Top Sports Manga Recommendations

Blue Lock

Also known as Blue Lock.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama , Sports

After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan's team struggles to regroup. But what's missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match...and to do so, they've gathered 300 of Japan's best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team...and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?



Note: Winner of the 45th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2021.

Tags: Football , Male Protagonist , Battle Royale , Primarily Male Cast , Athletics , Primarily Teen Cast , Ensemble Cast , Shounen , Fitness , Foreign , Super Power , Augmented Reality , Language Barrier , Tragedy , Suicide

Haikyuu!!

Also known as Haikyu!!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Sports

A chance event triggered Shouyou Hinata's love for volleyball. His club had no members, but somehow persevered and finally made it into its very first and final regular match of middle school, where it was steamrolled by Tobio Kageyama, a superstar player known as "King of the Court." Vowing revenge, Hinata applied to the Karasuno High School volleyball club...only to come face-to-face with his hated rival, Kageyama! A tale of hot-blooded youth and volleyball from the pen of Haruichi Furudate!!



Notes:
- Winner of the 61st Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2017.
- Chapter count includes 2 extra chapters.

Tags: Volleyball , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Coming of Age , School Club , Primarily Male Cast , Ensemble Cast , Time Skip , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Philosophy , Twins

SLAM DUNK

Also known as Slam Dunk.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Sports

Hanamichi Sakuragi's got no game with girls--none at all! It doesn't help that he's known for throwing down at a moment's notice and always coming out on top. A hopeless bruiser, he's been rejected by 50 girls in a row! All that changes when he meets the girl of his dreams, Haruko, and she's actually not afraid of him! When she introduces him to the game of basketball, his life is changed forever...



Tags: Basketball , Male Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Shounen , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Delinquents , Rehabilitation , Philosophy , Tragedy

Grand Blue

Also known as Grand Blue Dreaming.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

After moving out on his own to a seaside town, Iori Kitahara makes a college debut he never anticipated. A new chapter of his life unfolds, full of diving with beautiful girls and shenanigans with a gaggle of lovable bastards! Idiot-expert Kenji Inoue and au naturel authority Kimitake Yoshioka bring you a glorious college tale filled with booze-fueled antics!



Tags: Slapstick , Surreal Comedy , Male Protagonist , College , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Nudity , Coastal , Bar , Scuba Diving , Love Triangle , Heterosexual , Otaku Culture , Kuudere , Meta , Female Harem , Tsundere , Bisexual , Gore , Yandere , LGBTQ+ Themes , Gyaru

Kokou no Hito

Also known as The Climber.

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Psychological , Sports

On his first day of transferring to a new high school, a loner named Mori Buntarou, is cajoled by a classmate into climbing the school building. Despite knowing that one misstep could send him spiraling to his death, he moves forward, and upon finally reaching the top, Mori experiences a sense of fulfillment. That feeling, which seems to be telling him, "You're alive!" gives birth to an adrenaline for rock-climbing.

Tags: Outdoor Activities , Coming of Age , Seinen , Tragedy , Travel , Mountaineering , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Survival , Hikikomori , Wilderness , Time Skip , Fitness , Suicide , Anti-Hero , Dissociative Identities , Foreign , Delinquents , School , Nudity , School Club

Ao no Hako

Also known as Blue Box.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

Taiki Inomata is on the boys' badminton team at sports powerhouse Eimei Junior and Senior High. He's in love with basketball player Chinatsu Kano, the older girl he trains alongside every morning in the gym. One Spring day, their relationship takes a sharp turn ... And thus begins this brand-new series of love, sports and youth!



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

Real

Also known as Real.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sports

A motorcycle accident, bone cancer, a speeding truck crashing into a boy on a stolen bicycle--tragic life-changing events turn the worlds of three young men upside down. These three very different personalities have only one thing in common--their passion for basketball.



Note: Won an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2001 Japan Media Arts Festival.

Tags: Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Disability , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Rehabilitation , Basketball , Tragedy , Primarily Male Cast , Athletics , Fitness , Delinquents , Philosophy , Meta , Bullying , Wrestling

Wind Breaker

Also known as Wind Breaker.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Romance , Sports

Jay's the perfect student. He's got straight As and he's the student body president. But after being coerced into joining the school's biking team, the Hummingbird Crew, he discovers a whole new world outside of studying. What new adventures will he face outside the comfort of his textbooks?



