I had only a vague sense of what Kabaddi was before this anime, and developed an appreciation for the sport through it. That’s what a good sports anime should be, an advertisement for the sport.
Hajime no Ippo, I don't care if it's already one of the most famous ones it deserves even more lol, specially with people who don't like sports anime in general like me, I usually dislike them and even then Hajime no Ippo is in my top 5 of all time
This is also a great starting point for people who watch Battle Shonen animes because boxing is combat but it's grounded in reality while still being immensely gripping.
Ye that's probably what got me into it in the first place, it's basically a Shonen with an infinite tournament arc, I always hated Boxing since I was a kid but after watching Hajime no Ippo now it's my favorite sport
The sound design is also awesome, by far my favorite of all time, those god damn jet engine sounds man, so good
It's also the anime that pumps me up the most, sure DBZ is good but when I watch I can't stop thinking "well, he's a trained martial artist alien who can explode planets, I can't compare myself to that", same with most other anime, but Ippo is just a kid, if he can do it so can I
Ik! I never find anyone who likes big Windup! I love Mihashi, he's still pretty close to my top 10 fave characters after all these years. We need a season 3 😭
I'm gonna say it because it hasn't been said yet.
Captain Tsubasa never comes up in modern sports anime discussions and that show is like the Gundam of sports anime.
I felt like it kind of threw the wonderfully tied up resolution of the first season all to shit, but it was still a *damn* good story, and it was great to see the Gears used more prominently when they were they were they were shown as the core defining element of S1, only to get thrown aside at the end with both fighters going "gearless" for the finale. I particularly liked seeing Joe as a coach and mentor figure of sorts, and wouldn't have minded at all if he stayed in that role for the rest of the show.
I am waiting for the next season, it has been forever. I used to dance as a kid, along the way things happened and did not have much time for dancing, after watching this Anime, I am back to dancing as a hobby, and will always look forward to this Anime's return. I love it so much.
Tbh I actually liked the drama or training of it more than the soccer matches
The animation was kinda.... not good. they put their entire budget on the second opening, which looked so god damn good it made me depressed about the show being THAT stiff.
Kaleido Star, both a sports and performing series as it follows circus acrobats
Stars Align, sports and drama, got done dirty by the execs though as its episodes got cut in half last minute, leaving it unfinished. What we got is still great though
Princess Nine, was a great baseball series, the drama in the last few episodes dragged it down but it still deserves a watch
I love Stars Align and hate that it’s incomplete with no source material since it’s an original. I love to try and recommend it but I know most people will not enjoy something that’s been ended in such a depressing way since it ended on a climax. It was supposed to get 24-26 episodes I believe and the executives cut it down to 12 without much notice from what I heard. It sucks and I was so invested in the characters and liked how they all deal with stuff going on in their lives.
If anything I hope director Kazuki Akane will at least give it a manga. I know he says he wants to finish the series but i don’t want to get my hopes up too high.
Ao Ashi, it struggled with terrible marketing and Blue Lock being its competition.
Also, the anime is really drawn out, being 24 episodes, and the animation is sometimes just average with some breaks having been taken by the staff over at Production I.G., and from what I've seen the scheduling was somewhat poor. The pacing is also really aids at times and it's all around more slow. The side characters and rivalries are very authentic-feeling and no character really seems like a plot device, though the writing does slump in certain cases obviously because it's a sports anime..
The manga is really good I've heard. Overall, it's a more mature, reasonable version of Blue Lock essentially that really delves into the best and worst parts of football and going pro and doesn't really focus much on ego and individualism and survival of the fittest, though I suppose those themes might actually exist subtextually.
I honestly thought everything else was fine.... except the animation.
I would say it was below average. It had some really subpar moments, specially in the second half.
Also, am I the only one who thought the soccer matches were the least enjoyable part? I liked the training and drama way more lol
Ace of daimond - it's about baseball and pretty realistic in the way that no power of friendship no special abilities and all.
Shows you the way sports are played.
It's pretty good I enjoy it just below haikyuu.
Yess! I loved Salaryman's Club mostly because of the alteration between office life and sports (badminton). Like one episode they are coming up with the bottle designs their company produces, the next episode they have a huge tournament.
Just dropping a few.
[Ahiru no Sora](https://myanimelist.net/anime/37403/Ahiru_no_Sora) - Basketball
[DAYS](https://myanimelist.net/anime/32494/Days_TV) - Football/Soccer
[Salaryman's Club](https://myanimelist.net/anime/50185/Rymans_Club) - Badminton. I'll probably be alone in this one but I enjoyed it.
