Baby Steps - Recommendations

NeverThatBored says...

Both anime have a similar feel. They're about entirely different sports, but they're both about rookies who get started in a new sport in high school and have a lot of potential. 

jokerr says...

Shares underlying theme of underdog developing through hard work, analytical approach and strong personality

itacha4ever says...

Both see through the MC his journey in the ups and downs and how the MC's become stronger Both MC's are trying to be the best at what they love to doBoth series involve friends that help the MC get betterBoth series about sports

Annalyn says...

Baby Steps is the first tennis anime I've seen outside of the Prince of Tennis franchise, so that's the most obvious reason for this recommendation. But there's more. If you loved Inui's analytic tennis in PoT, you will love Ei-chan in Baby Steps. Unlike Inui, he is the main character, and we get to watch his tennis develop from the beginning. 

Fans of Baby Steps need to know about Prince of Tennis, and I recommend checking it out if you get a chance. Each character has a unique approach to tennis. The main character in PoT has some very different personality traits than Ei-chan, but that's part of what makes both these anime so fun to watch!

sm3xyang3l says...

Both animes are about tennis, and while Prince of Tennis has Echizen Ryoma, Baby Steps has Eiichiro Maruo. Though the two start off their tennis careers at different levels and in different ways, they both strive to improve and win. The tennis played in PoT is headed more at like superpower shots, while the tennis played in Baby Steps is a lot more realistic. However, if you like one, you're sure to like the other!

NarkyOtic says...

Well, considering they're both very much about tennis, it's pretty obvious. They take a slightly different route, however, with the protagonist prodigies coming from almost opposite beginnings. It's a fresh take for both ways and would surely sate any tennis or sports anime enthusiast.

VivisQueen says...

Cross Game has a very similar feel to Baby Steps. Unlike the high-octane sports anime (Hajime no Ippo, Major), both Baby Steps and Cross Game take a gentle drama approach. The main characters are sensible and approachable for the most part rather than brazen and extreme. The humour is more ironic and homely. However, Cross Game is a more accomplished work overall, with greater nuance in the dialogue and character interactions. If you enjoy Baby Steps you really will like Cross Game.

nucl3arGzus says...

Cross Game is the quintessential sports anime. Characters are all deep and interesting, and they all show growth and change. Romance is one of the best I've ever seen, surprisingly mature. The drama is well balanced. And the animation is gorgeous.

Baby Steps is cool, but it doesn't hold a candle to Cross Game. If you enjoyed Baby Steps, there's a high chance you'll love Cross Game.

Annalyn says...

This recommendation didn't hit me until I reached the 18th episode of Baby Steps, so avoiding spoilers is difficult. But both Ei-chan and Hikaru are complete amateurs at the beinning of their anime. At first, neither character intends to take his activity very seriously. Ei-chan picks up tennis because he needs excercise. Hikaru has a Go-loving ghost begging him to play. But, slowly, they come into their own. They participate in tournaments and develop strategies and playing styles unique to them, absorbing understanding from their teachers and friends.They develop a passion for the game.

As a viewer, your mind can be engaged on multiple levels in both anime. In Baby Steps, Ei-chan is a strategist, and you get an inside view on how he analyzes and approaches games--and you learn a bit of tennis in the process. In Hikaru no Go, Hikaru plays Go, a strategy game. As you learn about the game and the characters, you can follow more of what goes on.

I watched all 75 eps of Hikaru no Go twice, and I'm closely following Baby Steps as it airs. Obviously, I find both of these anime very enjoyable, so if you like one for any of the above reasons, you should try the other out.

whimsical says...

Baby steps and Hikaru no Go are about young boys who are introduced to a new sport/game and fall in love with it. They are slightly different in the way they both react, but they both put in a lot of hardwork and are both great anime to watch. 

MagicFoxofGreed says...

Both are amazing sport anime, and give a professional seriousness yet are fun to watch, I find it interesting to see how they chnage and adapt to their enviroment and both have a fun jolly yet serious tone. 

BiteyCabbit says...

Both pull you into enjoying a sport through the use of very dedicated amatuer players, their evolution as players, and their relationships with the characters around them in a school setting.

The differences here are that Haikyuu!! is about a team sport, and Baby Steps is not. The main character of Baby Steps is also extremely academic, whereas Haikyuu!!'s main character is shown to be failing. Both examine the personalities, psychology, and abilities of the individual players, but Baby Steps does it to a higher degree considering the match ups are one vs one.

mollymoo says...

Baby Steps and Welcome to the Ballroom are very similar in the aspect that the main character begins a sport because of a girl who has a passion for the sport. both characters have a strange obsession once they begin and the sport rapidly takes over their lives. 

They are both stories of a rookie working hard to achieve their dream of going pro. Both rookies happen to have secret talent at the sport allowing them to improve at a dramatic, unhuman speed.  They are basically the same anime, but with a different sport.

liberanime says...

Both animes are about the personal development and success of the main character in his new passion. I really like the resemblance to the reality where hard work and goals are a must for success in your job/passion/creation etc. 

Also, both MC are getting into tennis/dancing by mistake, or randomly. And, both MCs are doing well only after experimenting failure and not giving up on training untill they succeeed. 

redlightning40 says...

Both gives me the same feeling...   Don't ask why it just does.....  That may change after a few more episodes

Annalyn says...

After just a few episodes of Bakuman, I knew I'd make this recommendation, although I waited until I finished the series. Both of these feature young teens who start as complete rookies in their field and, through serious dedication, work their way toward becoming professionals. They work alone or in small teams, without the added motivation of a school club—in fact, their new goals can isolate them from normal school activities. There's competition involved in both, too. So if one of these series inspired and intrigued you, the other is probably worth a try. 

Tamezo says...

Extreme sportsman character development: zero guy finds talent and spring in sport.

Although the protagonist does not have such analytics as Ei-chan, anime compensates with team roles and team spirit of American football and explains the game almost as well in case you wanna get some enthusiasm for it :)

BiteyCabbit says...

Both pull you into enjoying a sport through the use of very dedicated amatuer players, their evolution as players, and their relationships with the characters around them in a school setting.