10 Best Volleyball Anime Series (RANKED)

Many people love sports anime. When you limit it down to a single sport, such as volleyball, you’ll discover that quality trumps quantity. They combine the adrenaline rush of athletics with the entertainment value of anime. You may be shocked to learn that there have been quite a few volleyball anime films and television series produced throughout the years.

With the Summer Olympics still fresh in our memories, it seemed appropriate to explore one of the most popular sports activities on display. Volleyball embodies the real meaning of teamwork. Unlike several other team sports, volleyball emphasizes the importance of each player. This spirit is carried over into the anime shown in this article. With that being said, it’s now time to unveil the Top 10 Volleyball Anime you should definitely watch, therefore, stick around!

10. Attack on Tomorrow (Ashita e Atakku) (1977)

This dramatic sports anime follows a group of girls who create a high school volleyball team. All of these volleyball anime have female characters for whatever reason. Similarly, it is somewhat similar here. This anime follows a group of high school girls who are passionate about volleyball.

Their unmatched enthusiasm and drive catapult the squad from a disorganized group to a school-wide juggernaut. The group, which is well-known at their school, is now on a quest to conquer the National High School Volleyball League and win the volleyball title. They create a squad and practice relentlessly until they become one of their school’s top teams.

Their new objective is to win the National High School Volleyball League, which will not be easy, but with their united effort, they will do all possible to avoid falling short of their final aim. Throughout the anime, the team is put to the test on both a mental and physical level as they climb to fame and acquire valuable life lessons.

It’s going to take a great deal of pain and difficulty, but it’s beneficial to share the strain with your pals. The girls acquire important life skills via the game of volleyball.

9. Shoujo Fight: Norainu-tachi no Odekake (2009)

‘Shoujo Fight: Norainu-tachi no Odekake’ is a unique volleyball video animation. It’s just 30 minutes long, so if you like volleyball and want to see a short anime about it, this is a must-see. It’s hardly a masterpiece, and you won’t feel particularly attached to the characters, but there is some enjoyable volleyball action.

The anime’s protagonist is Neri Ooishi, a high school student. She is very gifted in volleyball. She was the captain of her primary school’s volleyball team. That squad finished second in the national championship.

She did, however, serve as an alternate for three years at a junior high school known for its volleyball program. Now that she is in high school, she has fresh teammates and an opportunity to prove herself once again.

However, something is preventing her from playing the game she loves, and she is attempting to conceal her ability as a volleyball player. However, what is causing her to come to a halt? Why is she leaving despite her passion for the game?

8. Harukana Recieve (Harukana Reshibu) (2018)

There is no space for aces in beach volleyball. To win, each player must identify their one irreplaceable partner on the sand court. That is what Haruka Oozora discovers on her first day in Okinawa after her move-in with her grandmother and cousin Kanata Higa.

Haruka comes upon several girls playing beach volleyball while visiting a local beach and is immediately asked to participate. When one of the females, Narumi Tooi, sees Kanata approaching the court, this nice practice game becomes a contest.

Haruka later discovers that Narumi and Kanta were a beach volleyball pair before Narumi left due to Kanta’s small stature. The good news is that the Junior Tournament will take place shortly. However, this means that Haruka only has a few weeks to learn the game to play with Kanata and assist her in overcoming her fear as a result of her small stature.

Despite their terrible loss, Haruka now understands her cousin’s silent and aloof demeanor. Kanata and Narumi were incredibly skilled beach volleyball pairs in the past. Now, with the Junior Tournament just a few weeks away, Haruka must master the nuances of competitive beach volleyball and assist Kanata in overcoming her debilitating fear of the sport she once adored.

7. Attack you (Attakua Yu) (1984)

This anime follows You Hazuki, a cheerful and ambitious high school student who relocates from Osaka to Tokyo to live with her father, Toshihiko. You are not seen her mother, since she departed when you were very little. Sunny, her younger brother, also lives with You and her father. Sunny is very devoted to his elder sister and follows her wherever she goes, even to school and volleyball tournaments.

You are very enthusiastic about volleyball and aspires to one day join the Japanese women’s volleyball team for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. To do this, she joins the volleyball club at her high school, which is taught by her homeroom teacher. Her instructor is very tough and smacks athletes who fall short of their capabilities. 

Fortunately for You, she develops into one of their greatest players. You develop an explosive relationship with her soon-to-be arch-rival, Nami Hayase, which intensifies when they are assigned to opposite teams. You hopes to beat Nami’s squad while also gaining the heart of her crush, So Takiki, amidst all of this turmoil.

6. 2.43: Seiin High School Boys’ Volleyball Club (2021)

Kimichika Haijima, a high school student, returns to his birthplace of Fukui after creating problems in the Tokyo Junior High School volleyball club. He is reunited with his boyhood buddy, Yuni Kuroba, who has extraordinary athletic talents but is prone to breakdown under duress. Haijima and Kuroba make an ace combo because of Haijima’s tremendous enthusiasm and skill for volleyball.

The two students enroll at Seiin High School and join the volleyball team. They will be joined by 163 cm hot-blooded captain Shinichirou Oda, brilliant and sharp-tongued vice-captain Misao Aoki and his third-year pair, as well as second-year pupils, including Akito Kanno, who is usually wearing long sleeves owing to a sun allergy. The fledgling squad shatters its previous shell of weakness and establishes itself as Fukui’s rising star. This is the story of a particular team’s quest for triumph, which is complicated by several intriguing adversaries.