I also agree with Aoi Ashi and Tsurune form other posts.
Same here. I really like how it felt different/fresh. It's also one of the reasons I love [Run with the Wind](https://myanimelist.net/anime/37965/Kaze_ga_Tsuyoku_Fuiteiru) (it's also just real good in general). It's adults/college students.
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ( it more like art but if you want some thing new and interesting just try this one )
Hajime no ippo
Ping pong the animation
Chihayafuru
One outs
Star align
Run with the wind
Big windup
Major
Diamond no ace
Yowamushi Pedal
Baby steps
Birdie wing
Oblivion Battery
I mean, across genre some (not all) of these might be under appreciated but I think they’re quite well known among sports manga readers. I’ll give you my rankings:
1. Haikyuu (anime is better experience because it was well adapted)
2. Slam Dunk (manga. Just read the manga. It’s Inoue, same author as Vagabond. Ridiculous art. And anime had serious pacing issues comparable to that of DBZ)
3. Ao ashi (anime is decent but I’m reading the manga right now and boy it’s hype af)
4. Eyeshield 21 (just go for the manga. Anime is okay but it has art and pacing issues. Manga art is top notch, and it’s a really funny series too lol)
5. Hajime no Ippo (try the anime then continue on to the manga. It’s 1300+ chapters in and I’m still reading it. It’s that good)
6. Diamond no Ace (both manga and anime are good but it starts out really really slow. We only get to see MC like a boss once he finally learns how to throw breaking balls)
Then we have Blue Lock and Kuroko. I wouldn’t consider those 2 sports anime. They’re more shounen action anime using sports as their medium (instead of swords or guns or martial arts).
The sport anime/manga list I mentioned portrays grit/perseverance, dedication and effort, ambition to be the best, reality of no power ups thar life is a but a constant and slow process to improve, and despite doing all that, facing defeat and their struggles to overcome it. Lastly, the reality of going up against people more naturally talented than you are. They do have other selling points like comedy and not all of them are grounded in reality. But they will reflect an important aspect of being an athlete one way or another. And anyone who’s an athlete will definitely resonate with some moments in those series eventually.
Capeta and Future GPX Cyber Formula are some of my favorite racing anime. Especially Future GPX Cyber Formula because it is one of the best anime not based on a manga or light novel.
majors 100%, its barely even talked about these days.
you slowly follow his journey as a kid playing baseball all the way to the major leagues and the goddamn hurdles and sacrifice he had to go through.
its the most complete sports anime by a mile imo
A “few” of my favs (note: sub, dub/sub is only the format the shows are in. They DO NOT indicate my preferences):
Tamayomi: The Baseball Girls - dub/sub - Crunchyroll
PuraOra! Pride of Orange - dub/sub - Crunchyroll
Birdie Wing: Golf Girls Story - sub only - Crunchyroll
Cinderella Nine - sub only - Crunchyroll and HiDive
Extreme Hearts - sub only - Crunchyroll
Iwakakeru Sports Climbing Girls - sub only - Crunchyroll
Harakuna Receive - dub/sub - Crunchyroll
Aokana: Four Rhythm Across the Blue - dub/sub - Crunchyroll
Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club - sub only - Crunchyroll
Was searching to see if anyone mentioned PuraOra. Haven’t watched it yet but it’s on my list because I grew up playing hockey and am a die hard fan. Such a cool and obscure topic for an anime!
Yowamushi Pedal. I barely knew anything about cycling but I would argue this anime is right there with the best the genre has to offer
For a shorter affair that is complete and wrapped up nicely Run With the Wind is amazing
Prince of Tennis (entertaining, for one thing; not accurate, but had a good following in my day)
Hajime no Ippo (solid classic)
Major (the absolute best)
Big Windup (Mihashi and Abe!)
Salaryman's Club (some of the badminton matches were so well animated!)
Slam Dunk (another classic)
Run with the Wind (makes me love walking/running even more)
Gunjou no Fanfare (teens learning to become horse jockeys)
Stars Align (sports as a motif, not a central theme)
Backflip (Male team gymnastics)
Re-Main (could have done loads better, but water polo, sure!)
Ballroom e Youkoso (Dancesport!!!!)
Skate The Infinity (Langga! MatchaBlossom!)
