Attack No. 1
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese manga
series by Chikako Urano. It also became the first televised female sports anime series in the shōjo
category.
The anime is an adaptation of Chikako Urano's 1968 volleyball manga serialized in Weekly Maragaret Magazine
under the same name. Chikako was considered one of the founders of shōjo anime. And the series was introduced not only to push the older female manga fan base (as opposed to the significantly younger audience for magical girl
series such as Sally, the Witch
) into the anime mainstream, but also capitalizes on the boom of the gold medal Japanese women's volleyball team
in the 1964 Olympics
. The show did stand out in an era dominated by shōnen
adventures and sci-fi anime, and was well received in the anime-friendly television markets of France
(as "Les Attaquantes"), Germany
(where it was retitled as "Mila Superstar" where Kozue was renamed to Mila) and Italy
, (where it was retitled in first emission as "Quella Magnifica Dozzina" and in second emission as "Mimì e la nazionale di pallavolo" where Kozue was renamed to Mimì). The name Mila came from the immensely popular Italian version of 1984's Attacker You!
, in which the main character, You Hazuki, was renamed Mila.
A direct sequel was also released in manga format called Shin Attack No.1 (New Attack No.1) in 1976, but it was short lived. The sequel was later redrawn between 2004 and 2005 in a new style by Kanon Ozawa.
College and tried out for the school volleyball
team. She develops a friendship with her teammate Midori Hayakawa, and her talents impress coach Hongō more and more each day.
Though she showcases extraordinary volleyball skills, she makes enemies with Yoshimura, the star of the current team.
Kozue discovers that being at the top would bring stress, incompatibilities and other dilemmas into her life.
Her high expectations of becoming the best volleyball player in the school, Japan and eventually the world, set the tone for the drama to follow.
Ayuhara moved away from Tokyo to a rural middle/junior high school to rehabilitate an illness (which makes her quit sports). After a run-in with other students in the school, she returns to sports (Volleyball
), and quickly becomes the leader of the team.
Hayakawa born from a wealthy family. She joins the volleyball team. She begins very selfish in the team, but befriends with Ayuhara, and open herself up.
Low-priced edition released in 2007 from Columbia Music Entertainment.
and director Eiji Okabe.
in 2003.
The redraw by Ozawa for Shin Attack No.1 spans the following 3 volumes:
. Ueto Aya, the famous Japanese actress and singer stars as Kozue Ayuhara.
At the beginning of the manga series, Midori Hayakawa didn't like Kozue that much because Kozue was really good at volleyball, (but they soon became best friends), but in the 2005 drama, Midori has bigger issues with Kozue. First of all, Midori was better at volleyball than Kozue at the start of this drama, and was very jealous when Kozue got called to come and play for Japan's national team (although at this point they didn't play any matches, but trained to become stronger). Secondly, Midori has a huge crush on Tsutomu-kun (his second name is very hard to catch, as everyone in the drama calles him "Tsutomu-kun!" or "Tsutomu-san!"). Midori had known Tsutomu-kun since she was very young, and when she found out that he liked Kozue, she was extremely jealous of Kozue. But when Tsutomu-kun died while saving a young boy, Midori's jealousy sort of evaporated. Thirdly, when Kozue helped some girls who were in her volleyball team, Fujimi, from a drunken man, she became popular, and got the No.1 tracksuit for Fujimi, Midori was very jealous, so she didn't tell Kozue that Kozue had been taken out of Japan's volleyball team because, replacing her,Midori had been called to play for Japan. Despite all this jealousy from Midori, Kozue and her are best friends, and in the end get to play together for Japan, as Kozue is called back.
Another difference is, Kozue injures her leg very badly and has to have surgery, but recovers fully.
Also, in this drama, it doesn't tell us if Japan won worldwide, since it ends where Japan are playing Brazil
(based on a new story by Hana no Ko Lunlun
creator Shiro Jinbo) for the Nippon Animation
studio, but it didn't come close to matching the success of the original series.
In 1984 Kazuyuki Okaseko (Voltron
) directed Attacker You!
for the Knack animation studio; while not an official spinoff of Attack No. 1, Attacker You! invited the inevitable comparisons with the earlier series, although the latter was heavier on comedic elements. In addition, the screenwriters for the Italian version created a relationship between that series and Attack No. 1 that was not present in the original Japanese: they rewrote You Hazuki (Mila) as a cousin of Kozue, who was renamed "Mimi Ayuhara" in the Italian dub of Attack No. 1. This Voltron
-style reworking of the story of Attacker You! by the Italian dubbing staff carried over into the French and Spanish versions of the anime. To compound the confusion, the heroine of Attack on Tomorrow is named Mimi in both the Japanese and Italian versions (although she is renamed Virginie in the French version).
with its iconic opening theme, sung by Kumiko Oosugi, had about 700 thousand sales. There were countless series that followed the same concept, but shifted the focus to different sports. Ace wo Nerae! for tennis
, Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl
for judo
are just some examples of series that appeared immediately after the fading of this series.
