Top Basketball Anime Recommendations

CLANNAD

Also known as Clannad.

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Tomoya is a bitter, third year high school student. His mother passed away, causing his father to resort to alcohol and gambling. Tomoya is distant with his father and has become a delinquent in the years since his mother's death. Walking to school, he meets Nagisa Furukawa who is a year older but is repeating the grade due to illness. She is alone, as most of her friends have moved on. The two begin hanging out, and as time goes by, Tomoya finds his life shifting in a new direction.



Tags: School , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Family Life , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , School Club , Heterosexual , Ghost , Tragedy , Primarily Female Cast , Urban Fantasy , Amnesia , Slapstick , Female Protagonist , Gangs , Kuudere , Female Harem , Baseball , Tsundere , LGBTQ+ Themes , Twins , Basketball

Kuroko no Basket

Also known as Kuroko's Basketball.

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sports

Teikou Junior High School's basketball team is crowned champion three years in a row thanks to five outstanding players who, with their breathtaking and unique skills, leave opponents in despair and fans in admiration. However, after graduating, these teammates, known as "The Generation of Miracles", go their separate ways and now consider each other as rivals.

At Seirin High School, two newly recruited freshmen prove that they are not ordinary basketball players: Taiga Kagami, a promising player returning from the US, and Tetsuya Kuroko, a seemingly ordinary student whose lack of presence allows him to move around unnoticed. Although Kuroko is neither athletic nor able to score any points, he was a member of Teikou's basketball team, where he played as the "Phantom Sixth Man," who easily passed the ball and assisted his teammates.

Kuroko no Basket follows the journey of Seirin's players as they attempt to become the best Japanese high school team by winning the Interhigh Championship. To reach their goal, they have to cross pathways with several powerful teams, some of which have one of the five players with godlike abilities, whom Kuroko and Taiga make a pact to defeat.



Tags: Basketball , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Primarily Male Cast , School Club , School , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Tomboy , Super Power , Tanned Skin

Given

Also known as given.

Studio: Lerche
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Tightly clutching his Gibson guitar, Mafuyu Satou steps out of his dark apartment to begin another day of his high school life. While taking a nap in a quiet spot on the gymnasium staircase, he has a chance encounter with fellow student Ritsuka Uenoyama, who berates him for letting his guitar's strings rust and break. Noticing Uenoyama's knowledge of the instrument, Satou pleads for him to fix it and to teach him how to play. Uenoyama eventually agrees and invites him to sit in on a jam session with his two band mates: bassist Haruki Nakayama and drummer Akihiko Kaji.

Satou's voice is strikingly beautiful, filling Uenoyama with the determination to make Satou the lead singer of the band. Though reticent at first, Satou takes the offer after an emotional meeting with an old friend. With the support of his new friends, Satou must not only learn how to play guitar, but also come to terms with the mysterious circumstances that led him to be its owner.



Tags: Band , Boys' Love , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Tragedy , Suicide , Rehabilitation , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , School , Urban , Josei , Bisexual , Rock Music , Ensemble Cast , CGI , Basketball

Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san

Also known as Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

The ultimate "heartthrob girlfriend" appears! Naturally unlucky high school student Izumi's girlfriend is his classmate Shikimori. She has a beautiful smile and kind personality and always seems happy when she's with Izumi. She's a pretty, cute, and loving girlfriend, but when Izumi's in trouble… she transforms into a super cool "heartthrob girlfriend!" The fun lives of the cute and cool Shikimori, Izumi, and their good friends never end!



Tags: Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Iyashikei , Tomboy , School , Episodic , Coming of Age , Athletics , Kuudere , Tsundere , Shounen , Meta , Basketball , Gender Bending , Love Triangle , Football , Martial Arts

Kuroko no Basket 2nd SEASON

Also known as Kuroko's Basketball 2.

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sports

With the Interhigh Championship finally over, Seirin's basketball team refocuses their efforts, training harder than ever to get the chance to participate in the Winter Cup. Both Kuroko and Kagami see old friends walk back into their lives, providing a challenge both on and off the court.

As new skills are developed and new alliances created, enemies from various teams—giants of high school basketball such as Yousen, Shuutoku and Touou—stand in the way of Seirin's steadfast attempts to get to the top. All of these schools prove to be formidable foes whose abilities progress exponentially, while Kuroko struggles to find a balance between his resolve to play as part of a team and his desire to win.

With old wounds reopening, new challenges to face on the court, and a new set of foes—the "Uncrowned Kings"—vowing to defeat the new hopefuls, will Seirin ever be able to achieve their dream of beating the Generation of Miracles?



