Haikyuu VS The Little Giant: Release Date, Story, Characters and What Comes Next
Rushabh Bhosale
Haikyu!! is finally ready to continue the Spring High after The Dumpster Battle, and this time the anime is tackling two quarterfinal matches happening at the same stage of the tournament.
There is one important clarification, though: despite the two projects sometimes being described together as the next two Haikyu!! releases, they are not officially two movies. The first is a theatrical film, Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant. The second, Haikyu!! Where the Monsters Go (Bakemono-tachi no Iku Tokoro), is officially described as a special anime. Both are scheduled for 2027.
That distinction actually makes the plan more interesting. Rather than forcing every remaining Spring High storyline into one film, Production I.G is giving Karasuno's next match the theatrical spotlight while also adapting the huge Fukurodani vs. Mujinazaka showdown separately.
When Are the New Haikyu!! Anime Projects Coming Out?
Both Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant and Haikyu!! Where the Monsters Go are officially scheduled for 2027.
As of August 2026, the official Haikyu!! site has not announced an exact premiere date for either project. VS The Little Giant is confirmed for theatrical release in Japan, while the official site now says Where the Monsters Go will air in 2027.
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So the confirmed status is simple: two new Haikyu!! anime projects in 2027, but only one of them is currently billed as a movie.
That is worth keeping clear because search results and fan discussion can easily turn "two new anime projects" into "two new movies."
The First Project: Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant
The headline event is Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant, the theatrical continuation of Karasuno's Spring High run.
After surviving the extraordinary match against Nekoma in The Dumpster Battle, Karasuno advances to the quarterfinals. Waiting for Hinata and the team is Kamomedai High, led by Korai Hoshiumi.
Hoshiumi is not just another elite opponent. He is one of the most important players Hinata could possibly meet at this point in his story.
Both are undersized attackers competing in a sport that constantly rewards height. Both can jump at an exceptional level. Both refuse to accept that being short should define the ceiling of what they can become. But Hoshiumi is not simply "another Hinata." He represents a more complete version of the path Hinata has been chasing.
That is why the title VS The Little Giant matters.
Hinata began Haikyu!! inspired by Karasuno's legendary Little Giant. Now he faces a player carrying the same kind of reputation—and the match forces him to reconsider what becoming a great volleyball player actually means.
Our existing essay on why Haikyu!! is about effort without a promise of greatness is particularly relevant here, because Hinata vs. Hoshiumi pushes that idea harder than almost any previous match.
Hinata vs. Hoshiumi Is More Than a Rivalry
It would be easy to market the movie as a simple battle between two short, explosive players. The manga gives the matchup much more weight than that.
Hinata has spent much of the series trying to compensate for what he lacks. His speed, jumping ability and partnership with Kageyama allow him to break through defenses that should overwhelm him physically. But his journey has also been about realizing that spectacular athleticism alone is not enough.
Hoshiumi is dangerous because his game is broader. He forces Hinata to look at skills beyond the one thing that originally made him feel special.
The movie therefore arrives at exactly the right point in Hinata's development. After the emotional fulfillment of finally playing Nekoma on the national stage, Karasuno immediately faces a match that asks a much less nostalgic question: how much further does Hinata still have to go?
Who Is Kamomedai High?
Kamomedai is built to make Karasuno uncomfortable.
Hoshiumi may be the obvious star, but reducing the team to him would miss why this quarterfinal is so difficult. Kamomedai is disciplined, technically formidable and especially dangerous at the net. Their blocking creates a different problem from the chaotic familiarity Karasuno experienced against Nekoma.
That matters for the movie's structure. The Dumpster Battle could draw on years of history between Karasuno and Nekoma. VS The Little Giant has to generate its tension differently: through the volleyball itself, through Hinata's confrontation with Hoshiumi, and through the feeling that Karasuno has reached a stage where every opponent can end their tournament.
The Second Project: Haikyu!! Where the Monsters Go
While Karasuno faces Kamomedai, another Spring High quarterfinal is happening elsewhere.
Fukurodani Academy vs. Mujinazaka High will be adapted in the special anime Haikyu!! Where the Monsters Go.
For fans of Kotaro Bokuto, this is a major piece of the remaining story.
Bokuto has always been one of Haikyu!!'s most charismatic players: loud, emotional, explosive and capable of turning a match into his personal stage. But his larger arc is not about becoming less emotional. It is about becoming a player who can carry his team without requiring everyone around him to constantly carry his mood.
