There are so many sports manga that celebrate all different kinds of sports from more popular ones like basketball or soccer to more niche sports like climbing and rollerblading. This list includes everything from well-known to underrated sports manga, ensuring that there’s something for everyone. I’ve often found that some people are hesitant to get into sports manga because they often think they have to be a fan of that sport to enjoy the series.
I have found, though, that whether or not I’m a fan of the sport a manga is about, I can still enjoy the series, and sometimes they get me into a sport even when the sport itself can’t do so. With strong dynamics and interesting personalities, adrenaline-inducing action, and inspirational moments, sports manga is one of my favorite genres to read.
I have everything from basketball manga to martial arts manga on this list, so hopefully, there’s something for everyone. But, as mentioned above, sports manga is something I feel everyone can enjoy, even if you aren’t a fan of sports! I strongly believe there is a sports manga for everyone, you just have to find out which one(s) that is!
That all being said, here are the best sports manga you need to check out now!
Blue Lock by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura
In the world of sports manga, soccer manga has flown relatively under the radar. That is until now, with new sports manga like Blue Lock entering the scene. The hype is real for this series, and rightfully so, because it’s not just a unique take for a football or soccer manga, but it’s a unique stand-out in sports manga as a whole. Not only does it focus on one position of the sport, but it takes a different approach from any other I’ve read before.
Blue Lock follows 300 of the best strikers in Japan as they take on the experimental program, Blue Lock, which is designed to create the ultimate striker that’ll lead Japan to win their first-ever World Cup. It’s like this survival of the fittest, an almost prison-like setting where they are faced with various obstacles and challenges. They are ranked from the very start based on their abilities and while this creates animosity between some of the players, it also fosters growth in our characters by pushing them to be better.
When it comes down to it, Blue Lock is entertaining. The way the motion and auras of these players are conveyed through the art is unparalleled. It makes the sport look cool, but I also feel the way that it is drawn is accurate as well in regards to the movements of the players and their moves. It’s thrilling and adrenaline-inducing, but it’s also touching at times as well as you see these players pool together to navigate this survival of the fittest setting, while at the same discovering their reasons for playing the sport and further honing their techniques.
The Boxer by JH
The Boxer is a sports manhwa with a dark tone, much like another series on this list, Holyland, so it highlights the struggles that come with being a boxer more so than most, but it also delves into deeper topics about life and dives into what it means to be human as well.
The story of The Boxer starts with Coach K, a legendary boxing coach known for training multiple boxing champions, who stumbles across our main character, Yu, as he is repeatedly punched in the face in an alley by some school bullies. At the beginning of the story, Yu is so apathetic that he can’t even be bothered to dodge punches or stick up for himself, even though he’s more than capable of doing so. However, K sees something within him and offers to train him if he’s interested.
Due to incidents at school, he ends up putting the school’s strongest fighter in the hospital with a single punch. After that, he decides to take Coach K up on his offer to train him, and essentially, his life changes forever. He comes across new obstacles and opponents along the way and we get a glimpse into these characters’ backstories, which adds even more interest to this story.
The Boxer is a beautiful series with well-developed characters, but the fights in this one are exciting also. On Yu’s journey to become the world’s greatest professional boxer, he fights various opponents with unique fighting styles that make for a thrilling read throughout.
The Boxer, Volume 1 Review with Inside Look
Giant Killing by Masaya Tsunamoto and Tsujitomo
Giant Killing by Masaya Tsunamoto and Tsujitomo is a soccer manga that takes a different approach. The main character in this story isn’t one of the players but is instead Takeshi Tatsumi, the team’s coach. More specifically, he’s a 35-year-old ex-football player, who moved to England to coach before being called back to Japan to coach the team he used to play for.
Tatsumi’s favorite pastime is giant killing, where he takes an underdog amateur team and coaches them to victory against premier teams. If you love underdog stories, you are going to love Giant Killing.
