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Sports-Romance anime recommendations

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F

FuuRe

Member
After years and years of not watching a single drop of (new) animes and after several rewatches of Slam Dunk, Captain Tsubasa, Hajime no Ippo and others I've decided to found a new gem that keeps me entertained and that also delivers the sport and romance narrative I usually crave in my animes.

I don't care too much about other details (college/hs based, jocks, underdogs, whatever) save for the sport, which must be real (i.e. no Beyblade, Pokemon or B-Daman, you could argue if they are really sports too but let's not get into that area) but not necessarily depicted normally (i.e. C.Tsubasa super shots are totally OK).

Also a big plus is that isn't created for kids, so deep stories peppering the main storyline is more than welcome.

Finally, please no SD drawing style, a good art style is welcomed.

For reference, I've watched:

- Capt. Tsubasa
- Slam Dunk
- Ippo
- Eyeshield 21
- Prince of tennis

Thanks in advance!
 
F

farisr

Member
Major - I don't even like baseball and I loved this anime. Great character development, and covers a wide variety of topics (romance, revenge, fish out of water, etc etc). Has lots of episodes too (6 seasons) which is a plus. And in case you're worried about it being too long, it's not a stretched out plot, each season typically covers certain parts of the main characters life and it's all the better for it. You get to connect that much more.

Hungry Heart Wild Striker - another soccer one by the Captain Tsubasa writer, loved this. 52 episodes.
 
K

kurahador

Member
Cross Game - Baseball. Watch the first episode at least. Only 50 episodes and it follows the manga faithfully.

Haikyuu!! - Volleyball, barely any romance though.
 
J

John Kowalski

Banned
What's an SD drawing style?

Anyway i watched Moshidora (short for Moshi Kōkō Yakyū no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no "Management" o Yondara) a couple of years ago and i remember it being a rather pleasant baseball show that's mindful not to reach beyond its grasp. I don't remember if it had any romance though, but i'm pretty sure it did. It's also made specifically for older people.
 
B

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Chihayafuru, though you have to be willing to put up with a show about a sport based on karuta, cards with Japanese poems meets snap. It is a romance anime, aimed at the Josei demographic and the manga was from a magazine called Be Love, but some may say the romance doesn't go anywhere. But still, give it a shot. The show does explain things enough for those not familiar with the sport (I wasn't aware of it before watching).

John Kowalski said:
What's an SD drawing style?
Click to expand...
Super deformed
 
W

Wiseblade

Member
1) "I don't want anything made for kids!"
*lists a bunch of shonen*

2) "no OTT superpower nonsense!"
*lists Prince of Tennis*

The correct answer to the request in the OP is Baby Steps, but I bet that you would enjoy Inazuma Eleven despite your protests otherwise.
 
C

Cerity

Member
massoluk said:
Mitsuru Adachi
Click to expand...

First post gets it.

Pretty much everything he's done blends romance and sports ridiculously well.

Cross Game, Touch and H2 are all excellent watches. H2 is a bit iffy because of it's ending though, it abruptly ends on a weird note.

I'm really hoping Mix gets picked up for an adaptation sometime soon.
 
F

FuuRe

Member
Wiseblade said:
1) "I don't want anything made for kids!"
*lists a bunch of shonen*

2) "no OTT superpower nonsense!"
*lists Prince of Tennis*

The correct answer to the request in the OP is Baby Steps, but I bet that you would enjoy Inazuma Eleven despite your protests otherwise.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your kind words, i listed those animes for people to avoid reccomending them.

And about the superpowers you should read better, I've never stated "no superpowers", I even referenced Tsubasa supershots as OK!.

And again you are wrong, i cannot stand Inazuma Eleven, but mostly for the art style and for being too long.
 
K

Kawl_USC

Member
Yep, cross game is a lovely show that always left me feeling relaxed and happy to have watched an episode or 4.

I like Baby Steps and it has the combination of sports and romance, but think Cross Game is a heavier hitter.
 
