General

List of recommended sports anime

Nowdays, all i see people talk about is the big 4 (fairytail, naruto, bleach, and 1piece) and sometimes sao. However, no one really seems to talk about sports anime. I feel likes sports as a genre in the anime world is very underrated. So i have made a list of a few sports anime that I feel deserve a spotlight

Kuroko no basket- this anime is about to get a third seaon. Its really good and shows how everyone has their own way of playing basketball. The animation is top notch and the characters arent too cliche. However one complaint i do have is that as second season starts, the "powers" of the characters become a bit surreal.

Prince of Tennis- This has been around for a VERY long time. It has tons of fans and if you ask anyone about a sports anime, they will probably mention this one. Its really good but the only problem is that the people in this anime are just inhumane! They make the powers in kuroko seem like no big deal. Im talking like 5 backflips between serves and shots. In new prince of Tennis, this picks up even further.

Baby steps-This is also a tennis anime. If you like tennis but you want a more realistic anime with some more modern animation, go with this one

Haikyuu- The only volleyball anime i know that exists. This and ace of diamond seem to be the hype of the sports anime world. This anime is really centralized on the protagonist and you will fall in love with him by the first two episodes. This anime really shows how far you will go to follow your dreams.

Ace of Diamond- the other hype sports anime. The reason Im putting this on the list is because its a baseball anime. Most people I ask say baseball is a very boring sport, but this anime will change your mind. Its got beautiful animation, and the characters can be a little over dramatic sometimes, but it really shows how high school athletes feel when they do what they love.

Eyeshield 21- And you thought Japan would never touch American football! This anime is very cool, and you can really see how the main character goes from being a loser to an elite athlete. This anime has over 100 episodes and the only problem is that is stops in an awkward spot, but the manga goes a bit further.

Free!- now I am going to talk a lot about this anime because i feel that it is REALLY underrated. Im kind of bias because swimming is my sport but i honestly feel that there needs to be some light shined on this anime. This anime kinda starts as a slice of life anime for the first 12ish episodes. But in eternal summer, the sports part of swimming really kicks in. Ok yeah, people say that this anime was geared towards the female audience. But in all 25-30ish episodes, i can literally remember 3 parts that were just over the top. And only 1 of them was really that bad. And plus, its a swimming anime, what do u want them to wear, diving suits? I am a strait guy and I still enjoyed this anime(mostly the second season though, first was sorta meh for me) but the main reason you should watch it is for its animation quality. Especially in second season where there are a lot of races, the animation of the underwater scenes and just the water in general is the best ive ever seen. If you can appretiate art very well, I really think you will enjoy this anime. And also, the concept of a "swimming anime" i know sounds sort of lame, but its not that hard to get into.

Initial D- This will either be the greatest anime for you or the worst anime for you depending on whether you like cars or not. This is a street racing anime that takes place on mountain passes. Initial D has been along for a very long time, over 100 episodes, starting from 1990s to present day. The seasons are called "stages". There are 5 officially and there is a final stage. There are also 2 extra stages so a total of 8 (if you dont count the arcade stages). Initial D really appeals to car enthusiasts, it uses techincal words that only car people would understand. If you are not a car person, you need to acquire the taste to watch this anime to the fullest. But hey, i knew nothing about cars and i watched the first season. I didnt enjoy it but when season 2 started, i could start to fee it. Where this anime really shines is the OST. It osts are just mindblowingly amazing. Seriously, if your free right now, just look up "running in the 90s" on youtube or something.

Capeta- If you want to watch initial D but you want something that is shorter, or not street racing, or your just not into cars but still want to get the "feel" of a car anime, this is for you. Capeta, as lame as it sounds, is a kart racing anime. You can watch this without having any prior knowledge of cars. This anime also has some good ost value like initial D. If you like this anime, I would highly recommend trying out Initial D.

Inzazuma 11- For soccer fans. Its a good anime. The only thing i dont rly like is the story. Its not bad, its just kind of meh. But it makes up for it with its amazing character development. It inst high schoolers though, its kids.

Area no Kishi- If you want a soccer anime that has older people as the protagonists, like high school students. Also, it you would prefer a more realistic anime. I myself havent seen this anime so I dont know how good it is, so your on your own if you choose this one. ( recommended alternative, which i have actually seen and think its alright, but kind of old: Hungry Heart: Striker)

Ping Pong the animation- Its obviously an anime about soccer right guys? Ok many people will tell you that the animation is a bit weird and it is. Its very wierd. However, if you can just get over this, it truely is a beautiful anime. Many people say this is the best sports anime of the year.

Air Gear- Yes. This anime is a real sport. It is called aggresive inline. Look it up if you want. Ok, In this anime, there are these rollerblades, called air trecks,have motors on the bottom, making them able to go really fast. Therefor, many people start parkouring off walls and racing around the city with these(making it illegal) and getting close to the sky. This anime really symbolizes birds and the sky as like gate to freedom. If you have ever dreamed of flying, you will love this anime. Towards, the end of this anime, the race-battles get kind of unrealistic (like converting the kinetic energy of rotation into electrical to create lighting from you air trecks.). This anime stops at an awk spot, but the manga goes on a bit further. The only complaint for this anime is that they dont time the fanservice correctly, like they add it into the important scenes where you have to pay attention to subtitles but there is fanservice on the screen. If you can focus on the subs, go for it. This anime is really beautiful for those who have ever dreamed of going really fast or flying.

Hajime no Ippo- Most of you who are here will be from the big 4, are may not be used to a sports anime. This anime is kickboxing so there will be lots of fighting in it. This anime can be your entry points into the world of sports anime if you cant go without fighting. This anime has 75 ish episodes but over a 1000 (yea 1000) manga chapters.

Overdrive- This is a bicycle anime. Thats all i will say. This is the wildcard of this list. The anime is pretty short, so it wont take to long. Id recommend you watch one other sports anime first. Anyways, I want you to experience this anime yourself.

ok this took me quite a while to type and I hope I have convinced you to check out atleast one of these anime. Sports anime really needs some love. Hopefully, you can help shine som light on it.