Sports anime has grown in popularity in recent years. We’ve seen some truly bizarre shows, including Ao Ashi, SK Infinity, and, of course, Haikyuu!! I mean, it’s impossible to talk about sports anime without mentioning Haikyuu, is it? However, we will not discuss volleyball on this list. We’ll be talking about BASKETBALL! Slam Dunk is the first anime that comes to mind when I hear the word basketball. Aside from that, there are some other exquisite shows you might be missing out on. So we’ll go through them one by one.
13-Honey X Honey Drops
Honey X Honey is not your average basketball anime. This show is a fantastic blend of the Shounen and Shoujo genres. This show’s plot revolves around the infamous Hojou Academy. This academy is quite unique in that it has established a master-honey system among its students.
The honeys serve their masters in exchange for a reduced fee. Isn’t it fascinating? Kai Renge is the host of this show. Kai is the basketball team’s captain at Houjo Academy. He is, of course, a master. Hagino Yuzuru is his sweetheart.
Now comes the exciting part. Basketball matches in this anime follow a unique set of rules. The loser must abandon his love. Despite being the Ace, Kai still faces some difficulties. This show only has two episodes. Because it aired in 2006, the animation isn’t all that great.
12-I’ll/CKBC
I’ll/CKBC is another underappreciated gem that made it onto this list. With only two episodes, this anime is also quite short. It first aired in 2003.
It tells the story of Akane Tachibana and Hitonari Hiiragi, two basketball players. They are diametrically opposed. Akane is an incredibly dedicated player. Hitonari, on the other hand, is a rising star with natural talent.
Nonetheless, they are both on the same team. This show emphasises the value of collaboration and trust. A game cannot be won with only one player. Winning matches necessitates a tremendous amount of effort and teamwork.
Well! As I previously stated, this anime is quite brief. You will be bombarded with an insane amount of information. So, be prepared for that.
11-Dash Kappei
The following show on this list is Dash Kappei. If you like old-school anime, this is the one for you. Dash Kappei first aired in 1981. It is one of the most established sports anime series.
Kappei Sakamoto hosts this fantastic show. Given the nature of the show, Kappei must be a very tall basketball player, right? Lol! The joke is on you because he is only 1 metre tall. Yess! You read that correctly, 1 freaking METER!!!
Despite this, he is the team’s ace and is known to have God-like abilities. This is where things start to get interesting. He got into basketball primarily because he wanted to see his coach’s underwear, lol!
You might think this is just a joke show. However, this anime can also be quite serious at times. It’s remarkable how it depicts basketball fundamentals. You will not be bored while watching this show.
10-Barangay 143
TV Asahi and a Filipino animation studio collaborated on the anime Barangay 143. There aren’t many shows like this.
This anime’s plot revolves around a Korean basketball player named Bren Park. Despite the fact that Bren represents Korea, his family is from the Philippines. Bren then joins a local street basketball team to hone his skills.
We learn a lot about Filipino culture and food in addition to basketball. This show depicts basketball as it is played in the Philippines. Because it was created by a Filipino studio, the animation and dubbing are a little off. If you ignore these factors, this show is a must-see.
09-Onagawa Junior High’s Girl Basketball Team
Onagawa Junior High’s Girl Basketball Team is the next anime on this list. This anime, which aired in 2017, is one of the most inspiring ever. This anime’s plot takes place after the Tohoku Earthquake. This earthquake claimed a large number of lives. Many people have lost loved ones.
Several members of the Onagawa Junior High Girl Basketball Team were also killed in the incident. They are now down to just five regulars. Despite this, they never give up hope and continue to play, even in the place of those who have died.
This anime teaches us an important lesson. It is, in my opinion, a must-see.
08-Dear Boys
I’ve always been the kind of guy who cheers for the underdogs. It motivates me to work harder. This anime’s plot also includes an underdog team.
Aizawa Kazuhiko is regarded as a basketball prodigy. He could have been accepted into any reputable high school. Despite this, he decided to attend Mizuho High School. Mizuho does not have a stellar reputation. This school has never won a championship.
Nonetheless, Aizawa insisted on leading them to victory. Because the school is not well-known, few good players are admitted. The majority of the players are outcasts who were rejected and ended up here. Aizawa is focused solely on winning the National Basketball Championship.
Can he lead this motley crew to victory? The animation isn’t particularly good. At times, the use of CGI feels a little off. Still, the story grows on you over time, and you eventually fall in love with the characters.
07-Ro-Kyu-Bu!
Sports is a fairly broad genre. It can be combined with any other genre to create a fantastic show. But what about Loli? Seriously? Who would have guessed combining these two genres? I’d like to meet that person. He truly is a LEGEND!!! Is Loli considered a genre at all?
