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The Sports genre is one of the larger subsets of anime and manga out there, and for good reason. It's a genre that thrives on excitement and there's always the next game, match, or fight on the horizon.
And, for the most part, the best Sports series out there have been adapted into anime by now, but not all of them. Here are some of the standout examples that should have long received the same treatment by now.
7 Real
There aren't many mangaka out there who are even close to as prolific as Takahiko Inoue. Frankly, he stands among the greats along with the late Kentaro Miura and the bizarre Hirohiko Araki. Why is he so acclaimed? Well, first, he wrote Slam Dunk, a manga so popular it's a household name in Japan. Then, he created Vagabond, one of the most introspective and visually stunning samurai period pieces in existence. And then, he went right back to Basketball and did a series called Real, which sadly wasn't quite as popular as the other two even though it's more than deserving of the same popularity.
Now, there are some sports series that are entirely focused on the sport itself and are stronger for it. But, there are also some series where the sport is secondary to the character moments, and Real is an example of this second option. It seems like it's focused on wheelchair basketball entirely at first, but the sport is mostly used in service of Nomiya, Takahashi, and Togawa's character moments. Real can be described as beautiful, hilarious, depressing, heartbreaking, uplifting, and so much more which is exactly why it's criminal the series hasn't been adapted into an anime yet.
6 Blue Lock
Let's be honest, team sports are just as much about selfishness as they are about camaraderie and teamwork. Sure, at the end of the day, having a team that works well together is important. But, the ultimate goal in just about any sport is to win, and sometimes that means not passing to a teammate but a person scoring on their own. That balance of ego, empathy, and pragmatism is exactly what makes the more iconic sports stars so memorable.
Blue Lock, a soccer-based series, focuses on this mentality right from the get-go. The main character Yoichi Asagi dealt with the very same situation used in the example above, and choosing to pass is what cost him his ticket to the national tournament. While it doesn't have an anime yet, it is one of the only examples on this list that has one in the works that's expected to air sometime around the Summer 2022 Anime Season.
5 The Climber
Even sports series that are focused on individual sports usually still have a large cast of characters centered related to the actual protagonist immersed in the sport. The Climber defies this trope in that, for the most part, it's very isolated. In fact, most would describe it as straight-up depressing. Mori Buntaro, the main character, pretty much ignores other humans altogether.
Because of this, The Climber has a lot of quiet moments with deep introspection and self-reflection. It's an oddly comforting story for those who like to be alone or don't entirely relate to other people around them. From a technical standpoint, The Climber is absurdly beautiful and also horrifying at times, thanks to its masterclass artwork. Because it's so psychological, a lot of the visuals drawn to personify a character's thoughts land right in the realm of body horror. Altogether, it's one of the more beloved sports manga out there which is shocking given that it still hasn't been adapted yet.
4 Teppu
Next up is yet another uniquely memorable sports manga, Teppu. Teppu is entirely centered on a woman in high school named Natsuo Ishidou, and it's all about her journey with the sport of all-female MMA. Natsuo is what could most simply be defined as a genius. Anything physical she sees, she can usually do herself instantly, sometimes even better than the person who showed her. This gift of hers might seem like a blessing, but it actually alienates her from her fellow students and eventually twists Natsuo's personality in a pretty big way, which leads the manga into tackling some pretty big issues with bullying.
But then, suddenly, a new transfer student and aspiring MMA pro, Yuzuko Mawatari, completely destroys Natsuo in a one-on-one fight utilizing her martial arts. From here, Natsuo picks up MMA herself vindictively to utilize her natural abilities and hopefully get back at Yuzuko in the ring, while her old friend Sanae who Natsuo bullied works with her irresponsible Karate teacher to get back at Natsuo.
There's so much to say about Teppu, from its obvious love of anatomy and martial arts seen in the fight scenes, to the uniqueness of its main character and overall narrative, or even just the visceral nature of its violence. That said, it's not the longest series, but that just means it would be even more bingable as an anime.
3 Rikudou
Next up is a boxing series called Rikudou, and it's one of the rare ones that hasn't been adapted yet. Honestly, this might be due to the fact that Rikudou is really dark compared to other Martial Arts manga. Seriously, compared to Rikudou, Hajime no Ippo and Ashita no Joe, are basically all sunshine and rainbows. This tone has been a bit polarizing too, as some dislike the series for being "too edgy" while others love that it's a bit more gritty.
To explain, this is a story about an MC named Riku Azami learning to find himself. Riku went through some insanely horrible stuff as a kid such as having to kill his mom's boyfriend/drug dealer in order to save himself. This lands Riku in an orphanage full of other kids that become his new surrogate family.
While the boxing in Rikudou isn't quite as in-depth as other boxing manga, it's incredibly visceral and well-drawn. And, the more realistic portrayal of the professional boxing world is something that's enlightening to see as well.
2 Rough
The next series, Rough, is a bit of an older series, starting all the way back in 1987. It was created by famed mangaka Mitsuru Adachi, known best for other works such as Cross Game and Tough.
Rough is an interesting series, as it's about swimming, but not really. Similar to Real, the story is more about the characters, and it uses the sport to help tell their own narratives.
More accurately, it's about the rivalry between two families who run confectionary shops, the absurd circumstances behind their rivalry, the death of the head of one of these families due to this rivalry, and the transition from enemies to something more with the two main characters Yamato Keisuke and Ninomiya Ami. Honestly, most of those who have read it compare it a lot to the classic Shakespearian play Romeo and Juliet
It's an absurd story on paper, but the execution of it is so enjoyable in every way. Plus, the more classic anime art style is sorely missed these days with almost every single new show having the same sort of stylistic aesthetic
1 Cheeky Brat
Last up, there aren't many other sports series that manage to nail romance the way Cheeky Brat does. In fact, most sports anime/manga bumble around when they attempt any sort of romance. Hajime No Ippo, for example, is a fantastic series but an awful romance considering there are over one hundred episodes and the two characters who are interested in each other still never admit their feelings.
Cheeky Brat is a bit more respectful of their reader's time and doesn't take a year for the characters to start pursuing each other or admit their feelings. And, the fact that this is all done well while also focusing on heroine Yuki's job as the basketball team manager and male lead Shou's athletic and emotional growth. It's a romance manga that's also inarguably a sports manga, and an anime adaptation of that is something that would very likely pull in a lot of viewers.