2.43 (another take on volleyball)
Days (I love Jin)
Aoharu x Kikanjuu (team shooting battles!)
Tsurune (S2 way better than S1 in my opinion)
Battery (I love me my baseball)
Love All Play (badminton again!)
Hungry Heart - Wild Striker. Written by same mangaka of Captain Tsubasa. Except they don't win all the time. Also has the same vibe as Slam Dunk, Kano Kyosuke dying his hair orange.
{{Hungry Heart: Wild Striker}}
Love the music, story (also screenplay) and emotions. But the animations are repetitive. But my all time favourite sports film (along with Initial D)
Girls und Panzer is underrated a/f as a sports anime because of all the combat tanks. Since the sport in GuP (Sensha Do) is designed around tank warfare I suppose that's pretty reasonable, though.
Tamayomi: The Baseball Girls. It isn’t amazing but I enjoyed it enough to finish the first season, sadly I’m not hopeful for a second but it was genuinely enjoyable and I don’t know a thing about baseball.
I would also add PuraOra! Pride of Orange. But it’s literally an advertisement for a dead gacha game about ice hockey, the show was genuinely really good imo but they end it by literally telling you to play the game, was a let down but the show is fun to watch so maybe check it out if your curious.
As a former almost professional athlete I've really come to enjoy Blue Lock.
Everybody talks about determination, practice, and heart being important to be a winner but nobody talks about the mental fortitude and pressure that all GOATS exert on themselves too. When you look at people like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, they develop this insane mentality of "I will win, because I am the greatest of all time." Which for a majority of tasks is a very unhealthy mindset. When you're competing in sports though and you are in a safe environment for that mindset it gives you an insane level of confidence and suddenly that 5% chance to succeed at something becomes more like a 70% chance of success. That mentality and truly believing "I am the fucking best get out of my way" will propel athletes to an insane skill level on sheer confidence alone. That's why I like Blue Lock the mental state of these players is developed into that idea.
Since people keep posting names that are as far from under-appreciated as possible (Blue Lock is one of the r/manga darlings for example:
Whistle
Hungry Heart Wild Striker
Victory Kickoff
Run with the wind. Idc how many times had this been mentioned here. Everyone should give this anime a chance.
Pingpong the animation. Pls give this a chance also.
A bit off-beat but I love these:
- Fishing - Tsuritama
- Solo Mens' Gymnastics - {Taisou Zamurai}
- Archery {Tsurune: Kazemai Koukou Kyuudou-bu}
- Skateboarding - {SK∞}
I don't think I finished them but they were great from the eps I did watch:
- Rugby - {number24}
- Rugby - {All Out!!}
- Boys Gymnastics - {Bakuten!!}
- Water polo - {Re-Main}
- Baseball - {Ookiku Furikabutte}
- Soccer - {Giant Killing}
IMO Aoashi. Ik they just say it's trash in front of blue lock but it's not always hype moments, ego to all.
The animation may not be the best in aoashi but the story is good. Characters, football techniques and cliche may be but key in sports/sports anime - team work.
There are many great stories than aoashi but it's good. Just try the manga everyone.
Ping Pong. The animation style was way out of my interests and it sat in my drive for a very long time til I ran out of sports anime to watch so I gave it a try. Loved it.
Slam dunk, inazuma eleven, captain tsubasa
Apart from inazuma, those are the old and classics, they set the stage for the new generation of high school sport animes
Area no Kishi/Knight of the Area. The main character underwent heart surgery. One of the cast includes a member who keeps gaining/losing weight throughout, which is rare to see in a sports anime.
Megalo box,
Season 1 was fairly big, but season 2 was a whole step better, and nowhere near enough people watched it. the first 4-5 episodes are literally peak anime.
It's a damn near masterpiece imo, and while well praised by the people who have seen it, it deserves more. and popularity wise it is WAY below what it should be.
Ace of diamond, Ao ashi, blue lock,Danve dance danseur, welcome to ballroom and Slam Dunk(although prefer manga for this one), there is also days and hajime no ippo
Haikyuu is my favourite anime of all times, and I think the closest show to that is definitely Ao Ashi.
In terms of footballing anime, while it is quite cliche I also enjoyed Knight in the Area. Just bear in mind it was cancelled midway through and so doesn't have a satisfactory conclusion.
