What is this genre all about? Sports anime revolves around a recreational physical activity or skill. In addition they often adhere to certain genre conventions, the emphasis on training and practice in preparation for competition, characters desire for self improvement, and pursuit of a specific goal.
We present you the list of Sports anime you should watch right now.
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Top 20 Sports anime you should watch right now. [2024 List]
- 20. Haikyuu!!
- 19. Na Nare Hana Nare
- 18. Blue Lock
- 17. Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou VS Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou
- 16. Haikyuu!! Second Season
- 15. Boukyaku Battery (TV)
- 14. Hajime no Ippo
- 13. Haikyuu!!: To the Top
- 12. Grand Blue
- 11. Haikyuu!! TO THE TOP 2
- 10. Kuroko no Basket
- 9. Rising Impact
- 8. HIGHSPEED Etoile
- 7. SK8
- 6. 3-gatsu no Lion
- 5. Kuroko no Basket 3rd Season
- 4. Yuri!!! on Ice
- 3. Initial D First Stage
- 2. Chihayafuru
- 1. Prince of Tennis
20. Haikyuu!!
Inspired after watching a volleyball ace nicknamed "Little Giant" in action, small-statured Shouyou Hinata revives the volleyball club at his middle school. The newly-formed team even makes it to a tournament; however, their first match turns out to be their last when they are brutally squashed by the "King of the Court," Tobio Kageyama. Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama, and so after graduating from middle school, he joins Karasuno High School's volleyball team—only to find that his sworn rival, Kageyama, is now his teammate.
Thanks to his short height, Hinata struggles to find his role on the team, even with his superior jumping power. Surprisingly, Kageyama has his own problems that only Hinata can help with, and learning to work together appears to be the only way for the team to be successful. Based on Haruichi Furudate's popular shounen manga of the same name, Haikyuu!! is an exhilarating and emotional sports comedy following two determined athletes as they attempt to patch a heated rivalry in order to make their high school volleyball team the best in Japan.
Haikyu!! has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイキュー!!, High Kyuu!!, HQ!!
19. Na Nare Hana Nare
Misora Kanata is a first-year student on the Takanosaki High School cheerleading team. She won a national championship in middle school, but can’t jump after a mistake in a competition. She befriends Suzuha, Shion, Anna, Onka, and Megumi to form the PoMPoMs. Their new team goes beyond cheerleading to reach the hearts of the people they cheer on. They might just change the world!
Narenare -Cheer for You!- is currently airing and will have 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 菜なれ花なれ, Na Nare Hana Nare
18. Blue Lock
Japan’s desire for World Cup glory leads the Japanese Football Association to launch a new rigorous training program to find the national team’s next striker. Three hundred high school players are pitted against each other for the position, but only one will come out on top. Who among them will be the striker to usher in a new era of Japanese soccer?
Blue Lock has finished airing and it has 24 Episodes. It is also Known as: ブルーロック, BLUELOCK
17. Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou VS Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou
The third season of Haikyuu!!
Haikyu!! 3rd Season has finished airing and it has 10 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイキュー!! 烏野高校 VS 白鳥沢学園高校, Haikyuu!! Third Season
16. Haikyuu!! Second Season
Following their participation at the Inter-High, the Karasuno High School volleyball team attempts to refocus their efforts, aiming to conquer the Spring tournament instead.
When they receive an invitation from long-standing rival Nekoma High, Karasuno agrees to take part in a large training camp alongside many notable volleyball teams in Tokyo and even some national level players. By playing with some of the toughest teams in Japan, they hope not only to sharpen their skills, but also come up with new attacks that would strengthen them. Moreover, Hinata and Kageyama attempt to devise a more powerful weapon, one that could possibly break the sturdiest of blocks.
Facing what may be their last chance at victory before the senior players graduate, the members of Karasuno's volleyball team must learn to settle their differences and train harder than ever if they hope to overcome formidable opponents old and new—including their archrival Aoba Jousai and its world-class setter Tooru Oikawa.
Haikyu!! 2nd Season has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイキュー!! セカンドシーズン, Haikyuu!! Second Season
15. Boukyaku Battery (TV)
The story of Bouyaku Battery follows Haruka Kiyomine and Kei Kaname, a pair of young baseball players who set the field afire as an unstoppable pitcher / catcher battery in middle school. Although they were scouted by elite sports schools all over Japan, the two instead enroll in an ordinary high school in Tokyo, because Kei is suffering from amnesia and his athletic skills have reverted to the level of a rank amateur.
