FLOW is a Japanese rock band that got its start all the way back in 1998. Well, technically, they began in 1993 when brothers Kōshi and Take first decided to make music together! But it wasn’t until 1998 that the actual band FLOW was born when the brothers were joined by Keigo, Gotō, and Iwasaki. Kōshi, the older of the two original brothers, is the vocals and rhythm guitar. His younger brother Take takes the lead guitar. Keigo is the second vocalist, with Gotō on the bass and Iwasaki on the drums. It took a few years before the group was able to release their first single, “FLOW #0,” in 2002. But after that, things started moving much faster. By 2003, FLOW was already in the top ten on the music charts in Japan and their first full album, “Splash!” debuted at number two the same year. Two years later, their songs were staying on the charts for weeks. FLOW had a major record label by then with Ki/oon Records, and was well on the way to a secure future. It wasn’t long after that that FLOW started to get involved in the anisong industry. By 2006, they were playing at AnimeFest in Texas, and from there they started to land more and more anime hits. Now onto the fun stuff - where can you hear FLOW in the otaku world?

The answer to the above question is all over the place! But let’s back up and talk about the beginning. FLOW’s first big anime songs were “GO!!” and “Re:member,” both of which were openings for Naruto. Their singles “Days” and “Realize” were the main themes for the Eureka Seven anime and video game respectively. These songs were popular enough to get FLOW invited to perform at anime conventions in America, and served as the beginning of a lucrative anisong career. From there in 2006, FLOW produced “Colours,” the first opening of an anime that would go on to be internationally famous—Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. FLOW went on to sing openings and endings for Naruto Shippuden, Beelzebub, Samurai Flamenco, The Seven Deadly Sins, and more. FLOW’s music is also featured in video games and Japanese dramas! One of the most famous of these songs is “Cha-la Head-cha-la,” which was originally used for a Dragonball Z movie and would go on to be the main theme for both Dragonball Z: Battle of Z and Dragonball XenoVerse video games. As recently as 2019 FLOW’s song “Break it down” served as the theme for the game Naruto x Boruto Ninja Tribes. If you like Japanese dramas, you can hear FLOW’s song “Neiro” as the theme for Sachiiro no One Room. So while FLOW may be best known for their anime music, they’ve left their mark in the drama and video game worlds, too! FLOW has since performed all around the world for anime fans, including in America, France, Germany, and Brazil. Their fan base reaches far beyond the borders of Japan due to their heavy influence in the otaku world. Their first world tour in 2015 took them to seven countries outside of Japan. They’re certainly come a long way from two brothers jamming together back in the early 90s, that’s for sure!

Back in 2017 Ballroom e Youkoso released and surprised us immensely here at Honey’s Anime. We loved the amazing art style and interesting characters but really fell in love with the dancing animation. While some critiqued the strange elongated necks—their necks sometimes were a bit too large—what captured us the most were the dancing styles that mirrored the real world. As the name of the series suggests, the dancers in the series focus on ballroom dancing and we rarely see that in the world of anime! Aside from classical styles of dancing, can you guys/girls name dancing anime? Probably most of you can’t and don’t feel bad, there really aren’t many dancing themed series, sadly! There are some idol series that feature dancing such as Love Live and Hanayamata but that’s about it. Folks, we need more dancing anime! Like martial arts—which there are a million of—dancing is a form of movement that captures the eye and allows the dancer to unleash their spirit. Imagine a series done by MAPPA or A-1 Pictures where the main cast were dancers in a competition or on the streets trying to prove their skills. Wouldn’t that be so explosive and exciting!? Dancing anime could be the next big craze and offer something else…amazing soundtracks.

A genre very underutilized in anime—aside from the openings from series like Kekkai Sensen and Baccano!—is swing-like music. There are plenty of openings that are fusions of new and old musical genres but not nearly enough. With a dancing anime, we could have more of those tunes that would possibly change the musical landscape of anime! Maybe this is wishful thinking but we would love newer tunes that go against the typical music we’ve grown accustomed to. Aside from even the music, imagine all the dancing styles we could explore in an anime series! There are dozens of dancing styles from ballroom to traditional swing and yet anime has only shown a few styles that are more modern. Maybe in 2021 we’ll see a dancing series where a group of high schoolers decide to battle it out in the streets to show the world their sick moves! It might sound silly but we’re sure that would be entertaining to witness! Lastly, let’s just admit that we personally would love more dancing series. Many of us here at Honey’s Anime have a lot of love for the art of dancing and wish we could enjoy it more in anime. Trust us, readers out there, if a dancing series comes out we will definitely be reviewing it and covering the series as much as humanely possible!

The anime adaptation of chapter 1 has some minor changes to the scenes and is almost faithful to the manga, but there are two things the anime has altered. The first major change is the omission of Retto’s first encounter of the censor bug back in grade school: Retto and his friend are trying to peek at the panties of passing school girls, and are getting chased by a censor bug. This flashback gives context as to why Retto has ero power and is a chosen candidate for HxEros, but in the anime, Retto just has erotic powers with no proper explanation. The second major change is the censor bug draining the idol and her audience of their erotic energy at a small event. The anime’s version is arguably better with a boob shot, but the context with regards to the censor bug’s power is ignored—not a deal-breaker, we’d say. The censor bug in chapter 1 has the power to obscure any lewd material by covering the nether regions of a person or picture with a star-shaped censor-thingy. In the TV broadcast version of the anime, it’s being used as a censor bar instead of a special ability, so the special ability persists after the censor bug is killed?

Episode 2 is largely faithful to the manga with a few minor changes, the most notable is the third fetish of the guy whom Kirara shot down for being too friendly—in the manga, the dreams of watching Kirara wearing a bikini, a maid uniform, and wanting Kirara to clean his ears are the guy’s intentions if he dates Kirara. In the anime, they made the guy more perverted by replacing the ear-cleaning fantasy to one where Kirara is wearing a skimpy dog-bikini costume. Other than that, the anime is plagued with tons of censored scenes that made episode 2 less enjoyable to watch. Though we don’t consider this a problem in the long run because these censors will be removed in the Blu-ray and DVD releases.

There are some slight alterations like the removal of Momoka getting bopped on the head by Sora for being too pushy towards Kirara and the addition of an anime-only scene with Kirara and Momoka getting along after Momoka criticized Kirara for not stopping the censor bug because Kirara couldn’t harness her ero powers. The phone call between Kirara and her mother, Hoshino Maika in chapter 4 is omitted from the anime, and we’d argue the removal of this scene from the anime isn’t that important because the call has nothing to do with the current story. Sure, the mother-daughter scene gives the readers a bit of insight on Kirara’s character, but that brief scene can be added in the anime in a future episode where Maika makes a proper introduction. However, there is one big change that will ultimately make the manga version a better experience compared to the TV broadcast anime and that is the depiction of fanservice. Some are minor like less crotch detail when Kirara jumps over an obstacle while chasing the censor bug in a school in a school swimsuit. The biggest alteration of all is the part where Kirara enters Retto’s room at night, shows off her newly-bought lingerie, they sleep together in one futon and get interrupted by Sora. In the anime version, Sora gropes Kirara while sleeping, and in the manga, Sora gropes Kirara and sucks on one of her nipples. Yeah, it sounds petty, but Dokyuu Hentai HxEros’s main appeal is the fanservice and the anime delivering a more sterile experience ruins that appeal. Will the anime redo this scene in the BD version? Doubtful. Is this a one-off alteration? We hope so.

