Highlights
- Male-dominated casts can still deliver rich narratives of brotherhood and teamwork, as seen in anime like “Run With The Wind.”
- Unique sports-focused series like “Salaryman’s Club” offer insight into corporate athleticism and the challenges faced by athletes.
- Addictive storylines like in “One Outs” blend sports with suspense, showcasing the drive and determination of baseball prodigy Tokuchi.
The idea of an all-male cast or an all-same-sex cast might seem unsettling to some viewers. However, it could be the difference between a good and a great anime series when implemented correctly.
As there are several anime with an all-female cast that are certainly more than just ‘great’ anime, so are there anime with all-male casts who also fit the criteria, presenting beautiful tales of brotherhood and camaraderie of a sort, albeit in some of the most awkward approaches. A distinguishable feature of anime such as these is the typically shared objective that brings all these characters together in the first place. Therefore, below is a recommendation of some of the best anime with an all-male cast.
8 Opus.COLORs
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.0 / 5
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll, Prime Video, Apple TV
- Genre: Sci-Fi
- No. of Episodes: 12
Opus.COLORs presents a tale of art, friendship, and ambition, all stemming from the mind of the series’ young protagonist, Kazuya Yamanashi. The series is premised on Perception Art, an art form once shunned by the art world but now in a revival and has taken the world by surprise. As the son of the brains behind perception art, Kazuya inherited more than just his parents’ talents and creativity in the art and has set his sights on becoming the world’s best perception artist.
Now, as a student at Eisen High School, Kazuya’s ambitions are not the only reasons behind his choice of school. He hopes to make amends with an estranged childhood friend, Kyou Takise, a third-year student at the school. Fortunately for Kazuya, the two are paired together for a competition, which would see them represent Eisen for the year. So, Kazuya and Kyou must put aside their differences if they are to have any chance of winning the competition.
7 Number24
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.6 / 5
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll, Prime Video
- Genre: Sports
- No. of Episodes: 12
Number24 follows the redemption tale of the series’ protagonist, Natsusa Yuzuki, who had only ever played rugby as a left-winger, even as a child. Even enrolling in Doushisha University did not change that, as Yuzuki quickly became the team’s ace of some sort. However, fate is not so kind to Yuzuki, as his dreams are shattered when he gets into a motorbike accident that leaves him with a spinal hernia, which makes sure he will never be able to play rugby again.
Due to his love for rugby, Yuzuki is left with only the role of team manager, which he accepts with the hope that his squad can win him a league title. Determined to get the best out of his squad, Yuzuki puts his all into training his team with the help of his best friend, Seiichiro, and Doushisha’s former ace, Ibuki Ueka.
6 Run With The Wind
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.2 / 5
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll, Apple TV, Prime Video
- Genre: Drama, Sports
- No. of Episodes: 23
Run With The Wind assembles quite the male cast, alongside the series’ protagonist, Kakeru Kurahara. The former ace-runner of the Sendai Jose High School, Kakeru finds himself in a bit of a pickle early into his university life at Kansei University when he is chased away from a convenience store for shoplifting. While trying to shake off his pursuer, Kakeru runs into Haiji Kiyose, another student at the university, who is instantly impressed by Kakeru’s speed and agility. Haiji convinces Kakeru to live in a run-down dormitory with eight other strangers when the latter confesses to having lost his apartment deposit.
However, Haiji’s ulterior motive for Kakeru and the housemates comes to light when he reveals to all ten members of the dormitory the purpose and condition for their stay in the dormitory— to run in the Hakone Ekiden, a prominent university marathon relay race. However, there are a few obstacles in Haiji’s path. Besides himself and Kakeru, all the other residents are complete running novices. Worse still, none, including Kakeru, are in the slightest bit interested in Haiji’s grand plan.
