Top 10 Best Sports Anime 2024 (You Need to Watch)

Anime comes in a variety of genres that can be enjoyed to relax or to spend leisure time. One popular genre is sports anime.

Sports anime offers narratives as engaging as those found in other genres. In addition to featuring various sports, sports anime also conveys moral messages, such as the importance of never giving up and continuously working hard.

Below, otakublogs has summarizes recommendations for sports genre anime with interesting storylines.

Anime Sports Recommendations

1. Haikyu!!

Haikyu!!  adapted from a manga of the same name, features 89 episodes across 4 seasons and first premiered in Indonesia on October 21, 2016. According to IMDB, “Haikyu!!” follows Shouyou Hinata, a middle school student who becomes captivated with volleyball after watching a national championship match on TV. Determined to emulate the championship’s star player, dubbed the “little giant,” Shouyou joins his school’s volleyball club.

2. Captain Tsubasa 

“Captain Tsubasa” is incredibly popular, even among those who are not typical anime fans. First released in 1983, the anime offers an exciting glimpse into the world of football. It centers on 11-year-old Tsubasa Oozora, a passionate football player who dreams of winning the FIFA World Cup for Japan one day. “Captain Tsubasa” has 6 seasons with a total of 175 episodes and was remade in 2018, offering a nostalgic trip for the 90s generation.

3. Diamond No Ace 

Focusing on baseball, “Diamond No Ace” was first released in 2013 with a total of 131 episodes. A sequel titled “Ace of Diamond: Act II” came out in 2019. The series follows Eijun Sawamura, a talented baseball pitcher with the ambitious goal of becoming a top player at Seidou High School.

4. Hajime No Ippo

Featuring boxing, “Hajime no Ippo” has a total of 76 episodes and is considered one of the best boxing anime, with a compelling mix of sports and drama. The story follows Ippo Makunouchi, an ordinary high school student in Japan who spends most of his time helping his mother with the family business, leaving little time for enjoying his youth. Constantly bullied at school, Ippo’s life takes a turn for the better when he is saved by a boxer named Takamura and decides to follow in his footsteps.

5. Slam Dunk 

“Slam Dunk,” a basketball anime with a total of 101 episodes, aired from October 16, 1993, to March 23, 1996. Adapted from one of the best-selling manga series of all time, “Slam Dunk” is well-known among basketball fans for its popularity.

6. Yowamushi Pedal 

While many football and basketball anime have emerged, “Yowamushi Pedal” stands out as a unique series about bicycle racing. It has 137 episodes and began airing on October 8, 2013. The story revolves around Onoda, a cheerful otaku looking to make friends in his new school’s anime club, which unfortunately has been disbanded. He accidentally stumbles into the bicycle club instead.

7. Whistle

Another football-themed anime, “Whistle” has 39 episodes and first aired in Japan from May 6, 2002, to February 3, 2003, premiering in Indonesia in 2004. It tells the story of Shou Kazamatsuri, a boy who dreams of becoming a professional footballer despite lacking natural talent. Undeterred, he enrolls in a school with a strong football team, hoping to learn and grow.

8. Ao Ashi

Released on April 9, 2022, “Ao Ashi” has a total of 24 episodes. It has won 3 awards and received 2 nominations. The series follows Ashito Aoi, a young aspiring football player from a remote town in Japan whose hopes to join a good high school football club are dashed after a critical incident during an important match.

9. Blue Lock 

“Blue Lock,” another football-themed anime released in 2022 with a total of 24 episodes, has won 2 awards and received 2 nominations. It revolves around Japan’s continuous failures at the World Cup. After Isagi Yoichi, a high school striker, is eliminated in the last national qualifiers, he is invited to a radical training program called “Blue Lock.”

10. Re-main 

Lastly, “Re-main” is a water polo sports anime that became popular in 2021-2022. The story centers on Minato Kiyoumizu, a boy who quit playing water polo after an incident in his third year of junior high school. Upon entering high school, he decides to give water polo another try and joins the school team along with his friends.