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 manga you should read right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 20 Sports manga you should read right now. [2026 List]
- 20. Blue Lock
- 19. Ao no Hako
- 18. Fairy Tail
- 17. Sawaranaide Kotesashi-kun
- 16. Kokou no Hito
- 15. Haikyuu!!
- 14. Ao Ashi
- 13. Gyugyeok Oe Hyeoltong Cheonjae
- 12. Hajime no Ippo
- 11. Naruto Ninden Series
- 10. Yu☆Gi☆Oh!
- 9. Slam Dunk
- 8. Syakeu
- 7. Yowamushi Pedal
- 6. The Boxer
- 5. Isshou Senkin
- 4. Grappler Baki
- 3. Kentou Ankokuden Cestvs
- 2. Red Blue
- 1. Hikaru no Go
20. Blue Lock
After failing to win the World Cup, there's unrest in the Japanese Soccer community. Many of the older patrons of the sport aren't too disturbed by the lack of trophies, but newcomer Anri Teiri is furious – and she's determined to fix what she sees as the problem with Japanese players. To that end she hires maverick trainer Jinpachi Ego, who devises a strange yet rigorous plan: he takes the three hundred best young soccer players in the country, sends them to a state-of-the-art training facility, and whittles them down until he has the absolute best striker in the nation. Yoichi Isagi is one of the boys chosen for the camp. He may be number 299 out of 300, but nothing – and no one – is going to stand in his way of coming out on top.
Blue Lock is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ブルーロック, Blue Lock
19. Ao no Hako
Taiki Inomata is on the boys' badminton team at sports powerhouse Eimei Junior and Senior High. He's in love with basketball player Chinatsu Kano, the older girl he trains alongside every morning in the gym. One Spring day, their relationship takes a sharp turn ... And thus begins this brand-new series of love, sports and youth!
Blue Box is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: アオのハコ, Ao no Hako
18. Fairy Tail
In the mystical realm of Earth Land, magic exists at the core of everyday life for its inhabitants, from transportation to utilities and everything in between. However, even with all its benefits, magic can also be used for great evil; therefore, to prevent dark forces from upsetting the natural order of things, there exists a system of magical guilds in the Kingdom of Fiore. Under the command of their respective guild masters, these guilds are made up of witches and wizards who take on various job requests to earn fame and fortune. One particular guild stands high above the rest in both strength and spirit, and its name is Fairy Tail.
In his quest to find his dragon foster father—Igneel—Natsu Dragneel, a fiery and reckless mage, and his partner Happy run into a young celestial mage by the name of Lucy Heartfilia, who reveals that it's her dream to become a full-fledged wizard and join the Fairy Tail guild. After rescuing her from an abduction attempt, Natsu offers her a home in Fairy Tail. Now a member of the guild, Lucy teams up with Natsu and befriends fellow wizards Gray Fullbuster and Erza "Titania" Scarlet. Together, this motley crew set out on their many adventures, gaining many faithful allies and deadly foes along the way.
Fairy Tail has finished publishing and it has 549 Chapters. It is also Known as: FAIRY TAIL, Fairy Tail
17. Sawaranaide Kotesashi-kun
Kotesashi Kouyou possesses outstanding skill as a masseur. He aspires to become a sports doctor and wants to get a scholarship in medical school. Starting spring, he attends the high school attached to Seiwa University, a sports powerhouse. Since his family is not wealthy, he has to work as a hostel manager, where he is also allowed to stay, to pay for his school expenses. There he encounters high school girl athletes with various problems. Kotesashi's job is to take care of them physically and mentally and be the hostel manager.
Don't Touch Kotesashi is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: さわらないで小手指くん, Don't Touch Me Kotesashi-kun
16. Kokou no Hito
On his first day of transferring to a new high school, a loner named Mori Buntarou, is cajoled by a classmate into climbing the school building. Despite knowing that one misstep could send him spiraling to his death, he moves forward, and upon finally reaching the top, Mori experiences a sense of fulfillment. That feeling, which seems to be telling him, "You're alive!" gives birth to an adrenaline for rock-climbing.
