time as possible for Subaru’s continued suffering, it’s absolutely amazing how quality each of its OPs has been. "Realize" rapidly ascended to 1.5 million in its first month and has since aged like a fine wine as the events of the series slowly added context to many of the unusual and intriguing visuals therein.

  4. JUJUTSU KAISEN - "Kaikai Kitan" by Eve

    Launching one of the most anticipated new series in years and adapted by studio MAPPA, who has acted as the headline studio of 2020 with multiple hit productions, "Kaikai Kitan" was a shoo-in for this list. JUJUTSU KAISEN didn’t disappoint with a slick OP directed by one of the all-time animation greats and Naruto alumni Shingo Yamashita. "Kaikai Kitan" cleared 2 million in its first 30 days, and if anything, is only accelerating as the series’ sterling production continues to draw more fans. Also, TOHO released the video early on their own channel, where it’s performing even better.

  3. Boruto - "Hajimatteiku Takamatteiku" by Sambomaster

    This ED stands out as a love letter to Naruto in an anime that is essentially one big love letter to Naruto. Returning to the franchise after crafting what may have been the original Naruto’s most iconic OP, "Rhapsody of Youth," Sambomaster delivers yet another bop, while Pierrot seeded the visual sequence with references to many iconic Naruto OP visuals. "Hajimatteiku Takamatteiku" cleared 2 million views in its first month and was the perfect introduction for the series' slow build toward the manga’s Kara arc.

  2. The God of High School - "Contradiction" ft. Tyler Carter by KSUKE

      Subtlety is not The God of High School’s thing and "Contradiction" dropped like a punch in the face with some completely wild visuals and music. Techno doesn’t often make appearances in anime OPs, so a song composed by KSUKE featuring the American metalcore vocalist of Issues, Tyler Carter, was a galaxy away from ordinary even in a year where an avalanche of K-pop has been dropping into anime. The accompanying visuals could only be described as aggressive with fight scenes set under a color-swapped psychedelic blacklight style effect. 2.5 million viewers tuned in in the first month, and the song recently cleared 6 million to continue competing with Rent-a-Girlfriend's "Centimeter" from the same season.

  1. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! - "Easy Breezy" by chelmico

    It really couldn’t have been anyone else. Storyboarded by Masaaki Yuasa himself and animated with some surprisingly analog techniques by the talented French animator Abel Gongora, "Easy Breezy" cleared 3 million views in its first month and has breezed its way past 10 million over the course of 2020. This OP was easy, it was breezy, and it was super meme-y. The riffs of the girls of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! dancing to chelmico’s addicting tune were absolutely legion and for good reason, the loud colors, the simple style, and the Drake references were a perfect breeding ground for some truly inspired fan content, making it, in my opinion, the only choice for OP of the Year for 2020.

  Gotta say I’m overjoyed to see Eizouken at the top of the list even after spending half a year working that earworm out of my head, as well as so much love for Black Clover's OPs which have really been an achievement in quality even against Pierrot’s own storied legacy in Naruto and Bleach music.

  And don’t think I’m stopping here. While many fans studiously never skip the OP, I also never skip the ED ...

  What's your favorite OP from this list? Let us know in the comments. And tune in tomorrow for the top EDs of 2020 according to YouTube!

      Peter Fobian is an Associate Producer at Crunchyroll, writer for Anime Academy and Anime in America, and an editor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features! 

By: Peter Fobian

[earformusic]

My Top Five Favorite Anime Opening Themes

Ever since the beginning of self-quarantine, I’ve somehow regressed back into my middle school anime phase. Over the past few months, I’ve managed to finish a whopping 33 animes, and I know this list will just continue to grow. Due to me falling back in love with anime, I was reminded of how much I love anime openings (OPs). There’s something about the memorability and catchiness of anime OPs that pushed me to create a playlist full of my favorites. So, here is a list of my top five favorite anime OPs counting down from 5:

5. Masatoshi Ono - Departure! [Hunter × Hunter]

Staring off at number five we have “Departure!” by Masatoshi Ono. This theme has a bright upbeat sound that suits the overall happy nature of the beginning arc of Hunter × Hunter. Listening to this song reminds me of the joyful adventures main character Gon Freecss shares with his friends, and just puts me in a happy mood with every listen. The lyrics also fit this joyous sound, as well as display the journey Gon goes on throughout the anime. “You can smile again / Basking in the sunlight / You can fly away / Time to rise up. Shine your light. Show the world you can make the climb!” [translated from Japanese]. The lyrics of this theme are both inspirational and motivational, which is one of the many reasons why I like it so much!

