One of the longest-running sports manga today is Ahiru no Sora. Featuring a pint-sized basketball fan and his efforts to turn around his team of delinquents, the manga has been running for almost two decades now. While the book might not be well-known to Westerners, its anime adaptation has gained the franchise numerous fans.
Streaming the anime for Ahiru no Sora is both simple and cheap, but those wanting to read the original books will find the task a lot more difficult. Here's more about what the story is about and how readers and viewers in the West can check out both versions of the series.
What Is Ahiru no Sora About?
Ahiru no Sora focuses on Sora Kurumatani, a teenager who, despite his small stature, made a promise to his mother to become a basketball star. Upon trying out for the basketball team at Kuzuryu High School, however, he realizes it isn't just his height that might get in the way of winning his first basketball tournament.
The "basketball court" in the school has become the local hangout of educational delinquents and hooligans, none of whom seem to have any interest in actually playing, let alone winning basketball games. Dedicated to his dream and passion for the game, Sora becomes determined to turn things around and help push his team to stardom.
Where to Read Ahiru no Sora
The Ahiru no Sora manga was created by Takeshi Hinata, having been in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2003. This massive span of time has seen it attain over 50 volumes, and back in 2019, it was announced that the series had entered its final storyline. So far, it's consistently sold very well -- by 2018, 24 million copies of Ahiru no Sora had been printed. Unfortunately for Western readers, however, the series has yet to be licensed in English.
This means both the individual manga chapters and the collected tankobon volumes are unavailable in either physical or digital formats, and there's yet to be an announcement about an English localization. With the anime having been released for international audiences, however, it's quite possible the manga could eventually follow suit.
Where to Watch Ahiru no Sora
An anime adaptation of Ahiru no Sora was announced in early 2018 and finally aired late in 2019. Produced by animation studio Diomedea, it was directed by Shingo Tamaki and Keizo Kusakawa, while industry veteran Go Zappa wrote the series. Completing its run in September 2020, the basketball anime ran for a total of 50 episodes.
Sentai Filmworks licensed Ahiru no Sora, bringing the anime to international audiences. It can now be streamed on NBC/Universal's Peacock app, as well as on VRV and Crunchyroll. DVD collections are also available through Amazon, Right Stuf Anime and other retailers, featuring both subbed and dubbed formats.
