Lacrosse is a sport played by two teams of ten players each. It’s very similar to hockey, with the main difference being that the ball must be passed with a stick not just by an individual player but by an entire team.
Lacrosse Anime? No Anime fits that description.
Because, well, Japan does not have a lacrosse sport. You see, there has been no successful Lacrosse Anime yet. But yes there have been mentions of Lacrosse in a few episodes of some Anime.
What is Lacrosse?
Lacrosse is a team sport in which a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball are used. The head of the lacrosse stick is utilized by players to carry, pass, catch, and shoot the ball into the goal.
Field lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, box lacrosse, and intercrosse are the four variations of the sport, each with its own set of sticks, fields, rules, and equipment. Field lacrosse (outdoor) and box lacrosse (indoor) are contact sports in which all players need to wear protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, shoulder pads, and elbow pads.
The women’s game is played outside and does not permit bodily contact, although it does permit stick-to-stick contact.
Is there a Lacrosse Anime?
Although there is no specific sports Anime made for Lacrosse only, there have been mentions of the sport. The most notable example is Futari wa Pretty Cure.
There is a clear mention of and the story revolving around the Lacrosse sport in three episodes of this old-school Anime. But you cannot say that it is a Lacrosse Anime since it belongs to the slice-of-life genre. And the storyline revolves around the struggles and lessons of growing up.
Since Nagisa Misumi, aka Cure Black, the protagonist of the show played Lacrosse. The series showed several episodes devoted to significant matches and details about Lacrosse.
Pretty Cure’s first season beginning with episode 7, centered on Nagisa’s extracurricular athletic activities and all the melodramatic sports clichés that go along with them.
Other than Lacrosse you can find a plethora of sports Anime. The first baseball Anime debuted in 1928 and since then this subgenre has come out with different sports Anime, each one more popular than the last.
What is Futari wa Pretty Cure about?
The plot centers around two girls, Misumi Nagisa and Yukishiro Honoka, who battle the forces of the Dotsuku Zone, an evil dimension that has infiltrated the Garden of Light.
The power of the Dotsuku Zone manifests itself in the form of Zakenna, creatures that infect people or goods and turn them wicked. The Princess of Hope, Mipple, and her chosen warrior, Mepple, are instructed to travel to the Garden of Rainbows in search of the renowned warrior, Pretty Cure.
Nagisa and Honoka have never spoken to one other and are unaware of each other’s existence due to their differences. When they encounter Mepple and Mipple, though, they are led to each other.
What Sports have an Anime?
You can find almost all types of sports Anime, every sport famous and known in Japan has an Anime version of it.
A good sports Anime is comparable to a well-written drama with sports included. The characters must be compelling, with distinct motivations and fascinating backstories that compel you to root for or against them.
For the sports to be engaging and enjoyable to see, the animation must be among the best.
Anime that do this right is hard to find. For the sports to be engaging and enjoyable to see, the animation must be among the best in its genre.
And most importantly, it must have great production values, an amazing soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, and expertly choreographed fights that feel realistic but also incredibly fun to watch.
Almost every sport famous in Japan has an Anime on it be it Baseball, Tennis, Swimming, Volleyball, or Football.
Here is a list of all binge-worthy sports Anime that’ll make you fall in love with this genre.
Haikyu!!
There is no doubting that Haikyuu is the best sports Anime currently available. Hinata and Kageyama, two competitors are at the heart of the story. In the realm of volleyball, the latter is referred to as the king of the court.
The story is so skillfully presented and harmonized, including the emotions, the action, and the dedication. We witness two rivals working together for the good of their team, putting aside all of their differences.
Kuroko no Basket (Kuroko’s Basketball)
Although supernatural stuff in Anime is quite unrealistic, Kuroko no Basket fuses magic with sports very nicely.
You can binge Kuroko no Basuke to your heart’s content because it has a lengthier run of 75 episodes. The story revolves around a high school basketball team’s journey to the Interhigh Championship.
Prince of Tennis
The protagonist of Prince of Tennis is already a pro at playing tennis.
In the beginning, you will see him winning many championships and proving himself as a genius player but wait there’s more!
He can’t beat his Dad, despite his successes and efforts. I see some Daddy issues there!
He becomes a part of a tennis team and plays the series to become good enough to beat his father.
Kaze Ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru
This Anime follows Kakeru, a fourth-year student, as he rediscovers his love of running to prepare a team ready for the Hakone Ekiden.
