Updated January 15, 2023 by Ernie
Sports anime have become authentically popular in recent years. We have seen some genuinely bewildering shows including Ao Ashi, SK Infinity, and ofc Haikyuu!! I mean, it isn’t possible to exclude Haikyuu when we are talking about sports anime, is it? However, we are not gonna talk about Volleyball on this list. We’ll be discussing BASKETBALL! The first anime that strikes my mind when I hear basketball is Slam Dunk. Besides it, there are some other exquisite shows as well you might be missing out on. So, we’ll check them out one by one.
Table of Contents
Without any further Ado, let’s start the list.
Here are some more recomms for you….51+ BEST Sports Anime to Watch (Recommendations)
BEST BASKETBALL ANIME TO WATCH!
13-Honey X Honey Drops
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Honey X Honey Drops |
Genre |
Romance, Shoujo |
Type |
OVA |
Studio |
Radix |
Premiered |
2006 |
Episode Count |
2 |
Duration |
27 min |
Honey X Honey is unlike your typical basketball anime. This show is an excellent blend of both the Shounen and Shoujo genres. The plot of this show revolves around the infamous Hojou Academy. This academy is pretty unique in the sense that it has established a system of master-honey among its students.
The honeys serve their masters and in return, their fee is exempted. Interesting, right? The MC of this show is named Kai Renge. Kai is the Ace of Houjo Academy’s basketball team. And of course he is a master. His honey is Hagino Yuzuru.
Now, this is where the fun begins. The basketball matches in this anime have a unique rule. The loser has to give up on his honey. Despite being the Ace, Kai still has to face some challenges. This show has just two episodes. The animation is not that great as it aired back in 2006.
12-I’ll/CKBC
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
I’ll/CKBC |
Genre |
School, Sports |
Type |
OVA |
Studio |
M.S.C |
Premiered |
2002 |
Episode Count |
2 |
Duration |
30 min |
I’ll/CKBC is another underrated gem that has managed to make it into this list. This anime is also pretty short with two episodes. It aired back in 2003.
It features the story of two basketball players, Akane Tachibana and Hitonari Hiiragi. Both of them are polar opposites. Akane is a genuinely hard-working player. On the other hand, Hitonari is a shining star with natural talent.
Still, both of them are on the same team. This show highlights the importance of teamwork and trust. You cannot win a game with just one player. Winning matches requires a tremendous amount of hard-work and team coordination.
Well! As I’ve already told you, this anime is pretty short. You’ll be bombarded with some crazy amount of information. So, be prepared for that.
11-Dash Kappei
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Dash! Kappei |
Genre |
Shounen, Comedy, School |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
Tatsunoko Production |
Premiered |
1981 |
Episode Count |
65 |
Duration |
23 min |
Dash Kappei is the next show to feature on this list. If you’re a fan of old-school anime, then this one’s for you. Dash Kappei aired wayyyy back in 1981. It is one of the oldest sports anime out there.
Kappei Sakamoto is the MC of this marvelous show. As this show concerns basketball, Kappei must be a very tall basketball player, right? Lol! The jokes on you cuz he is just 1 meter tall. Yess! You read that right, just 1 freaking METER!!!
Despite all this, he is the ace of his team and is known to possess God-like skills. Now, this is where things get interesting. The primary reason he got into basketball is because he wanted to see the panties of his coach, lol!
You might be thinking that this is just a gag show. However, this anime can get really serious at times as well. The way it portrays the basics of basketball is remarkable. You won’t get bored watching this show.
10-Barangay 143
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Barangay 143 |
Genre |
Sports, Shounen |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
ASI Animation |
Premiered |
2018 |
Episode Count |
26 |
Duration |
21 |
Barangay 143 is a collab anime between TV Asahi and a Filipino animation studio. You won’t see many shows like this.
The plot of this anime revolves around a Korean basketball player Bren Park. Even though Bren plays for Korea, his family origin is from the Philippines. The anime follows as Bren joins a local street basketball team to hone his skills.
Besides basketball, we learn a lot about Filipino culture and food. This show basically portrays how basketball is played in the Philippines. As it was animated by a Filipino studio, the animation is a bit weird and the dubbing as well. If you ignore these things, this show is a must-watch.