Tags: Cycling , Coming of Age , School , Full Color , Kuudere , Heterosexual , Delinquents , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Fitness , Bullying , Slapstick , Meta , Gambling , Mafia , Suicide , Love Triangle , Female Harem , Foreign , Drugs , Long Strip

The Boxer

Also known as The Boxer.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Sports

You’ve got the raw talent. Or you’re the underdog. But do you have the heart? Do you have what it takes? Let’s see what you’re made of. The real fight starts now!



Note: The chapter count includes 10 extra chapters, an 18-chapter side story and 2 epilogues.

Tags: Boxing , Philosophy , Male Protagonist , Martial Arts , Athletics , Full Color , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Bullying , Time Skip , Religion , Military , School , Meta , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Long Strip

Hajime no Ippo

Also known as Hajime no Ippo: Fighting Spirit!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Sports

Makunouchi Ippo has been bullied his entire life. Constantly running errands and being beaten up by his classmates, Ippo has always dreamed of changing himself, but never has the passion to act upon it. One day, in the midst of yet another bullying, Ippo is saved by Takamura Mamoru, who happens to be a boxer. Ippo faints from his injuries and is brought to Takamura boxing gym to recover. As he regains consciousness, he is awed and amazed at his new surroundings in the gym, though lacks confidence to attempt anything. Takamura places a photo of Ippo’s classmate on a punching bag and forces him to punch it. It is only then that Ippo feels something stir inside him and eventually asks Takamura to train him in boxing. Thinking that Ippo does not have what it takes, Takamura gives him a task deemed impossible and gives him a one week time limit. With a sudden desire to get stronger, for himself and his hard working mother, Ippo trains relentlessly to accomplish the task within the time limit. Thus Ippo’s journey to the top of the boxing world begins.



Tags: Boxing , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Bullying , Delinquents

Ashita no Joe

Also known as Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life , Sports

Joe Yabuki is a troubled young man who runs away from an orphanage. Wandering through the Tokyo slums, he meets former boxing trainer Danpei. Joe is later arrested and goes to a temporary jail where he fights Nishi, his future best friend, ​and leader of a group of hooligans. He and Nishi then go to a juvenile prison miles away from Tokyo. There Joe meets Rikiishi, a former boxing prodigy, and a rivalry develops between them. They face each other in a match in which Rikiishi dominates Joe until the latter hits him with a cross-counter, resulting in both being knocked out. This inspires the other prison inmates to take up boxing. Joe and Rikiishi vow to fight again.



Tags: Boxing , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Rehabilitation , Orphan , Urban , Athletics , Class Struggle , Shounen , Primarily Male Cast , Delinquents , Prison , Foreign , Yakuza , War

Kengan Ashura

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Sports

Since the Edo periods of Japan, gladiator arenas exist in certain areas. In these arenas, wealthy business owners and merchants hire gladiators to fight in unarmed combat where winner takes all. Tokita Ohma, nicknamed "Ashura", joins these arenas and devastates his opponents. His spectacular ability to crush his enemies catches the attention of the big business owners, including the Nogi Group chairman, Nogi Hideki.

Includes 24 extras/side stories.

Tags: Martial Arts , Ensemble Cast , Wrestling , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Boxing , Tragedy , Athletics , Shounen , Revenge , Gore , Yandere , Gambling , 4-koma , Historical

Namaiki Zakari.

Also known as Cheeky Brat.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Sports

Basketball club manager Yuki has a secret—she’s in love with the team captain! But when Naruse discovers her secret, she’s in trouble! Just how long is he going to keep teasing her about it? Stupid pretty playboy…



Note: Chapter includes one epilogue.

Tags: Shoujo , Basketball , Female Protagonist , Tsundere , Heterosexual , School Club , School , Love Triangle , College , Kuudere , Age Gap , Crossdressing

Eyeshield 21

Also known as Eyeshield 21.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sports

Wimpy Sena Kobayakawa has been running away from bullies all his life. But when the football gear comes on, things change—Sena's speed and uncanny ability to elude big bullies just might give him what it takes to become a great high school football hero! Enjoy all the bone-crushing action and slapstick comedy that this heartwarming coming-of-age story has to offer.



