Any fan of sports anime needs to make sure they’ve watched these incredible shows.
There are few stories that translate over to anime better than those that focus on sports. From common sports like baseball to those with smaller spotlights like bowling, every sport imaginable has been put up on television screens in a Japanese animated style.
Still, few rival the best sports anime that fans and critics alike have declared all-time greats. Some shows are even so well regarded that they’ve transcended being well-regarded only as sports stories and moved into „best animes of all time“ territory.
Spring 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting season for anime, although not necessarily for the sports genre. The quarter’s biggest releases include Demon Slayer, Dr. Stone, Hell’s Paradise, KonoSuba, Rankings of Kings, My Star, and Mashle, and that is hardly an exhaustive list. Realistically, none of the upcoming sports anime rank among Spring’s highest-profile shows, but that does not mean they have nothing to offer.
Anime loves baseball, and there are plenty of fantastic shows that fans of the sport should check out. Consequently, a new series needs to be something special to set itself apart from Ace of Diamond, Major, Little Busters!, Cross Game, Big Windup!, and One Outs. This is something that Mix’s opening season struggled to accomplish, especially since it also exists in the shadow of its predecessor, the cult classic Touch.
That said, the anime is still decent, which is hardly a surprise considering it is based on a manga by the experienced Mitsuru Adachi. Season 2 might not be Spring’s most anticipated sequel, but the upcoming show has a strong foundation to build upon.
Golf is a hugely popular sport that is also extremely niche, and people tend to adore it or find it painfully boring. However, regardless of how someone feels about the show’s overall quality, nobody will be bored while watching Birdie Wing: Golf Girls‘ Story. An anime original, the series revolves around Evangeline, a woman who uses golf as a way to make some quick cash. When she finally meets her match, she sets out to get revenge, a journey that proves to be anything but safe.
Birdie Wing is over-the-top, weirdly hilarious, and unapologetically stupid. The series takes inspiration from battle shonen rather than sports shows, resulting in an experience that is so ridiculous, it ventures into absurdist territory.
Plenty of anime feature fictional sports, but Uma Musume: Pretty Derby might just take the cake when it comes to bizarre ideas. Basically, this is a horse racing anime where the animals are replaced by horse girls. The franchise started out with a game on mobile devices before venturing into anime territory, and while these sorts of releases have a habit of feeling like extended ads, Uma Musume has a shocking amount of care put into it.
The previous seasons have good animation, great characters, decent writing, and solid humor. Road to the Top is an ONA series and not a conventional anime, so it will air online rather than on TV.
2023’s anime rollout has gotten off to a respectable start, with Winter 2023 containing quite a few exciting shows. Vinland Saga Season 2, Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown, Bungo Stray Dogs 4, and The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten are hogging most of the limelight, but they are hardly the only shows worthy of attention.
Winter 2023 has a fine selection of sports shows, including the continuation of Yowamushi Pedal: Limit Break. What are the best sports anime of the current season?
RELATED: Best Winter 2023 Anime & Where To Watch Every Series
Fall 2022’s best sports anime keeps its crown for Winter 2023. Blue Lock presents an intriguing twist on soccer that turns the activity on its head. While teamwork plays a major role in the sport, Blue Lock shakes things by emphasizing individuality and selfishness. Japan’s national team lacks a deadly striker, and the country turns to Jinpachi Ego’s unorthodox methods to find a solution. The mastermind coach invites the nation’s brightest young talents into a battle royale that will produce the ultimate player and deem everyone else a failure while banning them from joining the Japanese team.
Blue Lock has been a fun ride. So far, the story has maintained a reasonably quick pace, which should continue to be the case throughout the Winter 2023 cour. In isolation, the anime’s characters are not particularly unique, but their situation forces them to act in ways that are atypical for the sports genre.
2018’s Tsurune is a fairly underappreciated sports anime in the grand scheme of things. Focusing on archery, the series follows Kazemai High School’s club as they deal with personal hangups en route to challenging for a place at the nationals. Even though season 1 set the stage for a sequel in plenty of ways, the story also ended on a reasonably satisfying note due to the protagonist’s growth. Consequently, season 2 was simultaneously welcomed but not necessarily vital.
At least, that might have been the argument prior to the debut of Tsurune – The Linking Shot -, but the Winter 2023 show has, so far, knocked it out of the park. Predictably, Kyoto Animation has ensured the sequel’s visuals are top-notch, arguably ranking among the season’s best. More importantly, The Linking Shot has continued to explore the characters‘ psyches by showing their impact on both the individual and the overall team.
Michi ends her judo career as she enters high school, a decision she quickly backtracks on after re-experiencing the thrill of stepping on a mat. Based on a shonen manga by Yuu Muraoka, „Ippon“ again! seems to be a relatively conventional addition to the genre, which should not be regarded as a criticism. Tropes are popular for a reason, and when executed well, they tend to be very enjoyable.
Martial arts anime are unique beasts that exist apart from other sports shows, and „Ippon“ again!’s realistic interpretation of judo sets it apart from many other similar shonen stories. Although explored by most sports shows, friendship is a central theme of „Ippon“ again!, to the point of taking precedence over excelling at a sport. While passionate about judo, the characters are also driven by a desire to spend time with their friends.
Now, on to the best sports anime ever.
Although not huge in Western nations, Inazuma Eleven is a pretty big deal in Japan. Along with an array of games by Level-5, the license has produced roughly eight seasons of anime, combining for well over 200 episodes.
