WINNER。♛

1.) Accurate portrayal of how being self-centered in a team sport can destroy all chances of victory.

2.) Focuses not only on the talents of the protagonists (Hinata and Kageyama), but also the background characters, showing their development and personal skills as well as how they fit into the team.

3.) Shows how devastating loss can be for some people, and also how important it is to keep believing in yourself and your team.

4.) Doesn’t simply show win after win after win. The team experiences losses, and they show their emotions toward those losses as well.

5.) Not all the rival teams are simply rivals. Like the relationship between Karasuno and Nekoma, some of the teams and players can be shown meeting on friendly terms and not focusing completely on beating each other.

6.) The characters show actual development, in both skills and personality.

7.) Azumane Asahi.

8.) Not all the Karasuno team members start in the same place. Hinata started completely on his own, Kageyama began as a prodigy, Asahi and Kenma didn’t even like the sport before they joined/rejoined, etc. 

9.) Shows that size, strength, and skill don’t always matter. Even if you’re the smallest player in the court, or the one with the least experience, you can still shine. If you do your very best, you can win no matter what.

12.) Opposing teams are not completely painted in an antagonistic light. They are not arrogant assholes that the main characters need to beat to move on. They are very realistic and you may end up sympathizing with them more than you do with the main team.