Hard Work vs. Talent

[Parousia]

Just as the title says, but to further elaborate...

I'm looking for an anime that emphasizes the difference between hard work and talent or at least where the two are always compared.

A great example would be Sakurasou no pet na kanojo.

List of what I've already watched:
1. Sakurasou no pet na kanojo.
2. Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei.
3. Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry.
4. Kuroko no Baske(Up to third season).
5. Asterisk War.
6. Assassination Classroom.
7. Fate/ Series

[rladls2121]

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei.
The main character's talent is extremely gifted.

Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry.
The main character worked extremely hard to make up of his extreme lack of talent.

[Parousia]

Originally Posted by rladls2121

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei.
The main character's talent is extremely gifted.

Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry.
The main character worked extremely hard to make up of his extreme lack of talent.

Thanks for the recommendation, though I've already watched those two, sorry for not writing it in the original post.

[MeoTwister5]

A lot of sports anime would qualify, you watch those?

[Parousia]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

A lot of sports anime would qualify, you watch those?

Yes, and I would really appreciate it if it's about baseball.

Also concerning the genre, I have seen:
1. Kuroko no Baske
2. Major
3. One Outs

[AnimeFangirl]

Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup! might be up your alley, since it has a mix of super-talented and super hardworking but not-that-talented players. Games are usually lost or won through superior planning and preparation, not blowing the opponent away with your mega-skills a la Prince of Tennis (which you should also watch if you only care to see super-talented DBZ types).

For shows where the series starts out praising hard work but ends up all about talent, try any shounen action show.

[Parousia]

Originally Posted by AnimeFangirl

Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup! might be up your alley, since it has a mix of super-talented and super hardworking but not-that-talented players. Games are usually lost or won through superior planning and preparation, not blowing the opponent away with your mega-skills a la Prince of Tennis (which you should also watch if you only care to see super-talented DBZ types).

For shows where the series starts out praising hard work but ends up all about talent, try any shounen action show.

Will do, thanks for the recommendation.

[SuitUp]

Baby Steps is a series about a kid who gets into tennis at age 16, and has to work thrice as much as anyone else to get to a level beffiting of his age, he faces again several people who are equally talented or even more talented than him, but whi have been playing for a 8 or 9 years more than him, and his wins are achieved throught careful studying of his opponents and his quick mind... so it should be right up your alley, is also a wonderful series

[AntonKutovoi]

Originally Posted by HolySin

Yes, and I would really appreciate it if it's about baseball.

Also concerning the genre, I have seen:
1. Kuroko no Baske
2. Major
3. One Outs

Slam Dunk then, I guess, if you don't mind a long series.

[BWTraveller]

Kenichi the Strongest Disciple immediately comes to mind. They are always going on about how Kenichi has absolutely zero talent but simply by pushing himself passionately forward he may manage to surpass those that do.

Barakamon touches on this from time to time, dealing with how people seem to believe that the main character's incredibly talented (and one talking about how pointless it is to work when he can never reach the levels of those with talent), but then showing that really he just works that hard and for every masterpiece he makes he has at least twenty worthless screw-ups hidden away.

[MeoTwister5]

I want to say the following:

Cross Game, or any baseball series/manga by Mitsuru Adachi. Granted Baseball isn't the only focus of his series, but usually stars a male lead who is rather gifted at the sport.

Ping Pong. Stars 2 friends, one is essentially a table tennis genius, the other is damn good in his own right.

[SeijiSensei]

Cross Game has a good mix of players, some highly talented like Kou and Azuma and others like Akaishi whose performance depends on working hard. Chihayafuru has a similar mix of players.

[Kerspunkle]

Haikyuu! most definitely has this. You have the main character, Hinata, a guy whose short stature isn’t suited for the position he wants to play in volleyball, but through hard work he gains the ability to jump really high, and Kageyama, a “genius” setter. There are episodes focusing on talent vs. hard work between the setter Oikawa and the setter Kageyama. There are also episodes focusing on Tsukishima, a player who believes that hard work can never make up for a lack of natural talent.
I also believe Hikaru no Go was about hard work vs. talent. I could be wrong, since it’s been a long time since I’ve seen/read it, but I believe that was a big focus of the rivalry between Akira and Hikaru (okay, between a lot of people and Hikaru). I know it’s in there at least.