4. BURNOUT SYNDROMES - FLY HIGH!! [Haikyu!!] 

With the Haikyu!! manga ending this past week, listening to this song brings such nostalgia that I knew it had to make the list! Out of all the Haikyu!! OPs thus far, “FLY HIGH!!” by BURNOUT SYNDROMES from season two takes the spot as my favorite. The high upbeat intensity of the song fits the similarly high intensity show. The lyrics of this song also parallel a big point of symbolism throughout the anime: flying/birds. Haikyu!! depicts the main character, Shōyō Hinata, along with the rest of his volleyball team at Karasuno High School experiencing the highs and lows of high school sports while learning important life lessons along the way. No surprise, the team’s mascot is a crow. In the anime, the characters are shown to slowly “fly” higher and higher: achieving their dreams and goals one step at a time with many hardships and victories along the way. With lyrics [translated from Japanese] such as “With your wings that shine with sweat, blood and tears, / leave everything, everything behind, / And fly, fly; fly high” the song gives both an inspirational feel as well as fits with a huge symbolic point in the anime.

3. Linked Horizon - Shinzo wo Sasageyo! [Attack on Titan]

With Attack on Titan being my favorite anime, it was definitely hard picking my favorite of its opening themes, especially considering how much I truly adore each of them. However, I finally decided on “Shinzo wo Sasageyo!” by Linked Horizon, which opened the second season of the anime. The title of the theme translates to “Dedicate Your Heart!”, which directly refers to the Survey Corps’ (also known as the Scout Regiment) salute where they put their fist to their heart. However, this doesn’t necessarily relate to a happy theme of the scouts dedicating their lives to making the world a better place for future generations to come but rather to physically putting their lives on the line when working to rid the world of man eating beasts known as “titans”. Despite the energetic sound of the song itself, the lyrics take on a darker theme that parallel the darkness portrayed throughout the anime. The lyrics touch on how the scouts must wage war against these awful beasts, putting their lives on the line “until [their] hearts have stopped” [translated from Japanese]. I appreciate the almost ‘anthem feel’ of this song, as if you can imagine the actual scouts chanting this song on their way to battle.

2. LiSA - Gurenge [Demon Slayer]

LiSA, whose real name is Risa Oribe, is a popular Japanese singer/songwriter/lyricist. She’s written opening themes for popular animes other than Demon Slayer, such as Fate/Zero and Sword Art Online. “Gurenge” is a song perfect for blasting in the car and screaming the lyrics. LiSA’s strong, raspy voice mixed with an almost punk rock sound make for such a memorable song, and the type to get stuck in your head for weeks.  Lyrics such as “If you can become stronger for someone / Get up again and again” relate back to the journey of main character Tanjiro Kamado. This theme has always been one of my favorites to get me hyped up, and considering Demon Slayer’s high intensity feel, the song suits the anime well.

1. TK from Ling tosite sigure - Unravel [Tokyo Ghoul]

Last but certainly not least, we have “Unravel” from season one of the popular anime series Tokyo Ghoul taking the first place spot. Even after listening to this song for the first time in years, I was reminded of how amazing it is. The lyrics themselves speak on the struggles of the main character, Kaneki Ken, who is burdened with two opposing minds: the human mind and the mind of a ghoul. You can hear the raw passion in the singer Toru Kitajima (TK)’s voice as he belts the lyrics atop an instrument-heavy melody. The strong drums throughout the chorus make this song as memorable as it is, and perfect for blasting in the car on a long drive or playing loudly in your earbuds late at night.

Special Mention: Fuyunohanashi [Given] 

Though this isn’t technically an anime OP, I have such a special place in my heart for this song that I just had to mention it. Everything about this song, from the lyrics to the tone of Mafuyu’s character who sings it, sends chills down my spine every time I hear it. I remember the first time I watched the scene where Mafuyu sings this song, and I started sobbing because of how emotional it was. The lyrics truly speak from his character’s heart, and by including this scene at the climax of the anime it really left a lasting impression. My favorite part of “Fuyunohanashi” is when you hear the character Mafuyu scream as it fades into a guitar riff, as he finally lets out all the emotions he was holding in for so long. On top of all of this, “Fuyunohanashi” is such a strong instrument-heavy song mixed with a memorable guitar riff, so much so that it sounds like it could be released by any famous artist rather than just being apart of an anime. Though the song is filled with passion and longing, it closes with the translated lyric “As I try to move forward again, even though I couldn’t say goodbye / You’ll always be here with me”. This resolution completes the song in such a striking way, showing the main character’s growth after so much suffering.

We’ve finally reached the end of my top five anime openings list, and I hope you enjoyed it! To all the anime fans reading this, I hope you spotted one of your favorite animes or opening themes. But if you’ve never watched anime before, I highly recommend doing so! There are so many different types of anime out there, so you’re bound to find one that you like!

If you’d like to check out more of my favorite anime OPs, here’s a link to my Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KVNNJt2qTAtU7cEJGTCVq?si=sELGxzVOTRi54dyOAZSugQ

[malewifenat]

hi! i’m nat (or moth) and i’m a nb lesbian (he/she/they).

*i am a minor. dni if you are uncomfortable with that or a pxdo*

currently i like:

- anime (i’m most active in haikyu!!, hxh, banana fish, devilman crybaby and jjk)

- manga

- music (my url is a screaming females reference!!)

