As the name of the anime category suggests, this means you'll find realistic sports like basketball, volleyball, and baseball focused on the game. These shows are usually stories that reflect what's actually happening in real sports, but with the added drama of events and numerous influences. There are many sports anime that are truly worth watching. I present to you a list of the best sports anime (based on my opinion). All of them will make you realize that watching these anime isn't completely predictable and boring. In fact, all of them, if not most, will keep you hooked.

1. Slam Dunk | Basketball

What kind of story is this?

One of the best sports anime of all time, the story follows Sakuraji Hanamishi. The record-breaking student is rejected by many high school girls (50, to be exact). But wait, he found a girl he wanted, but to win his new love, he had to beat Rokawa, the leader of the school basketball team and also popular. After that, Sakuraji joins the school basketball team and begins his career.

About the Anime:

A masterpiece that will not disappear after decades!
There are several basketball-based animations, but if you ask, "What's the greatest masterpiece of basketball animation?", most people will probably choose Slam Dunk.

Slam Dunk is a well-known masterpiece, a sports animation that has been loved by basketball kids even after more than 20 years since the TV animation ended.

Many children say that watching a sports animation starts the sport with a kick, but this trend was particularly noticeable with dunks.

It's said that Japan's basketball audience exploded after Slam Dunk aired on TV in 1993, and the economic impact was such that the bash used by the game's characters became difficult to obtain. This work was no longer just a sports animation, but a massive piece of content that sparked social phenomena.

2. Haikyuu!! | Volleyball

What kind of story is this?

Karasuno High School faces the challenge of becoming Japan's number one volleyball team. The two new recruits—Hinata and Tobio—are crucial to the success of this newly revived squad. However, there will be many obstacles that will test their skills and friendship. Will they be able to overcome the obstacles they face?

The second season of this sports anime is characterized by exciting events. You'll also witness the incredible skills and moves that will inspire you to try playing volleyball, making it one of the best sports developments of all time.

Haikyu! is a full-length sports animation reminiscent of the Showa anime, and has achieved unprecedented success as a volleyball-based anime.

According to the sports website “Number Web”, Haikyuu! It's a work that has so much influence because there is data that the number of members of elementary school volleyball clubs has increased since 2012, when it began.
Student empathy is not the unreal world, but the design of the valley's fun as a club activity.

Haikyu! is abysmal in terms of sales, and 16 volumes of books and 5 volumes of novels have taken the top spots in the comics section and the book section of the Oricon charts.

In 2015, even though it was not a Shogakukan work, it won the Shogakukan Manga Award for Boys.

3. Yowamushi｜Bike Pedal

What kind of story is this?

Yowamushi Pedal is the story of a geeky high school student who loves anime and games, Sakamichi Onoda, who wakes up for a bicycle race.

The interesting scenario is that the protagonist didn't have the talent of a bicycle in the first place, but was trained for a reason unique to otakus: "I went to Akihabara every week, over 45 km one way with a low-performance bicycle."

Of course that's not enough to win, so I train on my bike, but in the process I get paralyzed by a nerdy kid turning into a "rider" face!

About the anime:

Anime that changes the consciousness of bicycle racing
Compared to subjects like basketball and baseball, I think "bike racing" is a difficult sport to convey to someone who has no experience.

However, the Yowamushi Pedal makes it easy to convey the fun and hardships of riding a bike, and has a charm that makes those who have never been interested before want to ride a bike.

There are several other anime based on bicycles, but the popularity of weak pedals is surprising.

The anime has already been broadcast until the 4th half of the year, the accumulated number of original manga has exceeded 17 million copies, and the weak “2.5-dimensional musical” pedal is immediately completed without the need for a few hours from the start of ticket sales. It is about continuing.

4. Free!｜ Swimming

What kind of story is this?

Free! is a work that portrays high school boys who swam in their youth.

The depiction of swimming is as serious as the classic soul sports animation, but the everyday life brings plenty of laughs, making the work easy to watch.

With many handsome high school swimmers appearing, it is a favorite among women.

Free! is a light novel called "High Speed." With some tweaks to the story and character developments, once it was announced as the anime "Free!", its success far surpassed the original.

The fun is origami, which won the Incentive Award at the 2nd meeting of the “Kyoto Animation Grand Prix”, organized by the animation industry hitmaker, Kyoani.

5. Ace of Diamonds | Baseball

What kind of story is this?

Diamond Ace is the story of a hero who entered a prestigious baseball school fighting to beat Koshien.

The same setups from classic baseball animations can be seen everywhere, such as “A Prestigious Baseball School,” “Aim for Koshien,” and “The Hero is a Pitcher.”

It's easy to imagine the atmosphere of a masterpiece like "The Giant's Star" or "Captain," which was a landmark baseball animation and is a modern take.

About the anime:

Take the hegemony with the highly competitive baseball anime!
Baseball anime is one of the most competitive sports anime.

There are countless baseball-themed works, but there are so many rivals that you won't get excited unless the original gets it right. On the contrary, there are cases where the original manga series ends within one or two volumes.

In the world of such severe baseball animation, over 100 episodes of the Diamond A TV anime have been produced. The original manga continues to be serialized, and it is a long-running success with nearly 60 comics in total, including Part 1 and Part 2.

