Furudate's Illustration Doubles as a News Bulletin
The date works as wordplay: in Japanese, 8-1-9 can be read "ha-i-kyu," so August 19 has become the series' annual fan holiday. This year the official Haikyu!!.com X account kicked things off by posting a hand-drawn illustration from series creator Haruichi Furudate, with a message telling fans to make this year's celebration a big one, according to a report from Japanese anime news site Anime Anime.
The illustration is more than a greeting card. Furudate's handwritten text plugs two same-day events. First, Sudate Hinagarasu Vol. 1 (roughly "Leave the Nest, Hinagarasu") went on sale August 19. That's the official spinoff manga by Retsu starring the franchise's crow-chick mascot, serialized in Shueisha's Saikyō Jump, and Furudate notes the volume includes a collab comic pairing Hinagarasu with the manga version of Hinata. Second, a stream titled "Haikyu!! RECEPTION" starts at 8:19 p.m. Japan time, because of course it does. Furudate's note says, in loose, playful phrasing, that "apparently there's a whole lot of new info" coming.
Fan replies quoted in the report ranged from "I'm happy first thing in the morning" to "It's here again this year... 819 Day."
Nishinoya's Voice Actor Keeps It Simple
Nobuhiko Okamoto (Katsuki Bakugo in My Hero Academia) joined in with a short post reading "Today is August 19, Haikyu Day." Okamoto voices Karasuno's libero Yū Nishinoya, and fans filled his replies with Nishinoya love, including thanks for a recent video of Okamoto attempting the character's signature "Rolling Thunder" receive. That video ties to the "Haikyu!! On the Court" exhibition, a volleyball experience event whose Tokyo run opened at Bellesalle Roppongi on August 7.
The evening also brought a music drop. At 7 p.m., Shueisha's Jump Channel on YouTube premiered a JUMP MV pairing Furudate's manga art with "PHOENIX", the fifth major single from BURNOUT SYNDROMES. Anime Anime describes the song as carrying the emotion of the Karasuno vs. Shiratorizawa arc.
Three Days of Free Haikyu!! on ABEMA
The biggest item for anyone who wants to actually watch volleyball: Japan's streaming service ABEMA is running the entire TV anime and its related works nonstop and free for three days, from 10 p.m. on August 19 through Friday, August 21. That covers all 85 TV episodes, the five OAD and OVA episodes, and the 10-episode puppet-animation Haikyu!! series.
The schedule breaks down like this: the first season (25 episodes) starts Wednesday at 10 p.m., Second Season (25 episodes) follows Thursday at 10 a.m., and Karasuno High VS Shiratorizawa Academy (10 episodes) airs Thursday at 10:30 p.m. The three OAD episodes run overnight, To the Top (25 episodes) begins Friday at 5 a.m., and the OVA episodes "Land vs. Air" and "The Path of the Ball" air Friday at 4 p.m., with the puppet series closing things out at 5 p.m.
Looking Ahead
The near-term watch item is the "Haikyu!! RECEPTION" stream at 8:19 p.m. JST on August 19. Furudate's own note promises new information, though the report doesn't say what it covers.
The franchise already has a stacked 2027. The theatrical film Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant, pitting Karasuno against Kamomedai, opens that year, alongside the special anime Haikyu!! The Place Where Monsters Go, which covers the Fukurodani vs. Mujinazaka match.
One caveat for international fans: the ABEMA marathon is a Japan-facing event, and no international mirror of the broadcast has been announced. The source manga is available in English from Viz Media, so the reading route stays open wherever you are.