Haikyuu Chapter 380 Manga Review: “Greetings 2”

I’m not sure how frequently I’ll continue to review the Haikyuu manga, but I couldn’t not give my thoughts on this most recent chapter. In what has simultaneously felt like too long and not long enough, Haikyuu chapter 380, “Greetings 2”, gives us the start of the match we’ve all been waiting for. Some more reunions are trickling in (we’re still waiting on a few) but what matters is the game. All eyes are on the court for this one.

Haikyuu chapter 380 finally begins the match between the Black Jackals and the Adlers. We get the introductions for both teams, at last getting to see the full starting roster – and alas, Nishinoya is not a libero for either team. At least, not a starting libero.

So then where is he? Some fans think he may be one of the mascots.

There’s also a somewhat contrived explanation for why so many familiar characters just so happen to be playing professionally – the “monster generation”. It’s very Kuroko’s Basketball, and honestly it’s unnecessary. As someone who follows college football, sometimes it’s like that. Some years seem to be overflowing with talent, and in a league with so few teams, it’s reasonable that anyone that goes pro would wind up playing together.

But why am I wasting time talking about this nonsense when there’s that jump and that receive from the character that everyone largely agreed was one of the least skilled throughout the entire series?

It all makes sense now, why Furudate skipped Hinata’s tryout and training with the Jackals. It was so that this moment would have maximum impact. Let me tell you, I could not contain my excitement reading over those panels where Hinata both received Kageyama’s serve and then scored the point. This is what I have been waiting for.

This is why Hinata was in Brazil.

What does it for me are the reactions, first to Hinata’s receive and then to his jump and spike. The fan reactions have always been a big part of what makes up Haikyuu‘s humor. Oikawa and Iwaizumi showing up to watch the Karasuno/Shiratorizawa match made for some of my favorite interactions between them. So I’m really excited to see so many familiar faces in the crowd. So many reaction shots!

Everyone who knows Hinata is either amazed (Sawamura, Asahi, Sugawara) or elated (Kageyama), and everyone who doesn’t just has question marks over their heads. Hinata was an unknown force in high school that took everyone by surprise, and because he went to Brazil instead of immediately going pro, he’s surprising everyone again.

It’s Kageyama’s reaction, though, that is what makes this chapter. Their partnership, their rivalry, is the very foundation of the manga.

And it isn’t just that Hinata’s receive calls back to multiple moments in the manga (like their first and last meeting at Karasuno), it’s Kageyama’s, “Took you long enough,” to Hinata’s “I’m here”.

I love that Haikyuu chapter 380 continues bringing back old faces – Washijo has arrived to watch his sort of pupil. Shirabu is mentioned. Even Hinata’s middle school friends are in the crowd.

But it also makes me sad. This match and bringing so many people together just hammers it home that this manga is ending soon, and I don’t want it to.

Of course I have to speculate about who’s going to win, even though we’ve only had one point. Everything seems to point to the Adlers – they’ve beaten the Jackals three years in a row – but I think ultimately the Jackals will win. Now they have Sakusa and Hinata, and Hinata beating Kageyama is, like, his life’s goal. It has to happen at some point, or this series will fail at one of the biggest shonen tropes.

Have you read Haikyuu chapter 380? 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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