A pilot episode is one of the most important for obvious reasons: the series needs to be impressive from the jump, or at least pose several questions that pique our interest. Gibiate gives us the exposé in the first episode: it introduces us to who we assume to be the protagonists; the samurai and attendant of a lord in feudal Japan named Sensui and a more free-spirited samurai named Kenroku. They are exiled from their respective clans for different reasons and find themselves on the same boat away from the mainland when they are rocked by a storm at sea. Suddenly, they’re in a ruined Tokyo landscape. In 2028, a pandemic broke out which effectively brought humanity to its knees. Those affected soon began transforming into giant monstrosities as the mysterious “Gibia Virus” wrought havoc on their DNA, morphing their bodies into the beasts. Long story short, Sensui and Kenraku come to realise that they’re in a dystopian future and they get by with the help of a young woman named Kathleen. By the end of the first episode, things kick into gear fairly quickly as Sensui and Kenroku are brought back to a camp settlement where survivors reside. The art is the first thing that basically smolders with potential–the art style swings more towards a grittier feel, quite similar to Koutetsujou no Kabaneri (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) but perhaps not quite as good as far as animation goes. The compliments dwindle; however, when the “big bads” of the show so far, the Gibia, look quite out of place in contrast to the quite beautiful character and background art. Unfortunately, the texture of the Gibia makes for quite an uncomfortable experience as far as the visuals go, which is quite disappointing especially given how often we have to see them. The series could do more with regards to the time-leap aspect, but it seems that after three episodes, Sensui and Kenroku seem to be more caught up with slashing at giant deformed humans than figuring out why they’re not in Edo. The time-leap applies when Sensui learns what became of his clan as well as the outcome of the unification of Japan. While the outcome does shake Sensui emotionally, we quickly skip over all of that because of the appearance of a mega Gibia that looks like a statue as well as a mysterious large man dressed in Wafuku and decorated in prayer beads, clearly in the same precarious temporal situation as Sensui and Kenroku.

The characters are introduced fairly quickly and we see what their basic stories are about in the first ten minutes of the series, so their personalities are hard-coded into the expository parts of the pilot episode. Kathleen is given a rather dramatic entrance when; assisted by an old man named Maeda, she saves Sensui and Kenroku from a Gibia and extracts some bodily fluid from the incapacitated beast. We can understand Sensui and Kenroku as an instance of “red ogre; blue ogre”, in which one is hot-headed, spunky, and passionate while the other exudes an air of regality, intelligence and a sense of rigid discipline. The series focuses a lot less on the fact that the two are out of their own time by several centuries, but by episode 3, Sensui is riddled with guilt and sorrow over the outcome of his leader and clan. In the second and third episode, Kathleen creates video diaries of Sensui and Kenroku, allowing them to talk about themselves and explore a little bit about their lives prior to their spiriting away. In Kenroku’s diary, he explains why he was exiled from the Sanada Clan and even compares Kathleen to his lover, Okuni. The third episode is aptly named “The Third Man” as it introduces the monk Onikura Yukinojyo, another character who finds himself transported to a futuristic apocalypse.

Time-leaping, a world-ending virus, and the infected transforming into giant chimera-like monsters. Gibiate crams different aspects into its main plot; however, each of the individual plot devices could function very well on their own, but together they do more harm than good. Some in-story bugs—apologies for the pun—also sour the Gibiate experience, like when modern-day soldiers find themselves unable to perforate the Gibia with military-grade weaponry but a random centuries-old samurai cuts through them with a regular old katana with ease – it’s just confusing; how is cold steel winning against hot lead? Another concerning minor plot and continuity hole is that of Kathleen’s mother, who has supposedly suffered from a broken mind as a result of the trauma that comes from being a) in a disease-addled apocalypse; and b) seeing giant human-eviscerating monsters emerge from the dead and the injured. Kathleen says that her mother can’t tell the difference between the Gibia and regular people as a consequence of her broken psychological state; however, Kathleen’s mother is the first to ask Maeda if he can hear the sound of dripping water – the supposed death knell symptom that presupposes someone being infected with the Gibia Virus. Perhaps many of these questions will be answered in future episodes, but right now, Gibiate leaves much to be desired.

The moms in Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks? (Okaa-san Online for short) tend to be quite bizarre as evident by Masato Oosuki’s mom. One mom, though, caught our eye for being truly a cruel mother and that would be Medhi’s mother, Medhimama. Similar to the real world, Medhimama pushed her daughter numerous times to excel and that put great strain on Medhi. This would eventually lead to Medhi snapping and becoming a monster hating her mother’s obsessive and controlling ways. Medhimama falls low on the list of bad moms since she has begun to improve as a mom but it will be some time before this mother’s damage to her daughter is fixed.

Badminton might not be considered the biggest sport in the world but in the Hanebado! series, it is. Enter Uchika Hanesaki who was once a star in the world of badminton but eventually retired when she had her daughter Ayano. Uchika didn’t initially have intentions for her daughter to follow her sports career of choice but she changed her mind when she saw a glimmer of talent in the young Ayano. Sadly, this would cause some very odd actions to be taken by Uchika when her daughter loses a match one day. Instead of training her daughter further, Uchika does something that truly baffles our minds…she leaves her family. Uchika would then act as an extremely distant mother to Ayano in order for the latter to become stronger and more independent. Uchika makes our list for the sheer fact that she left her family for badminton and despite there being other motives—like how she begins to develop cancer later—the reasoning is just odd to us. If you’re a parent, teach your kids to get better and allow them to improve don’t just abandon them to make them stronger…

Many parents wish that when they have a kid they have one specific gender. Hiromi Shiota was one of those mothers who prayed she’d have a daughter to raise. Despite her wishes, Hiromi would conceive Ansatsu Kyoushitsu protagonist Nagisa Shiota who is in fact a young boy. This would drive Hiromi insane and she’d take it upon herself to dress Nagisa in various outfits and do his hair like a girl. Hiromi would even become angry if Nagisa acted too male around her making living with this mother a true challenge. Nagisa would eventually use his assassin training to stand against his insane mother and begin to alter her view of him but we can’t forgive the torture she unleashed on one of our favorite male leads in Ansatsu Kyoushitsu.

Akemi Hinazuki almost comes off across as someone we should feel bad for. Abused by her husband, Akemi seems to endure due to her daughter Kayo Hinazuki. The reality soon hits, though, that Akemi isn’t staying strong for her daughter but abuses Kayo mentally and physically. Anytime Akemi was hurt she would then unleash her anger and pain on Kayo tenfold! Akemi is a terrible mom who almost ruined Kayo’s life if not for the interventions of young Satoru Fujinuma.

Our list of the Top 10 Most Vile and Down Right Horrible Parents in Anime ends the mom section with Saika Gasai who is truly the worst of the worst. As an adoptive mom to Yuno Gasai—everyone’s favorite yandere, and ours too—Saika has an outward appearance of a caring and protective mother. As we go through the Mirai Nikki series we soon come to learn Saika is a truly disgusting woman who should never have been allowed to be a mom in any form. Saika seems to have originally loved Yuno but various issues with her marriage and life begin to make her love turn to disdain. Eventually, Saika would begin to punish Yuno in deplorable ways that started off by throwing Yuno in a cage and forcing her to starve. Saika would get worse and worse to the point that Yuno’s mind would break and force her to encage her parents and deliver the same pains she was forced to endure. While Yuno’s actions aren’t to be admired we feel that Saika’s punishment is fitting for the worst anime mom in the entirety of anime.

We can only imagine the stress of being a big-time hero and having to save hundreds of lives daily from evildoers. However, just being a hero doesn’t give anyone leeway to be a bad parent. That brings us to Endeavor from Boku no Hero Academia. While Endeavor might be a highly accredited hero that even earns the number one spot—after All Might retires from his hero days—as a dad, he’s pretty horrible. Father to several children—one being everyone’s favorite hot/cold hero in training, Shouto—Endeavor has allowed his past issues to ruin him as a dad. Not only did Endeavor allow Shouto to be abused by his deranged mom—who was also suffering from abuse—but he allowed one of his children to perish due to his negligence. Our hearts understand that Endeavor is trying to be a better parent—and has begun to slowly fix himself—but he still has a long road to go before being an ideal dad.

Grisha Yeager almost wasn’t going to be on our list of the Top 10 Most Vile and Downright Horrible Parents in Anime. At first glance, Grisha seems to be the ideal parent as a traveling “doctor” and seeming to empower his son to reach for his dreams. Grisha also had a truly tormented past as we learn through the flashbacks in Attack on Titan where he suffered metal and physical abuse from numerous sources. Unfortunately, while Grisha acted as a great father to Eren and Mikasa Ackerman—who would become his adopted daughter—he performed an act that would curse Eren for the remainder of the series. Unlike most of the people in Attack on Titan, Grisha is quite aware of the world they have been put into and the lies that have become their norms. With this knowledge, Grisha made it a mission to transform his son into a Titan and allow him to eventually uncover the truth and possibly change the world. This might come off as noble and has changed Eren’s life—even saving him in various skirmishes—it has also gave his son a trial that is truly wicked. Grisha isn’t a bad parent in terms of how he raised his children but his actions aren’t to be praised and come off more revenge-fueled than anything else.

