The best sports anime that make you care about a game you've never played before, the training, the rivalries, the heartbreaking losses. These picks span volleyball, boxing, basketball, ping pong to traditional poetry card games like karuta.
1A fan favorite for good reason. It features great animation, strong rivalries, and a compelling story. An easy and engaging entry into sports anime, even if you don't know anything about volleyball.
2One of the most distinctive anime series, directed by Masaaki Yuasa, known for its unconventional visual style and emotional storytelling and winning Animation of the Year in the Television category at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival in 2015. A must watch for any anime fan, regardless if you like sports or not.
3Slam Dunk is widely regarded as a classic sports anime, praised for its humor, memorable characters, and strong character development. A must watch on anyones list.
4A fast paced sports anime known for its rivalries, flashy basketball action, and simple, easy to follow story, making it a favorite among those who love the shonen genre.
5A long running and highly regarded boxing anime, loved for its intense fights, grounded technique, and deeply satisfying character growth. It stands out for turning its underdog story into a long, emotional sports journey.
6Chihayafuru stands out as a sports anime built around competitive karuta, showing that traditional Japanese card games can feel just as intense, emotional, and competitive as any sport. Perfect if you are looking for something different.
7Strong character development, emotional storytelling, and a realistic focus on long-distance running and teamwork. An easy and engaging watch even if you’ve never been into track and field.
8It turns ballroom dancing into something dynamic and competitive, backed by expressive animation and steady character growth. An engaging watch that works even if you’ve never been interested in dancing.
9Figure skating with expressive choreography and emotional storytelling, making it an easy watch even for people who don’t know anything about figure skating.
10Baseball anime that anyone can enjoy for its steady character growth, strong team dynamics, and grounded take on the sport.
11An understated series, known for its quiet emotional depth and restraint over typical sports anime hype. A deeply moving watch that focuses as much on life and loss as it does on the baseball game itself.
12An energetic cycling anime, the races get surprisingly intense, and the team dynamics and character growth make it way more engaging than you’d expect, even if cycling doesn’t sound interesting.
13American football turned into fast, over the top shonen action, with creative visuals, fun matches, and solid strategy underneath. A sports anime more exciting than you think.
14A high intensity soccer series about ego, ambition, and ruthless competition, where players fight to prove themselves in a survival style selection system. A fast, addictive watch that flips traditional team sports into pure individual rivalry.
15A film centered on two athletes whose rivalry develops over years, shaped by talent, ambition, and pressure. A simple but emotional watch about competitive sprinting, that shows how competition at the highest level can push people in very different directions.
16A figure skating series about a late starter chasing a competitive dream with the help of a determined coach. A must watch for any fan who enjoys perseverance, growth, and storytelling that leaves you rooting for them.