My Top 3 Anime Sports that I love!

Don't get me wrong, I watch a lot of Anime and I watch all different areas of Anime. One thing about me though is that I'm NOT a big fan of sport in general until I starred watching anime and went to the area with sports that's when things changed for the better. HERE'S my TOP 3 Anime Sports I have seen and why I love them?!

Kuroko no Basket: Or, How I Fell in Love with the Anime.

I don’t like any type of sports, but when it comes to anime that's a whole different story. I didn't think I end up loving anime sports once I watched this anime "Kuroko No Basket!" Now, I will freely admit that I’m glad I fell in love with this show when I did, because I can only imagine how maddening it would be to wait for new episodes when some of the games last for five or more of them. I suppose the important question is, “But why?” And I could give you the usual reasons – it has great pacing (in that OMG-I-don’t-want-to-ever-stop-watching-this sense) and awesome characters; it’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it’s just generally enjoyable in ALL THE WAYS. But none of that really does this show – or how I feel about it – justice. To be honest, one of the best things about Kuroko no Basket (a.k.a. KnB) its namesake character is of course very important, so many other characters are just as well-developed. (And I’ll admit that many times they’re even more lovable than Kuroko himself.) It’s basically impossible to not love Hyuga’s silly bursts of anger, Izuki’s terrible puns, Mitobe’s silent sweetness, Riko’s [rightful] bossiness, and Kiyoshi constantly reminding everyone to have fun. Another [almost surprisingly] great thing about this show is how it forces you to suspend reality as you watch these characters perform insane feats like immediately being able to copy other players’ moves, or essentially ‘disappear’ from sight, or have a perfect record of shooting three-pointers. If anything, this makes it easier for those who don’t know anything about (or in my case, don’t care about) “real” basketball, to watch. (P.S. This anime only has 3 seasons and a movie out!)

Haikyuu; Or, How I Fell in Love with the Anime.

Putting the words "sports" and "anime" together sounds like the weirdest oxymoron I've ever heard. The whole premise of anime is to escape reality (at least in the shonen sense), and sports are a testament to real-world effort. Now one would think that a sports anime could just never work because the audiences of both sports and anime appeal to different kinds of people, but it couldn't be farther from the truth in Haikyuu!! Since watching the anime I've had one question lingering in the back of my head, why does Haikyuu!! work? The show revolves around the main protagonist Shoyo Hinata, a first-year in high school standing at 5'4", red hair, and an undying love for volleyball. After seeing "The Tiny Giant," a middle blocker with roughly the same height play years ago and perform on TV with great success, Shoyo strives to be just like him and joins the same school years later to be Karasuno High School's next "Tiny Giant." I feel deep down every interest we as people have is blossomed from watching others who have similar stories break the mold and achieve success. Instantly we the viewer is intrigued by the disadvantage in both his height and his skill but his drive to play, and in turn, are invested in the underdog story that's about to unfold. One thing that I love about this show is it's rivals. The other volleyball clubs don't act as villains, but rather other people who just love the sport as much as Karasuno does. Teams like Nekoma and Seijoh don't exist to tear our main characters apart, but rather build them up and become stronger from their encounters. One of the best matches in the entire series is the rematch with Seijoh, I won't spoil anything, but that entire match is a nailbiter from start to finish. The players aren't trying to win because there's some mystical prize behind beating other teams, they just get to play more volleyball, and that mixed with the hunger to win makes this anime feel a lot more authentic than most media I've seen, even outside anime. If you've made it this far into the story and you haven't seen anything Haikyuu!!, what are you doing? (P.S. This anime has 3 seasons)

Yuri On Ice!!!: Or, How I Fell in Love with the Anime.

If you haven’t heard of Yuri on Ice, then you should get acquainted with the anime as soon as possible. The sports series debuted on TV Asahi in October 2016, and it has quickly become one of the year’s most buzzed about shows. Professional ice skating is not for the weak. Sure, the end product sees athletes dressed in elegant costumes and performing physics-defying tricks, but the pain associated with the sport is both mental and physical. Yuri on Ice does not shy away from how painful it can be to follow one’s passion. The show’s protagonist Yuri Katsuki is an outstanding technical performer, but he lacks the self-confidence to take his career to another level. When his idol Victor Nikiforov learns about Yuri’s untapped talent, he pushes the boy to continue pursuing the dream even if it means a few bumps, bruises, and scrapes. These days, it seems like nothing is off-limits when it comes to anime. Yuri on Ice tackles plenty of complex issues when it comes to interpersonal relationships, but it also takes time to focus on its characters’ mental health. While Yuri is known for his kind-hearted personality, the character also suffers from crippling self-doubt and anxiety. Yuri’s career as a skater is left stagnant because of his self-hatred, and the show gradually depicts how the protagonist copes with his psychoses. There’s no jokes or judgements passed; Yuri on Ice shows that even the strongest characters feel weak every once in awhile, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The animation drawn at MAPPA Studios is a fresh of breath air to anime fans. Yuri on Ice is known for many things, but audiences have come to expect its unique, fluid style of artwork. The anime is gorgeous and uses camera angles which many have never seen in the medium. Yuri on Ice isn’t afraid to use 3D rendering, tracking shots, and even extreme close-ups to convey its emotional storylines. And, so far, fans have noticed. (P.S. This anime only has 1 season) BTW once it first came out fans went crazy with this anime just a little FYI!