In comparison to his son—Shinji Ikari—Gendo seems like a true main protagonist due to his calm persona and calculating mind. Gendo leads NERV with a strong resolve and it is for that reason humanity has continued living for just a bit longer. Despite how great of a leader he is though Gendo is far from a good parent and easily is one of the worst anime dads in all of anime history. Before he became the leader of NERV, Gendo was a scientist with his wife—Yui Ikari—and aimed to change the very foundation the world is built on. With such drive, Gendo made grandiose moves that led to the death of his wife—if you can call it death—and would alter mankind in a dark way. When he took up the mantle as NERV’s commander, Gendo forced Shinji to become a pilot for the impressive Eva Unit 01 and to fight the evil invaders called Angels. Gendo shows throughout the entire series a general lack of care for his son’s wellbeing and even pushes his mental state to the breaking point. Gendo might come off as a savior to some but in our minds, he’s an evil man who is also a downright cruel dad.

Prominent scientist Shouichi Nakabachi was once a revered mind in the world of science. Due to his theories of time-travel, Shouichi was met with speculation but still considered a brilliant mind in the field. This all changed when his daughter—the main girl of Steins;Gate Makise Kurisu—eventually began to shine brighter than him causing immense jealousy to form. Shouichi was possibly a good dad during Kurisu’s childhood but that changed quickly. Shouichi would end up hating his daughter for her intelligence and would allow that hate to fester as she grew older. In the very beginning of Steins;Gate we see Kurisu dead from a stab wound and later learn this was actually done by her dear old father. Shouichi then proceeded to steal her paperwork on time-travel and run away to let her daughter die in a pool of her own blood. Killing your own child out of jealousy is a truly sick action and makes Shouichi a detestable character/father in the world of anime.

No list of bad parents would be complete without the most sinister dad appearing on the list. Shou Tucker in the world of Fullmetal Alchemist was once considered a marvel in the alchemy community. Dubbed the Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou created some beasts that defined logic and proved alchemy could do more than previously thought. Sadly, Shou began to lose his spark and struggled to keep making creatures that he previously crafted. This would ultimately lead the alchemist to do something so evil and sick we still cringe talking about it. Outside of being an alchemist, Shou was a father with a wife and child named Nina. Shou seemed to be a good father/husband but we quickly learn he was neither. Not only did Shou kill his wife by making her into a chimera—the beast he became famous for—but he would then do the same by fusing his daughter with her dog. Edward and Alphonse Elric would eventually find Nina—now a chimera—suffering from her transformation and would bring Shou into the authorities for his criminal actions. Shou is a twisted man and even when he too becomes a chimera we don’t shed a tear for this horrible dad. Shou will always remain as the absolute worst parent in the world of anime and he deserves that title.

If you haven’t seen the 1983 series, don’t worry about it because the 2018 remake does an excellent job of capturing the series for modern audiences and long-time fans alike. If you love soccer (okay, football for you non-American readers), then Captain Tsubasa has to be on your list! At only eleven, the titular Tsubasa is driven to be the best to the point that he moves to a city where he can hone his skills. There he meets friends and foes alike all with the same goal to one day play for Japan’s national soccer team. Captain Tsubasa can teach its audience, especially for those that have children, is to know when to foster your children’s talents and passions. If you let them pursue their own goals, they can learn the value of teamwork and hard work. Will they compete in the World Cup? That’s not for us to say, but we’re positive that the lessons they learn on the field, can be applied in life so it’s best that we encourage children to participate in some activity as soon as possible, and that’s why we recommend Captain Tsubasa.

Remember in The Sandlot, the classic 90s movie, when Ham ends the insult exchange with a player from an opposing team by telling him that he plays ball like a girl? Well, Major 2nd challenges what it means to play ball like a girl! What makes Major 2nd a great recommendation is that it challenges not just the rules of who can play baseball, but Japan’s traditional hierarchy system as a bunch of ladies button up their uniforms and put on some gloves showing that they can play with the boys, and not in a league of their own! If present Prime Minister Shinzo Abe truly cares about female inclusion, then he better watch Major 2nd to know how to do it! As crazy as it sounds, women aren’t allowed to be on the field of the Koushien, where Japanese teenage baseball players have their world series! We’re not talking fiction, but fact! If women can enjoy watching baseball, why can’t they play too? We’re hoping that this unorthodox anime can encourage young ladies to pursue baseball and that schools in Japan, and hopefully around the world, will include them.

Considering rugby is non-existent to American audiences, we can assume that All Out!! is one of their few exposures to it. The series does an excellent job of educating its viewers regarding the sport and it has a unique cast of characters. The most educational aspect of All Out!! is that it teaches the audience and its characters that there’s a difference between working hard and working smart. Before Kanagawa High School got a coach, they worked until they couldn’t walk. With the help of Gion, one of the players, they manage to get a coach and the team learns there are more productive ways to train and foster their talents to reach their full potential. The greatest thing viewers can get from All Out!! is that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help; if/when you do, it can lead to greater things.

Through Hinomaruzumo, international audiences can learn that sumo is also competed at the high school level, and it is through this competition that Hinomaru Ushio wishes to become a sumo wrestler. Being as tall as Muggsy Bogues, Hinomaru doesn’t meet the height requirements for pro sumo so he is ineligible to compete. However, high school sumo has no such requirements and if he can win at the high school level, he’ll be allowed to compete as a pro. Through Hinomaru’s enthusiasm for sumo, he attracts other characters to solidify his high school’s sumo team. He recruits a karate black belt delinquent, an accomplished amateur wrestler, and a skinny kid who wants to become strong. Together with their captain Ozeki, they test themselves through fierce competition. While combat sports like sumo are one-on-one, through Hinomaruzumo, the audience can learn that it’s still a team effort when it is thanks to the help of your trainers and sparring partners why one can compete in that ring.

At number one, we have to give it to anime that deserves A LOT more credit, Breakers. What makes Breakers a great recommendation compared to EVERY sports anime you can think of, is that we get an anime about para-athletes. The episodes are less than ten minutes in length, but you get a lot of content as you see young people with physical disabilities work hard to be the best at what they are. In BREAKERS, you have one character who plays wheelchair basketball, you see a visually-impaired individual play goalball, and those without limbs compete in track and swimming. Through the magic of anime, the audience can see that para-athletes are even better than the real deal as they show what they do is even more demanding than the sports that are for able-bodied athletes.

A true legend never dies. They will live on through oral history or legend as proof that they really existed… or in the case of famous race horses, reborn as Japanese school girls. If chosen by fate for a chance at a second life, they’ll fight for their chance to attend Tracen Academy. They’ll train to reclaim some of the glory they once had on the racetrack in addition to becoming a pop idol (naturally). One such horse girl is Special Week, who needs to fulfill a promise to her mother to become Japan’s prize champion. Pretty Derby goes all in on its weird concept. The girls aren’t just horses, but even have to take on names from famous racehorses. And they don’t just race, but even perform as idols because, why the heck not? It makes no sense and makes no pretense that it might. Uma Musume knows exactly what it is, and rather than justifying itself to the audience, kicks everything up a notch. It’s not for everyone, but as far as the fanservice sports shows go, Uma Musume is one of the finest.

What do you think about when you hear the term “sports anime”? Is it the story of a young hotshot with nothing but a singularly weird but useful talent and a buttload of gumption? Well, throw that out the window with Gurazeni, because Natsunosuke Bonda is who we’re following. He’s a mere a relief pitcher on a professional team. His goal? Last long enough on his team to raise his salary so he doesn’t have to resort to living a normal, milquetoast life. It wasn’t the most popular series at release, but we feel Gurazeni deserves a place on this list. It’s one of the only sports anime out there that’s willing to tell a story that’s not necessarily about becoming the best. Gurazeni is one of the more realistic sports stories because it’s about the only universally relatable subjects: the drive for cash. It’s a rather interesting (if cynical) look at the true nature of sports. Yes, you could attempt to become the best baseball player in the world for personal glory. Let’s face it, though; most players are looking to escape a lower economic class. Sports are their only escape from a life of sheer drudgery.