- art and poetry

- astrology (i’m a gemini sun, aries moon, and virgo ascendant!)

my tags refuse to organize themselves, so they tell literally nothing about my current blog, sorry about that lmao.

have a great day and stay safe!! 🌙

[amalthea-201801]

What the heck ..?! (╯‵□′)╯︵┴─┴

So ..

I just finished reading the latest chapters of Haikyu!! because I left the story in the middle of Karasuno vs. Kamomedai game (I just let the chapters accumulate and then read it in one go) ..

But NEVER have I thought that Hinata would be pulled out because of a fever and ..

ABSOLUTELY NEVER have I thought that Karasuno will lose in the spring high ..

My heart's already been torn to shreds with this scene ..

And I felt a little bit better because Kenma left watching the game just to support Hinata and as a FRIEND ..

But still, look at Hinata's expression ..(〒︿〒)

And when I saw this cover ..

I had an inkling that there would be something not so great happening with the phrase "This same spring will never come again" but I squashed that thought thinking that it may have a positive meaning ..

Like spring never coming again means the third years' last year in high school playing volleyball so they should definitely win this or something ..

But yeah ..

When I saw this I still can't (I don't want to) believe Karasuno would lose ..

I was like ..

"huh? huh? huh? HUUUHHHHH?!"

And thankfully my room mate didn't wake up because of the noise I'm making ..

LIKE IT'S 4 IN THE MORNING ..

But with this ..

I don't have a choice but to believe it ..

(Actually, Tsukishima having been pulled out because of a leg cramp was also another sign but I ignored it)

I know, with them losing, we can say the manga would continue in the long long run, it may even cover the rest of Hinata's High school career and even after that, i mean in the pros ..

Maybe because it's just THIS current team's last official game in high school playing together and they didn't win the tournament as a whole, that's why I'm feeling heart broken ..

(sighs)

So I guess let's just continue watching over these kids' growth and struggles ..(☍﹏⁰)

Anyways, this is just me letting out my feelings so there ..

p.s.

That

"There is no more"

actually refers to chapters, like the app i'm using always shows that whenever there's no chapter available yet when I scrolled it up ..

And I don't know if it's just a coincidence or not but I feel it's mocking or really driving it home that there's really "NO MORE" games for Karasuno in the spring high because well, they lost ..

[demifiendrsa]

Shueisha launches free global MANGA Plus service in English Worldwid (except in Japan, China and Korea, who already have their own services). A Spanish version of the service is planned for launch between February and March.

The service has a total of 50 titles, including 13 completed series, and more titles will be added gradually. The service publishes new chapters of currently serialized manga from Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, Jump Square magazine, and the Shonen Jump+ service at the same time they are released in Japan. While MANGA Plus is free to download and use, users can also purchase compiled book volumes for specific manga. The first chapter and the latest chapter of currently serialized manga are also free. A portion of the revenue from advertisements on the website will go directly to the manga authors.   

The full starting lineup is below:

Ongoing series

ONE PIECE

The Promised Neverland

Jujutsu Kaisen - Sorcery Fight

My Hero Academia

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Haikyu!!

Black Clover

Chainsaw Man

Hinomaru Sumo

Food Wars: Shokugeki no Sōma

ne0;lation

I'm From Japan

Teenage Renaissance! David

BORUTO

We Never Learn

Dr. Stone

act-age

HUNTER×HUNTER (Suspended)

Hell Warden Higuma

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign

Blue Exorcist

Platinum End

World Trigger

Dragon Ball Super

Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V

Terra Formars

Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku

Summertime Render

Nano Hazard

The Sign of Abyss

Blue Flag

Abyss Rage

LAND ROCK

Soloist in A Cage

Curtain's up, I'm off

Spotless Love: This Love Cannot Be Any More Beautiful.

Dricam!!

Moon Land

Completed Series

NARUTO

Bakuman.

Rosario+Vampire

Nisekoi

Claymore

Tokyo Ghoul

ONE PIECE Part 1

Assassination Classroom

DEATH NOTE

DRAGON BALL

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story

BLEACH

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

 A message from Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto)

"Jump's manga will now be available at the same time all over the world! Now that it's an official service, there will be a lot to read! Wonderful!"

A message from Toyotaro (Dragon Ball Super manga)

As the artist behind Dragon Ball Super, do you get a lot of feedback from overseas fans? How would you characterize that feedback?

When I have been to overseas events, people have spoken to me. The way people overseas perceive and evaluate my work is very different from Japan, so it's been very helpful to me as reference for creating the story.

How important would you say the international audience is for the success of Dragon Ball Super?

Because Dragon Ball is loved throughout the entire world, I think that the sequel Dragon Ball Super must also be loved in the same way.

Are you personally excited that your overseas fans can now catch up and read your new chapters at the same time as Japan?

I am very grateful that there is no time lag for the release of the manga. If the information from Japan is conveyed in a fragmentary manner, then readers won't be able to taste the initial emotions and surprise. I am very excited about the simultaneous release.

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