Heading outside? Staying indoors? Summertime is here, and whether you’re going out or staying in, ’tis the season for summertime sports!
Today, we’re taking a look at some of the hottest and coolest sports anime on Funimation. From tennis and water polo to skateboarding and rugby, sports anime gives us the intense drama and trials as a team player while keeping us in the loop with all things competitive.
Keeping score? If you need a change of pace, then we’ve got the sports anime just for you.
RE-MAIN
The newest title on this list, RE-MAIN arrives from the incredible studio MAPPA, and is a story all about rekindling the love for a sport: water polo.
What makes us want to retry something we thought we’d never pick up again? RE-MAIN reminds us that sometimes it’s worth giving things a second chance. As if water polo couldn’t get any cooler.
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The series centers around high schooler Minato Kiyomizu, who quits water polo after an incident in junior high and losing his memories. Upon entering high school and learning about a past promise, Minato is set on picking it up again and setting out to be a part of the ultimate water polo team.
Watch RE-MAIN on Funimation!
Stars Align
An anime with heart and tennis, Stars Align brings together two old friends as they push through the trials and tribulations of competing, while also learning just how important it is for friends to be there when no one else is.
Following the soft tennis club’s desperate attempts to find new players, Toma Shinjo begins recruiting new students to bring talent to their club, threatened with the school’s decision to close clubs with low attendance and poor performance.
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Enter Maki Katsuragi, new student and Toma’s old friend, who proves he has the skills and movement the club needs. Oh, and he does this while attempting to catch a stray cat.
Initially unwilling to buy into school activities, Maki joins the club on one condition: he gets paid. What ensues is the perfect summer story of drama, friendship and the power of teamwork.
Watch Stars Align on Funimation!
SK8 the Infinity
Ah, summer: The perfect time to grab your board, feel the wind in your hair, and bomb down a huge mountain. SK8 the Infinity brings underground skateboarding to new heights!
What happens when a snowboarder picks up a skateboard for the first time? Fish out of water. SK8 the Infinity follows Reki and Langa (aforementioned snowboarder) as they climb the ranks of “S,” the underground skating competition that might prove to be a bit more dangerous than it’s worth.
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Like classic skate films, this series is all about the love of skating and what makes friendship so important. It’s a series that leans on its engaging characters to tell a sports story with plenty of diverse dynamics.
Watch SK8 the Infinity only on Funimation!
number24
Relearning and readjusting after a traumatic accident can prove to be difficult, especially when it makes you give up the thing you love most. In number24, Natsusa learns what that means as he balances life with and without rugby.
Unable to play the sport himself, Natsusa takes on the role of team manager and trainer. While this news surprises the club, he’s determined to remain in the world of rugby with his friends. He’s out to prove he can still be an important part, even when he can’t play.
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But he’s got his work cut out for him, and is aiming for a league title. Though, he can’t do it without star player Ibuki Ueoka, who recently quit. It’s up to Natsusa and the team to get him back and triumph in the Kansai University League.
Watch number24 on Funimation!
Yowamushi Pedal
Athletic ability isn’t something that comes to all of us naturally, and it can certainly be hidden for some who don’t have the right encouragement. Maybe it’s just a hobby! It can be hard to find our place and friends with the same interests.
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Enter the bicycle racing club. When Sakamichi Onoda starts high school, he finds himself without friends. Honestly, he just wanted to join an anime club, though it disbanded due to low interest.
One day, while taking a ride on his bicycle, he catches the eye of Shunsuke Imaizumi. From there, Sakamichi joins the club, and the rest is history. OK, the rest is Yowamushi Pedal.
Watch Yowamushi Pedal on Funimation!
Skate-Leading Stars
OK, so maybe this one isn’t a summer sport, but it’s still worth calling out! One of the most integral parts of sports anime is how it depicts competition and the way a story digs into the relationships built around this theme.
In Skate-Leading Stars, we meet Kensei Maeshima, who just wanted his rival to acknowledge his existence, and for him to see that he was a worthy opponent in the world of skating.
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The story follows Maeshima’s journey from a young boy who loses to Reo Shinozaki (the would-be rival) to a high schooler ready to take on his past and make a comeback in skate-leading. Of course, he’ll need the help of his high school skate-leading club, including Hayato Sasugai, Shinozaki’s half-brother.
Watch Skate-Leading Stars on Funimation!
And that’s just a sampling of the incredible sports anime journeys available on Funimation. Didn’t see a favorite on the list? Share this post and let us know! And stay tuned to Funimation for the latest news on all things anime, this season and beyond.