The show has received numerous awards. On September 23, 2005 it was voted "TV Asashi Top Anime" placing 61 out of 100. On October 13, 2006 it was voted "Japanese Favorite TV Anime" placing 9 out of 100 among celebrities.
This show also had a profound impact not only for being a sport spirited (supokon) anime in Japan, but had a strong influence long after the series ended. Italian professional volleyball player, Francesca Piccinini
, is one such example of someone inspired by the series. (In Italy, the anime was shown on TV in the 1980s under the title Mimi e la nazionale della pallavolo. It was also known as Mila Superstar in Germany and other countries, Les Attaquantes in French, La Panda de Julia in Spanish and TAKKITAKKI in Uzbestikan.)
Kazuko Suzuki describes Attack No. 1 as an "innovation on the campus story", where a heroine would go to college and meet her future husband. She describes Kozue as "psychologically independent", as Kozue has realised that she must strive to create her own happiness and continues to strive on after her boyfriend's death.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Chikako Urano. It also became the first televised female sports anime series in the shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
category.
The anime is an adaptation of Chikako Urano's 1968 volleyball manga serialized in Weekly Maragaret Magazine
Margaret (magazine)
is a biweekly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha, primarily for girls from 11 to 15 years old, although some stories are read by adult women. It was first released as a weekly magazine in 1963. In 2009, the circulation was 154,584...
under the same name. Chikako was considered one of the founders of shōjo anime. And the series was introduced not only to push the older female manga fan base (as opposed to the significantly younger audience for magical girl
Magical girl
belong to a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga. Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities, forced to fight evil and to protect the Earth. They often possess a secret identity, although the name can just refer to young girls who follow a plotline involving magic...
series such as Sally, the Witch
Sally, the Witch
, is the first magical girl genre anime in Japan. This may be the first shōjo anime as well. The first magical girl manga was Himitsu no Akko-chan but it took longer to be adapted into an anime. Both series deal with henshin style transformations , but neither is the first anime to feature this...
) into the anime mainstream, but also capitalizes on the boom of the gold medal Japanese women's volleyball team
Japan women's national volleyball team
The Japan women's national volleyball team, or All-Japan women's volleyball team, is the volleyball national team of Japan, currently ranked 3rd by the FIVB...
in the 1964 Olympics
Japan at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Japan was the host nation for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. 328 competitors, 270 men and 58 women, took part in 155 events in 21 sports.-Medalists:-Cycling:Men's Individual Road Race*Omiya Masashi — 4:39:51.76...
. The show did stand out in an era dominated by shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
adventures and sci-fi anime, and was well received in the anime-friendly television markets of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(as "Les Attaquantes"), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(where it was retitled as "Mila Superstar" where Kozue was renamed to Mila) and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, (where it was retitled in first emission as "Quella Magnifica Dozzina" and in second emission as "Mimì e la nazionale di pallavolo" where Kozue was renamed to Mimì). The name Mila came from the immensely popular Italian version of 1984's Attacker You!
Attacker You!
is a 1984 Japanese manga series by Jun Makimura and Shizuo Koizumi published by Kodansha. An anime series, consisting of 58 episodes of 24 minutes each, was produced by Knack Productions and broadcast by TV Tokyo from April 13, 1984 to June 21, 1985...
, in which the main character, You Hazuki, was renamed Mila.
A direct sequel was also released in manga format called Shin Attack No.1 (New Attack No.1) in 1976, but it was short lived. The sequel was later redrawn between 2004 and 2005 in a new style by Kanon Ozawa.
Original Story
The story is about Kozue Ayuhara, a girl who transferred to FujimiFujimi
In Japan, is a common place name which means Mt. Fuji is viewable. It may refer to:* Places in Japan:** Fujimi, Tokyo, a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo** Fujimi, Saitama, a city** Fujimi, Nagano, a town** Fujimi, Gunma, a village...
College and tried out for the school volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team. She develops a friendship with her teammate Midori Hayakawa, and her talents impress coach Hongō more and more each day.
Though she showcases extraordinary volleyball skills, she makes enemies with Yoshimura, the star of the current team.
Kozue discovers that being at the top would bring stress, incompatibilities and other dilemmas into her life.
Her high expectations of becoming the best volleyball player in the school, Japan and eventually the world, set the tone for the drama to follow.