This show’s plot revolves around Hasegawa Subaru. Hasegawa was regarded as a prodigy at the time. However, due to some misunderstandings, he was forced to retire early. Now, I won’t give anything away.
Despite everything, Hasegawa’s passion for basketball endured. There was only one way for him to stay involved in the game: coach a team. He went on to coach a high school girls’ basketball team.
There is one problem now. Teaching inexperienced girls is a difficult task. You must give everything you have.
This show’s pacing may appear to be a little slow. However, as a basketball fan, I highly recommend this anime.
06-Breakers
Let me tell you a little about myself. I am a huge fan of one-of-a-kind anime and manga. And this anime unquestionably fits into that category. I suppose it’s safe to assume you’ve heard of the Paralympics. Let me explain in case you’re not familiar.
The Paralympics are sports for people with special needs or disabilities. It includes a variety of games such as goalball, paralympic swimming, track, and, of course, wheelchair basketball. Because this blog is about basketball, we’ll only talk about the first episode.
The first episode features an incredible wheelchair basketball game. It just goes to show how gifted these players are. We simply need to give them a chance. This show is incredibly motivating.
The animation is also quite good. I’m confident you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.
05-Basquash
Well! What about basketball played by robots? No! I’m not kidding. This strange anime, which aired in 2009, has one of the most unusual plots you’ll ever see.
It’s about mecha competing in a game called Big Foot Basketball, abbreviated as BFB. Dan is the main character in this show. By taking the game to the streets, he unintentionally increased its popularity. Yess! That’s the story.
This show’s animation is stunning. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re really missing out.
04-Buzzer Beater
We’ve already mentioned Mecha and Lolis on this list; why not include aliens as well?
Buzzer Beater is an unusual show in which intergalactic species compete in a universal basketball tournament. The main question here is how humans are supposed to compete with these monsters. I mean, we’re physically inferior to them.
I won’t give anything away. You’ll have to watch the show to find out. Takehiko Inoue created the show, which is another interesting fact about it. Aside from basketball, this anime includes other sports such as races and other activities. It is, in my opinion, a must-see.
03-Ahiru No Sora
In my opinion, Ahiru No Sora is an underappreciated gem. Despite its newness, I haven’t heard much about it. This show, in my opinion, deserves to be appreciated more.
Sora Kurumatani, an underdog, is the protagonist of this anime. Sora does not have the height of most basketball players. He tries to compensate by working hard on his other skills.
I and Sora share a lot of similarities. For example, both of us enjoy basketball and are both short, lol! The main draw of this show is its supporting cast. The characters are fantastic, and thanks to Diomedea, this anime has some insane animation.
02-Kuroko’s Basket
The Haikyuu is Kuroko No Basket! In terms of basketball. It is impossible to compile a list of basketball anime without mentioning this masterpiece.
One of the most well-known sports anime is Kuroko No Basket. Kuroko is the protagonist of this show, which revolves around six prodigies known as the Generation of Miracles. After graduating from Middle School, the six of them were split up.
Kuroko was accepted to Seirin High School and met Taiga Kagami there. Taiga has athletic abilities comparable to the Miracle Generation. They both vowed to destroy the other Miracles and win the Inter-High Tournament as a team.
Another intriguing aspect of this show is that the characters each have their own special abilities, such as the Emperor’s Eye, Invisible Pass, and Zone. Kuroko is regarded as the group’s weakest link. Even so, underestimating him would be disastrous.
The animation in this show is superb. If you like basketball, you should watch this show. Kuroko No Basket has three seasons and four films, with the third being the most popular and highest rated. It has a MAL score of 8.31. It first aired in 2015. Akashi Seijuurou is one of the main reasons for this season’s popularity. His fans adore him.
01-Slam Dunk
I fell in love with the characters and the dynamics of this anime when I first saw it a few years ago. Basketball has become my new obsession. There was no turning back after that. Every kid from the 1990s has seen or heard of this show. You can’t tell me you’re an anime fan and haven’t heard about this masterpiece.
This show’s basic plot revolves around Hanamichi Sakuragi, who entered the game in order to impress girls. The more he learned about the game, however, the more he fell in love with it. He is not a prodigy in any way. He’s just a tall, strong guy who got into basketball because his crush was the manager of the basketball team.
Takehiko Inoue’s story is essentially reflected in this show. The animation may not be the best, but the story is. I believe it is safe to assume that you are aware that Slam Dunk will be getting a new film next year.
Slam Dunk has a MAL rating of 8.54, which I believe is fair. However, given the quality of the show, it should be even higher. I suppose the main disadvantage here is the animation. Given that the show first aired in 1993, the animation isn’t all that great.
Conclusion
So, here’s the rundown, fellas. I hope you liked it. Basketball is a widely played sport. However, there aren’t many basketball-themed anime out there.
I’ve done my best to create the ideal recommendation list for you. The rankings are also objective, and I hope you agree.
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