9 iconic sports anime & manga

Sportskeeda Muneyuki Kaneshiro

Exciting and Unique

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Haikyuu!

[{"selector":"#anim-24153b59-289e-46f6-81cc-a0256676e71f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4f0a28e-7e8e-4314-bb11-48c4dba19029","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Haikyuu! series is a sports anime about volleyball, following protagonist Shoyo Hinata on his quest to become a great volleyball player despite his short stature. Haruichi Furudate

Blue Lock

[{"selector":"#anim-9ed111e3-38f9-4c9c-8a14-08c9ee79967d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7fe25bd7-1be5-42a7-84dd-7604ee497582","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] With football being a major sport for Japan, the Blue Lock sports anime helped to further inspire young children to do their best in the sport. Muneyuki Kaneshiro

Kuroko no Basket

[{"selector":"#anim-df346d95-324e-4d85-a520-c7dcba29eb96","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89e7fbe1-5f62-40da-9b48-c340ad7fafc8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] One of the most exciting aspects of Kuroko no Basket was how seemingly grounded in the reality of the Japanese school sports system it was. Tadatoshi Fujimaki

Slam Dunk

[{"selector":"#anim-b613c8d3-1a96-4285-b070-902f3491b8fa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-01f3c270-6f77-41e4-800f-ad624d2676c9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] What makes Slam Dunk unique relative to other sports anime is the protagonist being a street thug and delinquent at the start of the series. Takehiko Inoue

Eyeshield 21

[{"selector":"#anim-00f099c5-3199-4fc1-9cf1-0b81c1c72b88","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-885edc25-18ad-4d91-b259-70bbd1be254f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Eyeshield 21 is a particularly unique entry on this list. It’s one of, if not the only, sports anime series to focus on American football. Yusuke Murata

Real

[{"selector":"#anim-2074fdd2-4f92-4fc7-9be8-8f06df832ede","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b1ddebbb-a6f6-49f5-8cec-d4631f123f4f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] While not exclusively a sports anime or manga series, it’s framed as such thanks to the shared activity of wheelchair basketball between the three protagonists. Takehiko Inoue

The Prince of Tennis

[{"selector":"#anim-442010d3-6fc7-49b9-b0ff-458d8368067a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33cf570d-7699-4d5d-945e-cd523eb2a87f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Prince of Tennis follows protagonist Ryoma Echizen, a young tennis prodigy pursuing the goal of winning the National Middle School Tennis Championship. Takeshi Konomi

Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

[{"selector":"#anim-2a15aea3-54b4-405e-a2ac-e878965627f8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d496730a-2814-4968-9759-10a96ecdb407","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] it’s also one of, if not the only, sports anime which exposes viewers to the concept of competitive swimming as a sport. Kyoto Animation

Hajime no Ippo

[{"selector":"#anim-533b9d99-b302-4454-a0a4-0209adb55bfd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e53f95b8-1a14-4ba8-9924-125f6f3ffb1f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] While not the original boxing manga, it is arguably the most popular of its kind. George Morikawa

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