Oblivion Battery has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: 忘却バッテリー (TV), Boukyaku Battery (TV)
14. Hajime no Ippo
Makunouchi Ippo has been bullied his entire life. Constantly running errands and being beaten up by his classmates, Ippo has always dreamed of changing himself, but never has the passion to act upon it. One day, in the midst of yet another bullying, Ippo is saved by Takamura Mamoru, who happens to be a boxer. Ippo faints from his injuries and is brought to the Kamogawa boxing gym to recover. As he regains consciousness, he is awed and amazed at his new surroundings in the gym, though lacks confidence to attempt anything. Takamura places a photo of Ippo's classmate on a punching bag and forces him to punch it. It is only then that Ippo feels something stir inside him and eventually asks Takamura to train him in boxing. Thinking that Ippo does not have what it takes, Takamura gives him a task deemed impossible and gives him a one week time limit. With a sudden desire to get stronger, for himself and his hard working mother, Ippo trains relentlessly to accomplish the task within the time limit. Thus Ippo's journey to the top of the boxing world begins.
Fighting Spirit has finished airing and it has 75 Episodes. It is also Known as: はじめの一歩 THE FIGHTING!, The First Step, Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting
13. Haikyuu!!: To the Top
The fourth season of Haikyuu!!
Haikyuu!!: To the Top has finished airing and it has 13 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイキュー!! TO THE TOP, Haikyuu!! (Shin Series), ハイキュー!! (新シリーズ), Haikyuu!! (2020), Haikyuu!! Fourth Season, Haikyuu!! 4th Season, Haikyuu 4
12. Grand Blue
After moving out on his own to a seaside town, Iori Kitahara makes a college debut he never anticipated. A new chapter of his life unfolds, full of diving with beautiful girls and shenanigans with a gaggle of lovable bastards! Idiot-expert Kenji Inoue and au naturel authority Kimitake Yoshioka bring you a glorious college tale filled with booze-fueled antics!
Grand Blue Dreaming has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ぐらんぶる, Grand Blue
11. Haikyuu!! TO THE TOP 2
Second cour of Haikyuu!! TO THE TOP.
Haikyuu!!: To the Top Part 2 has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイキュー!! TO THE TOP 2, Haikyuu!! TO THE TOP 2
10. Kuroko no Basket
Teikou Junior High School's basketball team is crowned champion three years in a row thanks to five outstanding players who, with their breathtaking and unique skills, leave opponents in despair and fans in admiration. However, after graduating, these teammates, known as "The Generation of Miracles," go their separate ways and now consider each other as rivals.
At Seirin High School, two newly recruited freshmen prove that they are not ordinary basketball players: Taiga Kagami, a promising player returning from the US, and Tetsuya Kuroko, a seemingly ordinary student whose lack of presence allows him to move around unnoticed. Although Kuroko is neither athletic nor able to score any points, he was a member of Teikou's basketball team, where he played as the "Phantom Sixth Man," who easily passed the ball and assisted his teammates.Kuroko no Basket follows the journey of Seirin's players as they attempt to become the best Japanese high school team by winning the Interhigh Championship. To reach their goal, they have to cross pathways with several powerful teams, some of which have one of the five players with godlike abilities, whom Kuroko and Taiga make a pact to defeat.
Kuroko's Basketball has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 黒子のバスケ, Kuroko no Basuke, KuroBas
9. Rising Impact
A young boy, Gawain, lives in a mountainous, rural area with an incredible love for baseball and making the ball really fly. One day he runs into a visitor to the small area and she introduces him to a sport that can really make a ball take to flight: golf! It just takes one shot and Gawain is hooked. With his grandpa's approval he sets off to Tokyo with this mysterious woman to learn all he can about golf, encountering many colorful characters and obstacles along the way.
Rising Impact is currently airing and will have Episodes. It is also Known as: ライジングインパクト, Academia de Golf
8. HIGHSPEED Etoile
In the near future, a next-generation racing event called NEX Race is announced, changing the world of racing. New technology has made racing at over 500 km/h safe, changing racing on the world stage completely. Rin Rindou, who once dreamed of being a ballet dancer, had given up her dream due to an injury, becoming a NEET and living with her grandmother. However, one day she is suddenly thrown into the world of next-generation racing.
HIGHSPEED Etoile has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ハイスピード エトワール, HIGHSPEED Etoile
7. SK8
Reki, a high school sophomore and skater, is addicted to "S," a highly secret and dangerous downhill skateboarding race that takes place in an abandoned mine. The skaters are especially wild about the "beefs," or heated battles that erupt in the races. Reki takes Langa, a transfer student returning to Japan after studying abroad, to the mine where the races are held. Langa, who has no skateboarding experience, finds himself pulled into the world of "S"...
SK8 the Infinity has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: SK∞ エスケーエイト, SK Eight, Skate the Infinity
6. 3-gatsu no Lion
Rei Kiriyama is a 17-year-old boy who recently started living alone, financed by his salary as a professional Shogi player. Despite his independence, however, he's yet to mature emotionally, and his problems continue to haunt him in his daily life. His relationship with his adoptive family is strained, and he has difficulties interacting with his fellow high school students. Meanwhile, his professional career has entered a slump. Burdened with the heavy expectations placed on him as the fifth to become pro in middle school, his wins and losses are fluctuating as his record and progression into the ranks begin to stagnate.
