TV Highlights – Top 5 Sports Anime to Stream in anticipation of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Crunchyroll from July 17th to August 16th
Haikyu!! (Production I.G) Volleyball
HAIKYU!! is a slice-of-life sports anime revolving around Shoyo Hinata’s love of volleyball. Inspired by a small-statured player known as the “Little Giant,” Hinata creates a team in his last year of middle school. His team is unfortunately matched up against “King of the Court” Tobio Kageyama’s team in their first tournament, inevitably losing. After the crushing defeat, Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama. Entering high school, he joins the volleyball team only to find that Tobio has also joined, making his once rival his new teammate. (Official Trailer below)
BLUE LOCK (8bit) Soccer
Japan’s desire for World Cup glory leads the Japanese Football Association to launch a new rigorous training program to find the national team’s next striker. Three hundred high school players are pitted against each other for the position, but only one will come out on top. Who among them will be the striker to usher in a new era of Japanese soccer? (Official Trailer below)
Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club (Kyoto Animation and Animation Do) Swimming
Nanase Haruka loved to be in the water – loved swimming. In elementary school, Nanase Haruka, Tachibana Makoto, Matsuoka Rin, and Hazuki Nagisa attended the same swimming class together. Time passed, and as Haruka was living an uneventful high school life, he suddenly encountered Rin again. Rin challenged Haruka to a race and showed him how much stronger he had become. Soon enough, Makoto and Nagisa also rejoined the group, and along with a new classmate, Ryugazaki Rei, they established the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club. (Official Trailer below)
number24 (PRA) Rugby
Natsusa Yuzuki was expecting to be the ace on his college rugby team but due to unexpected circumstances, had to sit out. Six months later, he’s back. Along with his best friend Seiichiro, prodigy senior Ibuki Ueoka and a few others – they’re going to represent the Kansai University team. He may still be figuring out life but he’s got some new brothers to help him. Time to join the scrum! (Official Trailer below)
Backflip!! (Zexcs) Gymnastics
The final summer of middle school, Shotaro Futaba discovers boys gymnastics and is completely enamored by it. Shotaro ends up going to Soshukan Private High School (aka Ao High) and decides to visit the boys gymnastics club. He’s greeted by very unique senpais and a star gymnast named Misato Ryoya. Dedicating your life to something you love during your fiery days of youth… Of course, there is frustration, and fights, but see how these boys work together as a team towards a similar goal in this drama about sports and youth. (Official Trailer below)
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