Sports Anime & Manga Recommendation Thread

Since Haikyuu has sadly ended I thought I should make a thread so yall can find a new sports series to fill the void Haikyuu left

Slam Dunk (manga, 276 chapters, completed)

Starting off with in my opinion the best sports series out there. With phenomenal art (as expected by Inoue), an amazing cast, some of the best character arcs and full of exciting and thrilling moments, Slam Dunk is a must read.

REAL (manga, 89 chapters, ongoing)

Also by Inoue, REAL follows three main characters and their emotional and/or physical struggles. It isn’t action packed like most sports manga but instead is more character driven, who are all very well written and undergo superb development

Hajime no Ippo (anime: 3 seasons, manga: 1306 chapters, ongoing)

This series is the incredible journey of Makunouchi Ippo and his boxing career. Boasting great comedy, an elite cast and plenty of highly entertaining fights, Hajime no Ippo is one of the best in the genre.

Daiya no Ace (anime, 3 seasons)

This anime made me go from not knowing anything about baseball to loving the sport and that alone is a testament to how great this series is. Full of great characters, nice animation and has plenty of exciting scenes that will have you hooked

Capeta (manga, 94 chapters, ongoing)

Definitely the most underrated sports series I’ve read since I know like five people who have read it. Beautiful art, intense races and a fun and loveable mc all make for an amazing manga and honestly this series is a hidden gem

Chihayafuru (anime, 3 seasons)

This anime is about the Japanese sport Karuta which may seem like a simple card game but in fact has a lot of deeper meaning behind it. This anime does a great job of portraying this sport through stunning visuals and a very compelling plot

Rookies (manga, 233 chapters, complete)

This manga combines three of my favourite genres (sports, delinquents and comedy) in order to make an inspiring and enjoyable read. It features a strong cast who are all unique and full of personality and a funny and very loveable mc.

Initial D (anime, 87 eps)

If you’re into cars and street racing then you’ll love this and even if you don’t you’ll still get a lot of enjoyment out of it. The race scenes are really thrilling, the soundtrack is amazing and Takumi is a great mc and quite atypical for the genre

Kokou no Hito (manga, 170 chapters, completed)

This manga is unlike other sports series in that it is very psychological, it depicts not only the physical but more importantly the mental journey of Mori Buntarou. Also, the art is godly and some of the best manga has to offer.

Run with the Wind (anime, 23 eps)

Although a running anime may seem uninteresting I can assure this series is far from that. Strong cast of characters who go through satisfying character arcs, really nice animation, great ost and a beautiful and breathtaking final race

Be Blues! (manga, 415 chapters, ongoing)

Be Blues excels at portraying the beautiful sport of football in a realistic light. The matches themselves flow really well through great panelling and art and the mc’s character arc is pretty unique.

Ping Pong (anime, 11 eps)

It is impossible to do this anime justice in a single tweet. Excellent uses of visual imagery and symbolism, perfectly written characters, amazing ost and incredible dialogue are just some of the many reasons why this anime is regarded a masterpiece.

Ballroom e Youkoso (manga, 53 chapters, ongoing)

Beautiful and dynamic art, well choreographed and panelled dance scenes that were even entertaining to someone who isn’t into dance at all like myself and a well designed and well written cast all make this a must read.

One Outs (anime, 25 eps)

The gambling aspect of this series results in a very interesting premise; this anime is full of mind games and psychological manipulation which makes it a breath of fresh air and helps it stand out from other sports anime

Rikudou (manga, 94 translated chapters)

Very underrated boxing manga with mature and darker themes. The manga has 240 chapters in total but the translated chapters so far have been amazing so far and i’m really interested to see where it goes.

Teppu (manga, 35 chapters, completed)

If you’re looking for something short and of great quality then this is perfect for you. This women’s MMA manga has nice art, very dynamic fights with great choreography and a solid female cast which is kinda uncommon in sports series.

Megalo Box (anime, 13 eps)

Short and very entertaining watch, it’s that typical underdog/zero to hero story but is done pretty well. Fight scenes are nicely animated and the mc is very likeable too, plus the Ashita no Joe references are a nice touch.

WonDance (manga, 17 chapters, ongoing)

Not that many chapters out so far so it won’t take long for you to catch up. Very unique and expressive artstyle, well designed characters and I love the idea of a nervous mc with a speech impediment expressing himself through dance

Ahiru no Sora (anime, 50 eps, currently airing)

With only 10 eps of the current season left to be aired, this is a must watch. The main cast is well written and you will no doubt be invested in them and each of their stories, plus it has good emotional moments and comedy too

Switch (manga, 105 chapters, ongoing)

It’s quite a generic basketball manga but is still a pretty fun and entertaining read. The mangaka was an assistant to Furudate (Haikyuu) and you can see where he took inspiration from him

And some short sports anime (12/13 eps each):

Hanebado - girl’s badminton

Tsuritama - fishing

Tsurune - kyuudo ( a Japanese sport similar to archery

Stars Align - soft tennis

Blue Lock (manga, 92 chapters, ongoing)

Amazing art especially the double page spreads, the matches are very entertaining with some hype moments and it also has some nice twists which keep you wanting more.