This is one of the greatest (sports)anime out there. Since the plot of the anime can be simply put as 'basketball', there clearly went a lot of work to writing some relationship depth in those characters. You will learn the definition of badass intimidation. Read my review for more adoration for this godlike anime.

You will feel the ball. You will become the ball.

Definitely worth watching all 3 seasons (MULTIPLE TIMES). 

Cycling. Yeah.. I know, right? Doesn't sound too exciting does it?

This anime will make you love it.

It will make you want to buy a bicycle, even if you haven't moved your ass the past 4 months. Character depth present as well! Lots of it. Also, close interaction between guys from different teams: that's a new one.

Another sports anime that has put a lot of thought and time into creating those characters. Great rivalry too. You won't know what team to root for because you'll get to know everyone and you'll love them as your own. AND, there's this arc where they all train together and teach eachother stuff, because we all love wholesome vibes.

I cried when the opponents lost that one time (yet I didn't even once cry for the main team, sorry Karasuno).

You HATE running? You can't imagine anything WORSE?

Perfect. You'll empathize with about 80% of the main characters.

Also, if you're in need of a fresh take on sports anime: it's set in a college dorm, they're all adults (or trying to be). It's not your usual angsty high school situation.

Beautiful opening song, beautiful Russians. Not your usual sports anime, since there's no teams to root for, just individuals. Flamboyant ice-skating, go!

Also, if you're a yaoi lover: check it out for sure.

If you like watching some sport, but you're also a thirsty ass bitch: this anime is for you. You'll learn a great deal about the way competative swimming works, and you can stare at animated hot (teenage!! but let's be real no teenager actually looks like this) bods at the same time. Combine that with a high dose of angst and flashbacks, and you got 'Free!'.

In sports anime it's not uncommon that someone has to be convinced to join the sports team, or sometimes even slightly forced. But in this case, someone literally PAYS someone to join.

Besides the sport element, there's a very present theme of domestic abuse and personal troubles with the main characters. The sport does not solely become the core element, which makes for a refreshing new kind of sports anime. So if you also tend to enjoy mental health related stuff, definitely go for it.

This anime has a whole new level of underdogs. 

If you love b-e-a-utiful men, and-

... No, that's about it, actually.

That's all. Just beautiful men.

Oh and there's also rugby in there somewhere, I guess.

#thickthighssavelives

In my opinion, a better baseball anime than 'Ace of the Diamond' is. Watching the anxious main character fail, really hits close to home. Hilarious.

This seems promising, sure. But I must say I could never quite relate with the ultimate prodigy ace players. And their Tokyo team is literally completely made up out of ultimate prodigy ace players.

I want to watch someone who sucks.

Or, a nicer balance between ace's and newbie's.

You must know I hate football/soccer with a burning passion. So I already knew I probably wasn't going to like this, despite my immense love for sports anime.

That being said, it does look good. A more traditional sports anime about football/soccer than Blue Lock, so you take your pick depending on whether that's a good or bad thing for you.

A sports anime about football/soccer.

Right? Well, sort of?

Unlike other sports anime, this one has a 'survival game' plot to it, instead of being just about the sport. 

And if you like sadistic, psychotic, over-the-top characters: YES.

It's sumo. Come on. I had to.

Would you believe it's actually... not bad at all??

The ending song should have been the opening because HELL YEAH.

Speaking of traditional Japanese sports, there's this one too.

From the very start it oozes 'Free!' energy. And not even a little bit either. It's dripping wet with angst, flashbacks and unresolved anxiety. So if that's your poison, drink up.

In sports anime there's always that one veteran character that got hurt in the past when practising their sport - usually equipped with a mysterious scar or weakness since then.

This anime, however, took that idea and fucking multiplied it by 10.000: the main character just woke up from a 203-day (!!) COMA and suffers from 3-year (!!) AMNESIA since 'the accident' (unrelated to his sport, but still). Because of this he conveniently remembers exactly nothing about his high school water polo career.

They really went "WHAT IF we make the main character a legend prodigy AND a newbie at the sport?" and I commend their effort, it sure is different.

I was literally sold in the first 5 minutes. 100% YES to relateable adults.

Might be biased because I used to play badminton.

Also I'm growing more and more fond of watching adults instead of teens or kids.

A completely unmotivated team starts to slowly get its spark back because of an overly enthousiastic kohai.

The lack of excitement in the senpai group kind of rubs off on you tho. So it didn't hype me up as much as I thought it would to immediately continue watching this.

Also this felt like cheating on Kuroko.

It's not a sport, but HEAR ME OUT.

This anime has a very high sports anime vibe and the story starts and develops in similar ways (having a passion, trying to get better, competing) - so if you usually enjoy watching sports anime, you can give it a try.

Started off with great potential. The usual trope of the newbie main character - but it's a niche sport so, sure.

Then, The Grand ''let's check out the existing team competing to know what this sport is all about' moment (where they usually fall in love with this 'unknown' sport and decide to sign up)...

And that's when it went to shit. It is... 90%... CGI.

And that doesn't even look a little bit impressive. It just hit different and discouraged me from continuing right away. It just makes me sad, really. The characters do look fun, judged by the opening. But I'm still on the fence whether I want to find out for myself or not.

First of, it just doesn't have that team vibe. Or the magical elegance of solo ice-skating.

And maybe skateboarding just doesn't do it for me? They're just rolling down a hill? I feel like I would have liked this more if it were about snowboarding, because that one icy guy is the best part of this.

Elegant, I suppose. Visually better than 'Welcome to the Ballroom'. And the artstyle looks pretty cute. AND YET, why do they all have to look so damn anorexic tho..?

Points for handling the toxic masculinity topic, I guess.

It's just not really my taste. But I can see how it could be yours.

Animated, the dancing looks a bit awkward to me. Might be the art style that doesn't sit right with me. And besides that, let's please stay away from fanservice as much as possible in sports anime, thank you.

Took me 10 years to try the boxing one at last. The art does look as old and unappealing as I thought it would.

However.

I must say his faces are great. And, somehow I had watched 2 episodes with as much ease as I have watched 10 minutes from another sports anime. So it must be doing something right. And besides that I always love the ''natural prodigy who doesn't realize he's a prodigy yet'' trope.

Yes to the 80's sound in the soundtrack, to the 4th-wall breaks, to the overly dramatic background friends, to the same-team rivalry, and to the decisions based on trying to impress a crush.

And gotta love how he's absolutely triggered by the word 'basket' at the start.

But... I feel like I tried this too late to still enjoy it. It didn't age the best.

Aaaaaaaaaaand I am loyal to Kuroko forever.

DEJA VU I JUST BEEN IN THIS PLACE BEFORE

Except that song has basically nothing to do with the majority of this anime.

Takumi has no idea why people are excited about cars. And neither do I.

I feel like I could really enjoy the later seasons, when he's older. But the very start is a long, kind of dull way to get into it. So I guess that's why I didn't. I'm afraid I didn't find a single plotpoint interesting enough to want to see what happens next.

Points for being about the strangest sport on this list, which I had never heard of before.

And I'm good actually, thanks.

kabaddikabaddikabaddikabaddikabaddikabaddikabaddika- *dies*

It's the ''main character gets scouted but they weren't planning on playing any sports'' trope. It's not bad but the character designs are a bit too cartooney? The blond teammate comes straight out of Dragon Ball.