Seiin invests heavily in its cast’s relationships and focuses on emotion and the reality of being an athlete in competitive sports, rather than on the activity itself. As a consequence, the film is uneven yet entertaining, with several standout moments, particularly when character development and an outstanding final match are considered.

5. Kougyou Aika Volley Boys (1997)

In a scene reminiscent of Field of Dreams and Ping Pong Club, sex-deprived adolescent males at Kudo high school join the girls’ volleyball team, believing that if they create it, the girls will come, even though the year has no girls at all.

The tale follows three students called Akagi, Miyamoto, and Taniguchi, who are collectively referred to as the Numa-K 3 Baka Trio (“The Asanuma Technical High School Idiot Trio”). In an ill-advised effort to gain popularity, the trio establishes a second volleyball team at their school.

4. Zoku Attacker You! Kin Medal e no Michi (2008)

“New Attacker You!” is a 52-episode anime television series produced in Japan and China. It is a sequel to the popular “Attacker You!” that premiered 24 years ago. This second animated series was created by Knack Productions for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The series, directed by Tomoharu Katsumata, premiered in China on Cartoon Darian and was subsequently released straight to DVD in Japan, bypassing the television network.

Young and motivated female athletes aspire to be the greatest in the sport of volleyball. Outside the courtroom, they risk firing if they do not win, as well as family, love, and friendship conflicts.

3. Attack No. 1 (Atakku Nanba Wan)

This is a fantastic oldie series that was the first female sports animation series to air on Japanese television. Kozue is a volleyball anime girl who aspires to be a member of the national volleyball squad. This excellent volleyball anime program chronicles Kozue’s rise to prominence, beginning as a kid playing in school and culminating in his tremendous achievement of becoming a national volleyball player. 

Kozue’s ascension to the top has been rocky. She faces many obstacles and has a feud with squad captain Yoshimura. She survives with the assistance of her friend Midori Hayakawa and her coach.

Attack No. 1 is a seminal animation since it was the first female sports anime to be shown on television. Chikako Urano wrote the manga in 1968 and it was turned into an anime a year later. It was founded to capitalize on the 1964 Japanese Olympic volleyball team’s gold medal performance on the women’s side of the sport. Japan was also the host country for those summer games, which added to the allure of their accomplishment. 

This sports drama depicts the many negative consequences of an athlete’s ascension to prominence throughout a long, well-constructed series. Kozue’s character is put to the test throughout the anime as she grows in her quest to become the world’s best volleyball player. 

As corny as it may seem, it does an excellent job of depicting Kozue’s genuine difficulties, which makes reaching the pinnacle of her athletic career all the more rewarding. This series is still well-received in Japan and is credited with establishing the genre of sports animation, particularly volleyball.

2. Haikyuu!!: To the Top (2020)

The Karasuno High School volleyball team won their long-awaited trip to nationals with a resounding win against Shiratorizawa Academy. As preparations begin, Tobio Kageyama is invited to the All-Japan Youth Training Camp to compete against other nationally known players. Meanwhile, Kei Tsukishima is invited to a special rookie training camp in Miyagi Prefecture for first-year students. Without invites of his own, the passionate Shouyou Hinata feels left out.

Hinata, on the other hand, does not back down. He bravely chooses to sneak into the same rookie training camp as Tsukishima, channeling his anger into self-motivation. Even though Hinata is hired as a ball boy, he views this as a great chance. He starts to think not just about his volleyball abilities, but also about the wealth of information accessible on the court and how he might use it.

As the highly anticipated national volleyball competition approaches, the players of Karasuno’s volleyball teamwork to overcome their weaknesses and improve their abilities, all while striving for the top!

1. Haikyuu!! (2014)

‘Haikyuu!!’ is one of the most popular sports animes of all time, and most likely the greatest volleyball anime ever produced. Shouyou Hinata is the anime’s protagonist. He resurrects his middle school’s volleyball squad after seeing a renowned volleyball player known as ‘Little Giant’ in action. His squad is capable of putting in the effort necessary to qualify for a tournament. However, things quickly deteriorate when they are soundly beaten by a squad led by Tobiyo Kageyama, dubbed the ‘King of the Court’. This motivates Hinata to strive even harder to outperform Tobiyo.

Hinata Shouyou, a little middle school girl, discovered an unexpected passion for volleyball while watching a national championship match on television. Shouyou, a tiny kid dubbed “the little giant,” joined his school’s volleyball club, determined to emulate the championship’s standout player. Unfortunately, he was the sole member, and the group lacked even a practice space.

He did not let this discourage him, and after recruiting five more players in his last year, he was able to participate in a real tournament – only to have his team draw the title favorite and its star player, Kageyama Tobio, dubbed “the king of the court,” in the first round.

Despite his team’s devastating loss, Shouyou pledges to improve and ultimately overtake Kageyama. Shouyou is now entering his first year of high school – the same one he saw compete in the national finals for the first time. He’s going to join the volleyball team, train relentlessly, and annihilate Kageyama the next time they cross paths on the court…or so he thought until he learns that he and Kageyama are now classmates. The volleyball team will undoubtedly benefit from their abilities, but only if they can put aside their differences and learn to operate as colleagues.

After graduating from middle school, he joins the volleyball team at Karasuno High School. However, he discovers that his rival Tobiyo is also present. Though Hinata has a strong leaping ability, his little stature makes it more difficult for him to establish his place on the squad. Additionally, it becomes out that Kageyama has his own issues. However, there is a single answer to each of their issues. They must complement one another to offer an edge for their side. True, the concept is very appealing, isn’t it? Just wait till you see the anime!