It’s a Sports Showdown!

It’s summer 2024, and you know what that means? Pump up those muscles, everyone, because the Olympics are here! Personally, I think that there’s nothing quite like seeing your favorite team give their blood, sweat, and tears. And don’t you just love the power of friendship? 

To celebrate this event, we decided to highlight some of our favorite sports series! Because, when needed, Yen Press always brings it to the table!

The Boxer

By JH

While searching for a final prodigy to train, legendary boxing coach K stumbles across a bewildering scene—an apathetic teenager simply standing still as his bullies throttle him. But Coach K sees more than this, sees the precision, grace, and uncanny perceptiveness in the boy’s movements. He knows right away that this is the fighter he’s been waiting for. Yet when he tries to recruit him, the boy with the lifeless eyes only asks one question: “Is it any fun? Hitting people…Is it fun?”

The first series we want to show off is The Boxer, one of the more unique titles in our Ize Press lineup. This series also features the most violent sport of our selections. But don’t be mistaken—violence is only one of the components that makes this title a must for muscle heads! While our main protagonist, Yu, is a prodigy in the discipline, the path to glory isn’t that smooth, and he will have to face a very human, very multifaceted cast that will keep you questioning your allegiance.

DIVE!!

By Eto Mori, Ruzuru Akashiba

Tomoki has long been passionate about the blink-of-an-eye performances that take place off the ten-meter diving platform. But as a member of the Mizuki Diving Club, he'll need more than passion when his team's lackluster record leaves them on the outs with their sponsors! With a new coach and a deadline to qualify for the Olympics in one short year, Tomoki and his teammates compete for glory with the fate of their diving club riding on their shoulders!

Summer means beach season, but for those who cannot stand the feeling of sand stuck in their toes, there is also the option of your local pool! And the pool, with its refreshingly cool divers, is the star of this series! If you are scared of heights, this might not be the right series for you—or perhaps, it could provide just the right push to reach the next level! 

Run on Your New Legs

By Wataru Midori

Shouta Kikuzato’s hopes of starting on his school’s prestigious soccer team are derailed when a terrible incident costs him his leg. Now in his first year of high school (again), Kikuzato has resigned himself to never reaching his athletic dreams. But when Chidori, a passing prosthetist, notices Kikuzato’s artificial limb—and speed—as he races through the train station, the specialist proposes a partnership: Chidori will build Kikuzato a brand-new leg designed solely for speed. All Kikuzato has to do is run!

If you didn’t know, the Paralympics are usually held after the Olympics, so the high continues well after July! With this series, we wanted to highlight how humans can really accomplish anything despite physical limitations and hopefully spark your curiosity to discover new opportunities to cheer for your favorite sport. Run on Your New Legs is a treasure of a sports manga, and we are very proud to be the ones to have brought it to our English-speaking audiences.

Cheeky Brat

By Mitsubachi Miyuki

I, Yuki, became the basketball team manager for one reason—I had a crush on the captain and wanted to be with him, always. But when Kido-senpai suddenly announced he got a girlfriend, where did that leave me? In the clubroom, crying my eyes out…until this cheeky brat of an underclassman showed up. And now that stupid, pretty playboy, Naruse, seems determined to wiggle his way into every corner of my life…

Finally, where would all the sportsmen be without their coach? Now, we know what you might be thinking. This is a shoujo manga! …And? You need to diversify your reading palate, my dear friends! Certainly, Cheeky Brat is a romance story at its core—but that doesn’t discredit the passion and energy for basketball that both Yuki and Naruse hold in their hearts!

Sports manga is one of those genres that really makes your blood pump—and for a good reason! Aside from the fact that it is immensely fun to cheer for your favorite team or athlete, sports manga can often highlight certain human struggles that make a narrative unforgettable. Truly, I find this genre to be a love letter to life.

So, which events are you following during this year’s Olympics and Paralympics? Personally, I am a fan of volleyball, but maybe these series will inspire you to check out some other disciplines!