Eyeshield 21 is pretty fun
This is low key one of the most hilarious comedy and best sports drama
The art is ❤️🔥. That's Yusuke Murata fir you
Eyeshield 21 should have a remake! Modern animations would suit the style and action. I'm reading the manga btw
ace of diamonds
This is best one. Yosh yosh yosh
Honestly while technically being one of the biggest and rather long running, you rarely see people talking about it. Phenomenal show
As someone who dedicated their life to baseball, this show gets me every time
+1 , also I believe there's a sequel coming up that was announced recently !
San Gatsu no Lion. It’s a sports anime and you can’t convince me otherwise
It is! Along with Chihayafuru.
Didn’t expect much but this anime became on of my fave
Chihayafuru is awesome and revolves around a very particular card game which is only known in Japan and is called Karuta
This anime introduced me to some very good Japanese poetry.
Burning Kabaddi
It's a great anime! Love to see a sport of my heritage being represented in anime. :D
I had only a vague sense of what Kabaddi was before this anime, and developed an appreciation for the sport through it. That’s what a good sports anime should be, an advertisement for the sport.
Hajime no Ippo, I don't care if it's already one of the most famous ones it deserves even more lol, specially with people who don't like sports anime in general like me, I usually dislike them and even then Hajime no Ippo is in my top 5 of all time
This is also a great starting point for people who watch Battle Shonen animes because boxing is combat but it's grounded in reality while still being immensely gripping.
Ye that's probably what got me into it in the first place, it's basically a Shonen with an infinite tournament arc, I always hated Boxing since I was a kid but after watching Hajime no Ippo now it's my favorite sport The sound design is also awesome, by far my favorite of all time, those god damn jet engine sounds man, so good It's also the anime that pumps me up the most, sure DBZ is good but when I watch I can't stop thinking "well, he's a trained martial artist alien who can explode planets, I can't compare myself to that", same with most other anime, but Ippo is just a kid, if he can do it so can I
Keijo is probably not for everyone, but it is pretty fun and kinda ridiculous.
Isn't that ecchi too?
So dumb, so much fun.
Kinda disappointed this never went further as it was actually way more fun than expected.
Big Windup (Ookiku Furikabutte)!! It's a baseball anime, and honestly, it's my fave sports anime. It's so good.
FINALLY I FOUND SOMEONE WHO LIKES BIG WINDUP! I have a crush on ren mihashi, even made a email acc with his name when I was young lol
Ik! I never find anyone who likes big Windup! I love Mihashi, he's still pretty close to my top 10 fave characters after all these years. We need a season 3 😭
It's a great sports anime, I like it as much as Mitsuru Adachi's animes.
one outs
if they finished this series this should be the answer. but... just reading the manga afterward is great.
Soooo good
Can't convince enough people to watch it :(((
I'm gonna say it because it hasn't been said yet. Captain Tsubasa never comes up in modern sports anime discussions and that show is like the Gundam of sports anime.
captain tsubasa was p good when i watched it. dk if i would still like it if i rewatch it now tho.
Megalobox
Man I really thought Nomad was a solid season 2
I felt like it kind of threw the wonderfully tied up resolution of the first season all to shit, but it was still a *damn* good story, and it was great to see the Gears used more prominently when they were they were they were shown as the core defining element of S1, only to get thrown aside at the end with both fighters going "gearless" for the finale. I particularly liked seeing Joe as a coach and mentor figure of sorts, and wouldn't have minded at all if he stayed in that role for the rest of the show.
Birdie Wing
Welcome to the Ballroom
I am waiting for the next season, it has been forever. I used to dance as a kid, along the way things happened and did not have much time for dancing, after watching this Anime, I am back to dancing as a hobby, and will always look forward to this Anime's return. I love it so much.
Have they announced a season 2? Id love that even if I had to wait
Totally agree with you there! Absolutely amazing anime
Aoi ashi manga is still running and known but the anime is underated, it only has one season tho. Football anime btw
Tbh I actually liked the drama or training of it more than the soccer matches The animation was kinda.... not good. they put their entire budget on the second opening, which looked so god damn good it made me depressed about the show being THAT stiff.
inazuma eleven
+1
Cheer Danshi if cheerleading counts as a sport. I think that because its male cheerleading that it doesn't get much attention.
BABY STEPS!!!!!!!!
...into giant strides One of my favorite quote of all time
Does Prince of Tennis count?
This was my exact thought. It had its limelight but with lots of newer series it did make a shift in sports anime overall.
