10 Books/Manga Like Haikyu
Haikyu is a popular shonen sports manga with a vast following. It’s written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. The story follows Hinata, a boy who wants to become a successful volleyball player. After joining his new high school’s volleyball team, he learns he’ll be sharing the spotlight with a rival from his past.
Hinata must set aside his differences with this person if he hopes to claim victory for himself and his new teammates. Many cherish this series for its joyous themes, motivational storytelling, and impressive artwork. Like many other sports series that were released before its time, Haikyu is certainly one worth checking out if you need something that’ll push you to achieve your dreams.
If you’re in the mood for more sports-themed books/manga that offer a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 10 books/manga to check out when you’ve caught up with Haikyu. Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
Blue Lock – Muneyuki Kaneshiro
Similarities – Sports & Characters
If you love intense and psychological sports series, Blue Lock should be on your radar. Blue Lock delves into soccer instead of volleyball like Haikyu. However, like Haikyu, it revolves around the competitive nature of its respective sport and features compelling characters.
Firstly, both stories explore themes of perseverance and dreams. In Blue Lock, we follow Isagi, a talented overlooked soccer player who participates in a high-stakes program to become Japan’s best striker. Like Hinata from Haikyu, Isagi faces countless challenges and setbacks. However, his unwavering spirit pushes him to overcome obstacles and work toward his goals.
Secondly, both stories capture the joys of competing in volleyball and soccer through illustrations. Whether it’s the soaring spikes in Haikyu or the strategic plays in Blue Lock, both mangas excel in portraying the fun to be had with each sport.
Therefore, Blue Lock is another fantastic sports tale that’ll entice you to go out and strike a ball with everything you have.
Slam Dunk – Takehiko Inoue
Similarities – Characters, Sports, Themes
Slam Dunk is a well-illustrated and captivating work from profound manga author Takehiko Inoue. While it focuses on basketball, Haikyu fans will adore Slam Dunk’s rich narrative, well-written cast, and exhilarating basketball games.
Like Hinata, Slam Dunk’s Hanamichi is a fantastic lead character who receives incredible development. While he doesn’t have the same love for his sport as Hinata does at first, he’ll participate in many thrilling basketball games which will make him change his views on it. Secondly, both stories emphasize why it’s important to work as a team. In Slam Dunk, Hanamichi gets involved with his High School’s basketball team, learning more about his friends’ goals, backgrounds, and abilities on the field. Through his experiences, Hanamichi learns to trust and rely on others.
Additionally, both stories feature impressive visual portrayals of their respective sport. Slam Dunk’s basketball games won’t disappoint and fans will love Inoue’s strong attention to detail.
For those who love engaging character-driven sports narratives, Slam Dunk is one of the best and a great option for Haikyu fans to read.
Ao Ashi – Yugo Kobayashi
Similarities – Sports, Characters, Themes
If you love soccer and well-written characters, Ao Ashi should satisfy you. Ao Ashi promises Haikyu fans a narrative that emphasizes sportsmanship, teamwork, and personal growth. In it, we follow Ashito, a soccer player who receives a chance to play for a team in Tokyo. While he’s unfamiliar with the area, Ashito vows to lead his new team to victory.
Like Haruichi Furudate, Yugo Kabyashi excels at breaking down soccer’s fundamentals for readers. You’ll learn the ins and outs of the sport while reading this manga. Furthermore, this story adds some neat twists and turns. Some soccer games won’t conclude in ways you’d expect, making events feel fun for fans who love to speculate. Ashito is a fantastic lead who receives proper development time like Hinata, enticing readers to keep up with the story.
If you adore sports series with emotional depth and great characters, check this out.
Eyeshield 21 – Riichirou Inagaki
Similarities – Sports, Themes, Characters
Eyeshield 21 is an incredible American football manga with a simple plot but lovable characters. Like Haikyu, this story is about a protagonist who undergoes significant development. In it, we follow Sena, a timid high school student who becomes the secret weapon of his high school’s football team. Like Hinata, Sena faces challenges and doubts from others.
However, through relentless effort and their burning passion for their sport, they defy expectations and become critical players for their teams. That said, teamwork is a crucial theme in Haikyu and Eyeshield 21. While Sena is an agile athlete on the field, he must rely on his teammates’ strengths to lead them to victory. This mirrors how Hinata relies on his partners to help him prevail in volleyball.
On top of having thrilling visual depictions for their sports, Eyeshield 21 is as delightful to read as Haikyu.
Ace Of Diamond – Yuuji Terajima
Similarities – Sports, Characters, Themes
Ace of Diamond is a memorable and exciting baseball manga with a fun cast. Like Hinata, Ace of Diamonds’s protagonist Eijun strives to become the best player in his respective sport. Eijun’s journey to the top is brimming with challenges and emotional confrontations. These aspects play a role in helping Eijun grow as a person and as a player.
