Haikyu!! is it the best sports anime according to me? how they outperform themselves to achieve their goals. And the greatest thing about it is it’s not based on a single person like most anime’s. It tells the story of the whole team, their individual struggles, their problems with each other, and their hunger to surpass each other but not leaving each other behind. Their voice actors did a great job, openings were not skippable and what amazes me is even opponents and side characters have backstories. Haikyu!! Is a wholesome anime. It has comedy, it has sad moments, struggles, defeat, success, progress, teamwork, and everything that a story requires. Season 5 isn’t announced yet, but here are 15 anime/manga like Haikyu!!
1. 2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team
After having problems with his Tokyo middle school’s powerhouse volleyball team, Kimichika Haijima moves to Fukui where he spent his childhood and reunites with his childhood friend Yuni. The two were an ace duo in their final middle school prefectural tournament. With both of them, the boys’ volleyball team aims to win nationals.
2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team is a Japanese volleyball anime series written by Yukako Kabei. 2.43 is similar to Haikyu in many ways. Both have two main protagonists. Both the setters i.e Kageyama and Chika are very talented. Both had faced problems with their previous teams. In both, the series another protagonist was a good spiker and related to the setter in a way. Both the players were a good addition to their respective new school volleyball teams in both the anime.
2. Kuroko’s Basketball
One of the more popular sports anime alongside Haikyu!! is Kuroko’s Basketball. It tells the story of a high school basketball team trying to make it to the annual high school basketball tournament. Although it uses supernatural elements, Which makes sports anime unrealistic. But still, fans have praised the series using magical elements in basketball moves. The protagonist, Tetsuya Kuroko, and other characters compete with strong opponents. They struggle, fail, and overcome the challenges. This series will keep you on your toes. The characters’ success is so satisfying to watch after all the struggles they had faced.
3. Ahiru no sora
Ahiru no Sora is a Japanese basketball-themed manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Hinata. It has been serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine since December 2003. As of June 2019, fifty-one tankōbon volumes have been released in Japan.
Lacking what is considered to be the most important asset in basketball. Sora Kurumatani has struggled with his short height just like Hinata in Haikyu since the inception of his love for the game. Despite missing this beneficial aspect, Sora’s unwavering love for the game never allowed his small stature to dictate his ability to play, believing strongly in trying his hardest and persistently practicing to prove his capability makes Ahiru no sora similar to Haikyu.
4. Baby steps
Diligent and methodical honor student Eiichirou Maruo decides to exercise as he is worried about his health. After seeing a flyer, he immediately joins the Tennis Club.
During his trial, he meets Natsu Takasaki, another student, who to be a professional tennis player. He had a study-oriented life because he believed that it is what he has to do, not because he enjoys it. Eiichirou’s monotonous days come to an end as he becomes fascinated by the game so much that he started enjoying it.
Baby Steps by Hikaru Katsuki is the story of a boy who makes the most of his hard-working and perfectionist nature to develop his own unique playing style. Little by little, Eiichirou’s skills begin to improve, and he hopes to stand on equal footing with tennis’ best players.
5. Diamond no ace
When Eijun Sawamura loses his final middle school baseball match. He was frustrated by this defeat. But his fate was about to change everything when he was unexpectedly invited to Tokyo’s prestigious Seidou High School after seeing the potential in his pitching style. Eijun accepts the offer and is ready to improve his skills and play a higher level of baseball in his new team.
However, now his team has highly skilled players, Now he has to struggle to find his place on the team. He announced that he will become the ace of the team, but that’s only if fellow first-year Satoru Furuya doesn’t take the title first, with his breakneck fastballs that earn him a coveted spot on the starting roster like Asashi in Haikyu. The Seidou baseball team has to face off against several formidable foes that stand in their way aims to become the best in Japan.
6. Ping pong animation
Every year, students from all across Japan gather for the inter-high table tennis competition to achieve national and international stardom. Through intense training and competition, only the very best persevere. Ping pong animation is the story of two boys who play ping pong together nearly every day. One is confident and aims to be the best table tennis player in the world while other on the other has little interest in the game. Both love this sport equally and it made their friendship deep.
