9 Brilliant Sports Animes You Might Have Missed If You Are New to Anime

With new animes like Kuroko no Basuke and Haikyū!! gaining immense popularity, the sports genre has been given a fresh boost. Here are 10 relatively older sports animes which if you have missed, you should definitely see.

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1. Captain Tsubasa(1983)

The anime that started it all. Captain Tsubasa was the first of the so called sports anime. It was adapted from Yoichi Takahashi’s manga of the same name. Apart from being one of the greatest animes of all time, it inspired people like Alessandro Del Piero, Fernando Torres, Zinedine Zidane,and even Lionel Messi to play the game.

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2. Eyeshield 21(2005)

American football might be widely popular only in the USA but this gem of an anime raised the game’s popularity in Japan. Fast paced, funny and dramatic; this anime promises to never bore and is also informative to many who don’t understand the game. All in all it’s a must-watch.

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3. One Outs

If you like psychological animes then you would love One Outs. Smart and intelligent protagonist, nail biting cliff-hangers and the subtly dark theme makes this anime on baseball an amazing deviation from the usual mainstream anime, sports or otherwise.

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4. Slam Dunk(1993)

Before Kuroko no Basuke, Takehiko Inoue’s Slam Dunk popularized basketball in Japan. Slam Dunk is comparatively more gritty and realistic while also keeping a goofy comedic touch.

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5. Initial D(1998)

Move over Fast & Furious, We Otakus have Initial D. Cars? Check. Illegal Racing? Check. Drama? Check. Initial D has every thing you would want in an anime on car racing. Professional race car driver and pioneer of drifting Keiichi Tsuchiya helped with editorial supervision making the anime damn accurate.

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6. Giant Killing(2010)

Giant Killing is special even tough it is just another soccer anime because it deviates from the usual narrative. The main protagonist is the manager of the team which changes the usual point of view. The anime portrays his life managing a club which he had once left as a player. The anime is well researched and realistic and thus worth watching.

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7. Ginban Kaleidosocpe(2005)

The anime might be a Shōjo but regardless of age or gender it is an amazing anime albeit short. There is tragedy, romance, drama, comedy in this anime on figure skating. Falling in love with a ghost is not exactly a new concept but few can portray it as beautifully as Ginban Kaleidoscope.

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8. Ookiku Furikabutte(2007)

A lighthearted comedy about a under-confident ace pitcher of a high school baseball team. The story is about him and his team and his realization of his self worth. It works well as an anime to enjoy regardless of your mood. The pace is just right with well placed jokes that compliment the light theme.

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9. Hikaru no Go(2001)

Trust Japan to make a really interesting anime of the most complicated game ever. While all the essentials of a good sports anime is present the added supernatural element adds to the fun. This anime is the only place where you can learn about Go and not fall asleep.

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