Highlights:
* Inazuma Eleven and Captain Tsubasa are some of the classics in sports anime.
* Both animes feature soccer action like Blue Lock.
Winner of the 45th Kodansha Manga Award for the shonen category, Blue Lock has been one of the most successful works in the sports genre. The manga continues to give more depth to the story whereas anime fans are waiting for Season 2 to arrive in Fall 2024.
While fans wait for the release of the next season, they can watch numerous sports-related anime like Blue Lock. These anime are not necessarily on soccer but have character development arcs and themes similar to Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s magnum opus.
Sports Anime Like Blue Lock That Features The Same Intensity
Arguably, sports anime is an underrated genre. A part of the problem is its highly unrealistic scenes that destroy the realism of the sport. However, it does contain an inspirational story that wraps morals for viewers of all ages.
Here are the best sports-related anime like Blue Lock:-
Inazuma Eleven
| Date of Release | October 2008 |
| Directed By | Katsuhito Akiyama |
| Where To Watch | Netflix, Amazon Prime |
Based on the manga by Atsuhiro Tomioka, Inazuma Eleven encompasses the supernatural soccer elements of Blue Lock. Players can tap into special powers that make the ball fly into the net like a rocket or create elemental combos such as Fire Blizzard. Even though the sports-related anime is as dramatic as it can get, featuring players taking shots with pinpoint accuracy, it does feature the shonen themes of strength in unity and teamwork.
The anime begins with goalkeeper Mamoru Endou of Raimon Jr High taking the challenge of defeating Teikoku Gakuen, the best team in Japan, in a last-ditch to save Inazuma Eleven from disbandment. He searches for capable players which eventually leads to memorable character arcs and sequences.
Hajime No Ippo
| Date of Release | October 2000 |
| Mangaka | George Morikawa |
| Where To Watch | Netflix |
Hajime No Ippo is a boxing-themed anime series commended for its beautiful character development and intense fight scenes. Like Blue Lock, it shows the main character at rock bottom before a spurge of motivation and rigorous training by their mentor helps them achieve great deeds. Blue Lock features the enigmatic coach Ego Jinpachi whereas Hajime No Ippo shows middleweight boxer Mamoru Takamura.
Takamura chances upon Ippo Makunouchi, a shy high school student who is badly beaten by bullies. He offers Ippo a sandbag at his boxing gym to vent his frustrations and becomes impressed by his punching power. He advises Ippo to pursue boxing professionally under his training.
Captain Tsubasa
| Date of Release | 1983 (original run); April 2018 (latest release) |
| Mangaka | Yōichi Takahashi |
| Where To Watch | Crunchyroll |
Captain Tsubasa is a soccer sports-related anime like Blue Lock that has been adapted into many games. It contains the same stylistic shots on goal, featuring players capable of transforming the ball into beasts or putting enough power to break a goalkeeper’s hand. However, Captain Tsubasa has been the trendsetter for sports anime, particularly soccer, and a source of inspiration for young viewers.
It is made clear that 11-year-old Tsubasa Oozora was born to play soccer. He almost died from an accident at an early stage but was saved by his soccer skills. As he grew up, Tsubasa possessed impeccable dribbling skills and precision. He dreams of playing for Japan in the FIFA World Cup.
Birdie Wing
| Date of Release | April 2022 |
| Written By | Yōsuke Kuroda |
| Where To Watch | Crunchyroll |
Birdie Wing is a must-watch for all golf lovers. The series focuses on Eve, who earns a livelihood by hustling people in unsanctioned golf games. She took pride in her accuracy despite her crude technique until she got beaten by a golf prodigy Aoi Amawashi. Eve finds the spark she was searching for in her life and makes it a mission to defeat Aoi.
An anime like Blue Lock, Birdie Wing features the main character coming to terms with her limitations and striving for success. It also consists of villains in the form of the Nafrece mafia, who intend to corrupt the game of golf. Despite having a superb plot and well-developed characters, the highly unusual golf shots in the sports anime ruin the mood of most golf fans.
Ace of Diamond
| Date of Release | October 2013 |
| Mangaka | Yuji Terajima |
| Where To Watch | Netflix |
Ace of Diamond is an anime like Blue Lock that heavily focuses on the essence of sports anime: hardwork, skill improvement, and coordination. The protagonist, Eijun Sawamura, is a baseball pitcher who can swing the ball almost unnaturally. He joins the Seido High School baseball group but finds himself outclassed by others, thus beginning the development from a raw talent to a master pitcher.
Unlike most sports anime, Eijun is not born brilliant. He does have the talent to be a good pitcher but requires excessive training and coaching. His struggles are portrayed realistically in the first Season, which fledges out the main character, while the pacing of the events and baseball games are switched impeccably to make viewers more excited about what’s to come.
- Also Read: 5 Best Shonen Anime Movies of All Time
This concludes the list of sports anime like Blue Lock. Fans can also check out the best anime movies of all time which unsurprisingly includes two of the most famous Studio Ghibli creations.