Tags: American Football , Shounen , Male Protagonist , School Club , Coming of Age , Guns , Primarily Male Cast , Gambling , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Foreign , Bullying

Aoashi

Status: Releasing
Genres: Sports

Ashito Aoi, a third year middle school student from Ehime, meets Fukuda Tatsuya, a J Youth League coach. Even though he's still rough around the edges, Ashito has such amazing potential that he gets invited by coach Fukuda to participate in his team's try-outs in Tokyo. The story of a boy who will revolutionize Japanese football begins to unfold.

Notes:
- Nominated for the 2017 Manga Taishou Award.
- Winner of the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for "Best General Manga" category in 2019.

Tags: Football , Male Protagonist , School Club , Primarily Male Cast , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Seinen , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Bullying , School , Love Triangle

Chihayafuru

Also known as Chihayafuru.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Sports

Chihaya is a girl in the sixth grade, still not old enough to even know the meaning of the word zeal. But one day, she meets Arata, a transfer student from rural Fukui prefecture. Though docile and quiet, he has an unexpected skill: his ability to play competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game.

Chihaya is struck by his obsession with the game, along with his ability to pick out the right card and swipe it away before any of his opponents. However, Arata is transfixed by her as well, all because of her unbelievable natural talent for the game. Don't miss this story of adolescent lives and emotions playing out in the most dramatic of ways!



Notes:
- It won the 2nd Manga Taisho Award and the 35th annual Kodansha Manga Award for Best Shoujo.
- It was nominated for the 20th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2016.

Tags: Karuta , Josei , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , School Club , Unrequited Love , Card Battle , Love Triangle , POV , Primarily Teen Cast , Educational , Ensemble Cast , School , Tomboy , Heterosexual , Bullying , Slapstick

Kuroko no Basket

Also known as Kuroko's Basketball.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sports

When incoming first-year student Taiga Kagami joins the Seirin High basketball team, he meets Tetsuya Kuroko, a mysterious boy who’s plain beyond words. But Kagami’s in for the shock of his life when he learns that the practically invisible Kuroko was once a member of “the Miracle Generation”— the undefeated legendary team—and he wants Kagami’s help taking down each of his old teammates!



Note: Chapter count includes Chapter 62.5 "Tip Off."

Tags: School , Basketball , Shounen , Super Power , School Club , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , Tomboy , Tragedy , Found Family

Ballroom e Youkoso

Also known as Welcome to the Ballroom.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Drama , Romance , Sports

Fujita has drifted through middle school aimlessly, unable to find friends or anything that can hold his attention. Then, one day, he's attacked by a gang and saved by a mysterious man. But this isn't a karate master; it's a ballroom dance instructor! Reluctantly, Fujita takes a few beginner's classes, only to find his inspiration... an entrancing, teenage dance prodigy named Shizuku. It's Fujita's first step into the high-octane world of competitive dance!



Note: Nominated for the 6th and 8th Manga Taisho Award.

Tags: Dancing , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , School

Shamo

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Psychological , Sports

At the age of sixteen Ryo Narushima was a genius and looked to have no trouble of getting into Tokyo University and joining the elite of society. However, that summer something cracked inside Ryo's head. With a small knife he brutally murdered both of his parents only leaving his sister alive and cowering in a corner. It is at this grotesque incident that our story begins.

Note: At volume 20, the series changed publishers, which created a restart of the chapter numbers. Starting from chapter 61 in volume 26, the first chapter from when the series returned from a long hiatus, the series has been completely written & drawn by Tanaka Akio. While Hashimoto Izou did write the series in the beginning, he had been doing less and less work starting from volume 4. Tanaka and Hashimoto reached a settlement and Shamo continued.

Tags: Martial Arts , Anti-Hero , Rehabilitation , Seinen , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Survival , Gore , Boxing , Coming of Age , Prison , Gangs , Yakuza , Swordplay , Delinquents , Triads , Bullying , Drugs

Saotome-Senshu, Hitakakusu

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Sports

High-Schooler Tsukishima Satoru gets confessed to by local female High-School boxing-talent Saotome Yae. He rejects her initially because he does not want to impede her boxing career (and prevent getting beaten up by her fans). Her female coach, Shioya hears about this and decides to install him as Saotome's trainer so that they can secretly date each other. This situation is also aided by his extensive boxing knowledge.

Tags: Tomboy , Boxing , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Seinen , School Club , Female Protagonist , School , Love Triangle , Nudity , Time Skip