Kara Dennison
January 13, 2025 
This season’s sports anime are pouring all their blood, sweat, and tears into aiming for the top. And the girls starring in these series are going for the gold—in some cases literally! Whether it’s a last chance at high school glory, a late start in a demanding field, or an attempt to find a new hobby, these heroines are giving their ambitions their all. Will they succeed? Read on to get to know the girls, then tune in to find out!
Minami Aoba — Sorairo Utility
Lots of sports anime are about impossible dreams, hard work, and guts. But for the star of Sorairo Utility, it’s more about finding something to do when another hobby disappears. Minami is an avoid gamer, but her favorite game is shutting down service. What will she do with all her time now? Not sports… at least, that’s what she assumes. But after a chance encounter at a golf range, she starts to discover an unexpected love for the sport.
More than anything, this gamer wants to become a protagonist in her own story. And golf seems to give her that opportunity—letting her choose how to play and what she wants to improve as she plays. Will she level up into an S-rank golfer? Start watching Sorairo Utility on HIDIVE and find out!
Inori Yuitsuka — Medalist
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from sports anime, it’s that being the best in your chosen sport is really demanding. Take figure skating, for example. If you don’t start when you’re like five years old, odds are you’ll never get good enough to compete. That’s the problem faced by Inori, the star of Medalist. She’s eleven years old, making her a “late bloomer” in the skating world. She’s also clumsy, and her mother doesn’t want her to have to deal with disappointment. Her coach, on the other hand, is willing to help Inori chase her dreams.
With Tsukasa at her side, Inori tries to clear the hurdles ahead of her as quickly as possible. Fortunately, she’s surprisingly adept at skating. Not only that, she loves it—to the point that she’s willing to put in all the work necessary to go to the Olympics. Watch Medalist on Hulu to follow her journey!
Chinatsu and Hina — Blue Box
Blue Box, continuing from last season, is equal parts sports anime and teen romance. Chinatsu Kano is the show’s leading lady: an aspiring basketball star with just one more year left in her high school career. She’s also won Taiki Inomata’s heart and inspired him to do his best in badminton. But this little love triangle has another corner: Hina Chono.
Hina is Taiki’s childhood friend and a member of the rhythmic gymnastics team. She has her own dreams to chase, but watching Taiki’s growing interest in Chinatsu has brought her own feelings to the forefront. Those feelings are becoming even more evident—both to us and to Taiki—in recent episodes. If you’re new to this show, start catching up to Blue Box on Netflix!
