The genre is more diverse than you might have thought.
Haikyuu!! might be the most popular sports anime, but it’s not the only one. For fans of the genre, there are many hidden gems worth watching. Sadly, many of them are unavailable legally.
Here are 10 that actually are watchable — and services where you can find them.
Run with the Wind
Run with the Wind (Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru) used to be hyped up as the next Haikyuu!!. The comparison makes sense: it’s made by the same studio, has the same composer, and the character designer worked on Haikyuu!! as well.
Unfortunately, it never really took off: it didn’t have a sequel, and the source material is a novel, which is a less popular medium among anime fans than manga. Still, this anime about running is incredible.
Definitely a must-watch for sports anime fans — watch it on Crunchyroll or HIDIVE if you haven’t yet.
Don’t be scared by the odd art style of Ping Pong the Animation: you get used to it quickly, and while the art is weird, the animation is incredibly smooth. The anime itself is worth it, too: it approaches the sports genre from a psychological angle, exploring how winning and losing influence us.
This cult classic can be found on Crunchyroll.
Tsurune
Kyoto Animation often focuses on stories with a slice-of-life vibe. Tsurune: Kazemai High School Kyudo Club (Tsurune: Kazemai Koukou Kyuudou-bu) is an anime about archery — and if the first season might be slightly slow and hard to get into, the movie and S2 fix that easily.
It’s a shame it is so unpopular, as it looks amazing, too. Don’t believe it? Check it for yourself on Crunchyroll or HIDIVE.
Welcome to the Ballroom
Dancing, too, is a sport — and Welcome to the Ballroom (Ballroom e Youkoso) might be the most realistic take on it. The sport is commonly associated with interpersonal drama, and the anime delivers in that regard, too — in fact, that’s what it is usually remembered for.
While not a traditional sports anime per se, it’s still sold — and you can find it on Crunchyroll.
Eyeshield 21
Eyeshield 21 used to be incredibly popular in the 00s. By now, not many people watch it — although older fans still remember it fondly. It’s a long-running football (not soccer) anime, which shaped many childhoods.
The manga is actually iconic, written by Riichiro Inagaki (of Dr. Stone fame) and illustrated by Yuusuke Murata (One Punch Man manga artist). The anime, while not as amazing visually, still tells a great story — all episodes are on Crunchyroll.
Aokana
Aokana: Four Rhythm Across the Blue (Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm) adapts a visual novel centered on a futuristic sport called “Flying Circus”. It’s played with anti-gravity boots — to see these unique matches, head over to Crunchyroll.
Despite its futuristic setting, Aokana actually handles the sports side very well. The romance, though, which was arguably the main part of the VN, is practically absent — you only get that in the source material.
Re-Main
For a MAPPA anime, Re-Main is criminally unpopular. Many blame that on the fact that it’s an anime original — there’s simply no hype from the source material to support it. That doesn’t make it bad, though.
The sport in Re-Main is one we don’t see very often: water polo. The anime also treats the topic of amnesia very seriously, and received praise for that. It’s on Crunchyroll — and Funimation, though the two services are getting merged.
Levius
Netflix originals tend to be criticized for being generic and by-the-numbers. Levius, however, is anything but that: it might start out a little slow, but you get into it very quickly.
The CGI is actually solid, and the anime offers a unique take on boxing — the fighters are cybernetically augmented, and the sport is more deadly than ever.
Burning Kabaddi
Kabaddi is an ancient Indian team sport. It’s somewhat similar to football or rugby — but it has its own rules and peculiarities. Interestingly enough, it’s quite popular in Japan. So much that there’s even an anime about it.
Burning Kabaddi (Shakunetsu Kabaddi) adapted a web manga of the same name. It didn’t attract many Western viewers due to its obscure theme, but if you learn the rules as you watch, it’s a good series — you can find it on Crunchyroll.
Hoop Days
At first glance, Hoop Days (Dear Boys) is one of the oddest sports anime out there. The name is already weird — the Japanese title for it is “Dear Boys”, which doesn’t sound like anything basketball-related.
However the anime is a surprisingly fun and grounded sports series. The manga was very successful in Japan, and although the anime was short, it’s still somewhat remembered. Eurobeat music (yes, the same kind as in Initial D) during the matches certainly helped.
You can watch this hidden gem of the early 2000s on Crunchyroll.