Even highly skilled athletes would find it challenging to compete in this prestigious competition, let alone the complete amateurs his new friend Haiji has to offer. However, the team’s camaraderie that develops over the training makes for a great drama to complement the sporting action.
Eyeshield 21
Sena, the standout player for the Devil Bats, goes by the alias Eyeshield 21. Sena is a meek and timid teenager trying to go through high school by eluding all of his troubles (in this case, bullying).
He joined the team against his will and took the lead. He takes them to the Japanese yearly competition known as the Christmas Bowl.
He must live up to the high standards of the Devil Bats. How will he develop from a timid young kid to a wise and self-assured adult?
Hajime no Ippo
Hajime no Ippo, also known as Fighting Spirit in English, is the best boxing Anime ever produced.
Makunouchi’s transformation from a timid, bullied weakling to a powerful boxer is the ideal underdog tale that anybody can support.
It’s like Punch Out in Anime form but even better, largely because of the comic heavyweight, was given to the world by this Anime.
Ookiku Furikabutte (Big Windup!)
This Anime started as a slice-of-life genre. But as it progressively picks up, the tension builds and eventually bursts.
The protagonist is Mihashi Ren, a first-year high school student whose self-esteem and confidence were destroyed during his middle school baseball days.
Even though his new school desperately needs a pitcher on the mound, he no longer wants to play Baseball. Despite how most people perceive him to be, he has a tremendous knack for pitching and ball control.
The show prepares you for a tremendous windup! And if I may say, that’s a good thing. The show is both realistic and thrilling. You’ll discover that you support the characters.
Slam Dunk
One of the most important mentions in the sports Anime category is Slam Dunk. The protagonist, Hanamichi Sakuragi, has a bulky appearance and bears immense strength.
His physical appearance mostly scares the women around him but one girl recognized his strength and informed the basketball coach of her school. That girl, Haruko Akagi became the love of his life.
The main plot starts unfolding there. Later, we see how Shohoku High School’s Basketball team, which was previously unknown, transforms into one of the most well-known teams in Japan.
What was the first Sports Anime?
Captain Tsubasa is the first sports Anime that became popular globally. It was an adaptation of the Manga series by Yoichi Takahashi, from 1981.
The story follows the exploits of Tsubasa Oozora, who joins the Takakura Middle School Soccer Club. To keep up with his new teammates, he practices hard and learns new techniques from their coach, Mr. Sawamura.
This Anime introduced several concepts that are now standard in sports Anime:
- Characters with special powers (Tsubasa can create powerful kick-based moves),
- Rivalries between teams, and a sense of wonder at what it means to be a professional athlete.
It also introduced many of the tropes that would come to define sports Anime—in particular, it had many scenes where characters were running around or doing other physically demanding activities or competing against each other in matches—but it did so in such a way that was more fantasy than reality (no rule says you have to be able to kick a ball).
In addition to Captain Tsubasa, Slam Dunk (1997) was another early sports Anime that followed similar themes and plot lines.
Plot
Captain Tsubasa followed Tsubasa’s progress to become a pro. From the time he was still in middle school winning local competitions to the time he was an adult signing with Barcelona and representing Japan in the World Cup.
In other words, everything a football fan would have enjoyed watching in their youth.
In short, it’s your typical Anime: ridiculously over-the-top, loaded with dialogue and drama, and filled with people shouting buzzwords for fun as if they were some sort of Dragon Ball Z special move.
Is there an Anime for every sport?
This table tells what sports Anime is based on which sport. Go take a look!
| Anime Name | Year | Sports on which it is based |
| Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club | 2013 – 2018 | Swimming |
| Baby Steps | 2014-2015 | Tennis |
| Chihayafuru | 2011 – 2020 | Karuta- A Japanese card game |
| Ace Of Diamond | 2013-2016 | Baseball |
| Cheer Boys | 2016 | Cheerleading |
| Yuri!!! On Ice | 2016 | Figure Skating |
| Yowamushi Pedal | 2013 – 2018 | Cycling |
| Hanebado! | 2018 | Badminton |
| Ping pong the animation | 2014 | Ping pong |
| Inazuma Eleven | 2016 | Soccer |
Conclusion
- There is no Anime series dedicated to Lacrosse specifically since it is not a mainstream sport in Japan.
- Some Anime does have specific episodes with mentions of Lacrosse now and then.
- The first ever sports Anime was Captain Tsubasa which opened the gates for more sports Anime to come.
- Sports Anime is a subgenre of Anime with much impressive Anime adding to it day by day.