Tatsumi is a guy with unconventional ideas, so he keeps things interesting. As someone who grew up playing soccer, I also have to say it’s refreshing to see a coach like Tatsumi who works with his players to further hone and sharpen their talents. When you first meet the players of the ETU, they are scattered, lack direction, and feel defeated. But this all changes when Tatsumi comes in and you see them all come into their own. A lot of series will focus on the battles the teams have to overcome, but Giant Killing delves into the individual struggles each player has to overcome as well.
What’s interesting about this story to is that it follows the underdog team. There’s nothing quite as exciting in sports as an upset, and watching this team slay giants that are said to be more talented than they are, is rewarding, to say the least.
Ao Ashi by Yugo Kobayashi & Naohiko Ueno
If you are looking for a soccer manga that is realistic but still entertaining, look no further than Ao Ashi. Everything the players learn, experience, and overcome in this manga is very accurate down to the drills, the games, the strategies, and the injuries.
But what is Ao Ashi about? Ao Ashi follows Ashito Aoi, a third-year in middle school, who meets a J Youth League coach named Tatsuya Fukuda. Even though he’s still a diamond in the rough, Coach Fukuda notices his potential and invites him to try out for his team in Tokyo. But there are twists along the way that make the story in this one even more amazing.
The MC in this story isn’t overpowered either. Instead, he’s the type that has to constantly practice and work extremely hard to improve himself as a player. As a result, he’s someone many people, including myself, can relate to. Ao Ashi invests you in its story from the get-go and it’s one of the best football/soccer manga released to date. It’s one of the most underrated sports manga right now, but I hope this changes when its anime releases in April 2022.
Kuroko’s Basketball by Tadatoshi Fujimaki
Kuroko’s Basketball by Tadatoshi Fujimaki is sometimes criticized for being too unrealistic, but this is actually what I love so much about it. If you go in knowing that Kuroko’s Basketball tends to be flashy and exaggerate things, you will enjoy it much more. For me, it only adds to the series’ charm, because these seemingly out-of-these-world plays, dunks, and abilities, make Kuroko’s Basketball an interesting read.
In this story, there’s a group of basketball prodigies called the “Generation of Miracles” that have these almost superpower-like abilities. They aren’t inhuman, but it feels like they are when you watch them play. Later on, you find out that there was a phantom sixth man on the team, who just so happens to be our main character Kuroko. He decides to leave the team and join another to prove that he can stand apart on his own. That being said, Kuroko’s Basketball is a sports manga with an overpowered main character.
You’re left on the edge of your seat time and time again while reading this manga because you never know what incredible feat someone is going to perform next. As with many sports manga, Kuroko’s Basketball has a great sense of humor but it also has a lot of action-packed scenes as well. It’s a well-rounded series with a premise and characters that are anything but ordinary, and this makes it one of the most entertaining sports manga to release to date.
Initial D by Shuichi Shigeno
Initial D debuted in the 90s, and to this day, it still reigns supreme as the best racing manga released to date. The story follows Takumi Fujiwara, an 18-year-old who helps out his father at his tofu shop by making deliveries. Every morning he heads out to Mt. Akina in his Dad’s AE86 to do so.
Because of this daily routine, he has gained skills in mountain racing and drifting which were further honed day after day while driving to make a delivery at its summit. Takumi’s daily life begins to change though when Mt. Akagi’s Akagi RedSuns come into town to challenge the local team, the Akina SpeedStars. Also be on the lookout for Initial D‘s sequel MF Ghost, which is getting an anime adaptation in 2023!
Takumi is a thrilling driver to watch because he thinks out of the box and quickly adapts to any and every situation or challenge. The races are also entertaining and exhilarating, not just because of Takumi but because of the opponents he comes across as well. Each with their unique style of driving, every race feels fresh and the bar is constantly being raised. The races unfold in a way that makes them unexpected and exciting and the cars, whether they are in motion or not, are beautifully drawn.
Whether you are into cars or not, Initial D is a fantastic read. It’s one of my favorite manga to ever release and it’s an absolute classic through and through. Initial D was first released with an English translation by Tokyopop, but they only released 32 volumes of the series and the volumes are now out of print. Luckily, Kodansha announced that they are releasing Initial D omnibuses in the Spring of 2024, so we will be able to collect the series again soon!