Mujinazaka gives that growth the perfect opponent.
Bokuto vs. Kiryu Is the Match Fans Have Been Waiting For
Mujinazaka is led by Wakatsu Kiryu, one of Japan's nationally recognized top high-school aces.
That immediately gives Bokuto a measuring stick beyond personality and popularity. This is a match involving two elite aces with very different relationships to pressure, responsibility and their own strength.
The official site's newest action preview emphasizes exactly that confrontation, showing Bokuto and Kiryu trading powerful spikes while both teams collide at full intensity.
For Bokuto, this is one of the matches that shows why Fukurodani is not merely a colorful rival school orbiting Karasuno. They have their own national tournament to win.
That is why adapting the match separately is such a good decision. Compressing it into a few scenes inside Karasuno's movie would turn an important character payoff into background information.
Why Are These Two Matches Being Released Separately?
The two quarterfinals occur during the same phase of the Spring High tournament, but they serve very different characters.
VS The Little Giant belongs primarily to Hinata, Hoshiumi and Karasuno's attempt to keep advancing.
Where the Monsters Go gives Bokuto, Kiryu, Fukurodani and Mujinazaka the space their match needs.
This also addresses one of the biggest concerns fans had after the anime moved from television seasons to theatrical releases: there is a lot of manga material left, and volleyball matches lose their impact when too many rallies and character beats are compressed.
A dedicated special does not guarantee that every manga scene will survive, but it gives the Fukurodani match far more room than treating it as a side plot inside the movie.
Is Where the Monsters Go a Movie?
Officially, no.
The Japanese Haikyu!! site consistently labels VS The Little Giant as a theatrical film and Where the Monsters Go as a special anime. The latest August 2026 update says the special anime will be broadcast in 2027.
That does not make it a minor project. It is adapting one of the major Spring High quarterfinals and has received its own promotional visuals and footage. But readers looking for "the two new Haikyu movies" should know the precise format.
What Happened Before These New Projects?
The last major anime installment was Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, released in Japan in 2024.
That film finally delivered Karasuno vs. Nekoma on the national stage—the match the series had been building toward since the teams first began practicing against each other. The official Haikyu!! site reports that the film surpassed 20 billion yen in worldwide box office revenue, underlining how successfully the franchise transitioned from television into theaters.
VS The Little Giant begins from the aftermath of that victory. Karasuno does not get a long emotional break. The Spring High bracket keeps moving.
That is important for newcomers returning after a gap: watch The Dumpster Battle before the 2027 movie.
Who Is Making Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant?
Production I.G is returning for animation production, maintaining the studio connection that has defined the anime since the television series began.
The official movie site also lists Susumu Mitsunaka as director and scriptwriter. Mitsunaka directed the earlier Haikyu!! television seasons and returned to direct The Dumpster Battle, so the new film continues with a filmmaker deeply familiar with the series' visual language.
That continuity matters in a sports anime where camera placement, rhythm and the sensation of impact are part of the storytelling. Haikyu!! has always worked because the animation does more than show where the ball goes—it communicates what a rally feels like to the player trying desperately to reach it.
Will the Original Voice Cast Return?
The familiar anime cast is expected around the returning characters shown in the projects, but readers should distinguish promotional appearances from a complete formal cast announcement for every role.
As more 2027 release information arrives, the official site should provide fuller cast and staff listings. The most important new matchup characters are already central to the promotional campaign: Shoyo Hinata and Korai Hoshiumi for the movie, and Kotaro Bokuto and Wakatsu Kiryu for the special anime.
How Much of the Manga Will the Movie Cover?
The movie is centered on Karasuno vs. Kamomedai, while the special anime handles Fukurodani vs. Mujinazaka.
Beyond those confirmed matchups, it is better not to pretend we know the exact adaptation boundaries until the final runtime and additional story details are announced.
That is especially important because the remaining manga contains material after these quarterfinals that is essential to the ending of Hinata's story. The existence of these two projects answers what happens next immediately after Nekoma; it does not yet answer exactly how Production I.G plans to animate every remaining chapter of the manga.
Fans should therefore be cautious with claims that these releases alone will necessarily complete the entire anime.
Will There Be Another Haikyu!! Movie After VS The Little Giant?
No additional movie after VS The Little Giant has been officially announced as of August 2026.
