about 3 years ago

What is the best sports anime of all time?

Inspirational, engaging, and thrilling enough to keep people on the edge of their seats -- that’s always been the charm of sports. There's no end to people's fascination with athletes and games.

If you follow the world of manga, you know that sports series have been one of the colossal titans of the industry for decades. Many of the best-selling titles of all time are sports-related, with baseball being especially dominant!

So here’s a list of Best sports anime which I feel are one of the best out there!

1. Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club (2013 – 2018)

Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club is centred on the story of a high school boys’ swimming team. When gifted swimmer Haruka Nanase reunites with his childhood friends in high school, they work together to bring the school’s swim club back to its former glory whilst mending broken relationships.

The anime series focuses on friendship and bonds between characters, so you can expect to see lots of character and personal development.

2. Kuroko’s Basketball (2012 – 2015):

One of the more popular sports anime alongside Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke is a longer series with 75 episodes so you can binge to your heart’s content. It tells the story of a high school basketball team trying to make it to the Interhigh Championship, an annual high school basketball tournament.

Although naysayers have noted that the use of supernatural powers in a sports anime is unrealistic, fans have praised the series for seamlessly weaving magical elements into basketball moves.

3. Ping Pong: The Animation

It is quite rare for anime to use table tennis as the premise for a show, but this series does just that, and features radically different animation and heartfelt storytelling that is highly unusual, even outside the sports genre. Makoto “Smile” Tsukimoto and Yutaka “Peco” Hoshino are childhood friends who share the same love for table tennis. It is a tale of growth, of struggle, of ideals, and of life. Don't miss this one.

4. Slam Dunk

Get to know Sakuragi Hanamichi; that student who holds an all-time record of being turned down by a lot of girls in middle school (50, to be exact). But hey, that is only because of the popular Kaede Rukawa whom everyone is crushing on. In an attempt to beat Rukawa and win his new love's heart, Sakuragi joins the school basketball team.

Slam Dunk is undoubtedly one of the best sports anime of all time. In fact, this anime is so popular that it has increased the popularity of basketball in Japan.

5. All Out

Football fans do not need to worry, there are sports anime for that are about football! The main character of this show is Kenji Gion, a guy who is completely obsessed with the sport.

Like most sports anime, this one is about the protagonist setting out to be the best player he can be while facing a lot of hurdles along the way. It has 25 total episodes and ran from 2016 to 2017.