5 Katsugeki Touken Ranbu
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.4 / 5
Katsugeki Touken Ranbu takes place in the historical hallways of Japan during the later years of the Edo period. The series follows the central characters, Horikawa Kunihiro and Izuminokami Kanesada, two sword spirits who, at the behest of their master, are sent from the future to the year 1863 of Japan’s Bakumatsu era and have been tasked with protecting the real history from the interference of an army of historical revisionists, looking to alter the facts of history.
Although straightforward, their mission will take a lot of work, as both Kanesada and Kunihiro originally belonged to the Bakumatsu era. The duo, alongside an unlikely band of warriors, will unite against the invading army to achieve their mission’s objective.
4 Salaryman’s Club
Anime-Planet Rating: 3.8 / 5
Salaryman’s Club presents an insightful tale of corporate sports through the life of the series’ protagonist, Mikoto Shiratori. Once acknowledged as a badminton prodigy while still much younger, Mikoto has yet to live up to his potential as a badminton player for Mitsuhoshi Bank, which ultimately terminated his employment due to his continued failures. However, Mikoto’s luck has yet to run out, as another company recruits him almost immediately after being fired from his last job.
Now under the employment of the Sunlight Beverage corporate badminton team, Mikoto soon realizes that his experience as a corporate athlete means very little as not only does practice begin in the evening, but he will also work for the company’s sales department during the day. Struggling to adjust to his new employment conditions, Mikoto begins to doubt his decision to join the company, but as the days go by and he interacts with his new colleagues, Mikoto realizes that his employment may not have been the wrong choice, after all.
3 One Outs
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.2 / 5
One Outs revolves around the central character, Toua Tokuchi, a baseball and gambling prodigy infamous for his 499 consecutive victories in the game of One Outs—a one-versus-one match between a baseball pitcher and a batter. However, despite Tokuchi’s obvious talent for baseball, he sees the sport as nothing more than a quick fix for money. The story flips on its head when Hiromich Kojima, a famous hitter for the Saikyou Saitama Lycaons, sees Tokuchi’s skill up close and decides to do whatever it takes to recruit him to his team.
To recruit Tokuchi, Kojima takes a risky gamble on his career and challenges and defeats the latter at his specialty. By losing to Kojima, Tokuchi is forced to make good on the challenge and joins the Lycaons. However, Tokuchi’s problems are only beginning, as he soon finds himself at odds with the team’s owner, Tsuneo Saikawa, who is unwilling to give him an acceptable salary. Tokuchi proposes a special offer to Saikawa; however, the deal can make or break him. So, with every game looming like a time bomb over him, Tokuchi will do all he can to uphold his end of the deal.
2 SK8 the Infinity
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.3 / 5
SK8 the Infinity features quite the peculiar sport alongside a peculiar cast of characters. The series revolves around the central characters, Reki Kyan, a high school student whose only passion is skateboarding, and Langa Hasegawa, a new transfer student at Reki’s high school who is half-Canadian and half-Japanese. Things seem to take a halt when Reki gets his skateboard destroyed and his arm broken due to a bet he lost during the illegal ‘S’ race— an underground race inside an abandoned where various skaters compete in no-holds-barred races and extremely dangerous situations.
While still incapacitated, Reki and Langa find themselves at ‘S’ when Reki is tasked by his boss. This gets them into trouble and another bet, but this time, the participant is Langa. Unknown to Reki, however, Langa holds a trump card that will ultimately change the nature of ‘S.’
1 Blue Lock
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.3 / 5
Blue Lock takes football on a trajectory never seen before in anime, and it does so with a rather interesting cast of male characters. The series is centered on the protagonist, Isagi Yoichi, who was mere moments away from taking his high school to the nationals had he decided to score himself. However, a last-minute decision to pass cost him and his team. Confused and angry, Isagi contemplates his decision, wondering if he had made the right choice.
His thoughts are halted when he returns home to an invitation from the Japanese Football Union. Selected as one of three hundred U-18 strikers for the secret project— Project Blue Lock, Isagi’s footballing trajectory drastically, as the project is designed to turn one of the selected players into the star striker for the Japanese national team. Determined to survive in this new hell, Isagi desires to claim Blue Lock’s ultimate crown.
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