Maybe Koshiyama Shiki’s family would prefer he live a more glamorous life. That’s not what Koshiyama wants though. A rather nebbish kid, Koshiyama was content keeping to himself reading classic literature and history books. A chance encounter with the quiz crazy Fukami Mari has him dragged to a tournament with his school's quiz bowl team. There, Koshiyama discovers a love for the game of quiz bowl that he never realized he had. He has no greater goal in mind though; he just wants to keep playing! Outside of the subject matter, there’s not a lot about Nana Maru San Batsu that’s terribly original. What makes it work is how quiz bowl is depicted. This is not a story about making it to the giant stage with the incredible flashing lights and proving your worth to the world. Quiz bowl is all about nerds coming together in a gymnasium they rented for a weekend, stumping each other with tricky quiz questions, and fighting over rule technicalities. There will never be a sports anime that is as true to its game as Nana Maru San Batsu, and that counts for something.

High school students couldn’t be more boring than Maruo Eiichiro. Only a sophomore, Eiichiro spends most of his time studying with the hopes of attending a nice college upon graduation. Heck, his only extracurricular activity is cram school. However, that all changes upon meeting the enchanting Takasaki Natsu. He ends up following her to a sports center after school where he finds out she’s an incredibly avid tennis player. Eiichiro gives it a shot too and finds it to be an enjoyable method of exercise, but he soon discovers a passion he never realized he had inside him. It’s hard to make an intentionally bland character that’s simultaneously compelling, but Baby Steps manages to do just that. Eiichiro, rather than resisting his growth into adulthood like any other sports hero, has chosen to embrace a life of tedium to get a jump on a brain-dead adulthood. Yet, it’s precisely that kind of early-onset pragmatism that draws us to Eiichiro. The more he plays tennis and interacts with Natsu, the more Eiichiro realizes that his future doesn’t have to be a boring one. Watching his slow growth is exactly what sucks us into Baby Steps and makes it so enticing.

Kiriyama Rei had a rough life. He’s socially awkward, has no family, and has to work to survive despite being in high school. Of course, he isn’t a cashier or busboy at a restaurant, but a professional shogi player. That being said, he’s not really that happy. He feels isolated from everyone around him. He ends up meeting Kawamoto Akari, a young woman working in a hostess club. Akari’s nurturing personality draws her to look after Rei. Rei makes friends with her and her sisters, Hina and Momo, but he feels awkward. He’s not really sure if he’s right to impose on their kindness. Plenty of sports series show how its central characters develop a social circle because of their love of a shared passion, but how many delve into how devotion can isolate someone? Without going into spoilers, Rei ends up getting into shogi not because he particularly loves it, but as a survival method. Because of this, Rei doesn’t even know how to talk to people. Shogi is a game dominated by the elderly to boot, so Rei barely has any peers. The one he does have (Nikaidou) drives him up the wall. Ultimately, Rei has to learn to accept people from outside of his comfort zone, which is extremely rare for a sports anime.

There’s a nameless man with dreams of running free. He chose the name “Junk Dog” for himself, but that was so people could refer to him as something. His life is basically worthless as far as society is concerned. Junk Dog currently works in an underground Megalo Box ring (think boxing but with cyborg arms), throwing matches for the local mob to mess with the betting odds. He dreams of more. Chance (or perhaps fate) puts him in contact with Yuuri, the world’s Megalo Box champion. Now, he wants nothing more but a shot at the big time, fighting on his own terms. Believe it or not, you might know this story. You’d know it as Ashita no Joe, but you would know it. That’s because Megalo Box was designed as an update to the classic story while keeping what made it great. It’s more than just the plot beats that Megalo Box adapts, though. The animation looks like it was hand-drawn back in the earlier 2000s, capturing that sort of darker coloring and more polished hand-drawn linework of that era. This combination perfectly captures the very dirty, raw tone that Megalo Box conveys and what makes it such a powerful (if depressing) series to watch.

When you’re a kid playing baseball, the most obvious strategy is that whoever has the pitcher with the fastest pitch is going to win. That’s just common sense. Except… Mihashi Ren has control on par with a professional player, but his fastball is pretty weak. A junior high student has no idea how to make that work. As a result, Mihashi had a middle school life full of bullying and neglect as he’d refuse to leave the pitcher’s mound despite his team constantly losing. This all changes in high school when Mihashi meets a talented catcher on the baseball team named Abe Takuya. Abe recognizes Mihashi’s talent immediately and works with him to help him understand how good he really is. The original Ookiku Furikabutte was written by Higuchi Asa, who got a degree in sports psychology. This really shines through in her depiction of high school athletes. Mihashi and Abe are the clear stars of the show but all of their teammates have their own struggles to overcome. The series has a real understanding of the mentality of high school students. That is to say, they both understand more about the world than we realize while they simultaneously overestimate their own abilities. It also features the most nail-bitingly drawn-out match in sports series history, with its entire second half devoted to a single game.

Ayase Chihaya is known around her school as “Beauty in Vain”. She’s a good-looking girl, but she’s got such a single-track mind that she shuts out everything else around her. Her obsession? Karuta, a card game based on Japanese poetry memorization. There’s a problem, though: her high school doesn’t have a karuta club! Mashima Taichi (one of her best friends from childhood) is willing to join, but they need to find some new members. Otherwise, Ayase won’t have her chance to prove to Wataya Arata that karuta is an important team sport. Chihayafuru is simultaneously uplifting and heartbreaking. On one hand, you have Chihaya’s rise to prominence in the world of karuta; a girl who’s able to compete in the same world as men without it seeming weird. On the other hand, you have Taichi. He’s constantly chasing after Chihaya and just wants her to notice him, but he can never succeed because Chihaya only has eyes for Arata and karuta. You want him so badly to succeed but at the same time acknowledge that, ultimately, it’s Chihaya’s story. Her goals are what you’re really cheering for, even if they go against Taichi’s desires.

Big things come in small packages. That’s what the tiny Hinata Shouyou believes, at least. He has to if he wants to become the next “Little Giant” of high school volleyball! Unfortunately, Hinata was unable to inspire anyone outside of his friend group to join his volleyball club in junior high school. Still, he manages to drag a few of his pals to the summer championship, where Hinata manages to pick a fight with setting genius Kageyama Tobio. Hinata swears revenge on Kageyama and declares him his eternal rival for when they make it to high school. Naturally, Hinata joins the high school where the Little Giant made his name, only to find Kageyama on the team too! If there was ever an argument about sports anime not being able to keep up with the spectacle of fantasy battle series, Haikyuu is the natural counterargument. Production I.G’s technical prowess on display here is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Simple spikes explode from the palms of players like rockets firing out of flesh-canons. Players don’t merely chase the ball but stretch their limbs to the fullest extent their inky muscles will allow them. The choreography and animation is nothing short of incredible.

Makunouchi Ippo was a small town boy without much of a future ahead of him. He worked part-time at his mother’s fishing shop just so the two of them could keep paying their bills. He wasn’t the most popular kid either, as he was such a meek child that he was a common target for bullies. However, one day on the way home from school, Ippo catches a mammoth of a man practicing some shadow boxing underneath a tree. This is Takamura Mamoru, Japan’s #1 hope at claiming the world heavyweight boxing championship. Ippo wants to learn how to fight from him, and before he knows it, he’s on his way to becoming the top featherweight boxer in Japan! Hajime no Ippo claims the top spot not because it’s the first sports anime out there. In fact, despite the manga starting in the late 80s, Hajime no Ippo was actually pretty late to the party considering how quickly other trailblazers like Captain Tsubasa and Slam Dunk got their own anime. However, Hajime no Ippo is the ultimate representation of what we love about the genre. The inspiring story of the little guy overcoming adversity and becoming the nation’s best. The fierce rivalries that Ippo forms with men like Miyata and Sendo. The high-octane action in every single one of Ippo’s fights that require equal parts strategy and finesse. It’s the purest refinement of the classic sports story that we know and love, and that’s why it’s on top.