Tags: Basketball , Primarily Teen Cast , Shounen , School Club , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , Dissociative Identities , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Coming of Age , Kuudere , Tomboy , School , Found Family , Tanned Skin , Nudity , CGI , Love Triangle

Kuroko no Basket 3rd SEASON

Also known as Kuroko's Basketball 3.

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sports

Following their triumph against Yousen High, Seirin's basketball team has reached the semifinals of the Winter Cup along with Kaijou, Rakuzan, and Shuutoku. Each of these teams possesses a member of the Generation of Miracles, and Seirin prepares to face the largest obstacles on their path to winning the Winter Cup.

In the final season of Kuroko no Basket, Kuroko goes head-to-head with his old teammates once more as he attempts to show them that individual skill is not the only way to play basketball. His firm belief that his form of basketball, team play, is the right way to play the sport will clash with the talents of a perfect copy and an absolute authority.

While Kuroko tries to prove that his basketball is "right," he and the rest of Seirin High ultimately have one goal: to win the Winter Cup and overcome the strength of the Generation of Miracles, who have long dominated the scene of middle and high school basketball.



Tags: Basketball , School Club , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Shounen , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Super Power , Dissociative Identities , Tomboy , Disability , Found Family , Tanned Skin , Tragedy

Shiguang Dailiren

Also known as Link Click.

Studio: Studio LAN
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Supernatural , Thriller

In a corner of a bustling city, there is a small shop called "Time Photo Studio" operating as usual. Although the entrance looks abandoned, it's actually run by two men with special abilities: Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang. In order to fulfil customers' requests, Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi work together and use their special abilities to enter photos. However, things don't go as planned...



Note: The final episode aired with a runtime of ~31 minutes.

Tags: Time Manipulation , Body Swapping , Super Power , Photography , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Crime , Episodic , Urban Fantasy , Memory Manipulation , Urban , Suicide , Family Life , Police , College , Office Lady , School , Basketball , Office

Hanamonogatari

Also known as Hanamonogatari.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

Second season of the Monogatari Series, part 2/2. Contains the arc Suruga Devil from the Hanamonogatari light novel.

Now that Koyomi Araragi and Hitagi Senjougahara have graduated, few familiar faces remain at Naoetsu Private High School. One of them is Suruga Kanbaru, holder of the Monkey's Paw. When she begins to hear talk of a mysterious being known as the "Devil," who will magically solve any problem, she immediately thinks these rumors are about her and decides to investigate.

Kanbaru discovers the Devil is actually Rouka Numachi, a former rival who provides free advice to those who seek her out now that she can no longer play basketball due to a leg injury. As a collector of misfortune, Numachi enjoys relieving her clients' stress by giving them false hope. Though Kanbaru sees no real harm being done, she reprimands Rouka for lying and heads home, relieved she is not the cause of the rumors. But the next morning, when she finds that her left hand has reverted back to its original form, she may have a reason to worry after all.

Tags: Coming of Age , Ghost , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Tomboy , Philosophy , Meta , Basketball , Primarily Female Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes , Suicide , Achronological Order , Primarily Teen Cast , Body Horror , School , Gender Bending , Nudity

Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi

Also known as My Senpai is Annoying.

Studio: Doga Kobo
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Being seen as a full-fledged business woman isn’t easy for Futaba Igarashi when her senpai, Harumi, treats her like a kid. Days for her are never typical, at work or outside of it, with all the antics going on in her life. As mishaps ensue, she’ll find herself growing closer with her loudmouth senpai. Maybe Futaba feels more than she lets on, but one thing’s for sure: she’s still annoyed!



Tags: Office Lady , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Work , Office , Tsundere , Heterosexual , Josei , Tomboy , Age Gap , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Tanned Skin , Ensemble Cast , Urban , Basketball , Video Games , Cosplay

Kamisama ni Natta Hi

Also known as The Day I Became a God.

Studio: P.A. Works
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Youta Narukami is a student focused only on his college entrance exams. During his last summer break of high school, he is approached by a girl named Hina who says she is the god of omniscience. She tells him that in thirty days, the world will end. At first Youta doesn't believe her, but after she demonstrates supernatural predictive abilities, he becomes convinced her power is genuine. Hina, meanwhile, decides for some reason to stay at his house, and they begin a tumultuous vacation facing the end of the world together.



Note: The first episode received an early screening on October 3rd, 2020. The regular TV broadcast started on October 11th, 2020.

