I was hoping they would spend the hiatus attempting to find someone who sounded more like Tanaka rather than keeping Egawa. Noneth... The Geekiary Show all Character Development: Reviewers from The Geekiary and Otaku Orbit praised the episode for highlighting Hinata's growing awareness of his dependence on Kageyama. His willingness to act as a ball boy sets a major theme for the season: learning to "see" the game from the sidelines. Art Style & Animation: This season introduced a new art style more closely aligned with Haruichi Furudate’s later manga art. Some fans on Reddit were initially divided on the rounder character designs and flatter shading compared to previous seasons. Voice Acting & Music: A significant change was the debut of Egawa Hisao as Coach Ukai, following the passing of previous actor Tanaka Kazunari. Fans also highly rated the new opening theme,
The episode opens not on the court, but in a classroom. Hinata Shoyo, now a second-year in spirit (though still a first-year in the timeline), daydreams about the upcoming National Tournament. The primary narrative beats are: haikyuu season 4 episode 1