Sports can be a divisive topic, with some people loving it and others hating it. This is especially true for those who lack natural coordination and struggle to engage in physical activities. However, for geeks and nerds alike, there are other things to enjoy. Like any other fandom, there is a sports fandom. Ranking sports anime is like a game, and each person’s opinion is up for critique, making it a full-contact sport.
Starting off the ranked list is Yowamushi Pedal, a sports anime about bikes. This show follows its protagonist and his friends’ journey to become the best biker in Japan, all while equipped with dynamic characters, intense races, and luxury bikes that are hard to come by. The next ranked anime is Splash!, a badminton-centric anime that tells the story of Ayano Hanesaki, a girl who had lost her love for the sport but rekindled it with her new teammates.
The third ranked anime, Chihayafuru, focuses on a traditional Japanese card game called Karuta. The series is captivating, with the mixture of a speed card game and a spoken word poem that’s a beautiful sight to behold. The fourth ranked anime, Diamond A, is about baseball, a sport that has a rich relationship between Japan and baseball. The series follows Eijun Sawamura and his teammates’ goal to become the best team in Japan.
Slam Dunk is the fifth ranked anime, and it’s an anime about basketball. The show follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, who joins his high school’s basketball team to impress girls but ended up falling in love with the sport instead. Major is the sixth-ranked anime, which follows Goro Honda’s journey from childhood to adulthood, from playing baseball to playing professionally.
YURI!!! ON ICE is ranked fourth and revolves around figure skating, featuring Yuri Katsuki and his journey to make a comeback with the help of his coach, Viktor Nikiforov. The seventh ranked anime, Free!, is about a high school swim team formed by a group of ridiculously handsome guys. Kuroko’s Basketball is ranked second and follows Kuroko Tetsuya, an ignored basketball talent, and his journey with his high school team to become the strongest team in Japan.
Finally, ranking first is Haikyuu!!, an anime about volleyball. This anime shows the journey of Shoyo Hinata, a young boy who dreams of becoming a great volleyball player despite being short, and his talented teammates’ pursuit of becoming the best team in the league.
In conclusion, these anime series about sports offer something for everyone, and even those who don’t typically enjoy sports can appreciate the storytelling and artistry within these anime. Ranking them is a fun game to engage in with friends, so let the critiques begin!