Whether you're a budding athlete or you prefer to sweat while watching others give it their all, these sports manga will transport you to the heart of the action. If you also love seeing Japanese people cry because they miss a free throw, a dunk or a corner. If you want to see them mentally collapse at the slightest defeat and have a burst of energy at the slightest point in their favor, you're in the right place.
Japanese mangas don't do things by halves and that's what we love about them.
1. Slam Dunk – When a love story becomes a dunk story
We start strong with the essential masterpiece of sports manga: Slam Dunk. Hanamichi Sakuragi, a delinquent with red hair and an explosive temper, would never have thought to find his way in basketball. But to impress the beautiful Haruko, he throws himself into this sport with an energy that would make the greatest athletes tremble.
If you want to see breathless, tense matches, endearing characters, and a guy struggling in love: Slam Dunk is THE manga to read. Masahiko Inoue (also author of Real and Vagabond) immerses us in the world of Japanese basketball with an incredible realism that contrasts with many manga of the genre. This manga has not only left its mark on sports fans, it has also popularized basketball in Japan. In short, if you haven't read it yet, put on your sneakers and go for it!
2. Eyeshield 21 – When your high school students exceed the speed of light
American football in Japan? It seems unlikely, but Eyeshield 21 proves that the sport can also thrill Japanese readers. Shy and quiet young Sena Kobayakawa becomes the superstar of the Deimon Devil Bats thanks to his phenomenal speed, which he developed through a good dose of bullying.
This manga is a concentrate of action, humor, and strategy. With eccentric characters like Hiruma, the demonic strategist, Eyeshield 21 will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end and will finally make you understand the rules of the number one sport in the USA!
3. Haikyuu!! – When the best Smasheur is 1m62 tall
Haikyuu!! has transformed volleyball into an exciting sport for thousands of fans around the world. The protagonist Shoyo Hinata, despite his small size, dreams of becoming a volleyball ace. Together with his rival turned teammate, Tobio Kageyama, he engages in matches where the stakes are always higher.
With opponents who have more cheat codes than during our games of GTA San Andreas, we don't get bored for a second whether we like Volleyball or not.
4. Blue Lock – When football becomes a battle royale
If you thought football was just a team game, Blue Lock will make you think again. Imagine a competition where the goal is to become the best striker in Japan, with only one rule: crush your opponents to take their place. A football-style battle royale where only the selfish survive? Welcome to Blue Lock!
This manga takes football on its head by highlighting the individual struggle at the heart of a team sport. The hero, Yoichi Isagi, must learn to become the ultimate striker, even if it means crushing his own teammates. A manga that explores themes like ambition and ego, with matches as tense as a thriller.
Be careful, after reading Blue Lock, you risk becoming the most hateful person around you and explaining to them that it is the only way to succeed in life.
5. Hajime no Ippo – When it’s a question of perseverance
Perseverance for its hero but also for us with more than 154 volumes to its credit, Hajime no Ippo is like a historical fresco of Japan in the 1980s... The story of Ippo Makunouchi, a shy and harassed high school student (yes it happens often apparently), who discovers boxing and transforms his life, is a true classic of the genre.
Under the training of coach Kamogawa, Ippo becomes a formidable boxer, chaining fights in order to become champion. Ippo always gets back up, even after the hardest blows, and his fights are of an insane intensity. Each opponent is unique, and each victory is a real feat where we sweat as much as our heroes.
Special Mention: The Legends of Sports Manga
You might be thinking: "What about Captain Tsubasa?! Or Olive and Tom at noon, the zouzou..." Don't worry, we haven't forgotten them. Here's a special mention for these other heavyweights of sports manga who also deserve their place in the pantheon of champions.
Prince of Tennis – Because tennis is anything but a gentleman's sport.
Ryoma Echizen, the prince of the court, chains together special moves as if it were a video game. A classic for those who like to see action and balls flying at full speed. Mada mada dane…
Captain Tsubasa – The Manga Football Legend!
If you haven't heard of Tsubasa and his heavy artillery shots on 700 km pitches, it's time to catch up. Captain Tsubasa is the manga that inspired a generation of football players in Japan and around the world.
Kuroko no Basket – Because the rules of physics don’t apply to manga.
With characters as flamboyant as their techniques (special mention to Kuroko's invisibility), this manga redefines the word "supernatural" in sports. Each match is a true spectacle, where players compete in talent to dominate the field.
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