Basketball Anime for Those Who Enjoyed Kuroko no Basket

Hello everyone, how are you? From now on, I will assume that you like basketball, or anime that revolves around the sport. Well, the biggest reference in anime we have so far is Kuroko no Basket, but did you know that this is not the only anime with this sport? Now I will give you a list of basketball anime.

That's right, basketball anime. However, they are not as popular as Kuroko, but that doesn't mean they aren't good too. I know several good anime that didn't become popular, but that's not the point. I will pass the list, and it's up to you whether or not to watch it.

If you are curious about why Japan treats a school club like a professional league, there are things you didn't know about sports in Japan that explain a lot of this. And if you have already watched any of these on the list, leave your comment saying which one it was; also, share the article to help us. Now let's stop the small talk and go straight to the list.

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Slam Dunk - A classic of basketball anime

To start off on the right foot, let's go with a classic. Slam Dunk tells the story of Hanamichi Sakuragi, who is famous for his temper, tall stature, and red hair. He enrolls in Shohoku High, hoping to get a girlfriend or break his record of being rejected 50 times in a row in high school.

His notoriety precedes him, however, causing him to be avoided by most students. After some events, Hanamichi is left with two unwavering thoughts: "I hate basketball" and "I desperately need a girlfriend."

But one day, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches him without any knowledge of his issues and asks if he likes basketball. Hanamichi immediately falls in love with her, letting slip a heated statement. Soon he finds himself in the school gym where the girl asks him if he can show her a Slam Dunk. In an attempt to impress Haruko, he jumps but overshoots, hitting his head on the blackboard. When Haruko tells the captain of the basketball team about Hanamichi's almost superhuman physical abilities, he slowly finds himself drawn into the camaraderie and competition of the sport he had already developed a grudge against.

The manga by Takehiko Inoue ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1990 to 1996 and was collected in 31 volumes, and Toei Animation turned it into 101 episodes that aired on TV Asahi between October 1993 and March 1996. Four theatrical films followed in 1994 and 1995, which is why this one still sits at the top of the list.

Comments on Slam Dunk

This is a basketball classic; I personally didn't know there were other basketball anime. But I was terribly mistaken; of course, there aren't many, but there are a few, and among these, Slam Dunk is the most popular. I watched only 3 episodes and already liked it; it's no wonder it's opening the list. Besides, there is still romance in the story, which can be very interesting if developed more deeply and not just left stagnant. In my opinion, everything gets better when there is a well-crafted romance; it's a pity that not all have it, but hope is the last to die. Anyway, watch this anime and give me spoilers.

Ro-kyu-bu! - The basketball anime with a girls' team

Hasegawa Subaru joined the basketball club at Nanashiba High, only to have his hopes dashed when the club has its activities suspended for a year after the captain ends up in a scandal involving the advisor's young daughter. Just to note, the daughter was still a child, and a club cannot shake off that kind of suspicion easily. Frustrated and blocked by bad luck, Subaru unexpectedly finds an opening for his talent with hoops when his aunt Mihoshi asks him to take on the task of coaching a girls' basketball club at Keishin Academy, a Ro-Kyu-Bu!

She asks him this favor because he managed to take his elementary school team, which was extremely weak, to the semifinals of the student championship. But can an aspiring superstar find true satisfaction playing the sixth man on a team of five girls?

For the record, the first season aired 12 episodes on AT-X between July and September 2011, produced by project No.9 and Studio Blanc and directed by Keizō Kusakawa. An OVA came next, and a second 12-episode season (Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS) closed the story in 2013.

Comments on Ro-kyu-bu!

If you are one of those who loves to see cute little girls in anime, this is the perfect anime because it mixes them with basketball. A combination that makes your nose bleed. Cute little girls galore, and to make it better, they also have their personal challenges to overcome and goals to achieve. Don't worry because I don't have that kind of tendency; I just like cute things, just like Madara from Natsume Yuujinchou (only those who have watched this anime will know what I'm talking about). Anyway, the plot is very well explained in the synopsis, but it doesn't mention the challenges he faces to train these girls, and I won't give that spoiler either.

Basquash - A basketball anime with robots?

On the planet Earthdash, its inhabitants gaze at their moon and the technologically advanced lunar city of Mooneyes with admiration. Dan JD, a boy who lives in Rollingtown on the surface of Earthdash, gets caught up in Bigfoot Basketball - a fast-paced sport played with giant Bigfoot robots.

The series aired 26 episodes between April and October 2009 on MBS, produced by Satelight and directed by Shin Itagaki, with the original concept by Shōji Kawamori and Thomas Romain. The Bigfoot robots are animated in 3D, a choice that still stands out for a show from that era.

Comments on Basquash

I've seen robots fighting, flying, shooting, throwing punches, using weapons, and many other things, which is no surprise to anyone since this is quite common, but robots playing basketball is the first and only time I've seen this phenomenon. BUT, as strange as the plot is, it is also good, and it gets even better as you watch the episodes. However, just one episode is enough to not want to stop watching and binge the more than 20 episodes it has. I have watched it all and am thinking of repeating it because it is very good. Ecchi, a bit of romance, charismatic characters, a great plot behind it, some drama points, moments of euphoria, and everything an anime needs to be good. And as they say in the anime, "THIS IS BASKETBALL."

Buzzer Beater - Basketball anime with aliens?

Hideyoshi is a homeless boy living in New York in the near future, who survives by hustling other kids in basketball games. But now he has been called up to a professional team - a professional team with a unique goal. There was a time when humans dominated the game of basketball. But times have changed, and now physically superior aliens have taken over the game, and there are almost no human players left. But Hideyoshi's team - the first fully human team to compete in the Space League - intends to change all that and bring the championship back to Earth.

