Top 16 Sports Manga-to-Anime Adaptations of All Time

Volleyball rallies, boxing bouts, downhill drifts and pitcher's-mound showdowns — decades of manga brought roaring to life on screen. Which adaptation reigns supreme?

1. 1
   Slam Dunk

   Takehiko Inoue's genre-defining 1990s basketball manga turned landmark anime about delinquent Hanamichi Sakuragi.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Ace of Diamond

   Yuji Terajima's baseball manga adaptation following pitcher Eijun Sawamura at powerhouse Seido High.
   960pts
3. 3
   Haikyuu!!

   The beloved volleyball anime adapting Haruichi Furudate's manga, following underdog Karasuno High's rise.
   801pts
4. 4
   Ashita no Joe

   The classic boxing manga adaptation about slum orphan Joe Yabuki, a cornerstone of sports anime.
   632pts
5. 5
   Blue Lock

   The modern soccer manga adaptation pitting strikers against each other to forge Japan's ultimate goal-scorer.
   632pts
6. 6
   Captain Tsubasa

   The soccer manga adaptation that inspired generations of real footballers with Tsubasa Ozora's dreams.
   632pts
7. 7
   Cross Game

   Mitsuru Adachi's tender baseball manga adaptation weaving sport with a quiet coming-of-age romance.
   548pts
8. 8
   Major

   Takuya Mitsuda's long-running baseball manga adaptation charting Goro Honda's life from childhood to the pros.
   448pts
9. 9
   Initial D

   Shuichi Shigeno's street-racing manga adaptation famous for tofu-delivery driver Takumi's downhill drifting.
   448pts
10. 10
    Kuroko's Basketball

    Tadatoshi Fujimaki's stylish basketball manga adaptation featuring the phantom sixth man Kuroko.
    329pts
11. 11
    Eyeshield 21

    The American-football manga adaptation about timid Sena Kobayakawa becoming a star running back.
    329pts
12. 12
    The Prince of Tennis

    Takeshi Konomi's hugely popular tennis manga adaptation centered on prodigy Ryoma Echizen.
    329pts
13. 13
    Chihayafuru

    The acclaimed competitive-karuta manga adaptation blending sport, poetry, and romance around Chihaya Ayase.
    329pts
14. 14
    Hajime no Ippo

    The long-running boxing anime adapting George Morikawa's manga about timid Ippo Makunouchi turning pro.
    0pts
15. 15
    Yowamushi Pedal

    Wataru Watanabe's competitive-cycling manga adaptation about otaku Sakamichi Onoda joining his school's road-racing team.
    0pts
16. 16
    Ping Pong the Animation

    Masaaki Yuasa's stylized adaptation of Taiyo Matsumoto's table-tennis manga, praised for its artistry.
    0pts

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