| Synopsis |
Atakku Nanba Wan、 Attack No. 1.The 8th grade protagonist Kozue Ayuhara transfers from Meiho Academy、 a volleyball powerhouse in Tokyo、 to the more rural Fujimi Academy for the purpose of recuperating from an illness. Frustrated by the fact that she is not allowed to play sports、 Kozue starts hanging out with a group of delinquents. One day she finds herself in a showdown with the volleyball club. She manages to reform the delinquents through volleyball; the others recognize her leadership and chose her to be the captain. Together with Midori Hayakawa、 with whom she later becomes best friends、 Kozue plays in the Junior World Championship and、 after entering high school、 becomes so good that she is chosen to play in the Inter-High School Competition . Unlike other volleyball series at the time、 Attack No. 1. features techniques such as the “Three-person Attack”—a technique involving the use of an optical illusion developed by three sisters from another school—and “Lightning Attack” that are like those you would expect to see in supokon (“tenacity in sports”) type animations for boys、 and Kozue herself develops unconventional techniques such as the “Disappearing Attack” and “Tornado Drop” to defeat her opponents. The animation series ends with Kozue becoming the first ever high school player to play in the World Championship and being chosen as the MVP. The series ignited the popularity of volleyball at the time. It is also well known for the phrase、 “Datte namida ga dechau、 onnanoko da mon” (literally、 “I can’t help crying because I’m a girl”)、 in the theme song. The original manga by Chikako Urano was serialized in the weekly magazine Margaret. Starting in 1969、 the animation series lasted two years with 104 episodes. The series was later adapted to a live-action version and theatrical play and is still considered one of the greatest volleyball manga/animations of all time by many fans.
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