The story of Cheer Danshi!! begins with a young guy named Haruki Bandou who is recovering from a judo injury. Devastated by this incident, Haruki resigns from practicing judo at the Meishiin University club. Unexpectedly, his good friend Kazuma Hashimoto also decides to leave the club. In Haruki’s journey towards finding his next hobby, he discovers a new sport that he can throw himself into, literally. With the intention and belief that it’ll become a huge success at school, Kazuma and Haruki, along with other supportive friends, establish the Breakers, the first all-male cheer squad! Now, for some, cheerleading may not be considered a “real” sport, but for the fanatics, it is! It involves a ton of physical fitness, skills, coordination, and teamwork; either in competition, as support and/or for entertainment. Cheerleading also incorporates gymnastics, dance, and strength training, so there’s more to it than just catchy cheering and chanting. Moreover, cheerleading is breaking the gender barrier, as more co-ed groups are rising in popularity. So cheers to that, it’s definitely something to flip out about!

Tiger Mask W is a sequel to the original Tiger Mask. Tiger Mask W centers on the story of two “Tigers”, Naoto Azuma, the new tiger mask, and Takuma Fuji, tiger the dark. Starting off as two wrestling friends, they part ways over time in their attempt to defeat the wrestler Yellow Devil and the wrestling organization called the Tiger’s Lair. The reason of their fall-out was the styles of fighting used. As the two recently faced each other in a match, both were unaware of who the other was underneath their mask. Match after match, Naoto and Takuma’s purpose remains the same: to destroy the Tiger’s Lair! Tiger Mask W brings a lot of nostalgia to many who use to watch wrestling, was obsessed with the WWF in the 90s and actually thought it was all real. For those who came after this era, no need to feel excluded, as the sport of wrestling continues to fuel its enthusiasts with over-dramatics, scripted and entertaining plots/twists, and most importantly, the signature moves to end the round, getting the crowd all amped up! When we see these very features in Tiger Mask W, it’s hard to ignore, especially when hanging by your feet and suplexing a bear is part of training!

It’s the final score to determine if the Seiseki High School team will win the match. The ball is kicked towards the goal, but will it make it into the net? Or get blocked by the goalie? Oh the suspense! Days kicks off by introducing us to two guys, Tsukushi Tsukamoto and Jin Kazama. Both guys have a passion for all things soccer, except Tsukushi is a novice and Jin is extremely skilled. As the two polar opposites meet in a random encounter, they forge an unlikely bond. In awe of Jin’s expertise in soccer, Tsukushi practices and studies everything there’s to know about the sport, in the hope that he will grow as an accomplished player like Jin. Tsukushi and Jin are two individuals with contrasting personalities that progressively change for the better throughout the series. From the start, Tsukushi is a nervous and somewhat clumsy character, and Jin has this conceited air to him. Moving along, Tsukushi develops confidence and Jin grows more approachable. When the guys jump into their first game, Jin reminds us all of an important message from sports: to go out and have fun! Even after getting battered and beaten by the ball, Tsukushi gives it his all. Essentially, Days reminds us that the word “can’t” is meaningless when you have a certain goal in mind.

Prince of Stride: Alternative follows the Honan Academy Stride Club. Striding, in contrast to basic running, resembles the disciplines of parkour and freerunning. In this club, teams of six members, divided into five runners and a navigator, compete against other teams by maneuvering through obstacles to reach the finish line. In its current state, the Stride Club doesn’t appear ready for any wins, until they are introduced to Riku Yagami and Takeru Fujiwara. As manager Nana Sakurai tries to revive this sport at the Academy, we observe the team transform with a lot of help from dedicated practitioners. Now, get a running start on watching this anime! A simple story, Prince of Stride: Alternative highlights a newer type of sport on this list, Parkour. Parkour encompasses movements developed and influenced by military obstacle course training. By maneuvering without equipment through complex environments, traceurs/traceuses utilize such speed and precision to make the sport appear all too easy. However, this sport requires one to be put to the challenge, physically and mentally. Popularized in the late 90s, Parkour is a sport that can be practiced both individually and as a group.

All Out!! introduces us to Gion Kenji, a high school student who is short, but makes up for what he lacks with an upbeat and spunky personality. In this anime, we are also presented with Iwashimuzu Sumiaki, Hachiouji Mutsumi and Sekizan Takuya, who at different times join the school’s rugby team. In the introductory scenes, shorty Gion comes to the defense of towering Iwashimuzu, as some bullies have him cornered. In a scenario you normally don’t see, the two instantly become acquainted. Further into the series, Hachiouji is the one that brings Gion into the world of rugby, asking Gion and Iwashimuzu to watch a scrimmage. From that moment, Gion is drawn to the action and excitement. When signup commences, we get to see in action, each player’s level of rugby skills, in addition to meeting the team captain, Sekizan Takuya. Overall, we observe these independent and unique personalities come together for rugby to ultimately become the best team in the league. Even though All Out!! touches base on a story outline similar to most sports anime shows, the major selling point is that it shares what Rugby is all about. For those unfamiliar with the sport, All Out!! clues us in on basic terminology and rules and the pure intensity. For those who know a little sumthin sumthin about it, they are able to easily tackle the hype and enthusiasm around the game. Additionally, this anime provides us with great characters, a lot of action scenes, and humorous moments.

“Booty, Booty, Booty, Booty rockin’ everywhere!” Keijo!!!!!!!! is an anime about a fictional competitive sport that pits well-endowed ladies against one another in wrestling-like fashion upon a platform floating on water. The only methods of attack that these ladies can use are … their boobs and butt! The sport of keijo is so serious that there is an institution dedicated to training prospective keijo participants. Sweeping across the country, many young ladies train and participate as keijo players to become the next national champion and win the first place prize! Probably the silliest and only fictional sport on this list, Keijo!!!!!!!! is definitely a hilarious and one-of-a-kind anime. It may not make any sense to try and rationalize how a sport like keijo can draw anyone’s interest besides all the fanservice. Nevertheless, we can appreciate the creative design of the story and essentially the development of this unique sport. Content writers really put a lot of detail into the mechanics of keijo, including special training techniques and “scientific” data, overall highlighting the fighting spirit. Moreover, this anime is reminiscent of many reality competition shows to date, as opponents try to knock each other down in order to win lavish grand prizes.

Yowamushi Pedal is a story about Sakamichi Onoda, a happy, optimistic guy who is eager to join his school’s anime club. Unfortunately, due to little membership, the anime club has been disbanded. Determined to get it going again, Sakamichi starts the process of revival and recruitment. Again, with little luck, Sakamichi decides one day to make his regular trip to Akihabara, a 90-kilometer ride round trip, when suddenly Shunsuke Imaizumi, an avid cyclist, meets him along the way. As the school is recognized as prime location for cycling training, Shunsuke is in awe with the way Sakamichi is able to trek such distances with his “mom bike”. From this moment, Shunsuke challenges him, proposing that he will join the club if Sakamichi wins, but does he? Many may question where the excitement lies when it comes to cycling, but rest assured, the exhilaration does occur gradually when we watch Sakamichi progress in the sport. Throughout each training session with various cyclists, there is always someone on the sidelines to explain certain techniques and how they are effective or detrimental to riding. Combining practice with skill, Yowamushi Pedal focuses on the story of an underdog becoming the top dog.

Yuri Katsuki is one of Japan’s most promising figure skaters. However, his perception changes when his skating routine places him in the lower rankings at the Grand Prix Finale. Absorbed in defeat, Yuri reassesses his skating career. When he reconfirms that skating is what he wants to do, Yuri is determined to get back on the ice in tip-top shape. Coming back onto the scene, Yuri finds that he’s going to have to bring his A-game, seeing that all his competitors are in it to win it. Following this anime, we watch the intense drama unfold, as the guys are ruthless, going to great lengths to be recognized as the best. “You’re as cold as ice!” Yuri!!! on Ice is an anime taking on the scene by storm, as the sport of figure skating is one of the most popular events to watch during the Winter Olympics. During this time, stakes are high and competition heats up as a number of countries gather and participate in such beautiful and heartfelt routines. Moreover, upon it’s airing, we couldn’t help but find ourselves inspired, visiting our local ice skating rinks, in an effort to gracefully glide like Yuri!

