'Haikyu!!': Comic heroes fuel Japan Olympic volleyball manga mania

Tokyo: Men s volleyball is flying high in Japan with the national team ranked fourth globally ahead of the Paris Olympics and the sport s soaring popu...

Tokyo: Men's volleyball is flying high in Japan with the national team ranked fourth globally ahead of the Paris Olympics and the sport's soaring popularity fuelled by a manga blockbuster.

"Haikyu!!," the tale of school teams featuring an inspirational comic-book hero determined to beat the odds and his diminutive stature, has sold 60 million copies since its 2012 inception.

Turned into a hit anime series, now a new film "Haikyu!!: The Dumpster Battle" has taken 10 billion yen ($65 million) at the Japanese box office and will release in North America this month.

Masahiro Yanagida, who captained the national team from 2018-2021, said he was "immensely grateful" that the exploits of the fictional team have helped trigger a boom in numbers hitting the courts.