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Like most other media, anime genres experience highs and lows in popularity. For the past decade or so, isekai shows have dominated the medium, and there are no signs of it slowing down. In contrast, sports anime has hit something of a slump -- these shows simply haven't made the same kind of impact on the fan base as they did even five years ago. Most of the popular shows from that time have either been completed or have no sign of another season coming soon. Meanwhile, new sports series have often failed to meet expectations.
However, the Spring 2022 season just may change this trend. This season has an unprecedented five sports titles, none of which cover the same activity. From soccer to horse racing, they each have their own qualities to offer viewers. Of these, the three highest-ranking on MyAnimeList all have plenty of potential. Whether it's for the animation studio or the story they plan to tell, these anime just might take the genre out of its rut.
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This series is backed by anime fans who pay attention to the studios that handle the animation. Produced by Production I.G, known for its impressive work on widely acclaimed shows such as Vinland Saga and the early seasons of both Attack on Titan and Haikyuu!!, Aoashi already has a pedigree. On top of this, it creates an excellent setup for a sports series in its first episode with an obviously flawed protagonist.
Ashito Aoi establishes himself right away as a competent soccer player. Whenever he has the ball, he can score a goal. However, this is also a problem for other players on the field. Ashito's team's main strategy is to pass him the ball and let him score, which makes him come across as self-centered to his opponents. Their assumptions aren't wrong -- Ashito admits that he's selfish, but his team accepts that. This attitude may have worked for him so far, but it's also had its consequences: due to his reputation and immaturity, he loses an opportunity to be scouted for a well-known high school team.
By the end of Episode 1, he is given a chance to go to Tokyo and join a team, but only after proving his dedication to improving in the sport. Ashito sees the task his new coach has given him as a challenge, and as a result, works himself to the bone to get it right. In a single episode, Aoashi establishes the main character's strengths and weaknesses in a balanced manner. He isn't a prodigy or someone who can do one thing really well -- he's a kid with a passion and plenty of room to grow.
Dance Dance Danseur
Dance Dance Danseur similarly has a famous animation studio backing it. MAPPA, known for working on Jujutsu Kaisen, the later seasons of Attack on Titan and the upcoming Chainsaw Man adaptation, is responsible for bringing this anime to life. Episode 1 shows the studio's legendary resume in minutes with its first showcase of ballet, in a stunning performance that doesn't utilize polarizing CG animation.
However, the bigger draw for many fans is the message that it's setting up to tell. The main character, Junpei, fell in love with ballet as a child and pushed himself to get involved despite his father's brief opposition. Then tragedy struck and, suddenly, Junpei felt that he needed to throw away his "feminine" interest. Whether intentional or not, expectations and comments from those around him pushed him to follow in his father's footsteps, so he gave up ballet for martial arts.
Despite his insistence that he's over dancing, it's clear to the audience that he isn't. He still longs for it but stops himself most of the time. This is why, while his reason for picking it back up is a girl he likes, Junpei returning to ballet feels genuine. Even in doing things that are supposed to make him a man, Junpei is led back to the studio every day. While dancing, he feels sensations that he never gets from martial arts. How he deals with rediscovering his love and letting other people know about it will be the main driver of this series.
Love All Play
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Love All Play is more of a wildcard, but what it has can lead to something great. In recent years, multiple anime have been made about badminton, but none of them have become more than a passing interest in the community at large. Hanebado took itself too seriously for many viewers, while Salaryman's Club fumbled on aspects as simple as its basic premise. With two episodes currently available, Love All Play is striking a good balance between slice of life and sports.
Mizushima Ryo and his friends stumbled into the badminton club by accident one day and never left. Now that they're reaching the end of middle school, they have to decide which high schools to attend. Ryo is offered a sports scholarship to a prominent high school, but this perfect chance doesn't go the way it's expected to. His family disapproves of the idea; they don't want him to depend on physical ability, so he decides to get into the school by way of his grades.
With a first episode focusing on school life, Episode 2 switches to badminton. In a practice meant to test the abilities of Ryo and other team hopefuls, the audience gets a glimpse of each character's skill level and personality. While Love All Play doesn't immediately seem like anything special, it has the potential to be a solid sports anime.