The author of Ping Pong the Animation, Taiyō Matsumoto shares a story of two friends facing problems together for their goals.
7. Keppeki danshi! Aoyama-Kun
Clean freak! Aoyama-Kun by Taku Sakamoto is a sports comedy anime. It’s based on a respected and all-rounder guy. He plays football but hates the dirt. He has mysophobia due to which he stay away from everyone. It’s ironic that he still loves to play football despite getting dirty.
He is the playmaker for his High School’s soccer team, He avoids any physical contact at all costs, and even as a clean freak, he’s going to get his hands dirty for the clean victory. It would be a difficult way for him and his to win Nationals. But alongside his team, he will show everyone that he will not let his fear come in his way of victory.
8. Yuri on ice
Yuri a 23 yearn old ice skater come back home to try different career options after facing a crushing defeat in the Grand Prix finals. He was once countries most famous and promising ice skater whose other interests in life were not enough to help him with his career.
But everything changes when one of his old videos went viral. He found himself again preparing for the world stage. Competition in front of him is fierce but this is his only chance so he has to win.
9. Cross game
A fifth-grader, Kou Kitamura who spends most of the time practicing batting, has become really good at hitting. As he practices only hitting he does not know about the other aspects of baseball. One of his classmates, Wakaba who is in madly love with him wants to marry and grow old with him. But as the story progresses and events happen he continued his training without playing any real matches for the next four years. Now everyone who knows him has high hopes for him and he has to prove and stand up to everyone’s expectations when he plays on the real ground and shows his hidden talent to the world.
10. Shakunetsu kabaddi
Tatsuya who was one of the best soccer players in the country leaves the sport due to his developed hatred for sports. And moves to a new high school as a1st year student. The show is also popular with name Burning Kabaddi.
One day he gets a chance to witness kabaddi and got a chance to play few rounds of Kabaddi. The intensity of the game intrigued him but he still not wanted to play but Because of a deal he made he had to play this game.
11. Yowamushi pedal
A first-year high school otaku boy Sakamichi Onoda who wants to reopen the anime club. Unable to find anyone he decides to complete the weekly trip on his old cycle. This is when he meets one of his classmates who is a bicycle racer. They end up racing each other and Onoda wins. This was his first bicycle race but not the last as he explores the world of high school bicycle racing.
12. Run with the wind
By the same studio as Haikyuu!!, Run With The Wind is a series about running.
When a former ace runner was chased away for shoplifting. He runs into another student from his university.
They wanted to take part in japan’s most important race held for university students. They both convinced other roommates but the problem was that those roommates did not have any experience. With very little time left in their hands, will the students be able to achieve their dream of running in a Hakone Ekiden?
13. Big windup!
Once an ace of his middle school’s baseball team, Ren Mihashi due to his poor game his team lost many matches. Losing one match after another lead to his low self-esteem and even bullying by his own teammates led him to a point that he applied for a school in another prefecture. But unintentionally he finds himself as the pitcher of the new high school team.
At first, Mihashi did not want to play but later he realized that this time his team accepted for who he was. With help from his team, he starts to gain confidence and sees his win potential as the ace of the team.
14. Free! – iwatobi swim club
With his love for water and a passion for swimming, Haruka Nanase reopens his High school swim club with his elementary school friends with whom he lost touch in mid-school. The trio with the help of a former member reopened the club and they all are aiming to compete in tournaments. While preparing for the tournament they develop a close relationship with each other.
15. All out!!
Rugby, a sport where who holds the ball is the star. A high school freshman at Kanagawa High School, Kenji Goin gets an invitation to observe the rugby club.
While watching the match he realizes that even short people can play this game, size doesn’t matter in rugby. Immediately he signs up. he also drags Iwashimizu his friend despite him not wanting to play. They aim for the national high school rugby tournaments and thus their training gets harder. They both train themselves for this goal.
So these were some of the anime which I thought was like Haikyuu! If you have any suggestions please drop them in the comments and what manga do you think that should be converted into anime? Please tell below. ARIGATO GOZIMAS!!
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