Ace o Nerae! (エースをねらえ! Ēsu o nerae!?, lit. Aim for the Ace!) is a shōjo manga by Sumika Yamamoto begun in 1972 and serialized in Margaret. Hugely successful, it was adapted into a TV anime series in 1973, and more recently a live-action drama series in 2004. The anime series was made by Tokyo Movie Shinsha with the Madhouse animation studio (its first major production), and was originally aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System. There was also a movie which consisted of several compiled episodes. Another TV anime and two OAVs would soon follow in the 1970s and 1980s. The original TV anime has been distributed in Europe, with the titles Jenny la tennista or “Jenny, the Tennis Player” (Italian), Jeu, Set et Match, or “Game, Set and Match” (French), and Raqueta de oro or “Golden Racket” (Spanish).
Synopsis
The story is about Hiromi Oka, a high school girl who struggles to become good at tennis. Hiromi starts playing tennis in her high school, because she is fascinated by an older girl, Reika Ryūzaki, who is the best player in the team and is nicknamed “Ochōfujin” (お蝶夫人?), which means “Madame Butterfly“, because of her grace on the tennis court. The team gets a new coach, Jin Munakata, who sees potential in her and trains her to become a great tennis player. Hiromi struggles to overcome her mental weakness.
Later on, she falls in love with another tennis player, Takayuki Tōdō, but Coach Munakata tells her not to get too involved, and that it is better to forget him in order to become a better player. Hiromi suffers over this, and many times she loses her confidence in her playing abilities, but with the support of her coach and her many friends she overcomes her anxiety. By training herself to become a better player, Hiromi grows into a mentally stronger person. Hiromi’s enthusiasm and love for tennis, and the support from people around her, helps her to become one of the best players in the world.
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