Real by Takehiko Inoue
Takehiko Inoue impresses once again in the sports manga category with Real, an ongoing seinen manga about wheelchair basketball. While other sports series focus more so on the games, Real‘s focus is on its characters; All three of which have been in terrible accidents or have had health issues that left them disabled.
The main characters each have faults of their own—one, for instance, caused an accident that ruined the life of a fellow student—but they aspire to become better, and you see them grow throughout the series. These life-changing events change their perspective and they bond through the sport of basketball.
The art is beautiful, intricate, and highly detailed, which is something I’ve come to expect from Takehiko Inoue. Out of all the sports manga I’ve ever read, Real has the most realistic and best art I’ve seen. The way he captures and conveys the emotions of the characters is beyond anything I’ve seen before. You feel these characters’ struggles and, in turn, connect with them as they work to become better people and rediscover their purpose in life through their passion for basketball.
Cheeky Brat by Mitsubachi Miyuki
When one thinks about sports or basketball manga, they don’t usually think of shojo or romance, but Cheeky Brat is such a good read that it warrants a spot on this list. It’s one of the best sports manga with romance added to its story as well. It’s a unique offering in a sea of more action-based series, which I love, but there are some occasions where I just want something a bit different, and Cheeky Brat offers just that with its unique spin.
The whole setup of the story is different than your average sports manga. Shou Naruse, a basketball player, takes an interest in the manager of the Basketball Club, Yuki Machida. Despite her cold nature and the fact that she continuously pushes off his advances, Naruse continues to try to win her favor. Basketball isn’t just a backdrop in this series; It is quite forefront in the story. The main characters bond over the sport and their time together on the court.
You have all of those great team-building, motivational moments, and trials that have to be overcome that are common to sports manga, but a romantic relationship develops in this story as well. It didn’t feel fully like a shojo, but it also didn’t feel fully like a sports manga either, and it melded the two seemingly different genres together in a way that made them feel synonymous.
If you enjoyed Cheeky Brat, you’ll probably also enjoy Blue Box by Kouji Miura, which is getting an English-translated release in 2022.
Haikyuu!! by Haruichi Furudate
Haikyuu!! by Haruichi Furudate is the best volleyball manga, but it’s also one of the best sports manga to release so far. Not just because of its characters, but also because it emotionally invests you in its story. Few sports manga have made me feel as much as Haikyuu!!. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and feel victorious but also feel defeated at times as well; Everything an athlete could feel, you’ll feel too while reading Haikyuu!!.
The character development in Haikyuu!! is expertly done as well. Haruichi Furudate gave every character their moment or moments to shine and you feel connected to them all as a result. The dynamics between the teams as well as the players are also interesting. You have some players who have joined new teams, so what was once their rivals are now their teammates, and this adds even more interest to the story.
Haikyuu!! is one that I feel is a great gateway manga for fans who aren’t typically into sports but are looking to explore the world of sports manga, but it’s also one that die-hard fans of volleyball will love as well!
Eyeshield 21 by Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata
When I heard there was an American football manga written by Dr. Stone‘s Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by One Punch Man‘s Yusuke Murata, I knew I had to get it. It’s a 37-volume series that has a perfect balance of action and comedy, which makes it as inspiring as it is funny. On top of all that, it is an underdog story, which always tends to capture my heart, but none have captured my heart quite as much as Eyeshield 21 and its MC Sena Kobayakawa.
The story follows Sena Kobayakawa, a student at Deimon Private High School who’s a target for bullies. One day, he angers them, but he manages to get away from them thanks to his quick speed. This is all witnessed by the quarterback of the Deimon Devil Bats football team and one of the stars of this story, Youichi Hiruma. He recruits Sena to be the team’s running back, but he ends up becoming much more than that—their secret weapon.
You have Riichiro Inagaki’s masterful storytelling, which is brought even further to life in the panels by Yusuke Murata’s art. He is a master at perspective and that is very present here in Eyeshield 21. But where this story shines is its characters, which have unique and colorful personalities, and the team dynamics. It’s one of the best sports manga released to date and it’s well worth the read whether you are a fan of American football or not!