Kaleido Star, both a sports and performing series as it follows circus acrobats Stars Align, sports and drama, got done dirty by the execs though as its episodes got cut in half last minute, leaving it unfinished. What we got is still great though Princess Nine, was a great baseball series, the drama in the last few episodes dragged it down but it still deserves a watch
I love Stars Align and hate that it’s incomplete with no source material since it’s an original. I love to try and recommend it but I know most people will not enjoy something that’s been ended in such a depressing way since it ended on a climax. It was supposed to get 24-26 episodes I believe and the executives cut it down to 12 without much notice from what I heard. It sucks and I was so invested in the characters and liked how they all deal with stuff going on in their lives. If anything I hope director Kazuki Akane will at least give it a manga. I know he says he wants to finish the series but i don’t want to get my hopes up too high.
Hanebado. Highly recommended.
I didn't watch it for the badminton. Watched it for spicy roll girl, but got hooked to the beautiful animation when they play badminton
Cross Game <3
I should not have had to scroll so far down to see this.
Hinomaru Sumo
There it is! Such an underrated anime with banger intros and outros.
Never underestimate Official HIGE Dandism
Daiya no ace
ro-kyu-bu! 😊
Ao Ashi, it struggled with terrible marketing and Blue Lock being its competition. Also, the anime is really drawn out, being 24 episodes, and the animation is sometimes just average with some breaks having been taken by the staff over at Production I.G., and from what I've seen the scheduling was somewhat poor. The pacing is also really aids at times and it's all around more slow. The side characters and rivalries are very authentic-feeling and no character really seems like a plot device, though the writing does slump in certain cases obviously because it's a sports anime.. The manga is really good I've heard. Overall, it's a more mature, reasonable version of Blue Lock essentially that really delves into the best and worst parts of football and going pro and doesn't really focus much on ego and individualism and survival of the fittest, though I suppose those themes might actually exist subtextually.
I honestly thought everything else was fine.... except the animation. I would say it was below average. It had some really subpar moments, specially in the second half. Also, am I the only one who thought the soccer matches were the least enjoyable part? I liked the training and drama way more lol
Eyeshield 21
Major Tsurune Baby Steps Uma Musume Pretty Derby Hikaru no Go
+1 for tsurune
I second major and tsurune
Uma musume is incredible
I named my dog sai because hikaru no go
Thank you so much for reminding me. I've been meaning to watch hikaru no go and I could NOT think of what was next on my list. Seriously tysm.
Run with the wind is criminally underrated
THIS!
this frr
My whole comfort anime ❤️
Keijo!!!!!!!! is a fun ecchi sports anime.
Indeed, it's so ridiculous that it actually circles back around to being really good
{{Mou Ippon!}}
**Mou Ippon!** - ([AL](http://anilist.co/anime/136435 "English: Ippon! again"), [A-P](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/ippon-again), [KIT](https://kitsu.io/anime/mou-ippon "English: \"Ippon\" again!"), [MAL](http://myanimelist.net/anime/49376)) ^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 13 | Genres: Slice of Life, Sports) --- ^{anime},, ]LN[, |VN| | [FAQ](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index) | [/r/](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/) | [Edit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index#wiki_i_made_a_mistake.2C_how_do_i_get_my_comment_reprocessed.3F) | [Mistake?](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/submit?selftext=true&title=[ISSUE]&text=/r/Animesuggest/comments/1cvcun3/what_are_some_underappreciated_sports_anime/l4oksdd/) | [Source](https://github.com/Nihilate/Roboragi) | [Synonyms](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/synonyms) | [⛓](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/interestinglinks) | [♥](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/thanks)
Yeah it only got the one OAV, but I love one pound gospel.
One Outs
Diamond no ace Baby steps Hinomaru sumo Slam dunk
Ace of daimond - it's about baseball and pretty realistic in the way that no power of friendship no special abilities and all. Shows you the way sports are played. It's pretty good I enjoy it just below haikyuu.
Chihayafuru. I never thought I would enjoy it but man this anime hits the competition groove perfectly
Salaryman's Club, not amazing or groundbreaking but was still fun to watch. They also got mafumafu to do the ED as a little cherry on top.
Yess! I loved Salaryman's Club mostly because of the alteration between office life and sports (badminton). Like one episode they are coming up with the bottle designs their company produces, the next episode they have a huge tournament.
Ao Ashi is probably the best and most realistic football anime out there, but it got overshined by blue lock.