Staff
- Additional Director: Fumio Kurokawa, Eiji Okabe, Yoshio Takeuchi,Toshitsugu Mukōtsubo,Kenji Kamiyama
- Screenwriters: Tatsuo Tamura, Masaki TsujiMasaki Tsujiis a Japanese scenario writer of TV series and films as well as mystery fiction novels. Tsuji was most active in the business from the 1960s through the 1980s, and worked as a script writer on many popular anime TV series for Mushi Production, Toei Animation, and Tokyo Movie Shinsha.Among the...
, Tetsu Dezaki, Haruya Yamazaki, Tsunehisa Ito - Design: Jun Ikeda
- Animation DirectorAnimation directorAn animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film or animated segment for a live-action film...
:Tomekichi Takeuchi,Osamu Kobayashi, Ei'ichi Nakamura, Shigetsugu Yoshida, Tetsuhiro Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Iino- Animator:Keiichiro Kimura, Yoshiyuki Hane, Takeshi Shirato, Shingo ArakiShingo Arakiwas a Japanese animation artist and character designer. He developed an interest for drawing at age five. He graduated in Aichi Prefecture. In 1955, at age eighteen, he debuted as a cartoonist in the "Machi" magazine. He then joined Mushi Production as animator in 1965 and later founded Studio...
,Saburō Sakamoto, Shigetaka Kiyoyama, Kōichi Murata, Yoshiyuki Momose etc.,
- Animator:Keiichiro Kimura, Yoshiyuki Hane, Takeshi Shirato, Shingo Araki
Main Characters
- Kozue Ayuhara (鮎原こずえ)
Ayuhara moved away from Tokyo to a rural middle/junior high school to rehabilitate an illness (which makes her quit sports). After a run-in with other students in the school, she returns to sports (Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
), and quickly becomes the leader of the team.
- Midori Hayakawa (早川みどり):
Hayakawa born from a wealthy family. She joins the volleyball team. She begins very selfish in the team, but befriends with Ayuhara, and open herself up.
Other Characters
- Coach Hongō Shunsuke (本郷俊介):Shūsei NakamuraShusei Nakamurais a former Japanese voice actor. Throughout his career he was represented by 81 Produce and later Production Baobab. He has referred to both Tokyo and Nagano Prefecture as his hometown....
- Coach Inokuma Daigo (猪野熊大吾):Masao Nakasone, Masahiko Murase
- Tsutomu Ichinose (一ノ瀬努), Jirō Yushima (湯島二郎):Katsuji MoriKatsuji Moriis a Japanese voice actor often accredited as the Casey Kasem of Japan. He is most known for the roles of Go Mifune , Joe Shimamura/009 , Ken the Eagle , Jouji Minami , and Garma Zabi .- Anime :*Nephrite in Sailor Moon*Seiji Hayami in Cutey Honey*Go Mifune in Mach Go Go Go/Speed Racer is a...
- Shellenina (シェレーニナ):Hiroko Suzuki, Eiko MasuyamaEiko Masuyamais a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production. She is most known for the roles of Fujiko Mine , Kisaragi Honey , and Bakabon's Mama .-Notable voice roles:...
- Captain Satomi Yoshimura (吉村さとみ), Kyoko Makimura (真木村京子):Eiko MasuyamaEiko Masuyamais a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production. She is most known for the roles of Fujiko Mine , Kisaragi Honey , and Bakabon's Mama .-Notable voice roles:...
- "Naka"Nakazawa (中沢｢ナカ｣):Kazuko Sawada
- Michiru Sanjō (三条美智留), Keiko"Kakko"Kashiwagi (柏木敬子):Reiko MutōReiko Mutowas a Japanese voice actress. She is best known for playing the voice of Elizabeth Taylor in Japanese dubbed television and films, and playing main characters in Marvelous Melmo , Astro Boy as Uran , and Moomin...
- Masako Kakinouchi:Masako Ebisu
- Miyuki Ōnuma (大沼みゆき):Yōko Kuri
- Matsue"Ishimatsu"Ishida:Mie Azuma
- Kaori Yagisawa:Keiko YamamotoKeiko Yamamoto', born August 7, 1943, is a veteran female voice actor from Osaka Prefecture. Many of her roles have been young boys or tomboyish young girls.-TV Anime:*Akadō Suzunosuke 1972 *Aria the Natural...
- Higaki:Masako NozawaMasako Nozawais a Japanese voice actress and actress affiliated with Office Nozawa. Her pet name is Mako. Her husband, Masa'aki Tsukada is also a voice actor....
- Haruko Shimizu:Hiroko Mori
- All Japan team captain Matsuyama:Kazue TakahashiKazue Takahashiwas a female voice actress who was born in Tochigi, Japan. Kazue was best known as the voice of Shoutarou Kaneda in Tetsujin 28-go...
