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

God of High School

Also known as The God of High School.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Supernatural

Mori Jin is a high school student and Taekwondo specialist who enters "The God of High School," a fighting tournament that promises the winner anything they want. What began as a competition to seek out the best high school fighter soon reveals itself to be part of a much greater plot that goes beyond Mori's wildest imagination. What will he give to become a true god?



Tags: Martial Arts , Super Power , Gods , Full Color , Mythology , War , Urban Fantasy , Ensemble Cast , Conspiracy , Revenge , Amnesia , Cult , Time Skip , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Swordplay , Demons , Cultivation , Post-Apocalyptic , Politics , Religion , Foreign , Space , Heterosexual , Terrorism , Dragons , Isekai , Age Regression , School , Athletics , Espionage , Kemonomimi , Long Strip , Centaur

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

Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko!

Also known as Tomo-chan is a Girl!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Boyish high school girl Aizawa Tomo finally manages to tell her childhood friend Jun that she’s got a crush on him. Unfortunately, her confession goes right over his head—he didn’t even realize she was a girl until junior high, and even now, Jun still thinks of her as a bro! How can Tomo-chan possibly convince him otherwise and win Jun’s heart?



Notes:
- Originally published daily on Twi4. The volume release compiled the series into 51 chapters.
- Includes 8 sets of bonus pages, where each set is considered a chapter; each volume contains a set.

Tags: Tomboy , 4-koma , Female Protagonist , School , Heterosexual , Slapstick , Primarily Teen Cast , Tsundere , Episodic , Athletics , Shounen , Judo , Martial Arts , School Club

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

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Also known as Classroom of the Elite.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Slice of Life , Thriller

Students of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School are given remarkable freedom—if they can win, barter, or save enough points to work their way up the ranks! Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has landed at the bottom in the scorned Class D, where he meets Horikita Suzune, who’s determined to rise up the ladder to Class A. Can they beat the system in a school where cutthroat competition is the name of the game?



Includes Volumes: 4.5, 7.5, 11.5
Included Chapters: 14 Prologues, 13 Epilogues, 1 Extra

Tags: School , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Battle Royale , Ensemble Cast , Politics , Revenge , Fugitive , Survival , Heterosexual , Denpa , Coming of Age , Boarding School , Classic Literature , Conspiracy , School Club , Bullying , Disability , Athletics , Torture , Delinquents , Martial Arts , Rehabilitation , Tragedy , Love Triangle , Female Harem , Kuudere , Tsundere , Suicide , Board Game , Yandere , Teacher

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

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

Nan Hao Shang Feng

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

A comedy about two ordinary high school boys.

Tags: Male Protagonist , Episodic , Full Color , Surreal Comedy , Primarily Male Cast , Meta , Primarily Teen Cast , Slapstick , School , Delinquents , Parody , Drawing , Athletics , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Heterosexual , Crossdressing , Crime

Karakai Jouzu no (Moto) Takagi-san

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

The (former) Takagi-san and her daughter, Chi-chan, bring you this teasing home comedy. Is Dad going to make an appearance too?

Tags: Slapstick , Family Life , Iyashikei , Marriage , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Time Skip , Athletics

Kase-san Series

Also known as Kase-san and....

Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Slice of Life

Yamada may be shy and rather clumsy, but the flower gardens at her school have always brought her happiness. Suddenly, a different sort of beauty catches her eye–the vivacious track star, Kase-san. Although the two girls don’t seem to have much in common, they soon start a romance where each must learn an important lesson in tending their budding relationship. Can the two girls, so different from each other, learn how to make their first love blossom?



Volume 1: Asagao to Kase-san. (あさがおと加瀬さん。, Kase-san and Morning Glories)
Volume 2: Obentou to Kase-san. (おべんとうと加瀬さん。, Kase-san and Bento)
Volume 3: Shoutokeiki to Kase-san. (ショートケーキと加瀬さん。, Kase-san and Shortcake)
Volume 4: Epuron to Kase-san. (エプロンと加瀬さん。, Kase-san and an Apron)
Volume 5: Sakura to Kase-san. (さくらと加瀬さん。, Kase-san and Cherry Blossoms)

Tags: Yuri , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Tomboy , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Shoujo , Horticulture , School , Athletics , LGBTQ+ Themes , Episodic , Nudity , Agriculture

Hitomi-chan wa Hitomishiri

Also known as Hitomi-chan is Shy With Strangers.

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

Tall and busty high school girl Takano Hitomi has shark teeth, a looming presence, and an intense facial expression. However, looks can be deceiving. Beneath her imposing frame and piercing glare, Hitomi-chan is a sweet first-year student who just wants to overcome her social anxiety and make some friends. Enter Usami Yuu, a second-year boy who is shorter than Hitomi but not put off by her intimidating looks. A friendship blossoms–and maybe more! Don’t miss this charming romcom between a scary-but-sweet girl and her smaller, loving senpai.



Tags: Tomboy , Heterosexual , School , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Female Protagonist , Athletics , Cosplay , Yuri

Koi wa Ameagari no You ni

Also known as After the Rain.

