Haikyuu has become one of the most
Haikyuu breathed life into the genre again comparable to shows like Slam Dunk, Kuroko No Basket, and others.
With Hinata, the orange haired guy being the main highlight and “energy” of the series, and his friend Kageyama who he meets early, the anime goes through a set of:
- Hardships.
- Challenges.
- Setbacks.
And more which end up becoming life lessons,

Here’s some
1. Bamboo Blade
Bamboo Blade is an anime series from the early 2000’s. It’s a sports series just like Haikyuu but with female characters being the MAIN leads.
Tamaki Kowazoe is a small girl who even though she’s soft spoken, she’s sharp, nifty, and strong when it comes to the art of Kendo. She’s been practicing since childhood.
This is the reason Kirino, another MC wants Tamaki to join her team that she’s building up with the help of her Sensei.
Eventually they have a Kendo team to speak of, and they all start training to become stronger and even take it further by joining big competitions.
Bamboo Blade is an anime that defines Kendo and purely focuses on it more than any other comparable anime. With plenty of
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2. Slam Dunk

Slam Dunk is an
It’s a
The main character is new to the sport of basketball, and wants to take it to new heights. Energetic, determined, but with the storytelling of the 1990’s that still makes it unique to this day.
3. Bakuman
Bakuman is an anime about
1 guy (Akito) wants to work with Moritaka after seeing his talent, and they both pair up to make
Plenty of important life lessons throughout and the series is a must for those who are considering following a similar path.
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4. Idolmaster Cinderella Girls
Idolmaster Cinderella
There’s a set of
This is the main influence and inspiration behind later Idol anime like Love Live.
Discover an engaging new world by combining captivating characters, vibrant visuals, and thrilling conflicts for an immensely enjoyable experience.
5. Little Witch Academia
Little Witch Academia is one of the best anime to come out of Studio Trigger. It chooses its a different route to many of the studio’s counterparts.
Atsuko Kagari is a girl who wants to be a witch, but doesn’t have the innate talent for it. Still, she pursues it head on despite being bullied and teased for it later on after joining a witch academy.
Most people can’t understand her motivation or why she bothers. But that’s part of the life lessons and the
It’s a female driven series with some solid writing.
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6. Kuroko No Basket
Kuroko No Basket is a staple in the sports anime genre, and even to this day the animation and art style has a quality to it that newer anime don’t have.
Like Haikyuu it’s full of
It takes you back to the times when anime shows had a lot more episodes and a lot more seasons compared to how it is in 2022 and beyond.
7. Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is an anime series about growth and standing up for yourself when dealing with bullies. Kenichi is the uncool kid at school who’s bullied by everyone it seems.
He never stands up for himself, or fights back. He takes it on the chin and puts up with constant abuse. This changes when Miu Furinji, amartial artist comes into his life.
He goes back to her dojo where he’s trained by a set of martial arts masters. Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, and a mix of other disciplines are taught to him.
Once he learns some skills and becomes more confident, this helps him deal with his own problems with bullying. It’s to the point where the bullying stops and he’s now able to help others.
8. My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is a franchise with 5 seasons so far, and a 6th season headed for Fall 2022. Izuku Midoriya is also a character who’s bullied just like Kenichi.
In this case Izku his bullied by his friend Bakugo after Bakugo gains a “quirk” as a child, which is a supernatural ability.
Fast forward and Izuku has no quirk to speak of, and is hopelessly hanging onto his dream of becoming a hero like his idol All Might.
A chance encounter makes it possible for Izuku to become a hero and he uses the name “Deku” as his hero name, a name Bakugo (his past bully) calls him.
Even as the seasons progress the anime still stays in touch with the important aspects of what started this anime, and maintains its substance.
9. Chihayafuru
Chihayafuru is about a card game called Karuta. Chihaya is the female MC of this Josei series, and the main star of the show.
This is one of those
It’s underrated seeing as how highly rated it is and how few seem to talk about it.
10. A Place Further Than The Universe
A Place Further Than The Universe starts with Shirase Kobuchizawa making a declaration. This comes after being criticized, something which she decides to turn into a strength.
She’s not one to let criticism define her, stop her, or weigh down her dreams.
Shirase is joined by other characters like Hinata Miyake and they all go on a journey together. They learn a lot about themselves through all the challenges they face along the way.
This is another underrated and underappreciated anime that’s not as famous as others.
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11. Food Wars
Food Wars might be an anime where clothes start flying off, body’s get revealed,
What Food Wars does best is take the concept of food, culinary battles, and then turns this into a
No other anime has managed to create a mix of these concepts and deliver it almost flawlessly. This is why for an
12. Hajime No Ippo
Hajime No Ippo is the final anime I’ll mention here for anime similar to Haikyuu!
Ippo, the main character is a lot like Kenichi Shirahama. He’s so used to being bullied that it’s normalized for him. He’s made to run errands and is constantly beaten up by his manipulators.
He’s relatable in this way for his lack of self esteem.
It’s not until he gets into boxing that all this starts to change, and his entire world warps to fit his new found confidence, passion, and even success in life.
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