There are thousands of different anime available in dozens of different genres, making sure there is something for everyone to enjoy. The diverse pool of entertainment created by amazing authors, artist, and animators start from romance to action to horror. There are so many stories and characters for fans to discover and enjoy that keeping up with all of them is almost impossible.
Even sports fans can discover an anime about their favorite sport or discover an entirely new athletic pastime they didn't know about. Basketball, tennis, even soccer have a series tackling the difficulties and dedication of athletes that perform in their desired sport. Anime is so diverse that there are even very underappreciated Anime about niche sports with full-length series; here are some of the best of the best.
9 Keijo!!!!!!!!
Keijo is a comedic ecchi anime that revolves around Japan’s newest pastime in an alternate reality. A somewhat game-show sport, it involves female-only contestants that fight to push one another off platforms and into a cold pool.
The series was created by Daichi Sarayomi and was produced by Xebec animation studio; the show consists of twelve episodes and several specials. Keijo received a large amount of popularity for not taking itself too seriously and having a consistent animation quality. There were even plans to bring the sport to life in some countries like Portugal, which had begun the early actions of scouting talent and modifying the game's ruleset.
8 Hinomaru Sumo
Hinomaru Sumo is a true diamond in the rough; At the same time, it did not receive much popularity. The series ran for a full twenty-four-episode run, releasing episodes weekly. Hinomaru Sumo was created by Kawada, who was formerly an assistant of Tadatoshi Fujimaki (known for Kuroko’s Basket) and produced by Gonzo animation.
The series follows the main character Hinomaru Ushio, a former sumo prodigy who fell short in the early years of his career because of his small stature. Hinomaru seeks to rekindle his Sumo career in high school, taking on all opponents head-on, which matches his reckless and gung-ho personality. Hinomaru Sumo dives into the violent nature of sumo and the cut-throat tactics and level of athleticism that athletes must achieve in order to rise in the ranks.
7 Hanebado!
Hanebado follows two-star badminton athletes struggling to stay dedicated to their sport. Nagisa Aragaki is a top-class athlete and currently her high school's team captain; after a devastating, no contest loss, she finds herself becoming estranged from the sport she’s loved all her life and inadvertently takes her frustrations out on her teammates. Ayano Hanesaki was a rising star in the sport, being the opponent that defeated Nagisa in their last tournament.
As of late, Ayano has fallen out of love and begins second-guessing her commitment. A new coach arrives to save the high school badminton team, and Nagasi and Ayano meet again, now as teammates. Hanebado was created by Kōsuke Hamada; the series follows both characters' emotional struggles and how dedication is not an easy thing to find.
6 Sk8 The Infinity
Sk8 the Infinity was created and produced by the Bones animation studio; it debuted alongside two original Manga that ran concurrently along with the series. The show follows Reki Kyan, an extroverted second year in high school who participates in underground skate races, and Langa Hasegawa, a transfer student who’s never skated a day in his life who team up and take on the secret S course of the underground skating community.
The series explores the weight of respect in the skating community and how competitive nature can sometimes be a detriment to athletes. Sk8 the Infinity has twelve episodes and has finished airing.
5 Re-Main
Re-Main is an original Anime series by Mappa animation, the studio produced and released twelve episodes without a Manga. The series follows Minato Kiyomizu on a journey to recover his former glory as a rising star in water polo.
Minato was injured in an accident, which resulted in him becoming comatose for several months and acquiring retrograde amnesia, and losing the skills and physical abilities he once had. Minato joins his high school water polo and must relearn the basics with the help of his new teammates to begin his recovery and rehabilitation.
4 Gymnastics Samurai
Gymnastics Samurai is another studio original Anime series with no manga preceding it created and produced by Mappa Studios. The story follows Jotaro Aragaki, an up-in-age male gymnast who tries to recover his gymnastics career, having made it all the way to the Olympics but never claimed a gold medal.
Having gone through a series of hardships, five years after losing his spouse and recovering from a shoulder injury, Jotaro decides to give it another shot after being pressured to retire. With family and friends in his corner, Jotaro seeks to claim the glory he once had, but there is a more than bumpy road ahead. Gymnastic Samurai was released with eleven episodes and has finished airing.
3 Iwa-Kakeru Climbing Girls
Iwa-Kakkeru Climbing Girls is an Anime based on the Manga by mangaka Ryūdai Ishizaka; the series was produced by the Blade animation studio. Konomi Kasahara is the main character in this series; she is a bright and intelligent girl who has a fancy for solving puzzles. Seeking a new challenge, Konomi seeks to join a school club that may lighten up her everyday life.
Her world is changed when she discovers her high school's massive climbing wall; enthralled by the task of scaling such a structure, Konomi instantly joins the club and steps into the competitive world of climbing. Konomi puts her mind and body to the test, surpassing limits she didn't know she had. Iwa-Kakkeru released twelve episodes and has finished airing.
2 Tsuru-Ne
Tsuru-Ne is an Anime about Archery and follows first-year high school student Minato Narumiya, and his attempt at overcoming his trauma and stepping back into the world of Archery. Minato was a top-class archer in his middle school years; however, he lost his mother and became injured in a freak accident. This tragedy left Minato alone and with a neurological disorder called “target panic”.
Minato had decided to quit Archery for good until his spirit was reinvigorated by a stranger. Now in high school, Minato joins his childhood friends in the Archery club and shoots for the national championship. Tsuru-Ne was created by Kotoko Ayano and illustrated by Chinatsu Morimoto; the Anime was produced by Kyoto Animation with eleven episodes and even has a full-length film.
1 All-Out!
All-out follows a high school rugby team to victory; The main character is Kenji Gion, who is taken by surprise when he and a newfound friend are invited to watch the schools' rugby scrimmage. Kenji is a very short guy, so he was unprepared when he saw that while most of the team is filled with tall guys, there are positions for people of his stature.
Invigorated by the possibility of becoming a field star, Kenji joins the rugby team and drags his new friend Sumiaki with him. Together they train relentlessly and take every challenge on the chin and put their bodies on the line to achieve greatness. All-out! was created by Shiori Amase and produced by Madhouse animation, releasing a total of twenty-five episodes that have finished airing.