When you think of sportsanime, the first ones to pop up are the ones set in high school. This is because sports are often shown as the pinnacle of youth, focusing on honing one’s talents, fostering teamwork, and building life-long friendships. It’s a beautiful genre that celebrates passion during people’s teenage years.
While some of the most popular sports anime are set in high school, that is not always the case. In fact, several sports anime are set entirely outside a campus or focus on adult athletes. These series deserve more hype, as they show a different side to sports, and deal with more complex issues.
11Gurazeni: Money Pitch
A Comedic Look At The World Of Baseball
Gurazeni: Money Pitch follows the lives of Natsunosuke Bonda, a 26-year-old professional baseball player, and Tokunaga, a former baseball player turned radio color commentator.
Bonda was deemed Mr. Irrelevant in his draft class and is being paid above average for a player his age, but barely gets to play. Tokunaga, on the other hand, was unsuccessful as a baseball player and even more unsuccessful as a color commentator. The show follows the cut-throat world of baseball, which places major emphasis on money and stats.
10Salaryman’s Club
Overcoming Sports Trauma As An Adult
Salaryman’s Clubis a sports anime in a company setting. Mikoto Shiratori is a badminton prodigy with the ability of foresight. He used to work for Mitsuhoshi Banking, but was laid off after losing a company sports badminton game.
He is then recruited by Sunlight Beverage to play for their team and becomes a sales rep. During high school, he suffered trauma that caused him not to play in a doubles team. However, his co-worker, Tatsuru Miyazumi, insists on playing doubles with him. Mikoto must then overcome his past trauma to work well with Tatsuru.
9Giant KillingIt
From Underdogs To Winners
Giant Killing focuses on the growth of East Tokyo United (ETU), a top Japanese football league that has been struggling for years and is on the brink of relegation. Fans are starting to abandon the team, leading to a loss of morale.
As a last-ditch effort to improve their performance, ETU hires Tatsumi Takeshi to coach the team. Tatsumi was a star player in his youth and has proven himself as a leader by working as a manager for a British amateur team. It will not be easy to coach ETU, but Tatsumi will do his best to make them winners.
8Yuri On Ice
Love On The Ice
Yuri on Ice is arguably one of the most popular sports anime that is not set in high school. Released in 2016, the series earned praise for its depiction of the same-sex relationship between the two main characters.
Yuri on Ice follows the relationship between Yuri Katsuki, a Japanese figure skater, and Russian figure-skating champion Victor Nikiforov, whom Yuri admires. After suffering a loss in the Grand Prix Final, Victor visits Yuri and offers to become his coach. Thus begins their journey of self-discovery and love, all while preparing for the Figure Skating Grand Prix.
7The Gymnastics Samurai
A Tale Of Men’s Gymnastics
It’s rare to see an anime about gymnastics, and it’s even rarer to see an anime about men’s gymnastics. Set in 2002, the Japanese men’s gymnastics team is not doing too well. Jotaro Aragaki is a professional athlete and former Olympian and, despite his immense talents, has never brought home the gold medal for his country.
After suffering a shoulder injury, his coach tells him that it might be time to retire. At 29 years old, he is considered an older athlete, causing him to contemplate retirement. However, after a unique experience with his daughter, he chooses to continue his career in gymnastics.
6Ashita No Joe
One Of The Most Iconic Boxing Animes
Ashita no Joe is considered one of the most influential sports series. In fact, some anime and manga series reference Ashita no Joe or take inspiration from the story.
Ashita no Joe follows drifter Joe Yabuki. While serving time in a juvenile prison, he discovers his passion for boxing. He resolves to become a professional boxer, with the series chronicling his rise through the boxing scene.
5Run With The Wind
University-Level Sports
Run With The Wind is an anime about track-and-field in a university setting. Throughout the series, the athletes learn the true meaning of running together with others,showing growth while learning the sport.
During high school, Kakeru Kurahara was a prodigious athlete, but quit following an incident with his team. While at university, he meets Haiji, a fellow runner, who gives him a hand after he is caught stealing. Haiji offers Kakeru a place to stay at Chikuseo-so. There, he learns of Haiji’s dream to form a team to compete in Japan’s top collegiate relay marathon - the Hakone Ekiden. Kakeru agrees to join, but is shocked when he discovers that the other residents of the dormitory have no experience with competitive running.
4Hajime No Ippo
Watching The Growth Of An Up-And-Coming Boxer
During the start of Hajime no Ippo, Ippo Makunouchi was a high school student. However, the series follows his growth and, for the majority of the series, he is 26 years old.
Ippo starts off as a timid high school student. After being saved by bullies by a professional boxer, it ignites his passion for boxing. The anime follows his training to become a top boxer, rising through the ranks and earning various titles.
3One Outs
Following High-Stakes Baseball
Kojima Hiromichi is the ace player of the Saitama Lycaons, a weak baseball team that is ranked at the bottom of the league. Determined to lead the Lycaons to victory, Kojima joins a training camp in Okinawa. Here, he discovers a game called “One Outs.”
“One Outs” is a high-stakes gambling derivative of baseball. Kojima, believing he has found the missing factor that the Lycaons need, makes a wager with Tokuchi Toua, a pitcher who has never allowed anyone to hit in the games he has played. However, little does he know that “One Outs” will spark psychological battles between the members of the Lycaons.
2Baby Steps
Embarking On An Enriching Tennis Journey
Though the characters in Baby Steps are high school students, the anime is not actually set in a high school. Instead, it is set in an independent tennis club, with teenagers from different backgrounds.
Eiichirō Maruo is a first-year honor student trying to find his purpose in life. After discovering a flyer for a tennis club, he checks it out and is immediately captivated by it. However, since he has no tennis background, he needs to utilize his intelligence and dedication to further his tennis journey. Thanks to his smarts, he is able to learn about the habits and tendencies of his opponents, causing him to shine in the sport.
