Just like in movies, in the anime universe we can also find a huge variety of genres. Although the most popular works are synonymous with fighting and action, they are not the only ones! One example of this is sports anime, which tells us incredible stories of friendship and overcoming obstacles, from sports such as the popular soccer to ice skating and skateboarding. There are countless sports represented in animations, as well as sports manga.
So today we’re going to present you with a list of 10 sports anime that you need to check out! These are the best, each one in its own sport, narrative and characters. Come and discover great stories and cheer together for these fictional athletes!
Eyeshield 21 (2003)
Starting off our list with an American football anime, we have Gallop's Eyeshield 21, which tells the story of a shy young man named Sena Kobayakawa. Despite being physically weak, Sena showed incredible speed and this made him stand out and led him to be recruited by Toichi Himura, who offered him a spot as a running back on a school football team.
Just like in all sports anime with this premise, we have school competitions and challenges that need to be overcome by the protagonist alongside his team. Although American football is not that popular in Japan, the well-written plot stood out and it is no wonder, since its creators also gave rise to great stories like One-Punch Man and Dr. Stone!
SK8 The Infinity (2021)
Sk8 The Infinity is one of the most popular sports anime on our list, not only because of its story but also because of its animation. The same studio has brought other great stories to life, such as My Hero Academia and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The anime features skateboarding as its central sport and revolves around a secret competition called S, where competitors compete in a race on dangerous tracks to see who is the most skilled and fastest.
Reki, one of the main characters, is already a skateboarder who is passionate about the sport and meets Langa, a newcomer to the city with whom he begins a friendship. Together, they delve deeper into the world of skateboarding and this dangerous competition, while friendship and rivalry are two recurring themes.
Initial D (1995)
Sports anime can even encompass the automotive world, as drifting is a very popular racing style in some parts of Japan. Initial D is an anime that focuses on these street races and follows the story of Takumi Fujiwara, the protagonist who wants to become a great driver and be respected in this field.
The manga began to be published in 1995, written by mangaka Shuichi Shigeno, continuing the work through several stories that stand out for their incredible adaptation. The direction and soundtrack received several compliments and, despite being little known, this is a story that deserves to be highlighted on our list.
Free! (2013)
For swimming fans, we also have a great option: the anime Free!. Kyoto Animation is the studio behind this story that introduces us to the young Haruka Nanase, an excellent swimmer who ended up giving up competitions after a misunderstanding with his friend, Rin Matsuoka. After years, Rin returns to Japan and Haruka's desire to get closer to his friend makes him fall in love with swimming again.
This is a story with the classic plot devices of the sports genre: friendships, rivalries, drama, challenges and overcoming. Exploring male friendships as an outstanding art and animation, this story will move you and make you root for characters in fictional competitions!
Blue Lock (2022)
Of course, our list of sports anime couldn't be without the most popular sport in the world: soccer! Blue Lock uses the deficit of soccer in Japan to start this story that gets more competitive with each episode. Seeing that Japan lacks players in its national team, the Japanese government creates a project called Blue Lock, where it brings together numerous young players in a competition so that only one can become the new striker who will lead the team to the World Cup.
However, this project means that the players eliminated from the competition lose the right to play professionally, so the level of competitiveness between the boys rises to unimaginable levels. Despite the rivalry, we also see some friendships emerging and we follow the growth of these characters throughout this journey.
Yuri on Ice (2016)
Even ice skating has its place among sports anime, and Yuri on Ice is the most eye-catching work, released in 2016 and being a huge success among fans of the genre. The plot follows Yuri Katsuki, a young figure skater who wants to retire from competition, until he falls in love with the sport again and decides to give it another chance.
Yuri's journey was so successful that even real-life figure skaters reproduced some of the choreography and even used the anime's soundtrack in their competitions. The work also stands out for bringing light to the LGBTQIA+ cause, as it is suggested that Yuri has a love interest in another character.
Megalobox (2018)
Megalobox is one of the sports anime that brings an innovation, being a hint of science fiction by following a man who is known by the nickname Junk Dog. He begins to compete in the Megalobox sport, where the box gains gadgets and the fighters face each other with equipment that reproduces a powerful exoskeleton that greatly increases the strength of its users.
The plot takes place in a dystopian setting and shows the arduous journey that Junk Dog must face to become the best boxer of all! Its story has a more mature feel, so readers who want to watch a more adult story will really enjoy this combination of sports and seinen.
Haikyuu!! (2014)
Haikyu!! is also one of the most popular sports animes today, and is animated by the Production IG studio. The story introduces us to a boy named Shoyo Hinata, who dreams of becoming a great volleyball player, and throughout the seasons, we see his perseverance and constant evolution as an athlete and person. Teamwork also stands out in the story, and rooting for your favorite team seems inevitable.
This anime has received numerous awards and is still ongoing, meaning that the work is still releasing new chapters! Haikyu!! stands out in the genre and has received some awards for it, being one of the animes that we strongly recommend to you, reader.
Slam Dunk (1993)
Of course, basketball couldn't be left out of our list of the best sports anime, and representing this sport is Slam Dunk, a work that was adapted by Toei Animation in 1993 and became a great classic of the genre. In the plot, we meet Hanamichi Sakuragi, a juvenile delinquent who wants to impress a young girl and, to do so, decides to join the basketball team.
So, what we follow is Hanamichi's journey to become a great player and a good captain for his team. This story became well-known as one of the most influential in the sports genre and has a legion of fans to this day!
Captain Tsubasa (1983)
Captain Tsubasa is one of the great classics of sports anime, and is another soccer story that features a charismatic protagonist who builds friendships as the episodes progress. Ozora Tsubasa is the central character and he stands out for his kindness and, of course, his talent for soccer. Despite being a great kid, he dreams of becoming a relevant professional player and wants to lead his team to the title!
The story is full of exciting moments, as well as presenting football techniques in an exaggerated and purposeful way. What we see throughout this story is an incredible journey of perseverance and pursuit of one's dreams.
Conclusion
And these were the 10 best sports anime, each one in its own way and narrative style. Although each story has its own way of being told, teamwork and friendship are themes that are always in focus and that help in the evolution of the characters, whether they are main characters or not. But what about you, do you like anime and manga? Then also read our articles about 11 Best Yaoi Anime You Need to Watch!