D

Dali

Member
Can't believe no kuruko basketball yet. It's got about as much romance as slam dunk (about zero) but it's damn good. Slam dunk is really actually garbage. Real basketball is more exciting. Kuruko actually does that anime thing where skills and actions are given a supernatural depiction.
 
F

farisr

Member
Dali said:
Can't believe no kuruko basketball yet. It's got about as much romance as slam dunk (about zero) but it's damn good. Slam dunk is really actually garbage. Real basketball is more exciting. Kuruko actually does that anime thing where skills and actions are given a supernatural depiction.
Click to expand...
This is not a good way to do a recommendation.Unless of course you want the other person to ignore your suggestion that is.
 
K

Kyne

Member
tumblr_njvv3mWSbP1tdnwpwo1_500.gif


tumblr_nmnhstm1Io1up91rfo1_500.gif


x3PZtn.gif


Kuroko No Basket.
 
S

Sir_Crocodile

Member
Dali said:
Can't believe no kuruko basketball yet. It's got about as much romance as slam dunk (about zero) but it's damn good. Slam dunk is really actually garbage. Real basketball is more exciting. Kuruko actually does that anime thing where skills and actions are given a supernatural depiction.
Click to expand...

Slam dunk garbage?

what am I reading
 
Y

Yonafunu

Member
Dali said:
Can't believe no kuruko basketball yet. It's got about as much romance as slam dunk (about zero) but it's damn good. Slam dunk is really actually garbage. Real basketball is more exciting. Kuruko actually does that anime thing where skills and actions are given a supernatural depiction.
Click to expand...

wooow what
 
R

rrc1594

Member
Dali said:
Can't believe no kuruko basketball yet. It's got about as much romance as slam dunk (about zero) but it's damn good. Slam dunk is really actually garbage. Real basketball is more exciting. Kuruko actually does that anime thing where skills and actions are given a supernatural depiction.
Click to expand...

tumblr_myhqrspQq21shf9jmo1_400.gif
 
L

Line_HTX

Member
I heard that Baby Steps is basically starting from nothing and working your way up in the tennis world.

Also, OP, please watch Kuroko's Basketball.
 
L

Line_HTX

Member
There needs to be another football anime. Eyeshield 21 was great, but man, I need more.

There's going to be a rugby one starting next month, I forget what the name is.

Also, when will there be a hockey one?
 
T

ThreePiMatt

Member
Another +1 for Mitsuru Adachi's work. Cross Game is the best and the most watchable since its more recent. Touch and H2 are both enjoyable but from the 80s/90s so the animation and voice work comes off pretty stiff.

Chihayafuru is one of my favorite shows and definitely worth a watch. Baby Steps and Suzuka are also pretty good.

To throw out some suggestions that haven't come up yet, Bamboo Blade (kendo) is more slice of life/comedy, but it's a fun little show. And then Saki (mahjong) is an entertaining show, but it's yuri romance and that part is maybe more of a negative compared to the mahjong parts.
 
D

Dali

Member
Sorry guys but the basketball action in slam dunk is basic as hell. Someone once pointed out basketball was in its infancy in Japan. So I guess that's why the action is more boring than WNBA games.

Maybe if I'd have watched it at that time I'd have had a different opinion but I only saw it like 5 years ago.
 
T

TheChaos0

Member
Saiyar said:
Chihayafuru.

It is one of the better sports anime I have watched even if karuta isn't really what you would consider a traditional sport.
Click to expand...

Great characters, great animation, just looks great in general, pretty grounded in terms of sports super powers. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Also, why not try Your Lie in April. Instead if sports you have music competitions. This is the gem of the last year for me.
 
P

phaze

Member
+1 for Ping Pong, unless you're deterred by the art style. And the romance bit is a very minor component of the story.

Haikyuu is good as well.
 
B

Bonen no Max'd

Banned
Big Windup doesn't really have any romance but is probably my favorite sports anime, so good. Also Cross Game, Haikyuu, and Chihayafuru are all great.
 
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