The Climber by Shinichi Sakamoto
Shinichi Sakamoto is a manga creator that never ceases to amaze me whether it be through his work on The Climber or on his others, like Innocent and Innocent Rouge. Unfortunately, as of now, The Climber has yet to be translated into English, but it has been translated into many different languages from French to Italian.
In my opinion, The Climber is one of the best sports manga let alone the best manga of all time. Not only does it highlight a sport that’s not commonly touched on in manga, climbing but more specifically free solo climbing and later on alpine climbing, it’s also done in a way that feels relatable even though the main character is doing these larger-than-life things many of us could hardly fathom doing.
The Climber follows Mori, a guy who likes to keep to himself, who discovers he has a passion for climbing one day when his classmates egg him on to climb the side of the school’s building. He scales the side of the wall with ease and is a natural talent. We also discover he’s quite fearless because he does so without a harness on. But he catches the bug for climbing nonetheless and it awakens something within him and he finds a purpose.
Of course, nothing is ever this simple though, because this manga is very psychological as well. Mori won’t just have to overcome the physical mountains that stand before him, but the ones that are in his mind also, and this is very relatable.
The story is conveyed a lot through the art, particularly later on in the story because there’s quite a bit of dialogue early on, but with art as beautiful as what’s seen in The Climber one can hardly complain. The panels are breathtaking, with some of the best manga panels I’ve ever seen in manga, and they invoke an emotional response when viewing them. In turn, they hone in on how these moments must feel to Mori as well. Everything about it is just so well done and beautifully executed.
The Summit of the Gods by Baku Yumemakura and Jiro Taniguchi
The Summit of the Gods is based on the novel of the same name by Baku Yumemakura and it shines the light on alpinism or mountain climbing. I recently watched a movie called The Alpinist, where the dangers, as well as the beauty of the sport, were highlighted. You get to see the passion these individuals have as well, even more so than most given that they are willing to lay their life on the line to do what they love. This is all extremely well-represented in The Summit of the Gods.
While the series is about alpinism, it’s more so about the love these climbers have for the sport, the allure of the mountains, and being one with nature. George Mallory and Andrew Irvine were the first to try and climb Mount Everest, but they disappeared, so whether or not they reached the summit is still unknown. The story of The Summit of the Gods picks up in 1993 with a photographer named Makoto Fukamichi, who believes he’s stumbled upon Mallory’s camera at an antique store. The camera falls out of his possession though to a man that may be Jouji Habu, a retired legendary mountaineer.
With his curiosity peaked, Fukamichi investigates Habu’s past, which leads him to the greatest height in the world—the summit of the gods. The Summit of the Gods is full of mystery and intrigue, making it a unique stand-out in the sports category. It’s unlike any other sports manga I’ve read being that it takes a more realistic approach than most, but it still has all of the elements that make a truly great sports manga.
Air Gear by Oh! Great
Air Gear is an anomaly in the world of sports manga. While not rooted in reality by any means, Air Gear highlights the sport of rollerblading in an over-the-top, absurd in the best way possible type of way, so while it’s not necessarily an accurate representation of the sport, it’s an exciting read that takes rollerblading to a whole new level with the introduction of futuristic motorized rollerblades called Air Treks.
This, of course, begs the question as to whether or not Air Gear is actually a sports manga, but I think that it is at its core. There are a lot of series that exaggerate a sport or the players’ abilities to play said sport to make it feel larger-than-life, and I think Air Gear is just an advanced representation of this.
The competitions in this series are adrenaline-inducing, as you watch the characters perform gravity-defying stunts and overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. The aggressive nature of the competitions makes this one feel a lot like a battle shonen at times too. Plus, it’s an ecchi manga as well, making it one of the best action ecchi manga you can read, so it has a little bit of something for everyone!
If you are familiar with Oh! Great’s other works, such as Tenjou Tenge and Bakemonogatari, you probably already know by now that he is an incredible artist. The premise of Air Gear is enticing, but it’s the art that truly sets this one apart. Much like Kengan Ashura or Blue Lock, the character’s strength and abilities are conveyed through abstract forms, which make it an, even more, compelling read. Not to mention it’s one of those cheesy, action-packed series you just can’t help but love.
