The Magic of Sports in Anime/Manga:
This idea came into fruition when I came to realize that I read too much
manga and a great portion of them are sports related. It is also born from the
feelings I felt as I continued reading them, the flaws becoming their triumph,
their enemies becoming their best allies. There are some with intricate and
detailed explorations of the given sports, others utilize them as the starting
point to translate meaning and values.
I won’t write much about this topic since it’s mostly out of experience,
but the relevance is still there. The first sport manga, the father of all, is
“Igaguri-kun”, illustrated by Fukui Eiichi in 1952. I don’t know anything about
this manga, all I know is that it’s about judo and that it has 33 chapters with
the intent of reviving the artistic craze post World War II. Sports themselves
have a rather interesting history, but that is not the focus. The focus is how
the medium of manga and anime imprints this sense of energy and power. It is
both inspiring and exhilarating. It’s not easy describing these feelings so I
will use manga and anime I’ve seen to interpret what I mean as well as give my
perspective. This essay is mostly to showcase the variety of sports manga that
is out there to discover and explore. I only name a few when in reality there’s
hundreds more.
First off, the first anime/manga I watched
that featured sports was “Kuroko no Basket”. Published in 2008 by Tadatoshi
Fujimaki and it’s about a dynamic basketball duo confronting the five greatest
basketball players in Japanese high schools. Kuroko, the shadow, will do his
best to help Kagami, the light, become the best player. I love basketball, born
and raised in it, and having this over-the-top action-packed sport almost
revived that feeling to getting back to playing. That sensation of practicing
and going head to head against strong foes, fulfilling that protagonist
mindset. The fire of an athlete lights up with the will to become a new person
and prove wrong those that did not believe in you.
In the same sport vein, Slam Dunk. I
already did a review on this one, but I will always talk about it whenever I
can. Published in 1993 by Takehiko Inoue and it’s about a delinquent, Hanamichi
Sakuragi, and his goal to get a girlfriend through any means necessary.
Basketball falls in when the sister of the captain of the basketball team
catches his eye; later on forgetting his goal yet still going for the
seriousness the sport needs. This one mostly lights the spirit of worth as an
athlete and wanting to do your best for someone. It hits the best points and
has the lowest of lows while showing the reality of losing with small victories
in-between. The thrill of becoming a member of a team and going against strong
opponents.
Now for a change of sport we have
volleyball with “Haikyu!!” published in 2012 by Haruichi Furudate. Hinata,
being short, was constantly made fun of as he always wanted to be a wing spiker
and soar above everyone else. The prevailing theme of dreams continues as
Hinata is the embodiment of a child wishing to be the best and actually making
it. The one no one expects to jump and see everyone from above with a team that
works well with him as he does for them. Here, the main theme is teams and how
cooperation and learning from each other makes the sport so much more
enjoyable.
Withing the top ten longest manga
and in the top five best sports manga is the boxing legend “Hajime no Ippo”,
published in 1989 by George Morikawa. Makunouchi Ippo was always a weak kid and
often bullied but one day he meets a boxer that defends him and makes him
wonder what true strength is. Ippo is the epitome of hard work and
perseverance. There aren’t many matches you see Ippo lose but you still feel
for him as he takes hit after hit from strong opponents with their own styles
and quirks. It is through the connections of the fists that one understands the
power a man has, the weight is carried by those that support you until the
bitter end, until the last bell rings. He also shows that strength is something
anyone can obtain, not through fighting but inner strength as a person through
growth.
This next sport is American
Football, one that is not strictly Japanese, yet still reaches a broad
audience, “Eyeshield 21” published in 2002 by Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke
Murata. After being bullied (I know, a recurring topic), Sena Kobayakawa
eventually learned to run from them with great speeds; the captain of the
has-been football team notices and coerces Sena to become their quarter back,
even if he knew nothing about the sport. It is a heartwarming underdog story with
wacky situations and powers, like most shōnen are. But it is more than that, it
is a coming of age view of overcoming adversity with any means, using your
talents to surpass those that oppose you and prove them wrong.
Now for some real football we have “Ao
Ashi” published in 2015 by Yūgo Kobayashi. Ashito Aoi has always loved playing
football and after losing his final tournament before graduating from middle
school his desire grew more. He is then strangely scouted by an ex-professional
player and have him join the youth football school and hone his skills, presenting
him with the vast and beautiful world of football around the world. There is
more focus on tactics and team building rather than other manga that choose to
view the teamwork aspect, the bonds we make along the journey. It’s still a
good read that shows intricate and concise understanding of football as well as
a deep love for the sport.
Another football-centered manga is “Blue Lock” published in 2018 by Muneyuki
Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura. This is about Yoichi Isagi and his pursuit of
becoming the best striker in the world after losing his only chance to enter
the finals in middle school. An eccentric researcher invites every player to
demonstrate if they’re willing to become the best and prove it by becoming the
most egocentric player in the world at the same time. It is very over the top
with its depictions of football, much like “Kuroko’s basketball” with the
showcasing of “powers” and unnatural actions in the field. A new perspective
and visualization of how to play the sport as well as a new philosophy of
understanding the sport.
As a final but not last is an
uncommon sport to find anywhere, more so in Japanese schools “Yowamushi Pedal”
published in 2008 by Wataru Watanabe. Entering a new high school, Sakamichi
Onoda was not aware of the steep hill he must climb every morning, yet he
surprisingly commutes. The school’s team takes notice and wants to test him, to
see if he is deemed worthy to stand on the stage with them. Hard work and
effort pushed him to make new friends and try hard for them. Even in obscure
sports there’s the dream to thrive and strive, to become better than your
former self, to savor the challenging competition against a strong opponent
that launches you forwards.
In conclusion…what is there to even
conclude? I haven’t scratched the surface of the amount of anime and manga that
represent sports, everything from the common sports like football, basketball,
and volleyball to ballroom dancing, badminton, the obscurity of sumo wrestling,
cycling, the Japanese equivalent of chess: shogi, and even illegal street
racing. Why stop there? There’s archery, swimming, fencing, kendo, several
martial arts, golf hockey, rugby, horse racing, gymnastics, track and field,
fishing, rock climbing, ice skating, rowing, curling, boxing, baseball, tennis.
I could go on and mention every possible sport known to man and there would be
a manga about it. There is no shortage of sports related manga out there, they
just need a willing reader to attend them. I cannot conclude this essay in good
conscious when there are so many more to read and present. What I can do,
however, is say that you should give it a try, even if you don’t like sports.