The first season aired in 2005 and the second one followed in 2007, in the same Space League setting, with the human team still trying to make a name for itself.

Comments on Buzzer Beater

This is that typical character who plays the role of a self-confident idiot who thinks he is the best at what he does. I won't say he is bad at basketball; on the contrary, he is a genius, but he lacks the humility to admit that he needs to improve. However, this is both a poison and a remedy at the same time. After so long without humanity having chances against the aliens, it's always good to have someone who isn't afraid to face them. The anime has old graphics, but it's not horrible quality; what bothered me a bit was the character design. Anyway, I advise anyone who wants to watch this anime to use the three-episode rule, that is, watch three episodes and then judge whether to continue or not, but I don't advise giving up because the plot gets better over time. I haven't finished it yet, but I don't intend to give up.

I'll/CKBC - A basketball anime with drama

Akane Tachibana and Hitonari Hiiragi are two high school basketball stars and great rivals on the court. In the past, the only thing blocking each other's success was the other. But when Hiiragi transfers to Kouzu High School, they become teammates. Will the two masters of the court resolve their differences in time for the big game against Kokutai, or will Hiiragi switch teams to challenge his opponent face to face?

One thing to keep in mind here: it is not a TV series but an OVA of two episodes, released between December 2002 and March 2003 by Studio M.S.C. It is a short piece, and that is exactly what makes it work.

Comments on I'll/CKBC

The greater the rivalry, the greater the synergy. I always say that you can only truly hate or love someone when you know them deeply. Otherwise, you are just a hypocrite judging people based on superficial opinions and without a foundation of knowledge about the other person. But that doesn't matter at the moment. Unfortunately, it's an anime divided into 2 OVAs, but it gets the job done because the story is compact and direct. Besides, there is the issue of its drama being well developed. It's worth watching, and I don't know why it is so little popular; I've seen bad anime that are more popular than this one, which is acceptable.

Ahiru no Sora

A strong, weak, but highly passionate Sora Kurumatani enters Kuzuryuu High School with the hope of fulfilling his mother's wish to dominate his first high school tournament. However, the basketball club - turned into a den for delinquents - does anything but play basketball! Its club members, Momoharu Hanazono, a skilled blocker who can make power jumps but is terrible at shooting, and his twin brother Chiaki, a talented point guard, have also lost interest in the sport. With just one game overloaded with adrenaline and emotion, and pure love from Sora for the game, the young burning spirit for basketball is reignited.

It is also the newest series on this list: 50 episodes aired from October 2019 to September 2020, animated by Diomedéa and adapted from the manga by Takeshi Hinata.

Comments on Ahiru no Sora

This is the newest entry here and, for me, the most honest one. There are no robots, no aliens and no genius rival: there is a small club that hates basketball, a boy who shows up with nothing but love for the sport, and teammates who still have a lot to learn. It is the kind of underdog story that makes a sport you already know feel new again, and closer to a real team than most anime in the genre.

I still have a long way to go in it, but the first games already feel earned, and the emotion lands harder because nobody on the court is overpowered. If you are looking for something recent to start with, this is the one.

List of Basketball Anime

To finish, let's mention Dear Boys and Dash Kappei, which I also recommend. Additionally, let's leave below a huge list of all the anime, OVAs, and Japanese animated films about basketball. The other basketball anime are:

Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>

Basketball Anime	Year
Kuroko's Basketball 3	2015
Kuroko's Basketball 2	2013
Kuroko's Basketball	2012
Kuroko's Basketball: Last Game	2017
Kuroko's Basketball: The Greatest Present	2015
Slam Dunk	1993
Kuroko's Basketball: Tip Off	2013
Kuroko's Basketball Movie 3: Winter Cup Highlights -Crossing the Door-	2016
Kuroko's Basketball: Let's Do That Again	2014
Kuroko's Basketball Movie 2: Winter Cup Highlights -Beyond the Tears-	2016
Kuroko's Basketball OVA	2013
Kuroko's Basketball Movie 1: Winter Cup Highlights -Shadow and Light-	2016
Kuroko's Basketball: NG-shuu	2012
Ahiru no Sora	2019
Slam Dunk Movie 4	1995
Slam Dunk Movie 3	1995
Slam Dunk Movie 2	1994
Kuroko's Basketball 2: NG-shuu	2014
Kuroko's Basketball: Oshaberi Shiyou ka	2017
Kuroko's Basketball 3: NG-shuu	2015
Slam Dunk Movie 1	1994
Kuroko's Basketball: Oshaberi Shiyokka	2012
Kuroko's Basketball: Oshaberi Demo Shimasen ka	2014
Basquash!	2009
Dash! Kappei	1981
Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS	2013
Ro-Kyu-Bu! Tomoka no Ichigo Sunday	2013
Buzzer Beater 2nd Season	2007
Ro-Kyu-Bu ~ Fast Break!	2011
Dear Boys	2003
Buzzer Beater	2005
I'll/CKBC	2002
Breakers	2020
Honey x Honey Drops	2006
Barangay 143	2018
Hiyoko no Basket Movie: Last Game 0401	2017
Ninjas: Soccer	2017
Onagawa Chuu Baske Bu: 5-nin no Natsu	2017

This is all this article can offer to basketball and anime lovers. If you liked any of those mentioned in this list, share with us and give your opinion about it. Also, don't forget to share the site.

If you want to keep watching after these, I left my own list of anime worth watching before you die here, and I also wrote about how to do an anime marathon in 10 steps for the nights that need more than one episode.

Remember that these are just basketball anime besides Kuroko no Basket, so it is not listed in this list. And if you have any questions, suggestions, criticism, or anything of the sort, just leave your comment. Thank you, dear reader, for reading this article up to here, and see you next time.