Yuuji Terajima excels at capturing baseball’s best aspects in Ace of Diamonds. Each baseball game feels intense and is well-illustrated. You’ll adore seeing its cast hit home runs, throw balls, and form plans to throw the opposing team for a loop. Ace of Diamond tackles themes like teamwork and friendship too. Eijun will develop wholesome bonds with his friends and teammates.
If you’re looking for another sports series with an engaging cast and a fun narrative, check out Ace of Diamond.
Blue Box – Kouji Miura
Similarities – Sports & Themes
Blue Box is a modern and unique sports manga. It’s a story about two people named Taiki and Chinatsu. The former plays badminton while the latter adores basketball. They spend their time training alongside each other in the gym. Soon their relationship takes a dramatic turn, leading to a series brimming with romance and joy.
Like Haikyu, Blue Box emphasizes the importance of forming strong connections with friends and teammates. Taiki learns to rely on his team and will do everything in his power to help his team prevail. This mirrors Hinata’s drive to improve his skills and lead his teammates to victory throughout every volleyball game and competition.
While Blue Box features more romantic tension between its lead and his female companion, you’ll adore this series if you love sports-themed works like Haikyu.
Ahiru No Sora – Takeshi Hinata
Similarities – Sports, Characters, Themes
Ahiru No Sora is a great basketball manga with an enjoyable cast. In it, we follow Sora. He’s a basketball enthusiast who enrolls in Kuzuryuu High School to appease his mother. He joins the school’s basketball club and learns its club members are as amazed by the sport as he is. Therefore, we examine Sora’s quest to restore his club’s love for the sport by helping them earn a championship.
Despite not tackling volleyball, Ahiru No Sora takes place in a high school setting and examines its characters’ journey to lead their team to the top like Hinata does in Haikyu. Despite the skepticism and setbacks they face along the way, Sora and Hinata are determined individuals who’ll do their best to achieve their similar goals.
To that extent, readers will be motivated by Sora’s enthusiasm for basketball. Like Haikyu, you may be enticed to leave your household to play a round of basketball with your friends or family members.
On top of tackling compelling ideas regarding friendship, teamwork, and perseverance, Ahiru No Sora is a fantastic read for sports fans.
Baby Steps – Hikaru Katsuki
Similarities – Sports & Themes
For people who love characters like Hinata and don’t mind tennis, Baby Steps is worth reading. It follows a straight A-student named Eiichiro, who joins his high school’s tennis team as a side hobby. He’ll meet an airheaded student named Natsu. Natsu’s extremely passionate about tennis, and this will rub off on Eiichiro.
Therefore, we’ll see Eiichiro struggle to apply his academic prowess to tennis and see how this sport changes his life. Many readers will adore Eiichiro for their lack of natural talent and athleticism. Like Hinata, Eiichiro will gradually become aware of his sport’s fundamentals and will practice relentlessly to improve in the field. His journey will motivate readers to pursue tough obstacles in their lives.
Readers will love Baby Steps for its captivating artwork too. Hikaru Katsuki excels at making each tennis game pop. If you want a tennis tale with charm and thrills, check this out.
Chihayafuru – Yuki Suetsugu
Similarities – Sports, Characters, Themes
Chihayafuru is a fascinating sports manga. Instead of basketball, soccer, and volleyball, this manga delves into the area of intense Karuta competition. This is a Japanese playing card game where players match cards at quick paces. Like Haikyu, you don’t need to be a fan of the sport it covers to adore what its author has in store for you.
In Chihayafuru, we follow Chihaya, a girl who becomes infatuated with the Karuta world. She joins a secret society dedicated to the competition and hopes to become the Queen of Karuta. Like Hinata, Chihaya’s a passionate lead protagonist whose love for Karuta may rub off on audiences as they examine her journey. Her journey is littered with obstacles that will push her to her limits.
Furthermore, Chihayafuru offers Haikyu fans some intense drama and romantic developments. Both tales feature a good chunk of humor to keep fans entertained and to provide them with moments to breathe from its thrilling material.
Give this a read if you’re after a sports series with a bit more romance in it.
Kuroko’s Basketball – Tadatoshi Fujimaki
Similarities – Sports & Characters
Kuroko’s Basketball is another shonen sports classic Haikyu fans should read. This manga tackles basketball but provides a supernatural twist on the sport to make things refreshing and more exhilarating to read. In it, we follow two high school basketball players named Kuroko and Kagami. Despite their different backgrounds, the two must work together to help their team claim victory.
Like Haikyu, Kuroko’s Basketball tackles themes like friendship, teamwork, and determination. Kuroko and Kagami are well-rounded characters and receive incredible growth throughout the series. Like Hinata and his team, Kuroko and Tetsuo will face strong adversaries who play a significant role in helping them improve as players and people.
These adversaries aren’t one-and-done characters either. Tadatoshi Fujimaki excels at giving these opponents great personalities, goals, abilities, and backgrounds to make them memorable and interesting.
Therefore, if you love Furudate’s depiction of volleyball in Haikyu, you’ll love Fujimaki’s take on basketball in Kuroko’s Basketball.
So there we have it, our 10 books/manga to read after you’re caught up with Haikyu.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!