Haikyuu Chapter 379 Manga Review: “The Great Monster War”

The match of the century is about to begin in “The Great Monster War”. I still worry that this final arc is progressing too quickly, but Haikyuu chapter 379 does take a bit of a pause in order to bring everyone together for what is most likely the climactic match of the manga.

Haikyuu chapter 379 continues the reunions from chapter 378, bringing in not only the Karasuno second years (minus Nishinoya, who still has yet to appear) but Ukai and Takeda with the current Karasuno team. I suspect, from the way Asahi said, “Where’s Nishinoya?” and no one acknowledged it, that he may yet have something to do with this match.

We also saw a few more non-Karasuno alums – Semi and Ohira, there to cheer on Ushijima. I hope as the game goes on, we’ll get to see more of them. I’m dying to know what’s going on with Akaashi and Iwaizumi.

I’m a little surprised that Tanaka and Kiyoko ended up married. Some fans predicted it, but it doesn’t really make narrative sense. Kiyoko barely interacted with Tanaka and seemed wary of his overly enthusiastic affections. For them to have gotten married only emphasizes just how much we missed in the time jump (and further highlights why I hate time jumps).

And of course, we have our confrontation in front of the bathroom. This rivals Hinata’s bathroom encounter from chapter 108 because literally everyone is here. We even get a surprise Sakusa introduction – which means we’re finally going to see him play. It feels a little convenient, but I have a feeling this match is going to be heavy on the fan service.

Still, even with all of the fan service, Haikyuu chapter 379 does a great job of showing what it is about the series that has so many people enraptured – the characters. From Atsumu trying to act all mature and defending Hinata to Bokuto being Bokuto, there are some fantastic moments in this chapter. The ridiculous conversations and interactions have always been my favorite part of Haikyuu.

I think the bathroom encounter also shows how much Hinata has grown as a character. He would have normally gotten extremely nervous in the presence of all those great players, but he’s not intimidated at all. He’s confident in his abilities and is able to joke with them. Meanwhile, Atsumu is the one who looks like he wants to escape. (And don’t think I didn’t catch that Hinata’s a wing spiker now.)

But again, we didn’t get to see this development happen, and as such, it feels a little hollow. Every week I waffle back and forth on the time skip. I understand why Furudate did it, but it’s still difficult for me to accept. (I’ll probably do this every time I review a chapter.)

And then “The Great Monster War” does something like have Tanaka sob when Hinata steps on the court, Hinata imitate Kageyama to an elementary school kid, and show Ennoshita looking like a snack, and I’ll be happy again. What can I say? I am very easily appeased.

As much as it seems like this is the final match, I still have some hope that this is somehow all just set up for something else. I’m fairly positive the 2020 Olympics will be incorporated somehow; I’m just not sure whether or not we’ll get a full professional arc as well.

Have you read Haikyuu chapter 379? What did you think?

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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