Acquainted with Rei are the three Kawamoto sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo. Unlike Rei, they live happily in their modest home, which they warmly welcome Rei into as if he were one of their own. Despite his reservations about becoming too close to the family, he frequently visits, interacting with them and receiving the kind of care and affection he never quite had while under his foster home.
This is the story of Rei's triumphs and failures, relationships new and old, and his growth as a person.
March comes in like a lion has finished airing and it has 22 Episodes. It is also Known as: 3月のライオン, Sangatsu no Lion
5. Kuroko no Basket 3rd Season
Following their triumph against Yousen High, Seirin's basketball team has reached the semifinals of the Winter Cup along with Kaijou, Rakuzan, and Shuutoku. Each of these teams possesses a member of the Generation of Miracles, and Seirin prepares to face the largest obstacles on their path to winning the Winter Cup.
In the final season of Kuroko no Basket, Kuroko goes head-to-head with his old teammates once more as he attempts to show them that individual skill is not the only way to play basketball. His firm belief that his form of basketball, team play, is the right way to play the sport will clash with the talents of a perfect copy and an absolute authority.
While Kuroko tries to prove that his basketball is "right," he and the rest of Seirin High ultimately have one goal: to win the Winter Cup and overcome the strength of the Generation of Miracles, who have long dominated the scene of middle and high school basketball.
Kuroko's Basketball 3 has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: 黒子のバスケ, Kuroko no Basuke 3rd Season
4. Yuri!!! on Ice
Reeling from his crushing defeat at the Grand Prix Finale, Yuuri Katsuki, once Japan's most promising figure skater, returns to his family home to assess his options for the future. At age 23, Yuuri's window for success in skating is closing rapidly, and his love of pork cutlets and aptitude for gaining weight are not helping either.
However, Yuuri finds himself in the spotlight when a video of him performing a routine previously executed by five-time world champion, Victor Nikiforov, suddenly goes viral. In fact, Victor himself abruptly appears at Yuuri's house and offers to be his mentor. As one of his biggest fans, Yuuri eagerly accepts, kicking off his journey to make it back onto the world stage. But the competition is fierce, as the rising star from Russia, Yuri Plisetsky, is relentlessly determined to defeat Yuuri and win back Victor's tutelage.
Yuri!!! On ICE has finished airing and it has 12 Episodes. It is also Known as: ユーリ!!! on ICE, Yuri!!! on Ice
3. Initial D First Stage
Takumi Fujiwara is an aloof, spacey high-schooler who does delivery runs in his dad's Toyota AE86 in the dead of night. Despite working at a gas station and having friends who are car nuts, he doesn't know a single thing about cars.
Takumi is introduced into the world of street racing and his natural talent draws attention from all across Gunma. Will Takumi face the challenges or back out from the call of the mountain passes?
Initial D First Stage has finished airing and it has 26 Episodes. It is also Known as: 頭文字〈イニシャル〉D, ID
2. Chihayafuru
Chihaya Ayase, a strong-willed and tomboyish girl, grows up under the shadow of her older sister. With no dreams of her own, she is contented with her share in life till she meets Arata Wataya. The quiet transfer student in her elementary class introduces her to competitive karuta, a physically and mentally demanding card game inspired by the classic Japanese anthology of Hundred Poets. Captivated by Arata's passion for the game and inspired by the possibility of becoming the best in Japan, Chihaya quickly falls in love with the world of karuta. Along with the prodigy Arata and her haughty but hard-working friend Taichi Mashima, she joins the local Shiranami Society. The trio spends their idyllic childhood days playing together, until circumstances split them up.
Now in high school, Chihaya has grown into a karuta freak. She aims to establish the Municipal Mizusawa High Competitive Karuta Club, setting her sights on the national championship at Omi Jingu. Reunited with the now indifferent Taichi, Chihaya's dream of establishing a karuta team is only one step away from becoming true: she must bring together members with a passion for the game that matches her own.
Chihayafuru has finished airing and it has 25 Episodes. It is also Known as: ちはやふる, Chihayafull
1. Prince of Tennis
The world of tennis is harsh and highly competitive. Numerous schools from Japan battle it out to determine the best of the best.
Seishin Gakuen Junior High School, more commonly known as Seigaku, is one of the most prominent contestants in this battle of the finest. Their team line-up gets even stronger with the sudden arrival of a young prodigy from the West, Ryouma Echizen, who is determined to prove himself and escape the towering shadow of his legendary father. This fine addition changes the team forever.Prince of Tennis follows the heartwarming and inspirational story of Ryouma on his quest to become one of the best tennis players the country has ever seen. He pushes himself hard so that he can one day surpass his father’s name and his own personal expectations. Alongside the rest of the Seigaku team, Ryouma fights to make his and his teammate's dreams come true.
The Prince of Tennis has finished airing and it has 178 Episodes. It is also Known as: テニスの王子様, Tennis no Ouji-sama
