Sports Day in Japan fell on October 12 in 2026. The holiday, once known as Taiiku no Hi, is observed on the second Monday of October, and sports remain one of anime’s most popular genres. Baseball and soccer titles sit alongside sports that rarely get the spotlight, as well as fictional competitions invented entirely for a single work.
Following last year’s edition, AnimeAnime! once again asked readers: “What is your favorite sports anime?” The survey ran from October 1 to October 7. Roughly 60 percent of respondents were male and about 40 percent female, with men slightly outnumbering women. Younger viewers dominated the turnout, with those 19 and under making up about 30 percent and respondents in their 20s about 25 percent.
Intense Matches and Coming-of-Age Drama: The Titles That Moved Readers
1st Place: Haikyuu!!
Haikyuu!! took first place with about 18 percent of the vote.
The series is a volleyball anime based on a manga serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump. Hinata Shouyou, small in stature but gifted with extraordinary jumping power, becomes teammates with the genius setter Kageyama Tobio — the player who beat him in a middle school match — at Karasuno High, and the story follows their push toward the national tournament.
Readers praised it on multiple fronts. “I love it as a sports anime and as a youth club anime. It carefully portrays the growth and setbacks of the teammates, the white-hot matches, and even the feelings of the players on teams that lost — the highlights never run out,” one wrote. Another noted, “Every single character has a past and a background, and the way the series digs into them is deep.” The care given not just to winners but to the drama of the defeated resonated with voters, and one reader said, “This series is what got me started playing volleyball!”
In 2027, the film Gekijouban Haikyuu!! VS Chiisana Kyojin is scheduled to open, and the special anime Haikyuu!! Bakemono-tachi no Yukue is set to air.
2nd Place: Blue Lock
Blue Lock placed second with about 14 percent of the vote.
Based on a manga currently running in Weekly Shounen Magazine, Blue Lock is a soccer anime. To produce the striker who will lead Japan to a World Cup title, 300 high school forwards are gathered at a facility called Blue Lock, where they fight a fierce battle for survival.
“The premise of raising the world’s number one egotist striker is so fresh! It overturns the bright, hot-blooded mood of soccer anime up to now, and I was drawn into its serious, ruthless worldview,” one reader commented. Another said, “It uses a survival format with death game elements, so I watch every episode on edge. The thrill of not knowing who will drop out is fun.” The series’ departure from conventional sports storytelling earned steady support. A third season of the TV anime, Blue Lock Neo Egoist League, is currently in production.
Blue Lock Neo Egoist League super teaser visual (C) Kaneshiro Muneyuki, Nomura Yuusuke, Kodansha / “Blue Lock” Production Committee
3rd Place: Inazuma Eleven
Inazuma Eleven came in third with about 9 percent of the vote.
The soccer anime is based on a game by Level-5. Endou Mamoru captains the Raimon Junior High soccer club, which fights to earn a place in the national tournament, Football Frontier.
Voters responded to its flashy techniques and classic hot-blooded storytelling. “The scene where Endou-kun first unleashes God Hand is so thrilling and I love it! I was absorbed watching a weak soccer club practice until they were covered in mud and gradually, steadily get stronger,” one reader wrote. Another said, “Special moves that produce flames and lightning are just standard super-dimensional soccer here, but the drama is way too passionate!”
Eiga Inazuma Eleven Soushuuhen: Densetsu no Kickoff visual (C) LEVEL5 Inc. (C) LEVEL5 / FC Inazuma Eleven, TV Tokyo
More Voices From Readers
Captain Tsubasa drew a comment about its real-world impact: “It dramatically raised the level of Japanese soccer, and there is no counting the players who turned pro because they admired Oozora Tsubasa. When Tsubasa is dropped to the B team and given a quota of 10 goals and 10 assists, I felt just how harsh the professional world is.”
SLAM DUNK inspired a more personal memory: “My parents showed it to me when I was in elementary school and I got hooked. It is the first title anyone names when you talk about basketball anime, and since I was playing mini-basketball at the time, it overlaps with my own experience and means a lot to me.”
Captain Tsubasa (C) Takahashi Yoichi / Shueisha, 2018 Captain Tsubasa Production Committee
Shippuu! Iron Leaguer earned praise for its emotional core: “The players are robots, but the story of how each of them overcomes their worries and traumas together with their teammates is passionate. Expressing a burning fighting spirit as ‘my oil is boiling’ is something only a robot could say, and it’s interesting.”
Hibike! Euphonium, whose Saishuu Gakushou Hibike! Euphonium second part is currently in theaters, also received votes: “Some people may wonder why concert band counts as a sport, but anyone who has played or has seen the anime should understand. A competition performance runs 12 minutes and demands stamina, and when I saw the running scenes in the first season I was moved — ‘this anime is really depicting a true brass band club!'”
Saishuu Gakushou Hibike! Euphonium first part second key visual (C) Takeda Ayano, Takarajimasha / “Hibike!” Production Committee 2024
This year’s survey saw anime covering volleyball, soccer, basketball, figure skating and many other sports make the list. Titles built around the dedication of sports-con stories also received votes, with readers choosing works from a wide range of perspectives — the way characters throw themselves into their sport, and the passion they bring to competition. In total, 31 titles received votes.
Ranking Top 5
[What is your favorite sports anime? 2026 Edition]
- Haikyuu!!
- Blue Lock
- Inazuma Eleven
- Medalist
- SLAM DUNK
- The Idolmaster Million Live!
- Captain Tsubasa
- Diamond no Ace
- Tennis no Oujisama
- Hibike! Euphonium
- Mou Ippon!
- Ro-Kyu-Bu!
(Survey period: October 1 – October 7, 2026)
This survey is part of an ongoing effort to gauge readers’ current interest in and attention to anime works and characters. The results are not intended to rank any character or title as superior or inferior, and it is our hope that the article serves as a chance to discover new works and deepen understanding of them.
Takahashi Katsunori