A lot of the individual volumes of Air Gear are out of print, but some are still available for purchase on select sites while supplies last. Some of the omnibuses are also available for purchase on their site as well. That being said, it is extremely hard to find most of the volumes, so it may be quicker and more cost-effective to buy the full set on sites like eBay.
Yowamushi Pedal by Wataru Watanabe
Yowamushi Pedal by Wataru Watanabe follows our unassuming main character and major otaku Sakamichi Onoda, who has been biking 90 kilometers a day back and forth to Akihabara on a “mommy bike” since he was in the fourth grade. One day, the school’s cycling prodigy, Shunsuke Imaizumi, sees Sakamichi climbing the school’s challenging rear slope. Afterward, Shunsuke challenges Sakamichi to a race to see his cycling skills firsthand. Sakamichi slowly starts gaining interest in the world of competitive cycling and eventually joins the school’s cycling club.
Yowamushi Pedal is unique for a sports manga for a few reasons. The main character Sakamichi is not a fan of school sports and has apprehensions about jocks and what it means to be in an athletic club from the start. Sakamichi also has an incredible natural talent for cycling that everyone can see but himself. The story is set up in a way that reminds me a lot of Initial D, where our MC becomes good at a sport through their everyday lives and isn’t interested in competing competitively, at least at the start. You also never know who’s going to win a race, which is unique for a sports manga, especially a Shonen sports manga.
Yowamushi Pedal’s creator, Wataru Watanabe, is an avid fan of cycling and his passion for the sport is clear in the way he writes. That being said, whether you’re a fan of cycling or not, Yowamushi Pedal is sure to captivate you, give you a fresh perspective on cycling, and take you on an exhilarating ride!
Wind Breaker by Yongseok Jo
Wind Breaker by Yongseok Jo is one of my favorite sports manhwa. The story is about Jay, a straight-A student and the student council president who comes from a family of doctors. They teach him that all that matters is excelling at school, but he wants something more… He discovers a love for cycling and joins his school’s biking team, the Hummingbird Crew, where he grows not only as a cyclist but as an individual as well.
Wind Breaker is a series that is thrilling and adrenaline-inducing, but it’s funny also. It has a great balance of action and comedy, which prevents it from being one-note. The series also does an incredible job of highlighting the dilemma that many of us face in our lives: Do we do what we love or what’s expected of us? With a protagonist that develops incredibly throughout the chapters and a relatable message, Wind Breaker connects with me more than other sports manhwa or manga. If you are into streetwear, like me, you’ll enjoy the outfits the characters wear in this series too.
I love Wind Breaker for very similar reasons to Initial D (though it’s not a mere copy), which is one of my favorite sports/racing manga of all time. It has a similar premise, where an untapped talent gets pulled into a world of competition. Both become drawn to the thrill of racing and enjoy the adrenaline they feel during competition. They also connect with others who have the same passions they do, so they are relatively similar. This is also prevalent in Yowamushi Pedal by Wataru Watanabe, which I talked about above. If you liked either of these series, you’ll enjoy Wind Breaker!
You can read the Wind Breaker manhwa now on sites like Webtoon!
Kengan Ashura by Yabako Sandrovich and Daromeon
In Kengan Ashura something called the Kengan Association, an underground organization made up of influential companies, exists. Whenever they have a conflict, they choose a fighter and battle it out in an underground ring. In his endeavor to become the greatest martial artist, our main character Tokita Ohma becomes the fighter for the Nogi Group. The story follows him as well as his manager, Kazuo Yamashita, as they work together to conquer the brutal world of Kengan.
The fights are exaggerated and over-the-top in Kengan Ashura, which makes them thrilling, but I still find them to be believable. While still very much rooted in reality, the fighters in Kegan Ashura are larger-than-life characters who have incredible abilities.
Their strength as a fighter is not only emphasized through their appearance and character designs but the added elements surrounding them whether it be an animal that represents their fighting style, an aura that surrounds them, etc. When it comes to any manga centered around any sport or fighting, this is something I always enjoy, because it showcases their abilities in a more abstract and interesting way.