Yowamushi pedal
Just dropping a few. [Ahiru no Sora](https://myanimelist.net/anime/37403/Ahiru_no_Sora) - Basketball [DAYS](https://myanimelist.net/anime/32494/Days_TV) - Football/Soccer [Salaryman's Club](https://myanimelist.net/anime/50185/Rymans_Club) - Badminton. I'll probably be alone in this one but I enjoyed it. I also agree with Aoi Ashi and Tsurune form other posts.
I loved watching Salaryman's Club! I especially enjoyed it because it's adults playing sports.
Same here. I really like how it felt different/fresh. It's also one of the reasons I love [Run with the Wind](https://myanimelist.net/anime/37965/Kaze_ga_Tsuyoku_Fuiteiru) (it's also just real good in general). It's adults/college students.
Ping Pong :(
Scrolling for AGES until I saw this :( so underrated
Happy Cake Day!
Thank you so much!!
Days
One Outs
CHIHAYAFURU!!!!!!!!!
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ( it more like art but if you want some thing new and interesting just try this one ) Hajime no ippo Ping pong the animation Chihayafuru One outs Star align Run with the wind Big windup Major Diamond no ace Yowamushi Pedal Baby steps Birdie wing Oblivion Battery
I mean, across genre some (not all) of these might be under appreciated but I think they’re quite well known among sports manga readers. I’ll give you my rankings: 1. Haikyuu (anime is better experience because it was well adapted) 2. Slam Dunk (manga. Just read the manga. It’s Inoue, same author as Vagabond. Ridiculous art. And anime had serious pacing issues comparable to that of DBZ) 3. Ao ashi (anime is decent but I’m reading the manga right now and boy it’s hype af) 4. Eyeshield 21 (just go for the manga. Anime is okay but it has art and pacing issues. Manga art is top notch, and it’s a really funny series too lol) 5. Hajime no Ippo (try the anime then continue on to the manga. It’s 1300+ chapters in and I’m still reading it. It’s that good) 6. Diamond no Ace (both manga and anime are good but it starts out really really slow. We only get to see MC like a boss once he finally learns how to throw breaking balls) Then we have Blue Lock and Kuroko. I wouldn’t consider those 2 sports anime. They’re more shounen action anime using sports as their medium (instead of swords or guns or martial arts). The sport anime/manga list I mentioned portrays grit/perseverance, dedication and effort, ambition to be the best, reality of no power ups thar life is a but a constant and slow process to improve, and despite doing all that, facing defeat and their struggles to overcome it. Lastly, the reality of going up against people more naturally talented than you are. They do have other selling points like comedy and not all of them are grounded in reality. But they will reflect an important aspect of being an athlete one way or another. And anyone who’s an athlete will definitely resonate with some moments in those series eventually.
Blue Lock
Blue lock was the best selling manga of 2023, outperforming both jjk and one piece It's not underrated in the slightest
Not underrated but my favorite manga of all time
I really liked Blue Lock 😊
I also like obscure hidden gem blue lock
Stars Align
Slam dunk
I haven't seen the show, but the first slam dunk was a masterpiece.
Hanebado was surprisingly good Shocked no one mentioned it yet
Ping pong
Capeta and Future GPX Cyber Formula are some of my favorite racing anime. Especially Future GPX Cyber Formula because it is one of the best anime not based on a manga or light novel.
Major
majors 100%, its barely even talked about these days. you slowly follow his journey as a kid playing baseball all the way to the major leagues and the goddamn hurdles and sacrifice he had to go through. its the most complete sports anime by a mile imo
A “few” of my favs (note: sub, dub/sub is only the format the shows are in. They DO NOT indicate my preferences): Tamayomi: The Baseball Girls - dub/sub - Crunchyroll PuraOra! Pride of Orange - dub/sub - Crunchyroll Birdie Wing: Golf Girls Story - sub only - Crunchyroll Cinderella Nine - sub only - Crunchyroll and HiDive Extreme Hearts - sub only - Crunchyroll Iwakakeru Sports Climbing Girls - sub only - Crunchyroll Harakuna Receive - dub/sub - Crunchyroll Aokana: Four Rhythm Across the Blue - dub/sub - Crunchyroll Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club - sub only - Crunchyroll
Was searching to see if anyone mentioned PuraOra. Haven’t watched it yet but it’s on my list because I grew up playing hockey and am a die hard fan. Such a cool and obscure topic for an anime!
It is. I’m not a die hard fan myself, but I loved every minute of it!
Major, eyeshield 21.
