[Movie theater. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

On February 16, 2024, Production I.G, Toho Animation, and Sony Entertainment Japan released “The Dumpster Battle”, the sequel to the popular sports anime Haikyu!.

The series continues to follow the journey of Hinata Shoyo, a determined high school athlete at Karasuno High School, who dreams of becoming a top-notch volleyball player despite his short stature.

“The Dumpster Battle” illustrates a thrilling match against Karasuno’s greatest rivals, Nekoma.

Based on the popular manga series by Haruichi Furudate, Haikyu! Has captivated fans worldwide.

Over eight years, Furudate produced 45 volumes, which were published by the Weekly Shonen Jump starting in 2012.

The series resonated with both domestic and international fans and became one of the most popular manga of all time.

As of May 2024, the manga series has sold over 60 million copies.

Following its manga success, Production I.G animated Haikyu! into a television series two years later.

The anime adaptation was a runaway hit, which led to an increase in the number of Japanese high school boys’ volleyball teams from just over 38,000 to a record-high 44,000 within four years of the show’s debut.

The anime continued until Season 5, where Haikyu!’s story continues to the big screen.

“The Dumpster Battle” is one of these films, mirroring the success of its predecessors.

The 1-hour 26-minute film was a major success, selling over 7 million tickets and grossing over 10 billion yen (approximately 66.43 million USD) in less than three months, making it the 15th highest-grossing anime film.

The movie was released to international fans on May 31, 2024, and “The Dumpster Battle” also found success overseas.

Within the first three days of its release, the Dumpster Battle topped the weekend Chinese box office with a total of 9.8 million USD.

Needless to say, Haikyu! has made a major impact on the anime industry, but its influence extends beyond that; it has implications for Japanese power and hegemony.

Similarly to how the United States profits from Hollywood and South Korea from K-pop, anime contributed 1.46 trillion Japanese yen, or over 8 billion USD, to the Japanese economy in 2022 alone.

This figure excludes merchandising, advertising, and licensing costs.

The industry also employs over 50,000 people, which boosts Japan’s employment rate and lays down the foundation for prolonged economic growth.

The rise of anime also contributes to tourism.

Millions of people visit Japan to attend anime-themed cafes, amusement parks, and merchandise shops.

Beyond its monetary impact, anime has introduced global audiences to Japanese culture, including cuisine, architecture, fashion, and language.

For example, the number of Japanese language learners has surged from 127,167 in 1979 to nearly 4 million in 2021.

As elements of Japanese pop culture gain global popularity, they shape international perceptions of Japan, potentially enhancing diplomatic relations and boosting the country’s soft power.

In this way, anime films and series like Haikyu! and “The Dumpster Battle” have made a significant impact on the Japanese economy, tourism, and soft power.