Tags: Disability , Gods , Tragedy , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Slapstick , Urban Fantasy , Coming of Age , Rehabilitation , Filmmaking , Love Triangle , Time Skip , Kuudere , Acting , Mahjong , Baseball , Video Games , Episodic , Basketball , Cosmic Horror , Tsundere

NOBLESSE

Also known as Noblesse.

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Supernatural

For 820 years he had slumbered with no knowledge of mankind's advancement and scientific progress. The land which he once knew has become an unfamiliar place with new technology, attitudes, and lifestyles. Upon awakening, Cadis Etrama Di Raizel (aka Rai), seeks to familiarize himself with this era. He locates a loyal servant of his, Frankenstein, who is currently the principal of a South Korean High School. Rai decides that this school is the perfect place to help him learn about the modern world, enrolls, and begins associating with a group of good-natured students in order to 'blend in'. But this new world is no safer than the old; and the dignified, bewildered, technologically inept Rai finds himself embroiled in adventures both ridiculous and dangerous.

Tags: Urban Fantasy , War , Super Power , Vampire , Shounen , Time Skip , School , Ensemble Cast , Werewolf , Memory Manipulation , Cult , Assassins , College , Basketball , Male Protagonist

Kuroko no Basket: Last Game

Also known as Kuroko's Basketball: Last Game.

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sports

An animated film adaptation of the Kuroko no Basket: Extra Game manga.
An American street basketball team called Jabberwock comes to Japan and plays a friendly match with a Japanese team, but after the Japanese team suffers a crushing defeat, the team members of Jabberwock start mocking Japanese basketball. Their comments enrage Riko's father, and so he gathers a team made up of the five members of the Generation of Miracles plus Kuroko and Kagami, called Vorpal Swords, to have a revenge match against Jabberwock.



Tags: Basketball , Shounen , Athletics , Male Protagonist , Super Power , School , Primarily Male Cast , Kuudere , Tomboy , Tanned Skin , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Dissociative Identities

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko

Also known as Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Makoto Niwa just moved to the city to live with his aunt Meme after his parents were reassigned to work overseas. He is perfectly fine with that, saying it will give him the chance to live the dream life of an adolescent boy. He keeps track of the things he does by assigning "points" to them—positive or negative—and adds them up on a regular basis to grade his adolescent life.

And then he discovers Meme has a secret daughter (and self-proclaimed alien) named Erio. He finds her rolling around by the front door of Meme's house wrapped up in a futon. It is then he realizes that his dream adolescent life will not come true, and begins a life of experiences that are out of this world.



Tags: Denpa , Chuunibyou , Coastal , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Rehabilitation , Aliens , Coming of Age , Primarily Female Cast , Baseball , Philosophy , Meta , Incest , Parody , Family Life , School , Memory Manipulation , Amnesia , Female Harem , Hikikomori , CGI , Chibi , Basketball

Black★Rock Shooter (TV)

Also known as Black Rock Shooter.

Studio: Ordet , SANZIGEN
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Psychological , Slice of Life

It isn't the world you know. There wanders a girl with jet-black hair, ebony clothes, and a strikingly blue, glowing eye. Her name is Black★Rock Shooter. With a huge cannon in hand, she throws herself into a fierce battle...

Meanwhile, in another world, middle-school student Mato Kuroi is drawn to Yomi Takanashi, her classmate with an unusual family name. Mato does her best to talk to Yomi, who just won't open up. Yu Koutari mocks her best friend Mato's efforts but at the same time, supports her. Mato also finds herself surrounded by other colorful characters at school, like the eccentric school counselor, Saya Irino, and the hot-blooded captain of her club club, Arata Kohata.

Then, one day, the window of opportunity opens. After Mato sees that Yomi has her favorite picture book, "Li'l Birds At Play", they strike up a conversation and Mato is invited to come over to Yomi's house. There, they gradually break the ice, until a girl in a wheelchair appears. This is Yomi's best friend, Kagari Izuriha...

Two worlds. Mato and Black★Rock Shooter. This is the story of their "pain".



Tags: Primarily Female Cast , Alternate Universe , School , Urban Fantasy , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , CGI , Body Swapping , Rehabilitation , Tragedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Guns , Crossover , LGBTQ+ Themes , Reincarnation , Gore , Basketball , Nudity

Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu 2nd Season

Also known as The Dangers in My Heart Season 2.

Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

The second season of Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu.