09-Onagawa Junior High’s Girl Basketball Team
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Onagawa Chuu Baske Bu: 5-Nin No Natsu |
Genre |
Sports, Team Sports |
Type |
Special |
Studio |
Unknown |
Premiered |
2017 |
Episode Count |
1 |
Duration |
31 min |
Next anime to feature on this list is Onagawa Junior High’s Girl Basketball Team. This anime aired in 2017 and it’s one of the most inspiring anime ever. The story of this anime takes place after the Tohoku Earthquake. This earthquake took a tremendous amount of lives. Many people lost their loved ones.
The Onagawa Junior High’s Girl Basketball Team also lost many of its members during the incident. They are now left with just 5 regulars. Despite all this, they never lose hope and keep on playing, even in the place of those who lost their lives.
This anime teaches us a huge lesson. It is a must-watch IMO.
08-Dear Boys
|
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Dear Boys |
Genre |
Shounen, Sports |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
A.C.G.T |
Premiered |
2006 |
Episode Count |
26 |
Duration |
24 min |
I’ve always been the type of guy who supports the underdogs. It inspires me to work even harder. The plot of this anime also features an underdog team.
Aizawa Kazuhiko is considered a prodigy in basketball. He could’ve gotten admitted to any reputable high school. Nevertheless, he made the decision to enroll at Mizuho High School. Mizuho doesn’t have a very good reputation. This school has never managed to win anything.
Still, Aizawa insisted on leading them to glory. Since the school is not well reputed, not many good players get admitted here. Most of the players are misfits who got rejected and ended up here. Aizawa has just one goal in mind, The National Basketball Championship.
Can he lead this team of misfits to glory? The animation is not that great. The use of CGI feels a bit off at times. Still, as time passes, the story grows on you and eventually you start loving the characters.
07-Ro-Kyu-Bu!
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Ro-Kyu-Bu! |
Genre |
Comedy, Sports, Ecchi |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
Barnum Studio, Project No.09, and Studio Blanc |
Premiered |
2011 |
Episode Count |
12 |
Duration |
24 min |
Sports is a pretty vast genre. You can combine it with any other genre and make a great show. But, Loli? Seriously? Who would’ve thought to combine these two genres? I want to meet that person. He is a LEGEND!!! Wait, is Loli even considered a genre?
The plot of this show revolves around Hasegawa Subaru. Hasegawa was considered a prodigy at his time. However, he had to retire early because of some misunderstandings. Now, I won’t spoil everything.
Despite everything, Hasegawa’s love for basketball did not perish. There was only one way for him to stay engaged with the game, and that was to coach a team. He proceeded to coach a high school girls’ team.
Now, there is one difficulty. Teaching newbie girls is not an easy task. You have to give your hundred percent.
The pacing of this show might feel a bit slow. But, as a basketball fan, I’d deffo recommend this anime.
06-Breakers
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Breakers |
Genre |
Sports, Team Sports |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
Albacrow, BOX, CANDY BOX |
Premiered |
2020 |
Episode Count |
16 |
Duration |
8 min |
I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I am a huge fan of unique anime and manga. And this anime undoubtedly falls into that category. I guess it is safe to presume you’ve heard of the Paralympics, right? In case you’re unfamiliar, let me explain.
Paralympics are sports for special/handicapped individuals. It includes multiple games like Goalball, Paralympic swimming, Track, and ofc Wheelchair Basketball. Since this blog is about basketball, we’ll discuss just the 1st ep.
The first episode features a remarkable game of wheelchair basketball. It just shows you how talented these players are. We just need to give them an opportunity. This show is just toooooo inspiring.
The animation is also pretty decent. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do.
05-Basquash
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Basquash |
Genre |
Mecha, Shounen, Sports |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
Satelight |
Premiered |
2009 |
Episode Count |
26 |
Duration |
24 min |
Well! How about robots playing basketball? No! I’m not joking. This peculiar anime aired in 2009 and has one of the most unusual plots you’ll ever see.
It revolves around mecha competing in a game known as Big Foot Basketball, abbreviated as BFB. Dan is the protagonist of this show. He unintentionally popularised the game even more by taking it to the streets. Yess! That’s the plot.
The animation of this show is exquisite. You guys are really missing out if you haven’t watched it yet.
