The Best Sports Anime Characters Posted Sep 22, 2020
Anime, or also known as Japanimation in some parts of the world, is one of the most popular animation movies originating from Japan. These animations are more than just movies; they are a way of life. The earliest commercial Japanese animation dates back as early as 1917. Thanks to its unique style and storylines, anime movies took the world by storm with great ease.
An interesting fact about anime is that it accounts for more than 60% of the world’s animated television shows. Japan has over 400 production studios, including some major brands like Gainax and Toei Animation. These shows come in various themes, but one thing that all of them have in common is that they are highly educating, which is one of the reasons why they are popular with people of all ages. The language of education is universal and everyone is always fond of the idea of learning more.
Sports Anime
Sports anime has been on the rise recently and it is gaining huge global popularity. It even managed to influence other industries. One of the most notable is the online gambling and online betting industry. If you are a fan of casino games for entertainment, you must’ve come across numerous great gambling games that have anime themes. There are also many anime movies about gambling and they are fun to watch.
As far as sports, throughout the years, we have seen several sports anime shows that gained massive popularity. That is exactly the topic which we wanted to discuss today. We are going to give you a small list of some of the best sports anime characters and their respective shows. Let’s check them out.
Slam Dunk – Hanamichi Sakuragi
Sakuragi is a slacker that constantly gets into fights. He joins his high school basketball team at first because of a girl he likes. Due to the fact that he is extremely confrontational, his actions often lead to embarrassing moments for him and everyone involved. Slam Dunk is the name of the anime show in which Hanamichi stars and it follows his character development, as basketball gives him some direction in life.
Ping Pong: The Animation – Makoto Tsukimoto
This anime show is the reason why many bookies that target the Japanese market started featuring betting online on table tennis and many other related sports. Makoto Tsukimoto, or also known as Smile, was a bullied kid who was saved by Peco.
The two of them become very skilled ping pong players, but Smile becomes disenchanted with the sport while Peco continues to grow. Unlike Smile, who has to work hard in order to improve his skills, Peco has a natural talent for the sport.
Haikyuu!! – Shouyou Hinata
After spending middle school as the only member of the volleyball club, Shouyou Hinata joins Karasuno’s team as a spiker. He is short but extremely athletic. Hinata forms a partnership with Kageyama, a highly talented player, but extremely unapproachable.
This is one of the most inspiring tales in anime sports because it shows how Hinata chooses to defy everyone and is determined to succeed in a sport that does not accommodate his stature. This anime is a must-watch if you want to see how Hinata manages to develop and help others around him.
One Outs – Toua Tokuchi
One Outs is an anime show that is more focused on the western parts of the world and the sports that they like. It revolves around baseball and it follows the story of Toua Tokuchi, an enigmatic player who joins the Lycaons professional baseball team.
He uses various mind games and psychological tricks to taunt and destroy opposing players, and he is vicious, cold, and calculating.
Notable Mentions
Many other sports anime characters also deserve a mention. Yuuri Katsuki (Yuri on Ice), Nanase Haruka (Free!), Sekizan Takuya (All OUT!!), and Sawamura Eijun (Ace of Diamond) are just a few of them. These characters have a fantastic development, and the anime shows in which they star are even better. We highly recommend you to give them a look if you have free time.
Conclusion
Watching anime has several benefits. You learn about Japanese culture, life lessons, get familiar with how you should treat people with respect, but you also learn everything there is to know about hard work, patience, dedication, and teamwork.
Furthermore, these shows do not always picture the good side of us, the humans. Some of them will teach you that we are not perfect beings and that we have flaws – some more than others. But, most of all, you will learn how to have fun and how to communicate.
All of these benefits are the reason why anime shows withstood the test of time and are popular with people of all ages even after all these years.