Holyland by Kouji Mori
Holyland is reminiscent of all of the delinquent stories I enjoy mixed with a story about fighting, more specifically street fighting. The fighting styles in this manga are vast from boxing to Judo, so the opponents that Yuu comes up against force him to think differently, and to adapt quickly to the situation, and this makes it interesting and unique from other manga that involve fighting.
For me, Holyland was a very educational experience, because everything is explained well, but it’s not done in a way that feels sterile at all. The story unfolds beautifully, it gets straight into the thick of things, but still gives you enough backstory that you feel connected to the characters.
Holyland‘s MC Yuu has a somewhat typical back story, you know the kid who gets bullied and wants to become stronger type, but the way he goes about becoming stronger is not so typical at all. He heads out into the streets at night waiting for someone to try something with him and then fights them one on one. He doesn’t back away even though people, including himself, think of him as weak and it’s inspiring to watch him grow throughout this series.
Eventually, he attracts the attention of thugs everywhere and they dub him the “Thug Hunter.” People start recognizing his face and target him, so bigger and stronger opponents come out of the woodwork to challenge him. He also gains the attention of Masaki Izawa, an incredible boxer who hangs out in the streets. He’s astounded by Yuu’s raw talent but recognizes his flaws and he becomes a mentor of sorts to him, so it’s not just Yuu that makes this story but those he meets along the way as well.
Others start recognizing a difference in Yuu, even though he doesn’t even recognize it in himself and eventually, he makes friends, most notably Shin who is an incredible guy and awesome character by the way, and as he fights on the streets, he comes more and more to life, but all of this violence, of course, has its consequences.
While it’s more so a street fighting manga with boxing and martial arts themes, Holyland deserves a spot on this list nonetheless. It’s one of the best sports manga as well as one of the best manga to release of all time.
The Breaker by Jeon Keuk-Jin & Jin-Hwan Park
The Breaker is a martial arts manhwa about Si-Woon, a high school student who is bullied and will do anything to become stronger, and Chun Woo, a martial arts master who’s in hiding because an underground martial arts society called the Martial Arts Clan Union is after him. Because of this, he ends up taking cover as a substitute teacher. These two cross paths, one thing leads to another, and Chun Woo ends up training Si-Woon.
While this story is very much about their relationship, it’s also about their individual stories. There are other elements at play too since The Breaker‘s story also involves an underground organization and the clans that exist within it.
I love the two main characters in this story. Chun Woo in particular adds a lot of humor to The Breaker. He’s always messing around and acting a fool, and he makes me laugh a lot, especially in his interactions with his coworker, Miss Bae, but when it’s time for him to get serious, you don’t want to mess with him. He has this duality to his personality that makes him intriguing.
Si-Woon is also really likable. He never gives up and doesn’t take no for an answer. He may not be physically strong when you first meet him, but his will is and this makes him relatable. It’s fun to watch him develop and grow stronger throughout the chapters.
With incredible characters and some of the best-drawn fights I’ve ever seen, The Breaker is my favorite marital arts manhwa to release to date. You can collect The Breaker now via the omnibuses released by ABLAZE!
Want more? Check out my full review of The Breaker, Volume 1.
Rikudou by Toshimitsu Matsubara
Rikudou is a unique boxing manga that is edgier than most, and I mean that as a compliment. When I call something edgy it’s a positive for me, because not only do I prefer these types of series, but they also tend to breathe new life into a genre and do something unexpected. Not that those who came before it were doing anything wrong, but that they came along and provided a refreshing take. This is something I always look for when I get into a new sports manga, especially a new boxing manga.
I think that’s what I love about Rikudou so much; It excites me, it feels fresh, and it shines a light, and I mean a floodlight, on the dark side of boxing. It’s a highly underrated sports manga, partially because it’s somewhat overshadowed by the classics that came before it, but also because it’s one that I feel a lot of people have yet to hear of. Rikudou would be extremely successful if it were to be released with an English translation and it’s the best boxing manga, in my opinion, to release as of late.