While the length of the series alone doesn't make it interesting, the fact that both the anime and manga are long-lasting is a testament to the work loved by so many fans.

6.Yuri!!! ｜ Figure Skating

What kind of story is this?

Iuri!!! on ICE is an anime based on men's figure skating.

Many sports animations are set in student activities, but Yuri!!! at ICE is characterized by portraying the “professional world”.

Because it is the theme of figure skating, where artistic talent is considered important, it is a drawing that does not smell bad compared to conventional animation of the sporting soul.

About the anime:

While watching this anime, you get that feeling of being a real figure skater.
Yuri!!! All performances at ICE are performed by real figure skaters, and announcers and real figure skaters participate in the commentary and commentaries.

If you look at it once, you can see it, but it's an animation with a degree of perfection close to reality that looks more like a documentary, and it's a work that you can see how seriously the production team took it in one take.

Because it was such a realistic figure skating animation, at the time of broadcasting, Yuri!!! on ICE I saw a number of viewers saying, “I became a fan of the player (character who appears)”.

The fluidity of watching an ice performance and becoming a fan is proof that this is an animation that can be watched in the same sense as "real figure skating." Furthermore, many women seemed to be absorbed in real figure skating after watching this anime.

7. Welcome to the ballroom | Ballroom dancing

What kind of story is this?

Welcome to the Ballroom is a work on the theme of ballroom dancing.

Ballroom dancing is often thought of as a “quiet adult hobby,” but it’s actually a sport where you won’t even be able to dance until you’ve practiced a lot.

What sets this work apart from other sports animations is that it has a hard style that emphasizes “the rigor of the dance” rather than the “joy of dancing.”

About the anime:

Unusual work that was a success in the ballroom dancing theme
From a global perspective, it is a “ballroom dance” with a large number of competitors, but unfortunately in Japan it seems that the impression of “uncle aunt’s hobby” is strong.

Ballroom dancing is another type of sport, sometimes called “competitive dancing,” but there is always a shortage of competitors in their teens and twenties.

Therefore, although there are mangas on the theme of ballroom dancing, few works have become so popular that they have become animated.

In this regard, the fact that the ballroom welcome was lively in two sections, and was greatly appreciated by the spectators, is a feat that can be considered a milestone. Needless to say, this work helped to improve the status of social dance in Japan.

8. Baby Step | sneakers

What kind of story is this?

Baby Step is a story that follows the hero who grows up to be a strong tennis player.

It is characterized by the fact that the author of an experienced tennis researcher draws while researching the latest tactics and training theories, and quite realistic games are developed.

Furthermore, since the love of the hero and heroine is carefully followed, the work can be enjoyed as if watching a drama.

Popular animated works serialized for 10 years!
The original Baby Steps is the same manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine. In Weekly Shonen Magazine, which is full of famous works, it was a popular manga for 10 years, from 2007 to 2017.

As for the anime series, 50 episodes have aired so far. While many anime series end with all 12 episodes, the fact that 50 episodes were broadcast is proof of the good ratings.

The last of the 2nd period of the animation has up to 19 volumes in the original, so there is a possibility of a sequel being made even more considering the original stock (47 volumes)

9. The Knight in the area | Soccer

What kind of story is this?

The Knights of the Area is a soccer-themed anime. Focusing on the protagonist, a candidate for the Japanese U-16 national team, it depicts a realistic "soccer situation in Japan."

The representation of football matches is also complete, but the attentive representation of the “human relationships of people involved in football” is also a charm of this work.

The appearance of the hero awakening in connection with the death of his brother and the heroine reminds of a masterpiece “Touch” somewhere.

About the anime:

The original is a success that has already surpassed 6.5 million copies of the series!
Battle-based and moe-themed works gained popularity, and the phrase "Sports Manga is Under Attack" became a household name. Even in the face of such adversity, the original manga about the region's knights broke the record with over 6.5 million copies sold.

The perfection of the knights in the area as football work can be seen by the fact that there are many professional football players.

Players who have professed to be fans of the original include Shinji Okazaki, Kengo Nakamura, Mana Iwabuchi, Nadeshiko Japan, and members of the Japanese national team.

10. First steps | Boxing

What kind of story is this?

The First Step (or Hajime no Ippo in Japanese) is the story of a bullied young man who gradually becomes stronger after taking up boxing.

The interesting thing about this game is that it doesn't just focus on the protagonist, but also spends a lot of time on matches between rivals and teammates who belong to the same gym.

Since there are many fights between sub-characters, the meta point of "the hero will win anyway" common in sports manga cannot be passed, and it is the same as watching a real boxing match "I can't predict who will win" You can enjoy the thrilling feeling.

About the anime:

The definitive edition of boxing anime!
The first run of the original manga began in 1989, but it continues to be serialized almost 30 years later.

The comic's cumulative circulation has surpassed 94 million copies, and it's a popular work that could surpass 100 million if serialization continues as it has. Incidentally, in the history of Japanese publishing, there are only 12 titles whose manga books have surpassed 100 million copies.

These legendary works and early steps have been animated regularly since 2000.
Since the original comic has more than 120 volumes and the stock is sufficient, it is expected to be revived in the future!

Which sports anime is your favorite?

If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment. ?