Live-Action Sports Anime By Any Other Name

Hear me out. I am fully aware that is a gross misuse of language to call an original live-action television series or movie a “live-action sports anime,” but I also firmly believe that sport anime at this point in common parlance has transcended being anime about sports. Instead, it is more indicative of bombastic, larger than life energy that serves as an introduction to the activity: a protagonist honing their skills in their activity with the power of friendship, mix in a tournament set back arc, and finish with a triumphant main theme track over the final match at NATIONALS.  Sports anime is what got me invested in the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim block, largely because I was utterly captivated by the original Prince of Tennis and the utter insanity that came with it. I watched the prodigy, Ryoma Echizan, landing tennis balls perfectly in the corner of the field so there was no dispute about if it was an out, snake shots, data tennis, middle schoolers built like thirty years old. I love sports anime. I love the whole pursuit of Haikyu and Yowamushi Pedal. I love the realistic detailed struggle of Ao Ashi and Dance Dance Danseur.

I love the “basically a shonen” Blue Lock and the heart wrenching “what if sports anime also prominently featured emotional trauma of various Japanese cultural fears” Stars Align. I’ve done the basketballs, the football, the sumos, the kabaddi (yes, that’s actually a real sport). I’ve watched bot…