I am, by nature, a rather disillusioned individual. My friends, entirely unprompted, warn others that I am “not much of a hugger.”
Within my work team, I am valued for my uncanny ability to pinpoint every flaw in a project within the span of an hour. I cannot physically make it through the ending of You’ve Got Mail because it’s simply too overwhelmingly cheerful.
That being said, today I would like to share with you my primary source of non-prescribed serotonin—my refuge from the terrors of the world (especially as a resident of Washington, D.C.) and the bleak literature in which I regularly immerse myself. Yes, I’m talking about sports anime.
Sports anime embody both joy and suffering. They distill the drama of human existence into the struggles of young adults and adolescents who, if not striving To Be the Very Best (Like No One Ever Was), are at the very least determined to Do Right by the Team (and, in turn, Themselves).
I adore sports anime because they delve into the intricate motivations behind why people push their minds and bodies to their absolute limits, even when faced with, and ultimately experiencing, failure.
Sports anime grant us insight into that enigmatic instinct, desire, or necessity that compels individuals to take on challenges repeatedly, celebrating our fleeting yet extraordinary existence as capable beings on this earth.
I am here to convince you that you, too, should engage in this celebration—not by participating in sports, but by watching sports anime.
But I don’t like/watch anime. In Stars Align (a series about a soft tennis team), bullies mock one of the main characters by calling him an “otaku.” Do not be these bullies.
Savvy Dot and Line reader, I implore you: anime is not a monolithic entity. Perhaps when you think of “anime,” what comes to mind is “Sociopathic Teenage Boys in Giant Robots Pulverizing Each Other in Space” or “16098000-Episode Quasi-Medieval Odyssey with a Plot That Defies Human Comprehension.”
While these types of anime certainly exist, I have fantastic news: #NotAllAnime fit that mold. (Seriously, not just ironically. Although, who can be sure these days?) Sports anime are distinctly different. They are far more approachable and grounded.
A typical sports anime follows a protagonist and their team (even if the sport is largely individual, there is always a team) as they aspire to win a significant competition, whether it be the Spring Interhigh Tournament, the Hakone Ekiden, or some other major event.
These protagonists and their teams are almost invariably underdogs striving to reclaim or attain glory. The journey is filled with practice matches, smaller tournaments, and character growth. They may not achieve their ultimate goal, but the true value lies in the lessons they learn and the friendships they forge along the way.
But I don’t like/watch sports. That’s completely fine—even preferable. Watching sports anime can be seen as the exact opposite of being forced to endure a football game on the Friday after Thanksgiving with your estranged father-in-law.
Sports revolve around physicality—the contact, the victories, the raw power, the sweat-drenched jerseys.
Sports anime, however, focus on connection—the setbacks, the limitations, the triumphs of the fragile, decaying meat sacks we call bodies. And sometimes, the triumphs and struggles of the chaotic, wrinkled masses we call brains.
If this resonates with your feelings toward sports, don’t worry—sports anime might still be for you!
To illustrate the difference between a typical sports star and a sports anime protagonist, consider the central trope governing many beloved sports anime:
- Haikyuu!! follows a short boy who dreams of becoming a volleyball ace despite his height.
- Daiya no Ace tells the story of a naturally gifted yet utterly untrained pitcher recruited by a top-tier baseball school.
- Yuri!!! on Ice revolves around a talented but stagnating figure skater who struggles with the belief that he isn’t good enough to compete at the highest level, despite having done so consistently for years.
In an American sports drama, these protagonists would overcome their biological, geographical, and financial barriers through sheer force of will and divine capital granted by God and/or Sandra Bullock. (I am told these are not interchangeable.)
In Japanese sports anime, these individuals come to understand their limitations through the power of the group. Heresy, you say—everyone knows even team sports revolve around the star! I invite you to witness the magic of sports anime, where outcasts find the strength to surpass their individual constraints through the collective.
There is ample cultural analysis that could explain why sports anime embody these traits. However, that discussion is best saved for another article.
But I don’t know anything about sports. Nearly all sports anime incorporate substantial explanations of the development, mechanics, and discipline required for their respective sports. This allows viewers to engage with these activities in a way that differs from the usual win-or-lose, closed-door club mentality.
For example, the faculty sponsor of a volleyball team in Haikyuu!! learns the basics of the sport as the series progresses.
This level of detail has practical applications. Thanks to Daiya no Ace, I can now hold surprisingly in-depth discussions about baseball. (This is not a joke.)
Given that I live in a city where the baseball team recently won its first World Series, this knowledge has proven invaluable. No one needs to know that my understanding of breaking balls, batting averages, and RBIs comes from anime. Let’s keep that between us.
Fine, I’ll bite. Where do I start? As with any genre, sports anime vary in quality. Some focus exclusively on the sport itself, offering little insight into the players’ personal lives.
Others prioritize character development, exploring how the sport shapes their identities (i.e., slice of life). A select few transcend these categories altogether, serving as artistic meditations on the human condition.
With that in mind, this list categorizes recommendations based on what you might be looking for:
- Just the Sports™
- Slice of Life
- Pushing the Genre Forward
The boundaries between these classifications (especially Just the Sports™ and Slice of Life) can be somewhat fluid. I have done my best to organize them accordingly. In a perfect world, I would include a detailed methodology section, but have you seen the news lately?
Additionally, there exists a fourth category that can only be described as “Fan Service.” This includes the immensely popular Free! (a swimming anime primarily centered around well-muscled men shedding their shirts) and approximately 99% of sports anime featuring female athletes.
I will not include these here because 1) they are easy to find, and 2) I cannot, in good conscience, recommend them.