The franchise previously announced a "FINAL" theatrical project, which naturally led to expectations about how the remaining manga would be divided. The addition of Where the Monsters Go demonstrates that the production can use formats outside the main theatrical films to adapt important material.
That makes the ultimate shape of the anime ending more interesting—but also less certain.
Until the production committee announces the next project, the safest answer is that VS The Little Giant and Where the Monsters Go are the two confirmed upcoming anime releases.
Why 2027 Could Be Huge for Haikyu!!
The next phase has something The Dumpster Battle did not: two different visions of what a top-level ace can look like.
Hinata confronts Hoshiumi, another short player who refuses to be limited by height. Bokuto confronts Kiryu, another nationally elite ace carrying a very different psychological burden.
Those matches echo each other without being the same story. One asks Hinata to reconsider the identity he has chased since childhood. The other asks Bokuto to prove what kind of ace he has become.
And both happen under the pressure of a national tournament where there is no reset button. A loss does not create a training arc. It ends the run.
That is where Haikyu!! has always been strongest. The series loves improvement, but it never promises that effort will be rewarded with the exact victory a character wants. That tension is why its matches can remain suspenseful even after hundreds of chapters of growth.
What We Still Don't Know
Several major details remain unconfirmed:
- The exact 2027 release date for VS The Little Giant
- The exact 2027 broadcast date for Where the Monsters Go
- The movie's final runtime
- International theatrical dates
- Global streaming plans for the special anime
- Complete cast and staff details for both projects
- Exactly how the anime will adapt the manga material that follows these quarterfinals
Those unknowns should become clearer as the 2027 promotional campaign accelerates.
What Should You Watch Before the New Haikyu!! Movie?
If you are already caught up through Season 4, the essential next step is Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle. The new movie directly follows Karasuno's match against Nekoma at Spring High.
You do not need a complicated watch order beyond that. The emotional context for Hoshiumi, Bokuto and the national tournament has been built across the TV anime, while The Dumpster Battle brings Karasuno to the exact point where these two new projects begin.
For readers returning to the franchise after several years away, our Haikyu!! essay on effort, failure and greatness is a useful reminder of why the series' philosophy matters so much heading into the quarterfinals.
The Real Reason These Two Projects Matter
It is tempting to reduce the 2027 announcements to bigger matches and bigger animation. But this stretch of Haikyu!! is important because the characters are running out of time.
High-school sports stories have a built-in ending that battle anime do not. Tournaments finish. Third-years graduate. Teams change. The match a player has spent years preparing for can end in an afternoon.
VS The Little Giant and Where the Monsters Go arrive at the point where that reality becomes impossible to ignore.
Karasuno has finally defeated Nekoma. Fukurodani has reached the national quarterfinals. Hinata and Bokuto look more capable than ever. And none of that guarantees what happens in the next match.
That is why 2027 is shaping up to be one of the most important years the Haikyu!! anime has had. One movie will put Hinata face-to-face with a different Little Giant. One special will finally give Bokuto's national-stage battle the focus it deserves.
For now, the release information is straightforward: Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant will open in Japanese theaters in 2027, and Haikyu!! Where the Monsters Go will also air in 2027. Exact dates have not yet been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the new Haikyu!! movie coming out?
Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant is officially scheduled to open in Japanese theaters in 2027. An exact release date has not yet been announced.
Are there two new Haikyu!! movies coming in 2027?
There are two new Haikyu!! anime projects confirmed for 2027, but only one is officially a movie. VS The Little Giant is a theatrical film, while Where the Monsters Go is officially described as a special anime.
What match will Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant cover?
The movie will focus on Karasuno High vs. Kamomedai High in the Spring High quarterfinals, including the major matchup between Shoyo Hinata and Korai Hoshiumi.
What is Haikyu!! Where the Monsters Go about?
Where the Monsters Go adapts the Spring High quarterfinal between Fukurodani Academy and Mujinazaka High, putting Kotaro Bokuto and Wakatsu Kiryu at the center of the match.
Do I need to watch The Dumpster Battle before VS The Little Giant?
Yes. The Dumpster Battle covers Karasuno vs. Nekoma and directly precedes Karasuno's quarterfinal against Kamomedai, so it is essential viewing before VS The Little Giant.
Will VS The Little Giant finish the Haikyu!! anime?
The production has not yet confirmed exactly how all remaining manga material will be adapted after these 2027 projects. VS The Little Giant and Where the Monsters Go cover two major Spring High quarterfinals, but fans should wait for an official announcement about what follows.
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