The Climber has finished publishing and it has 170 Chapters. It is also Known as: 孤高の人, Kokou no Hito
15. Haikyuu!!
Ever since he saw the legendary player known as the "Little Giant" compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! He decides to join the team at the high school the Little Giant went to-and then surpass him. Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?
After losing his first and last volleyball match against Tobio Kageyama, "the King of the Court," Shoyo Hinata swears to become his rival after graduating middle school. But what happens when the guy he wants to defeat ends up being his teammate?!
Note: Includes 2 extra chapters.
Haikyu!! has finished publishing and it has 404 Chapters. It is also Known as: ハイキュー!!, Haikyuu!!
14. Ao Ashi
Ashito Aoi, a third-year middle school student from Ehime, meets Fukuda Tatsuya, a J Youth League coach. Even though he's still rough around the edges, Ashito has such amazing potential that he gets invited by coach Fukuda to participate in his team's tryouts in Tokyo. The story of a boy who will revolutionize Japanese football begins to unfold.
Notes:
- Nominated for the 2017 Manga Taishou Award.
- Winner of the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the "Best General Manga" category in 2019.
Ao Ashi has finished publishing and it has 410 Chapters. It is also Known as: アオアシ, Ao Ashi
13. Gyugyeok Oe Hyeoltong Cheonjae
Earth had been invaded by creatures from another dimension, and it has been a few years since peace was restored, thanks to the help of various supernatural humans that revealed themselves during this invasion. Gwangik Yu, our protagonist, was born between two supernatural parents. His father is an immortal while his mother is a transformer with exceptional physical abilities along with the power to transform into beasts. Neither parent, however, is aware of each spouse’s power and both want Gwangik to follow in their footsteps.
The Perfect Hybrid is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Genius of the Unique Lineage, Extraordinary Descent Genius
12. 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 Takamura 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.
Hajime no Ippo is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: はじめの一歩, The Fighting!, Fighting Spirit, The Fighting! Ippo, Hajime no Ippo Gaiden: Naniwa Tiger
11. Naruto Ninden Series
A whole village has suddenly disappeared and in its place, there is the mountain Hyatsuki. Can the story of the "Jutsu of the moving mountains" really be true? And where is Narutos old rival Renge? Naruto's job is it to find the answers to all these questions.
Note: The novel is presented as if it were written by Jiraiya.
Naruto Ninden Series has finished publishing and it has 5 Chapters. It is also Known as: NARUTO -ナルト- 忍伝シリーズ, Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, Naruto Dokonjou Ninden, Naruto Dojunjou Ninden, The Tale of the Utterly Purehearted Shinobi
10. Yu☆Gi☆Oh!
10th grader Yugi spent most of his time alone playing games--until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, a mysterious Egyptian artifact! Possessed by the puzzle, Yugi becomes Yu-Gi-Oh, the King of Games, and challenges evil-doers to the Shadow Games--weird games with high stakes and high risks! These graphic novels contain new stories not seen in the anime, including the origin of Yugi and his friends!
Yu☆Gi☆Oh! has finished publishing and it has 343 Chapters. It is also Known as: 遊☆戯☆王, Yuu Gi Ou Shadow Games, Yugioh Duelist, Yu-Gi-Oh! Millenium World, Game King, King of Games
9. Slam Dunk
Winning isn't everything in the game of basketball, but who wants to come in second? It takes dedication and discipline to be the best, and the Shohoku High hoops team wants to be just that. They have one last year to make their captain's dream of reaching the finals come true--will they do it? Takehiko Inoue's legendary beloved basketball manga is finally here and the tale of a lifetime is in your hands.
Hanamichi Sakuragi's got no game with girls--none at all! It doesn't help that he's known for throwing down at a moment's notice and always coming out on top. A hopeless bruiser, he's been rejected by 50 girls in a row! All that changes when he meets the girl of his dreams, Haruko, and she's actually not afraid of him! When she introduces him to the game of basketball, his life is changed forever...