The story is about Riku, who grew up amidst drugs and violence his whole life, but his life changed forever the day he met a former boxer and yakuza member who taught him how to do a simple punch. This punch saved his life one day when he had to fight against his mom’s drug dealer. But rather than just fight him off, he ended up killing him instead. More and more thugs come after him because of this, so he asks the former boxer who helped him to teach him how to fight, and this leads him to the world of pro boxing.
It’s hands down one of the best sports manga as well as one of the best boxing manga you can check out! If you enjoy Toshimitsu Matsubara’s work, be sure to check out his latest series Kurogane no Valhallian.
Ace of the Diamond by Yuji Terajima
Ace of the Diamond is one of the best baseball manga of all time. Our main character, Eijun Sawamura, is the pitcher and team captain of his school’s baseball team. The story kicks off when he botches a game-winning pitch and, after being taunted by the opposing team, hilariously defends his team’s honor in an all-out brawl. From that moment on, I was rooting for him and I couldn’t wait to see how he’d develop throughout the series.
In an unexpected turn, he receives a scholarship to join Seidou High School, a prestigious school known for its elite baseball team. As he starts playing there, he faces fierce competition, not only from rival teams but also from his teammates, who are driven by their dreams and aspirations to become the team’s “Ace.”
What hooked me with Ace of the Diamond was its focus on teamwork, hard work, and never giving up. I couldn’t help but become invested in Sawamura’s journey as he confronts various challenges and celebrates victories alongside his teammates. Yuji Terajima also does an incredible job developing each character throughout the story, making the whole cast relatable and memorable. Kodansha published the series digitally with English translation if you’d like to check it out!
Hajime no Ippo by George Morikawa
Hajime no Ippo is a classic boxing manga, and it’s especially worth looking into if you are into shonen manga as well. Hajime no Ippo has great character development and it’s always entertaining, but it does have a pretty standard shonen setup at times, which isn’t a negative, but is something to consider if you like darker, more mature series.
Hajime no Ippo is about a boy named Makunouchi Ippo who gets bullied at school. His life changes when he meets Takamura Mamoru, a pro boxer who sees potential in him and convinces him to join his gym. Throughout the story, we see Ippo grow into a stronger boxer and person.
The art is pretty good overall, although it does have an older style that may turn some readers off. After all, this manga was first published in 1989, so it’s going to look a lot different from more recently published boxing series like Rikudou. The fights are thrilling and they are clear and easy to follow, but the main reason this manga shines so brightly is because of Ippo and his development as a character.
Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue
One can’t have a best-of list without having arguably the best sports manga of all time on it, Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue. Slam Dunk is not simply limited to just being one of the best basketball manga. It’s one of the best manga released to date. And one can see why with Takehiko Inoue, the mind that also brought us stellar releases like Vagabond and Real, two of my favorite series, at the helm. To have not one, but three masterpieces under his belt is impressive, to say the least.
When pressed to choose between these three, though, I have a hard time choosing. That being said, there’s something about Slam Dunk that’s undeniable. It’s suspenseful and thrilling, has a great sense of humor, and has an unforgettable cast of characters. But it’s how he conveys the emotion of the players, whether they are celebrating a win or contemplating a loss, that sets him apart. These emotions are ones you’ll feel as well, so Slam Dunk and the games within the series, really invoke an emotional response.
The team dynamic is a focal point of Slam Dunk and this is one of its strong suits. While most sports manga hones in on one or two main characters, Slam Dunk highlights the entire cast. You get behind the teams as a result. As you are reading as well, you feel the passion that the players have for basketball. Not only that, but Takehiko Inoue’s passion for basketball is very evident as well.
When someone writes about something they are passionate about and conveys that passion through characters who are just as passionate about it, it’s hard not to feel that passion or even develop a passion for it within yourself. The way that Slam Dunk and Takehiko Inoue can connect with you as the reader is truly special.
These are the best sports manga to release so far. We will continue to update this post as new sports manga are released, so stay tuned for more.
Want more manga recommendations? Some of the series mentioned on this list also made our best manga of all-time list!
