Anime like Cross Game

Touch

Studio: Group TAC , Toho , Asatsu DK
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

The story centers around three characters - Uesugi Kazuya, his twin older brother Tatsuya, and Asakura Minami. Kazuya is the darling of his town as he's talented, hardworking, and the ace pitcher for his middle school baseball team. Tatsuya is a hopeless slacker who's been living the life of giving up the spotlight to Kazuya, despite the fact that he may be more gifted than him. Minami is the beautiful childhood girlfriend and for all intents, sister from next door who treats both of them as equals. Society largely assumes Kazuya and Minami will become the perfect couple, including Tatsuya. Yet as time progresses, Tatsuya grows to realize that he's willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of his brother, except at the expense of giving up Minami to Kazuya. And thus the story is told of Tatsuya trying to prove himself over his established younger brother, how it affects the relationship between the three, and both brothers' attempts to make Minami's lifelong dreams come true.

Tags: Baseball , School , Coming of Age , Twins , Tragedy , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Love Triangle , Heterosexual , School Club , Acrobatics , Rural , Boxing

MIX: MEISEI STORY

Also known as MIX.

Studio: OLM , Yomiuri TV , Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

MIX takes place 26 years from the story Touch. From the legend left by the hero of Touch, Tatsuya Uesugi, Meisei Academy High School was well known for their strong baseball team. 26 years from their glory, the team has not been able to keep their record and lost their fame.
MIX is about two stepbrothers, Soichirou and Toma Tachibana. The two aim to revive of the once strong Meisei Academy’s baseball team and enter the National High School Baseball Championship.
Soichirou and Toma were second years in Meisei Academy Middle School. Both boys are talented baseball players. Soichirou has shown excellent skill as a catcher and batter. Though having an extraordinary skill as a pitcher, Toma no longer pitches due to a “certain reason.”
Once the two enter High School, they pair as a battery and aim to enter the National High School Baseball Championship!

The passion and devoted emotions will touch your heart! MIX is a high school baseball drama that all ages and genders can enjoy!



Tags: Baseball , Shounen , School Club , Male Protagonist , Twins , School , Rural , Meta , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Male Cast

H2

Studio: Ashi Productions , Asahi Housou , Toho , ASATSU
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Sports

Hiro has two loves: baseball and porn, but due to an elbow injury, gives up baseball, choosing a school with no baseball team. His childhood friend Hikari attends a different school with baseball ace Hideo. The two of them wish that Hiro had not given up baseball. Hiro joins the soccer team and meets Haruka, a very clumsy girl who is also the daughter of his father's boss. Haruka is the manager of the unofficial baseball club at Hiro's school. When the soccer team challenges the baseball club to a game, with hopes of humiliating them, the baseball club nearly loses until Hiro, disgusted by the soccer team's arrogance, switches to the baseball club.



Tags: Shounen , Baseball , Love Triangle , School Club , Football

Ao no Hako

Also known as Blue Box.

Studio: Telecom Animation Film , TMS Entertainment , Shueisha , TBS , Toho
Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

Do these sports-crossed lovers have a chance?

Taiki Inomata loves badminton, but he has a long way to go before he can reach nationals. When Taiki sees upperclassman Chinatsu Kano practicing her heart out on the girls’ basketball team, he falls for her hard. After an unexpected turn of events brings the two closer together, sports might not be the first thing on their minds anymore!



Note: The series streamed a week in advance on Netflix Japan starting with episode 2 released alongside episode 1.

Tags: Heterosexual , Coming of Age , School Club , Athletics , Primarily Teen Cast , Badminton , Male Protagonist , Unrequited Love , School , Love Triangle , Female Protagonist , Cohabitation , Basketball , Shounen , Acrobatics , Chibi

Chihayafuru

Also known as Chihayafuru.

Studio: MADHOUSE , VAP , Nippon Television Network
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

Chihaya Ayase is a girl who has spent most of her life simply supporting her sister in her model career. That changes when she meets a boy named Arata Wataya, a talented karuta player who recognizes Chihaya's potential to become a great player herself. As Chihaya takes on a new dream of becoming Japan's best karuta player, she is soon separated from her karuta playing friends, Taichi Mashima and Arata Wataya, as they grow up. Now in high school, Chihaya still continues to play karuta in the hope that she will one day meet her friends again.



Tags: Karuta , Female Protagonist , School Club , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Josei , School , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Unrequited Love , Athletics , Bullying , Slapstick , Tomboy , CGI

Ookiku Furikabutte

Also known as Big Windup!.

Studio: A-1 Pictures , TBS , Aniplex , Mainichi Broadcasting System , Movic , Kodansha
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sports

After a falling out with his middle school team, Mihashi enters Nishiura high school with no social skill, a warped opinion of himself, and every intention to quit baseball. The newly formed Nishiura baseball team, however, needs a pitcher, and they welcome him. Most enthusiastic is Abe, a domineering catcher with his own game issues.

And so a battery every bit as complementary as it is dysfunctional is formed. If they can figure out how to work together, they might be the answers to each other's problems-and the team might be able to win.

Tags: Baseball , School Club , Primarily Male Cast , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Bullying , Cheerleading

Ping Pong THE ANIMATION

Also known as Ping Pong the Animation.

Studio: Tatsunoko Production , Aniplex
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sports

Tsukimoto Makoto (nicknamed Smile) is a quiet high-schooler who's been friends with the loud and energetic Hoshino Yukata (nicknamed Peko). They're both in the table tennis club and are very good at it, though Smile's personality prevents him from winning against Peko. The club teacher however notices Smile's talent and tries to make him gain some sportive tenacity.



Tags: Coming of Age , Table Tennis , Primarily Male Cast , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , School Club , Primarily Teen Cast , Ensemble Cast , Rotoscoping , School , Teacher , Anti-Hero , Language Barrier , CGI , Bullying , Time Skip , Delinquents , Suicide , Coastal

Hiatari Ryoukou!

Also known as Sunny Ryoko.

Studio: Group TAC , Toho
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Sports

Kishimoto Kasumi, a 15-year-old girl, was supposed to live at her auntie's house in order to go to high school since April. However, when she moved to the house she was surprised with the fact that there were already four new male students living in the same house. To make the matter worse, that day while she was taking a bath, Takasugi Yusaku, one of those boys, came into the bath and saw her naked. This is how Kasumi's troublesome high school days started.



Tags: Love Triangle , School , Heterosexual , Cohabitation , Baseball , Cheerleading , Shoujo , School Club , Athletics , Primarily Teen Cast , Delinquents

MIX: MEISEI STORY 2ND SEASON - Nidome no Natsu, Sora no Mukou e

Also known as MIX MEISEI STORY Season2.

Studio: OLM , Yomiuri TV , Shogakukan , Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

The second season of MIX.

Tags: Baseball , Shounen , Meta , Tragedy , School , Amnesia , Primarily Teen Cast

Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine

Also known as Cinderella Nine.

Studio: TMS Entertainment , Studio Comet , AT-X , TV Osaka , TV Tokyo , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Slice of Life , Sports

Tsubasa loves baseball so much, she started her high school’s baseball club herself! But passion alone won’t keep a club alive, so it’s up to her to recruit as many all-star players as she can. Some potential recruits have never played before while others have returned to the game thanks to Tsubasa, and together they’ll form a team united in love for the game and their growing friendship. But whether they win or lose, one thing’s for sure: Every game they play together is sure to be a home run!



Tags: Baseball , School Club , Female Protagonist , School , Primarily Female Cast , Idol