Included one-shot:
Volume 31: Slam Dunk: 10 Days After
Slam Dunk has finished publishing and it has 276 Chapters. It is also Known as: SLAM DUNK, Slam Dunk
8. Syakeu
Sharks don't have lungs, but they do have to breathe oxygen to survive. Instead of breathing air, though, sharks get oxygen from the water that surrounds them. So they have to move around, if they stop moving for a while, they sink into the water and die, So Sharks have to move and move constantly from birth to death. The same goes for you. If you want to survive, keep moving, then you will be the best hunter... like a shark.
Source: MU
Shark is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Syakeu
7. Yowamushi Pedal
Otaku Sakamichi Onoda has just entered high school and plans to join the anime club. In middle school, Onoda didn’t have any friends with whom he could talk about anime, games, Akihabara and other otaku things, and he is hoping he can make such friends in the anime club, but he finds out it's been disbanded. In order to reestablish the club he tries to find 4 other people who would like to join.
Since he was a little boy, Onoda has ridden his mamachari–a bulky bicycle with a step-through frame mainly used for short rides, such as for casual fun or to pick up groceries–to go to Akihabara every week to check out or buy otaku things. Fellow freshman Shunsuke Imaizumi and bicyclist, while training, notices a boy (Onoda) riding his mamchari up a steep road.
Freshman and road racing cyclist, Shokichi Naruko visits Akihabara to get some Gundam plastic models for his younger brothers and meets Onoda who catches his attention because of the his cycling skill on the mamachari and later find out they go to the same school. Later on, both Naruko and Imaizumi try to convince him to join the bicycle racing club, but will he?
is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 弱虫ペダル, Weak Pedals
6. The Boxer
You’ve got the raw talent. Or you’re the underdog. But do you have the heart? Do you have what it takes? Let’s see what you’re made of. The real fight starts now!
The Boxer has finished publishing and it has 133 Chapters. It is also Known as: ザ・ボクサー, Boksör
5. Isshou Senkin
After retiring from public fighting and getting fired from underground fighting, 27 year old Tenma Nozomi's zest for life is gradually dwindling away. It's hard to be at the bottom with nowhere to go, and that's exactly where she and her two friends are. However, Nozomi hits upon an idea that may just solve all of their problems: they could make their own underground fighting circuit for women, and tap into an underexplored market. As good as that sounds, her insistence on including the unknown quantity Hongou Hina may prove to be more than she bargained for...
ST✰R: Strike it Rich is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 一勝千金, ISSK, The Priceless Victory, Isshō Senkin, Issho Senkin, STAR: Strike it Rich
4. Grappler Baki
The story revolves around Baki Hanma and his quest to proclaim himself as the strongest grappler in the world, thus taking the title from his father. Baki also fights to gain the trust of his overly psychotic mother.
Baki the Grappler has finished publishing and it has 371 Chapters. It is also Known as: グラップラー刃牙, Grappler Baki
3. Kentou Ankokuden Cestvs
Cestus, a young slave, fighting for his freedom as a bare knuckle gladiator studying under a legendary gladiator who fought and drawed with the head of the imperial guards in the Roman era.
has finished publishing and it has 154 Chapters. It is also Known as: 拳闘暗黒伝セスタス, Cestus: The Legend of Boxing in the Dark Ages
2. Red Blue
A story about the sullen Aoba Suzuki and the rising star Kenshin Akasawa making their way into the world of MMA fighting.
Red Blue is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: レッドブルー, Red Blue
1. Hikaru no Go
After stumbling across a haunted Go board, irresponsible Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player has taken up residence in his consciousness. In his pursuit of the "Divine Move," Fujiwara-no-Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped interest and genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed Go prodigy Akira Toya!
Note: There are 197 chapters total in the original release.
Hikaru no Go has finished publishing and it has 197 Chapters. It is also Known as: ヒカルの碁, Hikaru no Go
