The golden age of sports anime feels completely lost or left behind, dwindling off without a second shot of redemption as other genres stepped into the spotlight. In contrast with major anime genres, though, sports anime feels at a disadvantage due to the subsiding of the golden age. The golden age of sports anime insisted that sports anime were to be watched routinely, and studios knew that the consumerism around breakout series would give way to a loyal fandom. The golden age of sports anime is now retired; that doesn’t eclipse the changes of sports anime embracing an underdog story of its own. Just because the golden age has come and gone, that doesn’t mean that it’s time for sports anime to tap out.