10 Sports Anime That Bear No Resemblance To Real Sports
These are not your average dull baseball, football, or basketball games.
Imagine a relatable protagonist who is bored with life and decides to try something new, like a sport. After the very first game, he immediately falls in love, becomes obsessed and joins his school's team. But it turns out that the team is not as successful as he had hoped. So the protagonist and his new friends/teammates set out on a mission to become champions.
Sounds familiar? That's because we just described almost every sports anime ever made. Anime creators have long since found the perfect formula for the genre, and aren't afraid to use the same tropes and character archetypes over and over again.
If this has gotten a little boring for you, there is one trick that might just pump up your enthusiasm and spice up the watching experience: watch shows with made-up sports. Heaven knows, the animeverse has plenty of those to offer. Here are ten of the wildest examples.
Keijo!!!!!!!! (2016)
Sport: Keijo (Butt Wrestling)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Funimation, Crunchyroll, AnimeSuge, Roku
As you might guess from the sport's name, the competition is all-female, with competitors using only their breasts and butts to knock each other off platforms floating in a pool. Fans of the ecchi genre, take note.
Girls und Panzer (2012-2013)
Sport: Senshado (Tank Fighting)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Roku, HIDIVE
Miho Nishizumi comes from a family skilled in the art of tank warfare, which is in high demand in this fictional universe. Following the girl's struggles to stay away from the sport, this anime has everything a fan of the genre could wish for: the usual sports anime formula + cute girls. If you are also fascinated by heavy armor, Girls und Panzer is definitely worth checking out.
Gundam Build Fighters (2013-2014)
Sport: Gunpla (Plamo Battles)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Crunchyroll
Set in a world where Gundam plastic models, aka Gunpla, have become participants in virtual battles held by their owners, the story follows a boy who dreams of winning the annual Gunpla World Tournament like his father once did.
Fastest Finger First (2017)
Sport: Quiz Bowl
Where to stream: Crunchyroll
Just how intense can competitive trivia be, you might ask. Well, Fastest Finger First aka Nana Maru San Batsu proves that when you have equally smart opponents in the room, every nanosecond counts and contestants have to train hard to be the first to hit that buzzer.
Cheating Craft (2016)
Sport: Extreme Cheating
Where to stream: Prime Video, Crunchyroll, BiliBili
Could taking exams be considered a sport? In the universe of Cheating Craft, it is more than that. It is a fight for your future. The results can guarantee success in life or send a person to the dregs of society. So students prepare hard and ruthlessly for their exams. Basically, there are two strategies: study the hell out of every subject or make cheating your business.
Air Gear (2006)
Sport: Air Treks
Where to stream: Prime Video, Hulu, Funimation, Crunchyroll, Roku
Air Treks, also known as AT, is the sport of the future. Street gangs take a new, highly popular product, motorized rollerblades that allow users to fly, and manipulate them to reach super speeds. The users of such skates become tough fighters who take part in street tournaments. The protagonist Itsuki Minami is a middle school student who dreams of ruling the skies.
Ben-To (2011)
Sport: Fighting for Discounted Food
Where to stream: Prime Video, Funimation, Crunchyroll, Vudu, AnimeSuge, BiliBili
Have you ever fought over a discounted product? Probably during the Black Friday madness? Well, in the world of Ben-To, it is always Black Friday and the supermarket is a war zone. When Bento boxes go on half-price sale, people go crazy and literally fight to buy them.
Basquash! (2009)
Sport: Bigfoot Basketball (Robot Basketball)
Where to stream: Prime Video, Roku, HIDIVE, Plex
The anime is set in a futuristic and dystopian world where society is highly segregated. The elite live on the moon and the common people - on the surface of the earth. Of course, future means futuristic sports. Earthlings like to participate in Bigfoot Basketball, where they control giant robots that play hoops. The lead, Dan, wants to destroy the sport, but makes it more entertaining.
Megalo Box (2018-2021)
Sport: Mecha Boxing
Where to stream: Prime Video, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Tubi, Vudu & more
The fights in this anime are nothing like real-life boxing, as the opponents use cybernetic arms. The protagonist, Junk Dog, is determined to fight his way to the top, but there's a catch: he can't afford decent mechanical limbs, so he has to win by using his own strength and skill.
Yowamushi Pedal (2013)
Sport: Bicycle Racing
Where to stream: Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Plex, Roku & more
What's so weird about cycling, you ask? Well, in this case, it is not THE sport that deserves attention, but its participants. In the universe of Yowamushi Pedal, anyone can participate in races, be it an animal or a mutant with wings. One guy rides with his face close to the ground and another can inflate his whole body, anything to increase speed.