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

Akira Tachibana. 17 years old, high school junior. Akira, awkward when it comes to expressing her feelings, finds herself secretly falling for the manager of the family restaurant where she works, one Masami Kondo, age 45. The curtain rises on the small love story that begins to unfold between Akira, stuck standing on the crossroads of adolescence, and Kondo, at the turning point of his own life…



Notes:
- Includes the epilogue.
- The publishing rights of the manga got acquired by Shueisha on 2025, and the first volume of its Shinsouban got published on April 17th, 2025.

Tags: Age Gap , Work , Athletics , Writing , Female Protagonist , Seinen , School Club , Heterosexual , Unrequited Love , Restaurant , School , Tragedy

Do Chokkyuu Kareshi x Kanojo

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

Shinichi Honda is a student with no filter for his words or his actions. A first-year high school student, he is noble and kind but as blunt as a brick, tending to speak his mind with no hesitation. Attending the same school is Mako Wakamiya, a member of the public morals committee with an incredible sense of duty. From a distance, she appears to be cool and collected, but hidden in plain sight is the fact that she is a total klutz with a maiden's heart.

The first time Shinichi and Mako lock eyes, they are each wholeheartedly caught up in their own awkward situation. The brief moment when they pass by each other only leaves them dumbstruck at the other's strange appearance.

Months later, disaster strikes when Mako, on committee duty, must confiscate an adult manga from Shinichi. Hilarity ensues as Shinichi leads Mako on a thunderous chase all over the school. As the deafening pair happen to meet up more and more often, maybe there is hope that the two can get along?



Notes:
- Originally serialized in Comic REX, it was later discontinued and then acquired by Akita Shoten, restarting publication on their Manga Cross web platform on December 10, 2019. It was then moved to Monthly Shounen Champion on March 6, 2020.
- Includes 18 extra chapters.

Tags: School , Slapstick , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , School Club , Shounen , Athletics , Coming of Age , Fitness , Heterosexual , Love Triangle , 4-koma

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e: 2-nensei-hen

Also known as Classroom of the Elite: Year 2.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Thriller

Students of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School are given remarkable freedom–if they can win, barter, or save enough points to work their way up the ranks! Ayanokouji Kiyotaka started at the bottom in the scorned Class D, where he met Horikita Suzune, who was determined to rise up the ladder to Class A. Who can beat the system in a school where cutthroat competition is the name of the game? The second year of this intense school drama begins now!



Includes Volumes: 4.5, 9.5, 12.5
Included Chapters: 15 Prologues and 15 Epilogues.

Tags: School , Male Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Ensemble Cast , Boarding School , Philosophy , Conspiracy , Heterosexual , Coming of Age , Survival , Primarily Teen Cast , Battle Royale , Politics , Fugitive , Bullying , Revenge , Classic Literature , Delinquents , Card Battle , Orphan , Seinen , Torture , Martial Arts , Disability , Dissociative Identities , School Club , Athletics , Tsundere , Calligraphy , Love Triangle , Kuudere , Female Harem , Suicide , Yandere , Maids , Tragedy

Kengan Omega

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Sports

Sequel to Kengan Asura. Takes place 2 years after the tournament.

Tags: Martial Arts , Athletics , Ensemble Cast , Conspiracy , Male Protagonist , Boxing , Primarily Adult Cast , Wrestling , Assassins , Judo , Ninja , Clone

Suzuka

Also known as Suzuka.

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

Yamato is ready for a fresh start. So when his aunt invites him to stay rent-free in her big-city boarding house in hustling, bustling Tokyo, Yamato jumps at the chance. There’s just one teensy-weensy catch: It’s an all-girl housing complex and spa! Things get even more nerve-racking when Yamato meets his neighbor Suzuka, a beautiful track-and-field star. She’s not just the cutest girl Yamato’s ever met, she’s also the coolest, the smartest, and the most intimidating. Can an ordinary guy like Yamato ever hope to win over a girl like Suzuka?



Note: After story specials are included in Kimi no Iru Machi.

Tags: School , Heterosexual , Athletics , Tsundere , Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Shounen , Nudity

Asadora!

Also known as Asadora!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery

It's 2020 and Tokyo is on fire! A large, mysterious creature rampages through the city destroying everything in its path. Cut to 1959. We meet a spunky young girl, Asa. As one of 11 siblings, Asa is constantly forgotten. Most people can't even remember her name. So, when she is kidnapped for ransom (by a guy who mistakes her for a doctor's kid), no one bats an eye—not even when a typhoon hits! Now Asa and her kidnapper must work together to survive the brutal storm. But there's more to her kidnapper and this storm than meets the eye.



Tags: Kaiju , War , Time Skip , Aviation , Historical , Natural Disaster , Tragedy , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Drugs , Athletics

Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?

Also known as How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?.

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

Hibiki is a teenage girl who loves to eat, but when she notices her waistline expanding, she decides to check out the local gym. The gym is full of buff dudes…and Akemi, the student council president?! When Akemi tries to convince Hibiki to take up weight training, Hibiki resists–until she meets pretty boy trainer Machio. Now, Hibiki is willing to do whatever it takes to get fit!



Note: This manga is set in the same universe as Kengan Ashura and ST✰R: Strike it Rich.

Tags: Fitness , Athletics , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Educational , Meta , Tomboy , Surreal Comedy , Teacher , Primarily Teen Cast , Gyaru , Shounen , Tanned Skin , School , Parody , Time Manipulation