As Taiga Kagami returns to Japan, he teams up with Tetsuya Kuroko to defeat the other members of the miracle generation. A satisfying piece of animation, Kuroko’s Basketball had viewers hooked from the very beginning. Kuroko’s Basketball has a plot filled with rivalry, mystery, and friendship, and is also known for its vivid animation.
Sports anime have been around for a while now. One of the most popular anime of this genre, Kuroko’s Basketball, aired from 2012 to 2015 and left fans wanting more. Luckily, there are plenty of anime shows out there to fill the void left by Kuroko’s Basketball.
10 Badminton Like Never Before (Ryman’s Club)
Currently airing, Ryman’s Club follows salaryman Mikoto Shiratori. Mikoto is traumatized by his loss in a high school badminton tournament. Now an employee at the Sunrise Beverage company, Mikoto only occasionally indulges in badminton.
Mikoto befriends fellow worker Tatsuru Miyazumi, who happens to be the best salesman and badminton player in the company. He slowly comes to terms with his trauma. Set in a badminton business group, Ryman’s Club deals with two aspects of everyday life – that of a salaryman, and the conflict and growth that comes from participating in healthy competition.
9 Baseball As A Means To Resolve Conflict (Tribe Nine)
Tribe Nine features a futuristic version of baseball with modified rules, fewer restrictions, and applications of technology. Tribe Nine is a currently-airing anime set in Neo-Tokyo. Exasperated with society, youngsters form tribes. Loyalty to the tribe leads to inter-tribe violence. The government decrees to resolve all conflicts by playing Extreme Baseball.
Following the Minato tribe based in Minato city, Tribe Nine is the story of Haru Shirokane, a coward in the truest sense. Tribe Nine also follows Shun Kamiya, the star player of the Minato Tribe, and Taiga, who wants to defeat Shun.
8 A Love-Hate Relationship With Basketball (Slam Dunk)
A new student at Shohoku High, Hanamichi Sakuragi is infamous for his short fuse, larger-than-average build, and his stark red hair. With a single-minded mission to get a girlfriend after 50 consecutive rejections, he suddenly finds himself in the school gymnasium.
Adamant about his hatred for basketball, Hanamichi follows the beautiful Haruko Akagi to fulfill her request for a slam dunk and impress her. Slam Dunk depicts Hanamichi’s journey from hating basketball to being drawn into the competition and camaraderie of the sport.
7 Karuta Changes Chihaya’s Life (Chihayafuru)
Chihayafuru follows Chihaya Ayase, a young girl who grows up in her older sister’s shadow. Content with her way of life, Chihaya has no aspirations. This changes when she meets Arata Wataya, a quiet transfer student who introduces her to competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game.
Determined to become the best in Japan, Chihaya finds a purpose in life and devotes herself to karuta. Captivated by Arata’s passion for the game, she immediately falls in love with the world of karuta.
6 Amateurs Run To The Top (Run With The Wind)
An apt representation of college life, Run With The Wind focuses on the track club of Kansei University. Chased out of a convenience store for shoplifting, Kakeru Kurahara runs into Haiji Kiyose. Haiji invites Kakeru to live in a run-down apartment with him and eight others.
Haiji announces his plan to participate in the Hakone Ekiden race with his housemates, all novices except him and Kakeru. All the characters have a complicated relationship with running. While the focus is on the 10-member team, there is space for each member to grow and develop.
5 A Hardworking Delinquent Finds Purpose In Art (Blue Period)
Yatora Yaguchi, a second-year high school student, is a hardworking delinquent often mistaken for a genius. While he keeps his grades up and hangs out with his friends, he yearns for something more fulfilling.
Inspired by a deserted Shibuya at dawn and an oil painting, Yatora finds his true calling in the unrelenting world of art. Blue Period follows Yatora’s attempts to get into the best art program in Japan. Hard work, perseverance, and motivation lead him on an intriguing journey.
4 An Otaku Joins The Bicycle Racing Club (Yowamushi Pedal)
Sakamichi Onoda, a high school freshman, is looking forward to joining his school’s anime club and making like-minded friends. Sakamichi ends up joining the bicycle racing club due to the disbandment of the anime club. Yowamushi Pedal tells the story of Sakamichi and the other members of the bicycle racing club.
With impressive protagonists and antagonists, Yowamushi Pedal features a unique main character. As he learns more about competitive biking, Sakamichi strives to do his best for himself and his team.
3 A Shy Middle Schooler Takes On Competitive Ballroom Dancing (Welcome To The Ballroom)
Tatara Fujita, a shy middle schooler, is always found blending into the crowd and avoiding confrontation. Captivated by the commanding presence of Kaname Sengoku, who saved him from bullies, Tatara enters the world of competitive ballroom dancing in Welcome To The Ballroom.
As Tatara mulls over the idea of being in the spotlight and receiving attention for his dancing, he keeps coming back to Sengoku’s dance studio. He develops the urge to improve his skills and be accepted by his peers and rivals.
2 Swimming Strengthens The Bonds Of Friendship (Free! Iwatobi Swim Club)
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club is popular for its flowing art style and the interesting relationships between the characters. Iwatobi Swim Club, better known as Free!, follows childhood friends – Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, and Rin Matsuoka – at their reunion as high school students.
Rin decides to leave the swim team. This left Haruka and the others to recruit Rei Ryuugazaki, a former track athlete, to be the 4th member of their swim relay team. As the tournament comes closer, so do the members of the Iwatobi Swim Club.
1 A Little Inspiration Goes A Long Way (Haikyuu)
Popular among those who don’t watch anime or read manga, Haikyuu has made a lasting mark in the anime industry. The Small Giant, a high school volleyball player famous for his exceptional talent, made an impression on Shoyo Hinata, a smaller boy who’s passionate about volleyball.
Shoyo goes to Karasuno High School. He joins the volleyball club along with fellow freshmen Tobio Kageyama, Kei Tsukishima, and Tadashi Yamaguchi. Determined to surpass his hero, Shoyo works hard to improve his skills and rise to the top.
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