This post of mine is a long time coming because I have thought and thought and thought about making it forever. I am a HUGE fan of sports anime, for the bromance, passion, sports action, and the excitement in every single episode!!! I have seen a lot so here I will be ranking them and trying to convince you to see them, if you haven’t <3
1. Free!
I could never forget to put this gem as my #1 sports anime. Regardless if you're a fan of swimming, this show will make you want to get WET! ... pun intended. The fan-service is off the charts, I am still shocked at how bold they were sometimes, but beyond that, you will be genuinely, truly, and extremely excited about their races. You will be cheering them on and feeling that jolt of adrenaline right along with the racers. I can never watch Olympics swimming the same away again.
Every character has a unique personality and they stand out. "I only swim Free" Haru has my entire heart and his bonds with everyone just scream cute. I also wouldn't say this show is catered towards females only; it has something for everyone.
I'm not an athlete at all, but this show made me want to go swim a lap and feel accomplished. The team-building is realistic and their struggles are raw. From the beginning to the end, you will be anxious for their victories and understanding of their failures.
Truly a diamond in the sports anime world.
2. Tsurune
An entire show about ARCHERY. Can you believe it? I was mesmerized. It was GORGEOUS. At first I thought it would be so boring but wow was I wrong.... this show is unlike anything I have ever seen before and the only reason it doesn't take #1 was it was TOO. SHORT. It deserves several more seasons to really flesh it all out, and I can never get enough of watching their archery traditional rituals. This isn't normal archery, no no no. The music, the build-up, the way they lined up, the shots, the expressions, the vibe. This show was insanely good, and I am gearing for a re-watch.
Also, if you need anymore convincing....
WHAT. EVEN. They were so attractive. There were DEFINITE ships but there were also actual confrontations and drama that felt resolved and genuine. The friendship between some of the main characters killed me. The rivalry was also INTENSE.
The animation was seriously stunning. I wish I could watch this for the first time without knowing anything, but do me a huge favor and do that for me??? <3
3. Yuri! on Ice
AHHH!! This show is everything to me. To be fair, I came into this already a huge fan of figure skating so I was excited beyond belief to see animated programs, but even if you aren’t a fan (aka my best friend I watched this with) you will be OBSESSED.
I’ve seen this show three times, no regrets, and each time feels like a treat. There is a beautiful, yet low-key, romantic vibe between the coach and skater which labels this as a BL in my eyes, but you could still watch without any of that and enjoy every moment.
I think one of my favorite parts of this show was all the reactions to the skating. When Yuri, our main character, would perform, his coach always was shown to be reacting in some way, and it just built the hype further. There were also several other skaters you’d actually get to learn about and watch, so that adds deeper layers to the show.
This show is a blast. It’s fun, hilarious, romantic, sweet, exciting, and intense. There is a perfect balance of serious and comedy, and every character is just an adorable cinnamon roll. What are you waiting for?!??! This is the perfect show before the Winter Olympics.
4. Sk8 the Infinity
AHHH! This is a relatively new show, just released this year, but wow it had my heart racing... and not just for the bromance between our main boys. The entire premise was an illegal skateboarding track and everyone had an alternate persona at midnight when they competitively skated each other. I live and die for the relationships between the characters and there was not a single boring episode!
I literally think this is the single most entertaining show I’ve ever seen about a sport as unique as skateboarding, and I binged it all in one night. This is a show you’d want to re-watch! There is a literal plot, with a villain, and you will be rooting for so many and also wanting to see down-falls. It streams on Funimation and you don’t want to miss it!!! (PS: The dub is great, seriously. Especially Joe’s voice!)
5. number24
I waited a long time for the dub to drop on Funimation and it was WELL WORTH the wait. I had an amazing time watching this anime dedicated to RUGBY! Note, I have never seen a real-life rugby game and actually didn’t know much about it at all. You’ll find yourself learning a lot.
I have to be honest... this show is more focused on the relationships than the actual sport, so that might seem like a con to some. To me, though, I was soaking it up. The bonds and character development are amazing. I loved the trope of an injured player coming back as a coach. It was heart-warming, motivating, and inspiring!
I’m posting that gif because I know what I’m doing here ;)
6. Run with the Wind
Some might say this should be ranked higher, and I agree that it is a wonderful show, but looking back, it didn't stick out to me as much as others did. However, what a gem! I sincerely believe everyone should see this show. Only gripe I had... where was the relationship and character development? I would have loved to see more. Ironic considering it is the only anime on this list that is more than 20 episodes for a single season.
It’s hard to imagine a show dedicated to running could be fascinating, but it really was. The animation was pretty amazing and the beginning of the show was hilarious, with everyone resisting being part of this running team and practically experiencing fear tactics just to join. All in good fun, though. They came around, of course. The bromance and the pain and the struggles every day as they achieved their dreams were relatable.
That being said, the ending was a knife to the heart. It was raw, painful, and glorious all at once. I encourage everyone to watch this. You’ll seriously want to grab your running shoes and feel the wind in your face. I’ll never look at running the same way again!
7. Prince of Stride: Alternative
I’ve come to realize this is a most unheard of anime, and I’m so sad about that. It’s seriously phenomenal! Crazy that this sport doesn’t even actually exist, which is double sad. I was seriously impressed with this show, though! Stride is a sport that involves running + parkour through real city streets as a team, and relaying to one another. I have never been more invested in watching a sport; I was on the edge of my seat when they were racing, and I am so appreciative that this show actually dedicated full episodes to the races.