“Can I be like you? ‘Cause I wanna be. A hero appears!” Ping Pong The Animation follows two friends, Yutaka “Peco” Hoshino and Makoto “Smile” Tsukimoto, two extremely talented and gifted Ping-Pong players. We watch the story unfold as Peco and Smile compete as members of the Katase High table tennis club, all the while juggling the struggles of growing up. An interesting anime utilizing an unorthodox form of animation, this series is one that sparks fascination from the start! As mentioned prior, Ping Pong The Animation has a distinguishable art style, unconventional to what we normally see, but one that is fitting for the overall theme of the series. Rough lines and edges paired with subdued colors, the creators really wanted viewers to focus on Ping-Pong as an art, along with the assorted players, the unique forms, and the overall intensity in each match. Ping Pong The Animation also contains really great character development, as they are all very engaging and distinctive. In its entirety, this anime is truly one of a kind, giving us exposure to a sport that normally isn’t spotlighted on the sports scene.

Haikyuu!! is a comedy, sports drama that motivates anyone who doesn’t succeed the first time, to try and try again. Hinata Shoyo is inspired by a volleyball legend to revive his middle school’s volleyball club. Hinata and his teammates involve themselves in such intense training that they eventually reach tournament levels. Unfortunately, in their first match, they lose against the famed “king of the court,” Tobio Kageyama. Nonetheless, Hinata’s tenacity remains, swearing to beat Tobio at all costs. As time goes by, going into high school and joining the school’s team, he finds that Tobio is on the team as well. Once viewing Tobio as his competition, the two rivals discover qualities in themselves that the other lacks. Depending on one another, Hinata and Tobio must learn to put the past behind in order to bring the team to the top. “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” Haikyuu!! captures the spirit of perseverance and unity, letting everyone know that it’s never too late to pick up something, and with the help of friends, become good at it. Haikyuu!! also exposes an intense realism in volleyball. Additionally, the animation is fantastic, very gritty, offering viewers various play-by-play angles of the team practicing and competing. With an incredibly huge fan base, this title is definitely one that will not disappoint!

Starting the countdown on number 10 of this list is Major. The plot centers around Honda Gorou and his dream of becoming a famous Major League batter just like his father. Unfortunately, his father’s baseball career came to an end when he suffered severe injuries, forcing him to retire from the baseball scene. It was a bitter pill that Gorou had to swallow, seeing his father as well as his idol unable to continue playing baseball anymore but this unfortunate event became a tipping point as to Gorou’s motivation to pursue a baseball career himself. Major is a very amazing anime baseball series and a very memorable anime for a lot of people in the anime world. With 6 seasons in total, the characters development in the series is brilliant. As each season brings Honda Gorou one step closer of establishing a name for himself, a lot of viewers were able to relate to his journey in reaching his goal. This is why the series deserves to be on this list of Top 10 Sports Anime.

When a tennis prodigy, Echizen Ryouma joined the Seishin Gakuen Junior High School, he was able to prove his skills and becomes a regular in the tennis team. This opened up a whole new world for Ryouma, as he learns to face many new different formidable opponents, eventually making him face the struggles and hardships of losing. But ultimately benefits him too, as he picks up a trick or two from those match-ups. Next on the countdown is Tennis no Ouji-sama, or better known as the Prince of Tennis. This series is hands down, the best-known tennis anime of all times, earning this series the number 9 spot on this list. With great depiction of the sport and unique mindset of a tennis player from an anime perspective, this series won’t disappoint you!

After successfully passing the entrance exam and getting accepted at the Deimon High School, Sena Kobayakawa thought that he could finally use a fresh start, and finally leaving his past days of being bullied into being a lackey all behind. Unfortunately, his peaceful days were short-lived as he was yet again bullied into being the errand boy by Kazuki Jumonji, Koji Kuroki, and Shozo Togano, a trio who is soon known as the Ha-Ha Brothers. Jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, after successfully escaping the trio in a chase, he was then kidnapped by Yoichi Hiruma, the Quarterback of Deimon Devil Bats, to play as the Running Back after noticing how fast Sena could run. From then on, Sena became deeply involved with Deimon’s Football Club, eventually falling in love with the sport itself. Just like what was written in the opening paragraph of this list, anime has an amazing way to inspire and influence people on a peculiar level. And this anime is a good example for it. Despite the fact that American Football is a sport that is rarely known in other countries aside from its original country, the existence of this anime truly open the eyes of many that remained oblivious before. Thanks to its clever and creative depiction of American Football, people become interested in the sport itself in real life as well as the anime, making this series number 8 on the list.

Yowamushi Pedal is an anime that centers on Onoda Sakamichi, an otaku fanboy obsessed with anime who ends up being a competitive cyclist. It all manifested from when Onoda was motivated to cycle round trips to Akihabara, the land of otaku to get extra anime merchandise having to be able to save money from train tickets. Thanks to his love for anime, Onoda eventually got involved with Sohoku High Bicycle Club, his school’s bicycle club and joined them later. This anime has an uncanny resemblance of what would happen in real life, most of it anyway. It features a clever way of making the protagonist develop his skills and talent of cycling through his love for anime and his cheapskate nature which made the characters development in the series so exciting and help this anime secure its spot on number 7 of the list.

‘Free!’ is an anime about a group of friends who happen to be in a swimming club together. The plot mainly centers on Nanase Haruka, a child prodigy in swimming and his swimming buddies from elementary school; Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, and Rin Matsuoka who separated after participating in a swimming relay race tournament. As fate brought them back together, Nanase Haruka, together with both Makoto Tachibana and Nagisa Hazuki was reunited in the same high school. Rin Matsuoka, on the other hand, moved to Australia after the tournament and eventually moved back to Japan and entered a different high school. From then on, Rin developed a rivalry with Haruka, as both determined to compete with one another in an epic swim-off. Overall, this anime is a great one, due to the fact that it only focuses on the character’s development, it also features their friendship and brotherhood amongst Haruka, Rin, Makoto and Nagisa, which is a beautiful thing. Why is this anime in the number 6 of the list? Because it’s Free!

Inspired after watching a volleyball match by a team called “Little Giants”, Shouyou Hinata was determined to compete in volleyball by reviving the volleyball club in his middle school. Unfortunately, when it was his first time to compete, they had to play against a formidable opponent Tobio Kageyama, who was known as the ‘King of Court’. Despite Shouyou’s team that consists of bad players, it didn’t faze him. Upon losing his first match, Shouyou worked hard and when he joined a volleyball club in high school, he was reunited with his old rival, Tobio Kageyama. Here’s a sports anime that features volleyball, a sport that is quite uncommon for males. The series did an amazing job showcasing what the protagonist had to go through in order to achieve his goals, and that brought the viewers a ticket to ride in the feels train. Not only does it make you emotional but the series also packs a comedy slice that will interest you even further about this anime, sealing the deal on the number 5 on the list.

Being a dedicated baseball player, Sawamura Eijun was lucky enough to be approached one day and received an invitation to attend one of the most elite schools that has a prominent baseball club. However, seeing as how he had to move and leave his teammates behind, Eijun isn’t that thrilled to accept it. After hearing this news, his teammates gathered and deeply encourages Eijun to accept the offer and go win the Nationals in their stead, seeing as their baseball abilities will only hold him back. Sawamura Eijun took the offer and met Miyuki Kazuya after joining his new baseball club. From there on, both Kazuya and Eijun helped one another to achieve a common goal, and that is to conquer the Nationals. Number 4 on the list is none other than ‘Diamond no Ace’. The portrayal of the loyalty and friendship of Eijun’s friends and teammates can be emotional. In the total of 75 episodes long, this anime had successfully highlighted the ups and downs of Eijun’s journey, receiving popularity amongst the anime fans and making the series secure the number 4 spot on the list.

