College student Kakeru has a troubled past but can’t seem to escape running. Running from his past, running after shoplifting, until finally running to be able to stay in his new dorm. Masterminded by running enthusiast Haiji, all 10 guys living in the college dorm Chikusei-sou must become their university’s running team in order to live there for free. Some take to running easily either through passion or indifference and some of them abhor their freedom being compromised in any way. Still, as each one finds their own reason for running, their relationships with each other and those outside the dorm begin to change.

The sweat, physical exertion, and different array of anime men you enjoyed in Wave!! can be seen in Run with the Wind! The setting is very different with an older group of guys and on land rather than sea, but they each have their own dreams and reasons for the sport similarly to Wave!! While Run with the Wind doesn’t have as much eye candy, could probably be more enjoyed by those not attracted to men as the relationships and hardships they overcome feel very real and relatable!

If Hikari (affectionally known as Pikari for her sparkling, energetic demeanor) loves anything more than scuba diving, it’s introducing her favorite activity to others! When a shy girl from the big city named Futaba ends up in Pikari’s class, Pikari instantly latches on to her and shares her passion for life in general but especially for being one with the water. There’s something indescribably inviting in regards to both the ocean and Pikari that keeps Futaba unable to take her eyes off of either of them.

While the genders are switched, there’s a lot that makes Amanchu! a fun anime to watch for those that felt drawn to Wave!! Naturally, the reverence the characters have for the ocean is similar as is the addition of a new student to a somewhat small town. And like Shou with Masaki, Pikari’s charm leads the otherwise uninterested Futaba to the water where she learns what freedom feels like. While there aren’t as many divers to get invested in as surfers in Wave!!, the beautiful hint of Futaba’s romantic feelings toward Pikari will pique your interest as Masaki’s toward Shou did.

The tsurune—the sound of a taut bowstring being released—captivates a young Minato and spurs him to compete in archery. Unfortunately, not only does Minato later lose his mother but also his ability to hit a target causing him to distance himself from both archery and his friends. After reuniting with two former archery teammates Seiya and Ryouhei at their new high school, Minato is pressured to join the archery team there. But with his target panic as strong as ever, what will it take for him to resonate once again with the tsurune?

Minato, Seiya, and Ryohei are the trio of friends the anime revolves around with a close-knit supporting cast. Minato and Masaki share a similar brooding when the sport they grew to love becomes a source of pain. There’s more of the personal drama than just sports-related worries that we saw in Wave!!. Just as Nalu and Shou worked to teach Masaki how to surf, Seiya and Ryohei are the quiet guy and obnoxious but lovable goof duo that spend their time trying to help their buddy the best that they know how.

Junior high school student Yuni is overjoyed that his friend from kindergarten moved back to their hometown of Fukui but Kimichika is totally different from the warmhearted boy Yuni remembered. There seems to be some hope when Yuni discovers Chimichika’s interest in the volleyball club, as he is also a member. But just as their relationship starts to mend, a dark and painful secret about Kimichika surfaces. For the sake of leaving their troubles on the court and create their own path, the two awkward friends will have to push themselves as never before.

The same excitement and admiration that Masaki holds for Shou can be seen in the sparkling eyes of Yuni towards Kimichika. Unfortunately, Kimichika may share Shou’s blond hair but they couldn’t be more different. At least he warms up to Yuni due to his persistent understanding and physical strengths. Without understanding much, Yuni also excels more easily than most people much like Yuni. The sense of desiring competition even with a relatively new love for a sport is felt in both anime! The accumulation of new characters to love is another trait we can admire when just a couple of cuties aren’t enough!

It seems that Haruka and his friends have the chance to relive their middle school days of swimming together when most of them happen to be reunited in high school. Rin, however, attends a different school and only sees Haruka as an enemy he wishes to best in competitive swimming. In order to settle things between the two, Haruka and his schoolmates form the Iwatobi Swim Club to show their determination and dedication in hopes of changing Rin’s heart.

Boys bonding in the water, more of what we’re here for! While there’s more animosity in Free! than in Wave!!, Rin and Rindou have similar names and a similar stand-offishness to add some less-than-friendly rivalry. It has stronger BL potential than the others on our list so far, which fujoshi who enjoyed Wave!! will appreciate. Though they are in a pool and not the ocean, the theme of water connecting them to each other can be felt, and less poetically, it makes our boys look good!

After being mesmerized by amazing diver Youichi’s form and beauty as he descends into the water, Tomoki becomes determined to follow him. As a middle school student, he finally gets his chance to be on the same team as his hero only to find out the team is in danger of being disbanded. Uncertain about everything else in his life, Tomoki is determined to keep diving and against all odds, bring their team back from the brink of disbandment.

Dive!! and Wave!! have a lot in common without either being a watered-down version of the other. Middle school students trying to find their place in the world and only being certain of their water sport is a more central to the plot theme found in both anime. Naturally, the young athletes showing off in sparkling water is another! Like Shou, Youichi leads an inexperienced boy to water while just chasing his own dreams. Youichi even gives up his relationship with his girlfriend to focus his efforts on diving because, like Masaki, he has never had a clear goal until it came to giving his all to his chosen sport. Both sports are also over with rather quickly and there’s not a lot of prolonged action as much as quick, intense bursts. And in both anime, the boys wish to make it to the world stage!