You will be intensely watching all the races, no doubt. The show grips you from the very start. I am amazed more people haven’t seen this.
There is definite fan-service. Cue the gif below.
It’s honestly super canon that one of the characters is gay, and I love watching those relationships develop. There is also an emphasis on some sibling relationships, which were some of my favorite in the show. All about that rivalry, living in an older sibling’s shadow, becoming your own person -- all that good stuff.
Turn the tide and watch this underrated gem!!!
8. Gymnastics Samurai
Recent and decent. That’s how I’d describe this show. Aside from Bakuten, this was the gymnastics show of the year, and I had a great time seeing it. Disclaimer, there is virtually zero fan-service or bromance here, aside from a middle aged man bonding with a teenager, in a TOTALLY healthy and fatherly way. He has a literal daughter, so everything in the show was normal. It was about a previously slated champion of gymnastics wanting to make his debut return, and struggling with his health and fitness, but going through with it all the same. I can’t lie and say it was the most exciting show, but I binged in a day because I was genuinely invested.
The father-daughter dynamic was adorable. I was also inspired by the tenacity and perseverance layered deep within this show. I think if you want to feel motivated to continue your dreams or start something new, this is the show to look towards.
9. Bakuten!
With that, I come to the second gymnastics-style show. This one’s all about rhythmic gymnastics! There is that typical trope, of a kid who is barely any good but wanting to make it work, and then the start athlete who comes off as a tsundere. Sprinkle in some senpei characters, and you have yourself a team that will bond and struggle throughout the episodes, until their glorious finish.
There were laugh-out-loud moments, and also tear-jerking episodes. I was already feeling emotional at the opening song, because it was the same band that sang the opening for Given. Instant hook! I would label this a fun show that you would enjoy, but it’s not a can’t-miss.
10. 2.43 Seiin High Volleyball
Fun fact: This was my first subbed anime, ever.
I was intrigued by this anime because it was about volleyball. I, for some reason, never got into Haikyuu (cue the shocked gasps), so I thought I’d give this a try. I’m happy to say I DID enjoy this one and finished it within a day. I really liked the mystery atmosphere of character backstories and I was invested in their journey. Not to mention... cutest bromance!!
There was a little too much of the overt blushing, but at the time, I found it adorable. Looking back... could they have been more obvious? Even as friends, they had a lot to tension and arguments to overcome before becoming close, and it was all so REAL.
11. Skate Leading Stars!
After Yuri on Ice, I saw this show had ice skating and did not even hesitate. Glad for that, because it was seriously entertaining!!!! I LOVED the idea of the rival’s brother helping the main character.... what a unique twist???? And I loved the tumblr jokes about them low-key being into each other. Imagine how the rival must have felt honestly. The vibes were THERE. That’s all I’m going to say on that.
I still don’t quite understand what skate leading is... but let’s be real, this show was not made to showcase the sport.
LOOK AT THEM! They were so hilarious together. Some of the most comedic moments I’ve experienced in anime.
All in all, wonderful show <3
12. Dive!!
You saw my number one show, right? How could anyone even TRY to emulate that... no way. This was an obvious attempt at Free, but with a younger cast and variation on the sport. But all the vibes were there: being shirtless around your friends 24/7, being obsessed with your rival to an unhealthy degree, ignoring your best friends for your rival, female coach/manager, fascination with the water.... you name it. I wish this show was better but it got good the last episode and then it was over.
I think it’s funny that I can’t even find a gif for this because Free keeps showing up.
13. Cheer Boys!
This was a show I really wanted to like more, but it got stale after the first half. I dragged myself to finish the second half more than a month later.... and I’m glad I did because the ending was exciting. I still wouldn’t put this near the top by any means. The animation could have been better and the bonds between characters could have been explored further. I still don’t know the point of half the individuals on their cheer team. Also, what happened with their futures? So many questions. Not enough answers.
There was about... 0.5 fan-service. The relationship between the main friends was the only thing that had any depth to it. They had a strong bond, that much was clear, but sometimes they never talked things out and then it was forgotten. That FRUSTRATES me.
However, I appreciate the effort at an anime centered around boys being cheerleaders. That’s not something you see everyday!
14. Big Windup!
Ah, so I did see a baseball anime after all. This is one of many out there (I’m looking at you Diamond of Ace... on my watchlist forever) but it was a good choice I think. I only saw the first season because I wasn’t interested enough to keep going.
Listen... we need to talk about the main character. There are a few, so I don’t want to spoil. But there is this one character... you’ll know right away... who is so so so annoying. I can’t tell if it’s his voice, personality, face, or just overall existence. I tried hard to get past it. I read posts everywhere about people saying it gets better. It didn’t get better. I have no clue how I managed to finish the season but I got through... cringing the entire time.
Trust me, you’ll know.
That’s why I can’t say much about this show. I did really like the NOT ANNOYING characters, and I did focus on them mostly. The vibes were cute, with everyone helping out the weaker players, but yeah... that one character. He was not it.
Here’s a cute gif because there are cute moments!!! If you like baseball, you’ll love this because they dedicated like 16 episodes to one game. Not exaggerating lol
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There you have it! Those are all the sports anime I have seen so far, ranked! I hope you enjoyed this :)