[Parousia]

Originally Posted by SuitUp

Baby Steps

Originally Posted by BWTraveller

Kenichi the Strongest Disciple, Barakamon

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Cross Game, Chihayafuru

Originally Posted by Kerspunkle

Haikyuu!, Hikaru no Go was

Thanks for the recommendations, I appreciate it, will try to watched each and every single one of them.

[SeijiSensei]

I don't think Hikaru qualifies because he has help from a supernatural patron. Toward the end of the story one might conclude Hikaru has a natural talent for Go that was lying dormant before he encountered Sai, but for Akira and his father the ability seems more innate. Of course both of them, and many other people in the show, spend hours upon hours studying the game. Hikaru relies more on watching Sai.

None of this should dissuade you from watching Hikaru no Go, though. It's a remarkably entertaining and often dramatic story despite having all the "action" take place on a Go board.

[kitten320]

Bakuman I think could work. Granted main cast is talented but not to an extend as Eiji so they have to work tons to get the results they want. Plus some other characters in the mix.

Chihayafuru focuses on it a lot, especially when it comes to Taichi who always compares himself to a genius like Arata.

Diamond no Ace, lots of hard work for Sawamura to keep up with his talented rival Furuya and many others. Haruichi aiming to be as good as his brother and etc.

Hikaru no Go could work. Hikaru does have talent but it's his hard work that makes him go higher.

Love Live! School Idol Project maybe? Main cast had to put tons of hard work to achieve their goal.

One Outs - not exactly but main character uses brain and logic to fight superior players and teams.

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso - some characters are trying to compete with talented MC.

Uchuu Kyoudai - focuses on older brother working hard to achieve his goal to go to space, a goal that his talented younger brother has already achieved.

[SeijiSensei]

If we're including idol shows, then the contrast between Chieri and Nagisa in AKB0048 might fit. Chieri is beautiful and innately talented while Nagisa is the hard worker. Most of the other girls are closer to Nagisa than Chieri as well.

[frivolity]

Moshidora - a high school girl seeks to use management techniques to elevate the performance of her school's baseball team. The team is a mixed bag, with a star pitcher and mostly mediocre players, but they have a decent coach that implemented a strategy to overcome the talent gap against other teams.

[Parousia]

Originally Posted by kitten320

Bakuman I think could work. Granted main cast is talented but not to an extend as Eiji so they have to work tons to get the results they want. Plus some other characters in the mix.

Chihayafuru focuses on it a lot, especially when it comes to Taichi who always compares himself to a genius like Arata.

Diamond no Ace, lots of hard work for Sawamura to keep up with his talented rival Furuya and many others. Haruichi aiming to be as good as his brother and etc.

Hikaru no Go could work. Hikaru does have talent but it's his hard work that makes him go higher.

Love Live! School Idol Project maybe? Main cast had to put tons of hard work to achieve their goal.

One Outs - not exactly but main character uses brain and logic to fight superior players and teams.

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso - some characters are trying to compete with talented MC.

Uchuu Kyoudai - focuses on older brother working hard to achieve his goal to go to space, a goal that his talented younger brother has already achieved.

I've already watched One Outs and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, though I'll put the others on my watch list.

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

If we're including idol shows, then the contrast between Chieri and Nagisa in AKB0048 might fit. Chieri is beautiful and innately talented while Nagisa is the hard worker. Most of the other girls are closer to Nagisa than Chieri as well.

I'm not really fond of idol shows but I guess I'll give it a try sometime.

Originally Posted by frivolity

Moshidora - a high school girl seeks to use management techniques to elevate the performance of her school's baseball team. The team is a mixed bag, with a star pitcher and mostly mediocre players, but they have a decent coach that implemented a strategy to overcome the talent gap against other teams.

Interesting synopsis so far, I'm willing to try it.