“The Teiko Middle School basketball club. An incredibly strong team with over one hundred members and three consecutive championship wins. Even with that brilliant history, a group of five prodigies known as the “Generation of Miracles stood above the rest. However, there was a strange rumor concerning the Generation of Miracles. Despite being relatively unknown and lacking a game record, there was one more member recognized by the five prodigies. A phantom sixth man.” Kuroko no Basket is an awesome anime that features a below average player named Kuroko Tetsuya, and his clever way of approaching basketball. As we all know the common stereotype of being a good basketball player are determined by their heights, agility, stamina, and shooting skills. Kuroko Tetsuya is a perfect example of being none of the above. Thanks to Seijuro Akashi’s mentoring, Kuroko discovered a whole new way to play basketball. Using a ‘misdirection’ technique, similar to the sleight of hand technique commonly used by magicians, Kuroko was able to utilize his low presence in the court to intercept opponent passes, and redirect passes to the team. He then became the phantom 6th man of the “Generation of Miracles”, a shadow if you will. Join Kuroko’s journey in basketball as he joins Seirin High School and competes with his former fellow teammates.

Imagine yourself constantly being treated like the loser, getting bullied every day, that’s what happened to Ippo Makunouchi. After a fortunate twist for Ippo as he was saved by Takamura Mamoru, a boxer, when he was in the midst of being bullied, Takamura then took him to Kamogawa boxing gym and introduced a whole new world of boxing to Ippo. He then realized that it was somewhat of his calling to dwell in boxing. Thus begins the journey of Ippo rising up to the challenges he may face in the boxing ring and conquering them one fight at a time. Next on number 2 of the list, this anime is an honorable mention and must-see anime for anime fans out there. Aside from the beat-down loser status of the protagonist, the series did a magnificent job turning him into a true contender through painstaking training and motivational drive. Believe this, when you watch this series, you will feel just as motivated as Ippo when it comes to fights and journey.

Who could ever forget Hanamichi Sakuragi’s infamous signature red hair? Or the jiggling fat on the chin and belly of Coach Mitsuyoshi Anzai? These are few of the many things that made Slam Dunk such a fun anime to watch. Hanamichi Sakuragi, the series’ protagonist, is an arrogant, self-centered delinquent, who through basketball, discovered his true calling in playing the sport itself. Old but gold, is the best way to describe this anime. Having been the oldest anime that made it on this list and earning the number 1 spot nonetheless, this is a testament as to how powerful of an impact Slam Dunk has brought on sports-genre anime. Despite the lack of quality state-of-the-art animation like anime nowadays, the story and concept of this particular basketball-themed anime were enough to make this series a legendary one.

If you know your Transformers mythology, the Planet Cybertron is home to the titular robot race. Not only do the Transformers come from a galaxy far, far away, but from a long time ago. In the G1 series, the Autobots and Decepticons crash into Earth during the age of the dinosaurs, and lay in suspended animation until the modern day. On Cybertron, the Transformers could transform into alien-like vehicles. For example, the Seekers (such as Starscream, Thundercracker and Sky Warp), could turn into UFO-like planes, but when they’re on Earth, they transform into F-15 fighter jets so they can blend in. The fact that the Seekers transform into UFO-like planes on Cybertron is consistent. As for other characters, most notably the Autobots, they transform into regular Earth vehicles. Optimus Prime turns into a semi-truck like he does on Earth. Considering that the Transformers have yet to reach modern Earth, how can Prime turn into a modern day semi-truck? It makes about as much sense as Chewbacca the Wookie living on Endor! In addition, Megatron can turn into an M-1 tank! How is that even possible?! Yes, the argument might as well be “it’s just an anime” or “it’s just to sell toys,” but fans deserve a story that makes sense!

Another contradiction that this prequel series has with the G1 series are the origins of Jetfire. Like in the original G1 series, he and Starscream had a prior relationship and he is a Decepticon-turned-Autobot. However, they’re portrayed in different ways. In War for Cybertron, Jetfire is introduced as the leader of the Seekers, and has an uneasy relationship with Starscream, and joins the Autobots after disagreeing with Megatron over exterminating the Autobots. In G1, he and Starscream were best friends as scientists that once visited Earth and Jetfire (then called Skyfire since the name had to be changed for legal reasons), and Jetfire was stranded and frozen. He initially joins the Decepticons out of his friendship with Starscream, but joins the Autobots when he realizes their ways are wrong.

First introduced in the 1986 movie (then voiced by Robert Stack, famous as the host of Unsolved Mysteries), Ultra Magnus plays an important role in War for Cybertron. In the middle of the 1986 movie, he is blown to pieces by Galvatron, but is immediately repaired by the Junkticons. In War for Cybertron, it is consistent that Prime and Magnus are old friends but have an uneasy relationship. Prime wants to keep fighting but Magnus wants to make peace. War for Cybertron adds new information that he and Megatron were once friends, which was NEVER alluded to in any of the G1 installments! Half-way into the series, Megatron kills Ultra Magnus. So, does Ultra Magnus eventually get repaired in a future installment of War for Cybertron again like in the movie? If so, he’s probably the Tupac of Transformers!

For those that aren’t familiar with Transformers from a Japanese perspective, some of the characters’ names are different. While Starscream, Bumblee, and Megatron retain their names in the Japanese version, others have different names. For starters, Optimus Prime is named Convoy, the Autobots are named the Cybertrons, the planet Cybertron is named Seibertron, and the Decepticons are called the Destrons. What’s strange is that when you watch War for Cybertron in Japanese, it keeps the American names. For example, Optimus Prime is STILL Optimus Prime in Japanese, and not Convoy. Was this the decision of Hasbro? Takara? Whoever did it, why make these changes?

Another notable change is the origin of Bumblebee. Since this part of War for Cybertron ends when they leave for Cybertron, it gives Bumblebee a new backstory. In the G1 series, Bumblebee is already an established member of the Autobots. In War for Cybertron, he’s just a regular Cybertronian citizen scouring the planet for energon, and is hired by Wheeljack to help him find some. Upon the death of Ultra Magnus, he inherits the code of the Alpha Trion proticles, thus making him a key member of the Autobots, and this characteristic is fresh. We suppose this is a tie-in trick to emphasize that Bumblebee is fresh from having his own movie.

Lastly, how the Transformers leave the planet Cybertron in comparison to the G1 series contains several differences. While the Ark, the Autobots’ ship, does play a major role in going to space, it plays a different role. Like in G1, space bridges also play a role in getting the Transformers (most notably the Decepticons) between Earth and Cybertron. While the Ark just simply goes into orbit in G1 to escape Cybertron, the Ark in War for Cybertron travels through a space bridge at the end of the first installment of War for Cybertron to take the Transformers to Earth.

Before his very last breathe, Teru Kurebayashi’s brother gave her a cell phone. A cell phone that contains the contact “Daisy” and tells her to contact them whenever Teru wants to talk with someone. Teru thinks of Daisy as her supporter. However, to pay off a debt, Teru has to work for a rude and inconsiderate school janitor Tasuku Kurosaki, who is also attractive by the way. What will she do now that she is living in two different worlds? This isn’t your typical shoujo manga where a popular guy defends an unpopular girl. You would be sadly mistaken. This manga is one of the hidden gems, and we can’t believe we missed this. The pacing of the story felt just right for the readers to enjoy the story progression and appreciates the character development behind it. The mystery lies in Daisy. Who is it? Who has been helping Teru all this time? If you want to seek the truth of this matter, go ahead and read it.

Tarou Kurume is a kind of boy who doesn’t have a single love interest and avoids unnecessary conversations throughout his life. In short, he is a first-rate Energy-Saving Man. But everything changes when he was accidentally killed during a baseball session at school. Thinking that he was about to die, he made a wish to god to let him fall in love. That one wish gave him the ability to see the first love of every boy he sees. Okay, okay. We know what you’re thinking, why Ecchi? We’re talking about the story here. Right? Right?! If you ignore the Ecchi element a bit, the story, character development, romance, and comedy are interesting. The manga is unusual in the way that you get to understand different characters with different mindsets and thought process that leads to their romantic interest and decisions. But there was another problem Tarou has to face: his newfound ability. This manga shows what kind of romantic and non-romantic feelings people have in reality, which is a good selling point to understand people you have met in real life and the consequences of specific actions. Think of it this way, you’re playing a Love Simulation, but you have images around you to gather information and take decisive action. If you like Ecchi rom-com where the main character is, for plot purpose, in a complicated situation. Give this one a go.

