As a companion piece to the main tournament arcs article, Nicc asked me to include some of my favorite battles from anime – whether the arc itself made the main list or not. Here are just a few that come to mind for me.
Gon vs. Hisoka: Hunter X Hunter – Obviously, this has to be mentioned even with the “Heaven’s Arena” arc itself making the list. Between the ridiculously Godly sakuga and the crazy tension between the combatants, this was… nuts.
Harada-sensei vs. Suou-meijin: Chihayafuru – This wasn’t the Chihayafuru tournament arc I singled out (there are seemingly hundreds to choose from) but this is my single favorite match in the series. It has to come as a pair, though, with Harada’s semifinal match with Arata, where Chihaya betrayed him and he won anyway.
Sai vs. Touya-meijin: Hikaru no Go – Simply put, one of the most remarkable competition sequences in animanga. The disembodied spirit of a Heian Go master and an ill middle-aged man sitting in front of old-school PCs, playing a board game in virtual form. How can that possibly be as riveting as this is? But oh, how it is. I can’t even describe the tension, especially in anime form – it’s off the charts.
Mifune Dolphins vs. Yokohama Little: Major – The dramatic conclusion (though not the literal one) to the Little League arc in Major. A great underdog story, with Goro taking his entire team on his back and giving everything he has in that tiny body until he has no more to give. In sports terms, it doesn’t get any more heroic than Honda (that was still his name) Goro here.
Junpei vs. Luou, “Swan Lake”: Dance Dance Danseur – OK, not a tournament but still, what a battle. All the more remarkable for it to be so riveting in the midst of one of the biggest plot disasters in recent anime.
Eiichirou vs. Ide: Baby Steps – There are lots of great tournament arcs in Baby Steps, which is not surprising for the best tennis series in animanga history. But truthfully the series is more about Ei-chan’s battles with himself than with opponents – that’s what makes it arguably the best sports manga ever. If I had to pick one match, though, it would be Maruo going up against Ide Yoshiaki. It’s fascinating because Ide, in addition to being tough as nails, is a wildly popular and charismatic opponent, which forces Maruo to compete against the crowd as well as his opponent (and his own doubts).
Sakamichi Onoda vs. Manami Sangaku: Yowamushi Pedal – I’m giving the nod to the entire competitive relationship here rather than one specific inter-high. Onoda and Manami is one of the great “fated rival” relationships in sports anime, built on overlapping skill sets and mutual respect.
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