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What are the best sports anime?
The beauty of anime lies in its ability to connect with fans through a wide array of themes. Although anime shows time slots used to be populated by young kids, this is not the case nowadays. Even adults get their own staple shows that keep them entertained. Creativity has got the best out of studios as there have been tons of new genres that anime boasts of. You may be a fan of shounen or isekai anime, but you can't deny that there have been lots of sports anime shows that made an impact on otakus worldwide. For starters, anime shows of this kind usually do not dwell on uber-serious portrayals of matches and game rules. Usually, additional elements of comedy and romance are injected into these shows to fit the tastes of anime fans. As a result, we are able to see a genre like no other and that is one consisting of slow-mo alley-oops, incredible home runs, and high-leaping offspeed attacks.
Whatever sport it is that you appreciate, there is surely an anime series that looks just like it. Also, you may not be the athletic type but you will surely get to enjoy sports anime just as everybody else does. Excited for some upcoming anime shows? Before you get consumed by titles from your favorite sub-genre, why not try watching some of the top sports anime available? If you are not familiar with the best shows that the genre has to offer, there's no need to worry. In here, we can help you with our best sports anime list.
Haikyuu!!
Just when everyone thought love at first sight only exists in the parlance of romance, Hinata Shouyou proved otherwise. He fell in love with volleyball so suddenly, that it happened just after watching a championship on the television. Perhaps, this is what makes Haikyuu!! one of the best sports anime for almost all Otakus. Would you agree?
Ace of Diamond
Ace of Diamond is a sports anime TV show that came out in 2013. It zeroes in on the life of Eijun Sawamura, a naturally-gifted baseball player who has an extraordinary pitching talent. He made a pact to himself and to his friends--and that is to become the ace of Seidou High School. Interestingly, the manga version of the same title is also considered to be one of the best sports manga of all time, written by Yuji Terajima.
Free!
Diving in this yet, another good sports anime that is also based from one of the best sports manga (or light novel for that matter, is Free! It is a Japanese anime television series based on the novel written by Koji Oji. The show highlights the life of four boys participating in swimming tournaments, particularly the life of a gifted athlete named Haruka Nanase. They eventually create a swimming club in their school's outdoor pool.
Yuri!!! on Ice
Sending you chills down your spine, Yuri!!! on Ice is a sports anime TV show that tells the story of Yuri Katsuki, a figure skater that has experienced a big loss during the Grand Prix finals. With broken dreams, he goes back to his country thinking whether to quit his passion or not. Will he go back to figure skating?
Hajime no Ippo
Last year, Hajime no Ippo was considered to be one of the top sports anime in 2019. And this year, as this is an ongoing Japanese boxing series, it still holds a place on our list. It features a timid high school student Makunouchi Ippo becomes inspired to become a boxer after meeting middleweight boxer Mamoru Takamura. He eventually joins Kamogawa Gym as a professional boxer. In case you didn't know, even before it has become a series, it was once among the best sports manga serialized by Kodansha in Shonen Magazine.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know 85 percent of junior high students in Japan are likely to be part of a school sports club? In high school, the number ranges between 70 to 75 percent. For the North American school culture, joining a sports team isn’t as emphatic as in Japanese schools. This explains why Japanese anime is so familiar with this theme. For a good portion of the sports genre in anime, they tend to take place in either junior or senior high school. Examples of these are Ace wo Nerae and Prince of Tennis (tennis anime), Slam Dunk and Kuroko’s Basketball (basketball anime) and Captain Tsubasa, Days and Inazuma Eleven (soccer anime), to name a few. Japanese audiences tend to relate to these anime themes more than Western audiences. The explanation is quite simple. Japanese education encourages students more to join a sports team as compared to American schools. This genre of anime has produced some of the best sports anime.
One of the earliest sports anime in Japan originated in 1968. It is the wrestling anime "Tiger Mask". It is about a professional wrestler who wears a tiger mask, which began as a manga. It ran for 14 volumes from 1968 to 1971 and was popular enough to be remembered by some people to this day. Definitely, sports anime have been a part of the anime culture. This is true not only for Japanese audiences but for every anime fan as well. There are various resources for downloading anime and apps to watch anime available. Fans can find the best anime of the sports genre and enjoy it.