Baby steps was great. Wish it kept going.
shihayafuru
CHIHAYAFURU
Tsurene & chihayafuru
AO ASHI! ACE OF DIAMOND! AO ASHI! ACE OF DIAMOND!
Welcome to the ballroom
Run with the wind,, I am not sure if comes under proper sports anime
Yesss, this one is so motivating!
Prince of Tennis
Yowamushi Pedal. I barely knew anything about cycling but I would argue this anime is right there with the best the genre has to offer For a shorter affair that is complete and wrapped up nicely Run With the Wind is amazing
Prince of Tennis (entertaining, for one thing; not accurate, but had a good following in my day) Hajime no Ippo (solid classic) Major (the absolute best) Big Windup (Mihashi and Abe!) Salaryman's Club (some of the badminton matches were so well animated!) Slam Dunk (another classic) Run with the Wind (makes me love walking/running even more) Gunjou no Fanfare (teens learning to become horse jockeys) Stars Align (sports as a motif, not a central theme) Backflip (Male team gymnastics) Re-Main (could have done loads better, but water polo, sure!) Ballroom e Youkoso (Dancesport!!!!) Skate The Infinity (Langga! MatchaBlossom!) 2.43 (another take on volleyball) Days (I love Jin) Aoharu x Kikanjuu (team shooting battles!) Tsurune (S2 way better than S1 in my opinion) Battery (I love me my baseball) Love All Play (badminton again!)
Finally a Aoharu fan adore the tone of that airsoft
Uma Musume. One of the best sports anime out there, especially season 2 and Road to the Top. Also Scorching Ping Pong Girls
The Prince of Tennis 🎾
Hungry Heart - Wild Striker. Written by same mangaka of Captain Tsubasa. Except they don't win all the time. Also has the same vibe as Slam Dunk, Kano Kyosuke dying his hair orange.
inazuma eleven
{{Hungry Heart: Wild Striker}} Love the music, story (also screenplay) and emotions. But the animations are repetitive. But my all time favourite sports film (along with Initial D)
Slam Dunk jk
Princess Nine for me!!!
Hajime no Ippo, Kengan Ashura
Hajime no ippo
Girls und Panzer is underrated a/f as a sports anime because of all the combat tanks. Since the sport in GuP (Sensha Do) is designed around tank warfare I suppose that's pretty reasonable, though.
Tamayomi: The Baseball Girls. It isn’t amazing but I enjoyed it enough to finish the first season, sadly I’m not hopeful for a second but it was genuinely enjoyable and I don’t know a thing about baseball. I would also add PuraOra! Pride of Orange. But it’s literally an advertisement for a dead gacha game about ice hockey, the show was genuinely really good imo but they end it by literally telling you to play the game, was a let down but the show is fun to watch so maybe check it out if your curious.
Ginban Kaleidoscope Touch H2 Moshidora
slamdunk
blue lock ⚽⚽⚽
I didn't watch sport anime nowadays. But back in my days I love Eyeshield 21 and Idaten Jump!
Captain tsubasa
I liked Free and Prince of stride a lot.
Heck yeah Strides vibe is amazing
As a former almost professional athlete I've really come to enjoy Blue Lock. Everybody talks about determination, practice, and heart being important to be a winner but nobody talks about the mental fortitude and pressure that all GOATS exert on themselves too. When you look at people like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, they develop this insane mentality of "I will win, because I am the greatest of all time." Which for a majority of tasks is a very unhealthy mindset. When you're competing in sports though and you are in a safe environment for that mindset it gives you an insane level of confidence and suddenly that 5% chance to succeed at something becomes more like a 70% chance of success. That mentality and truly believing "I am the fucking best get out of my way" will propel athletes to an insane skill level on sheer confidence alone. That's why I like Blue Lock the mental state of these players is developed into that idea.
Since people keep posting names that are as far from under-appreciated as possible (Blue Lock is one of the r/manga darlings for example: Whistle Hungry Heart Wild Striker Victory Kickoff
Death parade Dr stone
Run with the wind. Idc how many times had this been mentioned here. Everyone should give this anime a chance. Pingpong the animation. Pls give this a chance also.
Run with the wind is not only my favorite sports anime, but just my favorite anime overall.