04-Buzzer Beater
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Buzzer Beater |
Genre |
Shounen, Sports |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
TMS Entertainment |
Premiered |
2005 |
Episode Count |
13 |
Duration |
25 min |
We’ve already mentioned Mecha and Lolis on this list, we might as well include aliens.
Buzzer Beater is a peculiar show that features intergalactic species competing in a universal basketball event. Now, the main question here is how are humans supposed to compete against these monsters? I mean, we are physically weak compared to them.
I won’t spoil everything. You’ll have to watch the show. Another interesting fact about this show is that it was created by Takehiko Inoue. Besides basketball, this anime features other sports as well including races and stuff. It’s a must watch IMO.
03-Ahiru No Sora
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Ahiru No Sora |
Genre |
Shounen, Sports, School |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
Diomedèa |
Premiered |
2019 |
Episode Count |
50 |
Duration |
24 min |
Ahiru No Sora is an underrated gem in my opinion. Despite it being relatively new, I haven’t heard much about it. This show deserves to be appreciated more, in my opinion.
This anime features the story of an underdog, Sora Kurumatani. Unlike most basketball players, Sora is not blessed with height. However, he tries to make it up by working hard on his other skills.
I and Sora have a lot of things in common. For example, Both of us love basketball and both of us are short, lol! The main highlight of this show is its side character cast. The characters are just phenomenal and this anime has some crazy animation thanks to Diomedea.
02-Kuroko’s Basket
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Kuroko no Basket |
Genre |
Shounen, Sports |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
Production IG |
Premiered |
2012 |
Episode Count |
25 |
Duration |
24 min |
Kuroko No Basket is the Haikyuu! Of basketball. It’s not feasible to make a list of basketball anime without including this masterpiece.
Kuroko No Basket is one of the most well-known sports anime. The plot of this show revolves around six prodigies known as the Generation of Miracles, with Kuroko featuring as the protagonist. The six of them were separated after graduating from Middle School.
Kuroko was accepted to Seirin High School, where he met Taiga Kagami. Taiga possesses athletic potential comparable to that of the Miracle Generation. They both vowed to crush the other Miracles and win the Inter-High Tournament together.
Another intriguing aspect of this show is that the players have unique abilities including the Emperor’s Eye, Invisible Pass, and Zone. Kuroko is regarded as the weakest of the group. Still, it would be devastating if you underestimate him.
This show has exquisite animation. If you’re a fan of basketball, then this show is a must-watch. Kuroko No Basket has a total of 3 seasons and 4 movies with the 3rd season being the most popular and highest rated. It has a MAL rating of 8.31. It aired back in 2015. One of the main reasons for the popularity of this season is Akashi Seijuurou. Fans just love him.
In case you are wondering about Kuroko No Basket’s watch order, here it is COMPLETE Kuroko No Basket Watch Order (Easy to Follow)!
01-Slam Dunk
INFORMATION |
|
Title |
Slam Dunk |
Genre |
Shounen, Sports |
Type |
TV |
Studio |
Toei Animation |
Premiered |
1993 |
Episode Count |
101 |
Duration |
23 min |
When I watched this anime a few years back, I instantly fell in love with the characters and the dynamics. My love for basketball just sky-rocketed. After that, there was no turning back. Every 90s kid has watched this show or at least heard about it. You cannot tell me that you’re an anime enthusiast and you haven’t heard about this masterpiece.
The basic plot of this show revolves around Hanamichi Sakuragi who entered the game to impress girls. However, the more he learned about the game, the more he fell in love with it. He is not a prodigy or anything. He’s just a tall strong guy who got into basketball because his crush was the basketball team manager.
Takehiko Inoue has basically reflected his story with this show. The animation might not be the greatest, but the story sure is. I think it’s safe to assume that you already know that Slam Dunk is getting a new movie next year.
Slam Dunk has a MAL rating of 8.54 which I think is justified. However, it should be even higher considering how remarkable the show is. I guess the major drawback here is the animation. Considering the show aired wayyy back in 1993, its animation is not that great.
Conclusion
Sooo, here is the list fellas. Hope you enjoyed it. Basketball is a really popular sport. However, there aren’t many anime out there featuring basketball.
I’ve tried my best to formulate the perfect recommendation list for y’all. The rankings are also unbiased, and I hope you will agree with me.
Let me know if I’ve missed any. Peace!!
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