On her 16th birthday, Himari Momochi receives a letter stating that she has inherited a mansion called the “Momochi House.” She was initially raised in an orphanage, so she thinks this mansion is the only thing that carries the memories of her family and decides to live there. She also ignores the fact that the estate is haunted. There, she meets Aoi Nanamori and his companions, Ise and Yukari. Momochi wanted them to leave the mansion, but she soon learns that the house sits in the space between the world of the living and the spirit realm. Thus, Aoi is now stuck in this mansion as a role of a Guardian that was originally meant for Momochi and Momochi starts to find a way to break Aoi’s curse and free him while living in the haunted mansion. If you have read Fruits Basket, this manga is pretty similar but different at the same time. Himari has gotten herself a haunted house, but that besides the point. She is living with hottie, hottie hot hottie boys so she could build a harem for herself! Okay, back to the topic, the story focuses on ayakashi, the character designs are fantastic, a lot of amazing mature and character development. The emotions that they carried during those situations pulled us to a side of wanting to support them to reach their goal. She can be stubborn sometimes, but her sense of adventure is off the chart! Reading the scenes where the characters exploring the mansion can be very confusing, so get you’re A-game ready to venture around the estate… if you dare.

Riku has experienced a lot of pain and tragedy in his early life. After his father’s death, he was taught how to defend himself from a former-boxer yakuza man. That training has taken his mom’s drug dealer. Criminals continued to hunt for his head. People who helped him ended up suffering, driving Riku to meet the same boxer again… to become stronger and become a professional boxer. Get ready for some dark story behind this manga. Well, not really. It will soon be back to normal as we progress. The manga depicts the backstory and hardships the boxing champion has gone through, thinking of the consequences that each fight has on both the physical and mental state of a boxer. The art style is somehow a mix between a Western-style and Japanese-style manga, focusing on the contrast to make the artwork look more realistic and deepened the characters’ emotions. Is it violent? Yes. But it has a hint of drama and scenes that makes us think otherwise.

The story revolves around Saike, a male middle student without dreams and motivation. His female childhood friend, Mikan, always come to see him every day. One day, Saike witnessed a tragic accident befell on Mikan. From there, he gains psychic powers that surpass human knowledge. Phew. Finally, able to save that girl after what? 15 deaths? You read that right. We have gone through 15 different routes to save your sorry butts! Do you even know how difficult it is to think of a solution for your case?! Anyway, Saike can start over to the past of the same day at 7:00AM sharp. From the first chapter, you probably wonder whether Saike and Mikan will be together. As of now, let’s focus on the story, this manga is similar to Birdmen, but it gives you the idea of how tedious it is to go through and execute specific routes to save people. Basically, this series is like Re: Zero except for the fact that the main character is not a whim like Subaru. You get to see all kinds of powers and how the power users utilize them can be creative or normal, so you will be the judge. The story isn’t only focused on the main characters, but also the opposing characters as well. It goes to show that the story is a one-sided perspective and allows the readers to read and understand the reasons behind everyone’s actions. Now then, what is your next move?

Ikurumi Akuto is the son of a well-known politician. He excels in every subject in his class and sports. However, he is extremely arrogant and thinks highly of himself and standing above the masses. Oh, we forgot to mention that he has a feminine voice that is the main reason for being targeted for ridicule by his schoolmates. That is where Harusaka Nari enters his life. Nari successfully forces Akuto to help her Anime Research Society’s project for the upcoming Cultural Festival… as the female lead. Let’s start with the main characters. A boy who can voice female characters and a girl who voices male characters in the anime of their creation. The manga depicts of how voice actors train and learn how to roleplay certain characters. That interaction between two totally opposite personalities created a comedic element to the story. It also shows how pride and stubbornness can lead to results in the right way. As for the voice acting scenes, prepare to get yourself immerse into the characters’ world, they voice along with the emotions they carried. The art is a bit old school, but you wouldn’t want to miss the good stuff, right? If you’re interested in voice acting in a school setting. Give this one a try.

Eishi Karasuma is a loner with a boring life. Along with his only friend, Mikisada Kamoda, they decided to skip class and ends up meeting Rei Sagisawa, a very energetic girl, and Rei Sagisawa, a pretty boy that attends the same middle school. On the way back to school, they encounter a sudden change of an event. From there, a mysterious boy with wings arrives to help. Caw Cawww! We are Birdmen and here to save you! Ahem. Has anyone got a Power Rangers vibe here? Anyway, You probably got a slight idea on the premise of this manga. This is about to start off as a vigilante when you receive blood from a Birdman to live for another day. We’re talking about learning how to use your newfound power and superhuman abilities along with the responsibility to protect the world! For a small group of friends who are chosen by Birdman, their personalities are unique, and the diversity brings interesting chemistry of character development and the liveliness within the party. It is also beautiful to see how they work together as a team to overcome situations that couldn’t be done alone. The artwork was amazing, and the sceneries are breathtaking. Even in non-actions scenes, you could feel the hype building up within yourself for the upcoming battles. Now, what will our heroes do? Immerse yourself in this manga and find out!

Rito Yuuki is a high school student who cannot confess to the girl of his dreams, Haruna Sairenji. One day, after coming from school and sulking in a bathtub, a mysterious, nude girl appears out of nowhere. Her name is Lala, and she comes from the planet Deviluke… Heyyy… if you are an ecchi fan. This manga may be for you. The story started off regularly but then got lost in track in all the randomness in a proper way. There are so many cute and unique girls with beautiful artwork. The romance and comedy are on point, and it would be best to keep in mind that we shouldn’t take the story seriously, so don’t expect anything profound or plot twists.

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A popular idol group called AKB49 has spread far and wide, both nationally and globally. It wasn’t abnormal for Hiroko Yoshinaga to be interested in being a member of AKB49. Having failed at most of the attempts due to stage fright, Yoshinaga decides to try one last time before giving up for good. Even though Minoru Urayama isn’t interested in idols, he decides to help Yoshinaga realize her dream to be an idol, so he participates in the audition with her, disguising as a girl. Unexpectedly, along with Yoshinaga, he got recruited into AKB48. So to get an idea of what you’re going to experience in this manga is getting to know how the idol industries operate and the culture they created along with idol fans. One of the cultures that you might be aware of and familiar with idol series is the fact that idols can’t have boyfriends or girlfriends. It may not apply to some people, but to us and in reality, everyone deserves to love, in the proper way, so do your purpose to give them support. You will be introduced to the training, dedication, and determinations they showed in their development to become the best idols they can be. The beautiful and yet harsh forbidden love that was placed on them with the status of idols and the teamwork they display even though there is some friction going on between them. The romance aspect of this manga focused between Minoru Urayama and Hiroko Yoshinaga. Minoru has a crush on Hiroko from the beginning and has been close to her ever since he joined the idol group. You have to give credit to both of them. They maintained professionalism during their work. It is difficult to imagine how painful it is for Minoru to hold onto the feelings he had toward Yoshinaga all this time. The strong point of this manga is the story, the artwork is semi-okay as the side characters look a bit similar.

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Yato is a god without any worshippers. He takes on odd jobs for only five yen, with a goal to gather enough money to buy himself a shrine. The problem is that his “Shinki,” a weapon partner, decides to resign from a homeless god. During one of his odd jobs, he involved a girl, Hiyori Iki, in an accident, causing her to end up in a hospital. When she regained consciousness, she found out that her soul is outside of her body. Realizing that his actions caused this, he promises to help Hiyori but in return, help him get a new Shinki. The story and characters seem normal from the beginning, but as you dwell into it. You will begin to sense something is hidden in the story, and that makes us curious all the more reason. The artwork is somewhere between traditional and modern, and that brings forth the right contrast in their scenes. The combats are filled with adrenaline and the carefree interactions between the characters. These elements are meant to steer you away from the truth and create more mystery to all kinds of characters. We can’t help but feel there is a perfect balance in the genres the manga has to offer.

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