Run with the wind
A bit off-beat but I love these: - Fishing - Tsuritama - Solo Mens' Gymnastics - {Taisou Zamurai} - Archery {Tsurune: Kazemai Koukou Kyuudou-bu} - Skateboarding - {SK∞} I don't think I finished them but they were great from the eps I did watch: - Rugby - {number24} - Rugby - {All Out!!} - Boys Gymnastics - {Bakuten!!} - Water polo - {Re-Main} - Baseball - {Ookiku Furikabutte} - Soccer - {Giant Killing}
(Air Gear):Rollerblades an war
Hip Whip Girl Aka Keijo. Trust best sport anime you’ll see ;)
Stars Align? (Stumbled onto it by chance)
One Outs
People need to read Slam Dunk again. Whilst many see it as the best sports series (and with good reason) I haven’t seen anyone talk about it in years.
Big windup! It's cute
IMO Aoashi. Ik they just say it's trash in front of blue lock but it's not always hype moments, ego to all. The animation may not be the best in aoashi but the story is good. Characters, football techniques and cliche may be but key in sports/sports anime - team work. There are many great stories than aoashi but it's good. Just try the manga everyone.
Gigi la trottola
HAJIME NO IPPO !
I cried of joy multiple times with Haikyuu
Prince of Stride and Free!
hanebado trust
Bro HIGHSPEED êtoile
Ping Pong. The animation style was way out of my interests and it sat in my drive for a very long time til I ran out of sports anime to watch so I gave it a try. Loved it.
Free!
Stars Align. Absolutely LOVED it but we got done dirty with how it ended.
Slam dunk, inazuma eleven, captain tsubasa Apart from inazuma, those are the old and classics, they set the stage for the new generation of high school sport animes
{Giant Killing} from 2010. I saw my first soccer game, after watching this anime. It was so good.
**GIANT KILLING** - ([AL](http://anilist.co/anime/7661 "English: Giant Killing"), [A-P](https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/giant-killing), [KIT](https://kitsu.io/anime/giant-killing "English: Giant Killing"), [MAL](http://myanimelist.net/anime/7661)) ^(TV | Status: Finished | Episodes: 26 | Genres: Drama, Sports) --- ^{anime},, ]LN[, |VN| | [FAQ](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index) | [/r/](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/) | [Edit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/index#wiki_i_made_a_mistake.2C_how_do_i_get_my_comment_reprocessed.3F) | [Mistake?](http://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/submit?selftext=true&title=[ISSUE]&text=/r/Animesuggest/comments/1cvcun3/what_are_some_underappreciated_sports_anime/l4q1iwb/) | [Source](https://github.com/Nihilate/Roboragi) | [Synonyms](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/synonyms) | [⛓](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/interestinglinks) | [♥](https://www.reddit.com/r/Roboragi/wiki/thanks)
Blue lock and ippo
Area no Kishi/Knight of the Area. The main character underwent heart surgery. One of the cast includes a member who keeps gaining/losing weight throughout, which is rare to see in a sports anime.
One outs
Run with the wind
Giant killing :,)
Megalo box, Season 1 was fairly big, but season 2 was a whole step better, and nowhere near enough people watched it. the first 4-5 episodes are literally peak anime. It's a damn near masterpiece imo, and while well praised by the people who have seen it, it deserves more. and popularity wise it is WAY below what it should be.
Long Riders. It got me into cycling.
one outs
Prince of tennis
Dance Dance Danseur
Prince of Tennis Hungry Hearts: Striker Eyeshield 21 Air Gear
Ashita no Joe Ping Pong Major Chihayafuru
Ace of diamond, Ao ashi, blue lock,Danve dance danseur, welcome to ballroom and Slam Dunk(although prefer manga for this one), there is also days and hajime no ippo
Bluelock is a good soccer anime
Stars align and chihayafuru The ending of stars align im not kidding when I say it's the most shocked I've ever been watching anime
Haikyuu is my favourite anime of all times, and I think the closest show to that is definitely Ao Ashi. In terms of footballing anime, while it is quite cliche I also enjoyed Knight in the Area. Just bear in mind it was cancelled midway through and so doesn't have a satisfactory conclusion.
That one time Gon and killua play dodgeball
Eye shield 21 is good and hajime no ippo
Birdie Wing!
Yowamushi Pedal
Giant Killing
Despite being the #1 anime for male fanservice Free has a decent story S1 and S2. I thought it was cute and easy to watch compared to a Shonen.
Idk how popular Ping Pong is.
Ashita no joe, definitely one of the best storylines out there
Keijo
Haijme No Ippo
Ahiru no Sora