Many people think that sports anime should be inspiring, first and foremost, and wholesome. It's been some sort of maxim in the anime community that "nobody dies in a sports anime," which is akin to saying that the genre tends to sway away from the drama.
A few sports anime shows released in 2021 weren't like that, though. Their popularity, still, is thanks to the awe-inspiring theme, with MCs giving off the "never give up" vibe as always. But the difference with them is the fact that they took a dramatic turn somewhere along the way. Here are a few examples:
!! CAUTION: Spoilers ahead !!
2.43
The heavy drama from this anime starts right on the first episode. The melancholy music and the dark and "cold" visuals definitely make everything look lonelier than usual. This volleyball anime is about Haijima and Kuroba, childhood friends who were separated because the former had to go to Tokyo. He went back to his hometown, however, because he was suspected for driving his former teammate to go mad and commit suicide.
As obvious as it may sound, it was traumatic for Haijima. He still plays volleyball, but he always feels like he's treading on eggshells. Say or do anything wrong, he'll be implicated again and be pushed away by people he treated as friends. But Kuroba is with him now, and his new teammates are nice enough to spare him some thought and understand his situation.
Re-MAIN
Minato used to be the country's best water polo athlete, but everything he built for himself through hard work and long hours of training vanished in the blink of an eye because he suddenly lost his memory. This is an interesting twist that doesn't happen in many sports shows. However, it paved the way for the plot to be carried on. With his memory (and subsequently all his skills) gone, Minato has to push himself further and harder than ever. He was once at the top already, and no one knows better than him how difficult it is to get there.
And as if that wasn't dramatic enough, another unexpected twist happened when Minato regained his memories. He got back to being grumpy and unfriendly, but his skills still aren't there because his body couldn't keep up. This became a plot point for his character development. His new teammates, who happened to be newbies at the sport, are a symbol for the rock bottom where he built his new foundation. The old and grumpy Minato would have stepped on his teammates' back to get on the top, but the changed and wiser Minato works harder to also pull everyone up.
Bakuten
While strolling around the park, Shotaro was mesmerized to see three upperclassmen doing a handstand. Apparently, they were members of the Men's Rhythmic Gymnastics club, which he eventually joined of his own volition. This anime, like any other sports-centric show, is very wholesome for the most part. Shotaro is a total newbie, but his teammates are all cool and helpful, and they push him hard and give him tips on how to get better. The dramatic part, however, lies not with the MC but with the coach.
Once considered the greatest in the field of men's rhythmic gymnastics, the coach used to aim to be on the world stage, as well. But that dream was shattered because of an accident during a performance. He never got to perform again because it was so bad, but thankfully, he still has the knowledge to pass on to his apprentices, i.e., Shotaro and the whole club.
Before the day of an important competition, Shotaro injured his arm. The same exact thing is what happened to the coach: he got injured before their performance, but he didn't tell anyone, so the injury got worse because of the strain during the performance itself. The coach was worried about Shotaro's future, but Shotaro is determined to go. Thankfully, because he's still technically a newbie, he didn't do any strenuous jumps and backflips, so his injury didn't get any worse.
Wave
Whoever said "no one dies in a sports anime" was proven wrong by this surfing anime. One of three main characters of the show committed suicide by battling the raging waves during a heavy storm. (Or at least, he made it look that way.) The next few episodes of the series were focused on Corgi (the main protagonist) improving his surfing skills further and trying to move on from his loss.
The one who died was pretty famous in school and in the surfing community. So, for a while, everyone was grieving and mourning for him. On the last episode, the audience got a bit of hope that he's actually still alive. If there's a second season, there's to hoping that the reason for his "death" will be explained.
Sk8
Reki and Langa are inseparable friends. The two of them had an uncanny encounter at first, and they clicked and eventually became bestfriends, even though their personalities are a mile apart. Reki is bubbly and outspoken, while Langa is reserved and timid. Langa, who came from Canada, is a gifted snowboarder. But since there's not a lot of snowy mountains in his new town, Reki invited him to try skateboarding with him.
There are no deaths or anything too heavy here. The drama springs from the overly sadistic antagonist who, for whatever reason, takes pleasure in ensuring that his opponents can never ride a skateboard again by heavily injuring them during a match. The antagonist took a liking to both Reki and Langa and challenged them to a duel. Thank heavens they're the main characters! #
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