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16 comments
- #1April 28, 2017"I had heard about Haikyuu!! from a friend whose tastes generally align with my own, so I felt pretty comfortable taking a chance on this purchase. It turns out I was totally glad I did - what a fun series! As a former high school volleyball player myself, I found that I could easily identify with the characters and put myself in their situations. Moreover, I enjoyed the quality of the picture and sound, the accuracy of the English subtitles, and the replay value that this series provides. If you're looking for an entertaining sports anime, this is one to get!"
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Haikyuu!! - #2January 20, 2017"This recommended solution is good, and the product in question appears historically well liked and rated by users, at least upon the Amazon site. However, the sports-related gaming market is significant, and growing rapidly. Air Gear is but one product in this market segment, albeit in the more limited anime genre. More information pertaining to the attributes and specific features of the game are needed to support this product as the best possible product solution."
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Air Gear - #3November 17, 2018"Aoyama is a young soccer genius who is a member of the Japanese team. His style of the game is “fair play”, but literally. She does not like to get dirty with the ball, so she does not even take it to make a pass if she does not wear gloves and, of course, she never gives her head, that her hair gets dirty"
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Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun - #4January 27, 2017"If you're into sports and anime, then you'll definitely want to check out Hajime no Ippo. It combined boxing and anime into a great show you're sure to love. No need to look any further, this is the exciting sports anime you'll love."
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Hajime no Ippo - #5May 2, 2017"This is a great classic sports anime series! The animation is great and the story line is even better! Too bad the series was cut short as open-ended. I wish they'll continue Slam Dunk and do a crossover with Kuroko no Basuke :3"
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Slam Dunk - #6January 10, 2017"If you are interested in sports related anime this is a great series. The blu ray had a couple of small issues but nothing that made it unwatchable. If you are on the fence grab this show you'll really enjoy it."
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Ping Pong the Animation - #7June 28, 2018"OMG, I love Kuroko no Basuke, they're freaking lovable. Their relationship whats makes this show endearing, most especially Taiga and Kuroko. The matches doesn't matter that much to me. KagaKuro Forever xoxo!!!"
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Kuroko no Basuke - #8September 18, 2019"It's not often that an anime about figure skating gets made but this is one of the truly great sports anime that have come out recently. If you're not a fan of the sport, you should still give it a shot."
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Yuri!!! on Ice - #9May 15, 2017"Soccer and anime are two of my greatest loves, but I don't often find them together. Well, until I found Captain Tsubasa, that is, an anime series built around the great game of football!"
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Captain Tsubasa - #10September 18, 2019"This has got to be one of the most realistic and meticulous sports anime that I have seen about tennis. It's refreshing to see this from an anime and is well worth your time seeing."
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Baby Steps - #11September 18, 2019"If you love tennis, this is one of the best sports anime that you can watch. It may not be realistic but that is what makes it so fun to watch. Check it out now."
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Prince of Tennis - #12September 18, 2019"Not really a fan of baseball but this was an awesome show nonetheless that anyone can enjoy. It was a great and fun journey to watch along with. Give it a try."
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Ace of Diamond - #13April 8, 2017"Free is a good sports anime if you like swimming and coaching. It's mostly aimed at females but males can also enjoy the story and interesting setting."
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Free! - #14February 24, 2020"bruh this sh*t made me want to ride a f**king bike,again RIDE A BIKE if you watched ace of diamond, and Haikyuu your gonna f*ck with this one "
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Yowamushi Pedal - #15March 29, 2019"This is low-key one of the cool sports anime out there. Although the context is mostly driving I still love it and has a nice story too"
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Initial D - #16March 29, 2019"Sports animes don't usually come this good especially those football or soccer animes. but this one is really cool and I've watched it"
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Eyeshield 21
| Rank | Answers | Type | Votes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haikyuu!! | TV Shows | 81 | Paid |
| 2 | Kuroko no Basuke | TV Shows | 51 | Paid |
| 3 | Ace of Diamond | TV Shows | 46 | Paid |
| 4 | Free! | TV Shows | 41 | Paid |
| 5 | Yowamushi Pedal | TV Shows | 28 | Paid |
| 6 | Yuri!!! on Ice | TV Shows | 24 | Paid |
| 7 | Prince of Stride: Alternative | TV Shows | 23 | Paid |
| 8 | Hajime no Ippo | TV Shows | 23 | Paid |
| 9 | Prince of Tennis | TV Shows | 17 | Paid |
| 10 | Eyeshield 21 | TV Shows | 14 | Free |