One of my favorite YouTube channels is Secret Base, a sports-focused channel that wears a lot of hats but is best known for extensive video essays on individual teams or players. For me, that creative team’s most defining feature is their ability to find – or sometimes construct – relatable human narratives out of the endless sea of athletic statistics. So much sports media is oriented around competition and statistical glory, understandably so. Still, there are endless and compelling stories to be told about people who didn’t become world champions or gold medalists – both in real life and anime.
Don’t get me wrong, I love shows like Haikyu!! or Yowamushi Pedal that are about athletes setting their hearts on fire and breaking their limits to go to nationals. Still, victory is only a small part of what…
