Summary
- Baseball dominates the anime medium, featuring in at least 9 of the top 50 titles on MyAnimeList.
- Basketball is not as popularly depicted as you’d think, despite influential titles like Slam Dunk, football (soccer) is more popular than you’d think.
- Japan’s love for baseball is mirrored in anime and manga, with the sport being the most depicted due to its popularity.
One fantastic aspect of anime and manga lies in their ability to present a myriad of captivating stories in original and diverse manners. They have an uncanny knack for animating tales about various subjects, drawing audiences into unique worlds they might not have considered otherwise. It’s no secret that sports and anime share a deep bond, one that has lasted for ages. Today, we marvel at how anime and manga have expanded their reach, with more athletes and sporting fields embracing this medium.
In anime and manga, various sports have been extensively portrayed, ranging from basketball to kabaddi. Notably, iconic titles like “Tomorrow’s Joe,” “Slam Dunk,” “Captain Tsubasa,” and “Blue Lock” have delved deeply into the world of sports, leaving a significant impact. However, it is intriguing to ponder which sport has been explored the most in anime and manga.
Setting Up the Field of Play
This Exercise Will Be Restricted to the Top 50 Rated Sport Anime on MAL
Exploring over 700 sport-themed anime titles available on MyAnimeList can seem overwhelming, given that manually reviewing each one to determine their sport focus might be a daunting task. However, focusing on the highest rated and most popular 50 sports anime could offer an intriguing perspective. Initially, it was presumed that basketball would lead in terms of associated anime titles, followed by baseball and football (soccer). Nevertheless, these assumptions may stem from personal bias. To kick off our analysis, let’s first identify the top 50 sports anime on MAL, disregarding sequel seasons or spin-offs as separate titles.
| Top 50 Sports Anime on MyAnimeList | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Sport | Year |
| 1 | Hajime no Ippo | Boxing | 2000 |
| 2 | Haikyuu | Volleyball | 2014 |
| 3 | Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe) | Boxing | 1970 |
| 4 | Ping Pong the Animation | Ping Pong | 2014 |
| 5 | Slam Dunk | Basketball | 1993 |
| 6 | Chihayafuru | Karuta | 2011 |
| 7 | Uma Musume: Pretty Derby | Horse (?) Racing | 2018 |
| 8 | Major | Baseball | 2004 |
| 9 | Run With the Wind | Running | 2018 |
| 10 | Cross Game | Baseball | 2009 |
| 11 | One Outs | Baseball | 2008 |
| 12 | Ace of Diamond | Baseball | 2013 |
| 13 | Initial D | Street Racing | 1998 |
| 14 | Blue Box | Basketball/Badminton | 2024 |
| 15 | Blue Lock | Football | 2022 |
| 16 | Welcome to the Ballroom | Ballroom Dancing | 2017 |
| 17 | Ao Ashi | Football | 2022 |
| 18 | Medalist | Figure Skating | 2025 |
| 19 | Tsurune | Archery | 2023 |
| 20 | Hikaru no Go | Go | 2001 |
| 21 | Yowamushi Pedal | Cycling | 2013 |
| 21 | Baby Steps | Tennis | 2014 |
| 22 | SK8 -The Infinity- | Skateboarding | 2021 |
| 23 | Touch | Baseball | 1985 |
| 24 | Rising Impact | Golf | 2024 |
| 25 | Hanma Baki: Son of Ogre | Combat Sports/MMA | 2021 |
| 26 | Prince of Tennis | Tennis | 2001 |
| 27 | Big Windup! | Baseball | 2007 |
| 28 | Eyeshield 21 | American Football | 2005 |
| 29 | Yuri!!! on ICE | Figure Skating | 2015 |
| 30 | Capeta | Formula 1/Racing | 2005 |
| 31 | Inazuma Eleven | Football | 2008 |
| 32 | Free! | Swimming | 2013 |
| 33 | Stars Align | Tennis | 2019 |
| 34 | Air Gear | Futuristic Rollerskating | 2006 |
| 35 | Birdie Wing | Golf | 2023 |
| 36 | Hungry Heart: Wild Striker | Football | 2002 |
| 37 | Giant Killing | Football | 2010 |
| 38 | Hinomaruzumou | Sumo | 2018 |
| 39 | Oblivion Battery | Baseball | 2024 |
| 40 | Over Drive | Cycling | 2007 |
| 41 | Backflip!! | Gymnastics | 2022 |
| 42 | Yawara! | Judo | 1989 |
| 43 | Captain Tsubasa | Football | 1983 |
| 44 | Whistle! | Football | 2002 |
| 45 | Tiger Mask | Wrestling | 1981 |
| 46 | Idaten Jump | Mountain Biking (Isekai) | 2005 |
| 47 | Ryman’s Club | Badminton | 2022 |
| 48 | Taisho Baseball Girls | Baseball | 2009 |
| 49 | Bamboo Blade | Kendo | 2007 |
| 50 | Ahiru no Sora | Basketball | 2019 |
In this table, it’s not essential to focus on the specific order of rankings, as what matters is the tally of appearances for each sport within the Top 50. Another way to display this data would be a Top 50 list sorted by the number of members on MyAnimeList. For now, we have a broad understanding of the popular “best” sports anime. In the 2000s, there was a significant surge in football anime productions, which may have been influenced by Japan’s co-hosting of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
It turns out that football was discussed more frequently than basketball, as 7 out of 50 topics were related to it. This isn’t all that surprising given the widespread popularity of football and Japan hosting the largest global football competition at the turn of the millennium, an event that coincided with the careers of some of the most renowned athletes in the sport’s history.
Which Sport Has Inspired the Most Anime?
And the Winner Is…
In summary, out of the 50 titles analyzed, baseball is the dominant sport, appearing in approximately 18% of them, with many of these being adaptations from popular manga series. Basketball appears only three times, but one instance is notable as it includes “Slam Dunk,” a highly influential shōnen manga that gained popularity alongside “Dragon Ball” and “Rurouni Kenshin” during the Golden Age of Weekly Shōnen Jump. Interestingly, football comes up more frequently than basketball with 7 titles related to it, which isn’t surprising given Japan’s love for the sport and hosting the World Cup at the turn of the millennium when many iconic players were still active. Baseball has been a part of Japanese culture since its introduction in 1859, shortly after the country opened up to international interactions following the centuries-long isolation period known as sakoku.
The popularity of baseball in Japan is evident in its frequent portrayal through anime and manga. This beloved sport was first introduced in Japan during the 1920s, with a league being established in the mid-1930s. By 1950, it had expanded enough to have two leagues: the Central League and the Pacific League. These leagues combined form what is known as National League Baseball (NLB). Japan has experienced significant success in international baseball competitions, with one of its most recent victories being a 3-2 defeat of the United States in the World Baseball Classic held in 2023, marking their third win in this tournament. The Japanese national team is often recognized as the best by the global governing body of baseball and related sports, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). While anime and manga have explored various topics such as ancient board games, future skating, future boxing, performing arts, football, rock climbing, rugby, badminton, and even karuta, it is noteworthy that baseball consistently emerges as the sport we often revisit in these formats, including instances where “baseball episodes” appear in unrelated titles.
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2025-02-12 23:24