Favourite Sports Anime (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 9
It’s day 9 of the 30 Days of Anime. If, like me, you ate a little too much turkey then this post couldn’t come at a better time since I’m going to look at my favourite sports anime. Hopefully, we’ll all be inspired to get up and move!
Favourite Sports Anime (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 9
For the longest time, I never really gave sports anime much consideration. I was too busy diving into fantastical adventures and exploring far-off worlds. Somehow, despite that, I actually saw a few sports anime and every time I ended up loving them. Surprisingly, I still don’t automatically pick them up. It’s an odd situation as I used to play a lot of sports. For the longest time of my life, it was all I did. Hopefully, this post will help remind me that I do actually love sports anime and that I need to find more. Anyhow, here is my favourite from each of the five years of the Otaku Author.
Year 1 – How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? (Season One)
Surely a series about weightlifting can’t be that interesting… can it? Well, yes it can. And not just interesting but absolutely fantastic. I loved Hibiki’s journey as she went from an average girl who was worried about gaining weight to gaining a new group of friends and embracing an active and healthy lifestyle. This series is also hilarious. If you’ve spent any time in a gym, I’m quite certain you will start to recognize the characters from the series. These people are real! Anyhow, another great aspect of the show was the way that it approached competitiveness and friendship in a fun and healthy manner. There are so many positive aspects to the show that I would recommend it to anyone.
Year 2 – Harukana Receive (Season One)
Harukana Receive came out of nowhere to become one of my favourite anime. Not just my favourite sports anime, mind you – one of my absolute favourites. To start with the colours used in this series are mesmerizing. I love the views of the sand, the sea, the sky, and yes, the volleyball players… Everything is so warm and inviting that it instantly puts me in a good mood. Then, on top of that, we have the games of beach volleyball which are incredible. Amazingly, despite the intense games, this series manages to keep everything positive. I loved every second of this anime which is why I had to rewatch and review it for the Otaku Author. I just can’t help but smile every time I think about it.
Year 3 – Kandagawa Jet Girls (Season One)
Hey, guess what! That’s right. I loved it. Yet another sports anime that seemingly waltzed into my to-watch list and then took off. We got all the heartwarming colours of Harukana Receive and the friendship-building of that and How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? Throw in a little romance to the equation and a wildler than normal sport and you have Kandagawa Jet Girls. Once more, this series managed to have competitiveness without making it toxic and in your face. Damn it, I really need to make more time to watch sports anime!
Year 4 – Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story (Season One)
Golf! Surely, this can’t be that exciting. Oh, how wrong that thought was! Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story was unbelievably good. This was an incredible series for so many reasons, however, the romance between the two main characters was the most memorable. Eve was an underground golfer who played for money whereas Aoi was the rising star of women’s golf. Their worlds should never have met, but they did and it was epic! This series was split into two seasons, although it really should be watched as one. It was completely insane but that just made me love it even more.
Year 5 – Keijo!!!!!!!! (Season One)
I only watched one sports anime in year five and that was probably for the best as nothing can compete with Keijo!!!!!!!! This is the ultimate sports anime parody that is better than anything that actually tried to be a sports anime. It nailed all the tropes. It delivered a fantastic underdog story and even created a new sport. I loved every second of this series and even went out and bought the original manga from Japan. It’s another of my crazy projects for the future. I guess I had better get on with learning how to read Japanese…
Final Thoughts!
Well, that’s got me all pumped up and even more determined to ensure that I get plenty of variety with the shows I watch next year. Hopefully, an unintended impact of making this challenge an annual event will make me include the genres that I don’t automatically gravitate towards, despite the fact that I obviously love them.
The next category in the 30 Days of Anime is the Most Rewatched Anime. I will transcend genre to look at the shows that I’ve rewatched over and over again. I don’t there will be any surprises, but it’s always possible. Anyhow, thanks for visiting.
Other Posts in the Series
30 Days of Anime (Years 1 to 5)
Can’t go wrong with keijo, ended up going for ace of diamonds. Yowmushi pedal is pretty good too, got in to it late, confusing on where abouts I jumped in to though
I’ve not seen Ace of Diamonds or Yowmushi Pedal. Will have to add them to the list!
My favourite sports anime is Diamond no Ace and Slam Dunk. I made a website related to anime but its not complete yet. I also want to write blogs like you. Here is my link of website https://animesan.in/ .
Awesome, I’ve had a quick look and added your site to my feed reader. Looking forward to seeing what you post.