After an eventful winter break, Kyoutarou Ichikawa and Anna Yamada reunite with a stronger bond. They continue to grow in their own ways, with Yamada taking on more challenging photoshoots and Ichikawa maturing both physically and emotionally as he tackles his affections for Yamada. However, spending time together outside of school allows for their relationship to deepen, and it becomes increasingly difficult to deny their budding romantic feelings.

Grappling with these unexpected and new emotions, Ichikawa and Yamada realize that, with the passage of time, their relationship is bound to change—and they must ultimately decide whether they wish to remain close friends or finally become a couple.



Tags: School , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Chuunibyou , Urban , Tsundere , Shounen , Food , Slapstick , Basketball

SLAM DUNK

Also known as Slam Dunk.

Studio: Toei Animation
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Slice of Life , Sports

Hanamichi Sakuragi, an entering Shohoku high school freshman holds a record for being rejected by 50 girls during middle school. His nearly 2 meters height and bright red hair causes most students to write him off as a delinquent.

One day, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches Hanamichi without any fear. When she asks Hanamichi: "do you like basketball?" Hanamichi falls head over heels for the girl of his dreams. Without missing a beat, Hanamichi tells her he loves basketball, and the two head to the gymnasium where Hanamichi learns about the slam dunk. He also learns of Rukawa, one of the country’s top basketball prospects, also a freshman at Shohoku.



Tags: Basketball , Shounen , School , Educational , Primarily Male Cast , Male Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Delinquents

Ao no Hako

Also known as Blue Box.

Studio: Telecom Animation Film
Status: Releasing
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 is streaming a week in advance on Netflix Japan starting with episode 2 released alongside episode 1.

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

Ahiru no Sora

Also known as Ahiru no Sora.

Studio: diomedéa
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Sports

He may be short in stature, but Sora Kurumatani can soar and score on the basketball court! With a passion for the sport he inherited from his mother, Sora vows to her that he’ll take top prize at a high school basketball tournament… but there’s one problem. His new school’s basketball club has turned into a hangout for delinquents! Will Sora’s sheer tenacity and amazing three-point shooting change their minds and get the club up and running again?



Tags: Basketball , School Club , Primarily Male Cast , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , School , Shounen , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Delinquents , Bullying , Twins

ef: a tale of memories.

Also known as ef ~ A Tale of Memories.

Studio: Shaft
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Romance

On Christmas Eve, Hiro Hirono's bike is stolen by a girl chasing a thief who stole her purse. He gives chase and finds her unconscious and his bike ruined. The girl, Miyako Miyamura, soon awakes and the two begin to talk. After making sure she is okay, they end up spending Christmas Eve together. Later, Hiro finds out Miyako attends the same school as him and they begin to spend more and more time together, Miyako developing affections for Hiro. Kei Shindou -- Hiro's childhood friend who has long held a crush on him -- begins to become jealous and a love triangle follows.

The series also tells the story of Renji Asou. One day, he meets Chihiro Shindou, the twin sister of Kei Shindou, at an abandoned train station. Even though she's very shy, they get along pretty well and begin meeting at the same spot everyday. However, Renji finds out that Chihiro was in a car accident years ago and as a consequence she suffers from a disability: her memory lasts only 13 hours. Nevertheless, after learning that Chihiro's dream is to write a novel, Renji finally decides to help her fulfill her dream while also trying to make her overcome the difficulties imposed by her condition.

Tags: Amnesia , Writing , Love Triangle , Heterosexual , Twins , Denpa , Rehabilitation , Photography , Philosophy , Ghost , Primarily Female Cast , Drawing , Basketball , Snowscape , Female Harem

true tears

Also known as True Tears.

Studio: P.A. Works
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Shinichiro is a student living in what would be a dream come true for most high school boys, but for him is mostly a frustration. A well liked girl in school named Hiromi has lived in his house for a year along with his family. Her father was a close friend of the family, and when he died they immediately took her in. She is popular and well liked, always smiles, is talented in sports- but Shinichiro knows there must be tears inside her. Having an artistic tendency, he makes watercolours of her and thinks about wishing to ease her tears. Yet he cannot bring up the nerve to talk to her even in his own home. She, too, is quiet and withdrawn in their house, quite unlike at school. Shinichiro is also distracted by teasing from his friend Nobuse for watching Hiromi from afar, a curse of bad luck from a strange girl named Noe, and being forced to perform Muhiga dancing. By helping Noe he hopes to ease his own problems, yet he seems to have difficulty helping himself.



Tags: Love Triangle , School , Heterosexual , Drawing , Basketball , Suicide , Dancing