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Top 5 Romance Sports Anime Like Blue Box and Where to Watch Them

The top 5 sports anime like Blue Box with romance as the sub-genre.

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Not many anime can blend romance and sports like Blue Box. Since its release, fans have been fawning over the cute and frustrating adolescent love in the anime. And when you add competitive sports to it, there’s no room for monotony. Blue Box anime is nearing its end. Whether or not it gets a sequel is up to the producers. In the meantime, you can watch something similar. That’s why we’ve created this list of romance sports anime like Blue Box.

Top 5 Romance Sports Anime Like Blue Box and Where to Watch Them

6. Touch

  • MAL Rating: 7.98
  • IMDB Rating: 7.9
  • Episodes: 101
  • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

It’s a classic sports romance anime by Mitsuru Adachi (the same author as Cross Game). Touch follows twin brothers, Tatsuya and Kazuya, and their shared love interest, Minami, with a focus on baseball and the impact of a tragic event. Blue Box centers on Taiki, a badminton player, and his growing feelings for basketball star Chinatsu, complicated by their shared living situation and another potential romantic interest.

Both series realistically portray complex relationships, balancing athletic pursuits with personal growth and emotional development. While Touch has a more dramatic tone due to its early tragedy, both stories emphasize the challenges of pursuing dreams and navigating first love within the context of everyday life.

5. Yawara!

  • MAL Rating: 7.48
  • IMDB Rating: 7.2
  • Episodes: 124
  • Where to Watch: NA

Yawara wants a simple life. She wants to be a regular high school girl and later get a handsome boyfriend. But being a Judo prodigy and the only granddaughter of a Judo master doesn’t help her ambitions. Her grandpa wants her to become a professional Judo athlete and win an Olympic gold medal for the country.

Yawara! | Credits: Madhouse
Yawara! | Credits: Madhouse

If Blue Lock has a love triangle, Yawara has a love polygon. Haven’t you heard love comes in all shapes and sizes? Compared to Blue Box, Yawara dials it up a notch when it comes to comedy. Being national athletes is in the cards for the protagonists.

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4. Baby Steps

  • MAL Rating: 7.8
  • IMDB Rating: 7.6
  • Episodes: 50 (2 seasons)
  • Where to Watch: NA

Eiichirou Maruo started playing tennis because he was worried about his health. But the more he played, the more fascinated he became with the sport. There, he meets Natsu, a girl who aspires to be a professional player. Seeing her play, Eiichirou gets serious about his hobby and develops his unique style of playing.

If you think Blue Box takes time to develop a romance, watch Baby Steps. Its underlying romance will make you appreciate the former. Both Eiichirou and Taiki are passionate, and diligent and use their brain over brawn.

Baby Steps | Credits: Pierrot
Baby Steps | Credits: Pierrot

3. Welcome to the Ballroom

  • MAL Rating: 8.18
  • IMDB Rating: 7.6
  • Episodes: 24
  • Where to Watch: NA

Tatara Fujita is withdrawn and doesn’t know what he wants from life. One day, while he was bullied, a tall man saved him. That man is Kaname Sengoku, a renowned dancer. He drags Tatara into the studio mistaking him for an aspiring dancer. When teamed up with a seasoned dancer, Tatara felt alive for the first time. What began as a mistake soon became his heartbeat.

Welcome to the Ballroom | Credits: Production I.G.
Welcome to the Ballroom | Credits: Production I.G.

There are times in Blue Box when you feel love is in the air, but you can’t grasp it. It’s the same with Welcome to the Ballroom. Similarly, both male protagonists are very much beginners, while the female protagonists are experienced in their respective fields.

2. Cross Game

  • MAL Rating: 8.37
  • IMDB Rating: 8.2
  • Episodes: 50
  • Where to Watch: NA

Kou has impressive batting skills but isn’t interested in baseball. Meanwhile, Aoba is known for her exceptional pitching skills. Despite their family being close friends, Kou and Aoba repel each other. But the one who connects them is Aoba’s older sister, Wakaba, who spends most of her time with Kou, making Aoba jealous to no end.

Cross Game | Credits: Synergy SP
Cross Game | Credits: Synergy SP

If you enjoyed the jittery teen romance anchored by sports in Blue Box, then Adachi’s Cross Game is a must-watch because Mitsuru Adachi is a master of stories delving into romance and sports.

1. Chihayafuru

  • MAL Rating: 8.18
  • IMDB Rating: 8.1
  • Episodes: 74 (3 seasons)
  • Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Apple TV

Chihaya is an aimless wanderer. Taichi, while gifted, is burdened by heavy expectations. These two get drawn to the world of the Japanese traditional card game Karuta by a new transfer student, Arata, who aims to be the best Karuta player. Despite spending their childhood playing Karuta together, they get separated. Such is life. But this game reunites them in high school and tests their rivalry, friendship, and the romance in between.

Chihayafuru | Credits: Madhouse
Chihayafuru | Credits: Madhouse

In both Blue Box and Chihayafuru, there’s a love triangle involving childhood friends. The main protagonists aim to be the best at Karuta in Chihayafuru and badminton/basketball in Blue Box.

So now you have a complete list of anime like Blue Box. While you are at it, why not check out the most comfy anime of the Winter 2025 season?

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