- Father of Kozue:Osamu KobayashiOsamu Kobayashi (voice actor)was a Japanese seiyū and actor from Tokyo and the former executive director of Dōjinsha Production. He was a baritone.-Television animation:* Alps Story: My Annette: Pierre...
- Mother of Kozue:Toshiko Asai, Haruko Kitahama
- Announcer:Daisaku Shinohara
- Narrator:Katsuji Mori
- Others:Mitsuko Asō, Nana YamaguchiNana Yamaguchiis a Japanese voice actress currently represeneted by the Aoni Production.-Notable voice work:*Space Pirate Captain Harlock *Starzinger *Kaleido Star *Candy Candy is a Japanese voice actress currently represeneted by the Aoni Production.-Notable voice work:*Space Pirate Captain Harlock (Shizuka...
, Sachiko ChijimatsuSachiko Chijimatsuis a female Japanese voice actres represented by Arts Vision.She is most known for the roles of Pyonkichi , Nobita's Mama , Kabu , Shippona , and 001/Ivan Whiskey ....
, Makoto KōsakaMakoto Kosakais a Japanese infielder. He currently plays for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.Makoto Kosaka is well known for his fast running skills -References:*...
, Kazuo HaradaKazuo HaradaThis is the article about the anime producer, audio director, and sound effects director. For the Puffy AmiYumi character, see Kaz Harada. was an anime producer, audio director, and sound effects director in Japan who has worked with Studio Comet, NAS, and Tsuchida Production.-Works:*Ashita Tenki...
, Michiko NomuraMichiko Nomurais a Japanese voice actress. She is married to fellow voice actor Kenji Utsumi.-Notable voice roles:*Speed Racer : Mitchi Shimura *Sazae-san : Wakame Isono *Doraemon : Shizuka...
, Makio InoueMakio Inoueis a Japanese voice actor. He began voice acting in the '60s, landing small roles in Astroboy, and was the actor of choice for deep-voiced, serious males in the '70s. These days, he rarely takes on new roles...
, Noriko OharaNoriko Oharais a Japanese voice actress. She is currently represented by Production Baobab. Her son is Sunrise animator .She is most well known for the roles of Nobita Nobi , Doronjo , Conan , Peter , and Oyuki and Claudia LaSalle from Super Dimension Fortress Macross...
, Tōru FuruyaToru Furuyais a veteran narrator and seiyū born on July 31, 1953 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As a child, he was a member of Gekidan Himawari, a children's acting troupe...
, Minori MatsushimaMinori Matsushima, born December 1, 1940, in Chiba Prefecture, is a veteran female seiyū. She currently works for Aoni Production.She is most known for the roles of Candice White , Meat-kun , Sayaka Yumi , Hiroshi , Dororo , and Gyopi .-Notable voice roles:*Candice "Candy" White in Candy Candy *Alexandria Meat in...
, Kei TomiyamaKei Tomiyama, better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator from Anshan, Manchukuo. During his life, Tomiyama was affiliated with Aoni Production and Production Baobab....
, Mari Shimizu, Jōji YanamiJoji Yanamiis a Japanese voice actor currently represented by Aoni Production.- Television :* Ookami Shōnen Ken , Boss* Hustle Punch , Professor Garigari/Garigari Hagase* Osomatsu-kun , Tou-san...
,Masako Sugaya, Chieko Kitagawa, Kōji YadaKoji Yadais a Japanese voice actor currently represented by Aoni Production. Kōji Yada is also his birth name, but it is written with different kanji .-TV anime:*Arrow Emblem Hawk of the Grand Prix *Space Battleship Yamato Series...
,Kuriko Komamura, Kaneta KimotsukiKaneta Kimotsukiis a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kagoshima.He is most known for the roles of Suneo Honekawa , Dracula , Pāyan , Iyami , Tom , Benzou Karino , Horrorman , Conductor and Jiminy Cricket is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kagoshima.He is most known for the roles of Suneo Honekawa...
, Kunihiko KitagawataYonehiko Kitagawais a Japanese voice actor represented by Aoni Production. He was formerly credited as '. He is a graduate of Hosei University.-Notable Voice Work:*Azumanga Daioh is a Japanese voice actor represented by Aoni Production. He was formerly credited as '. He is a graduate of Hosei University.-Notable...
, Shingo KanemotoShingo Kanemotowas a Japanese voice actor originally from Fukuoka Prefecture. On February 24, 1991, he died of intra-axial hematoma at the age of 58. After his death, his ongoing roles went to Takeshi Watabe.-Notable voice work:*Space Battleship Yamato III...
,Yōko Hatayama
DVD
The anime was digitally remastered on DVD in 2003 from Amuse Video Inc.Low-priced edition released in 2007 from Columbia Music Entertainment.
Movies
From 1970 to 1971, a total of 4 anime movies were spawned based on the series by Toho Co., LtdToho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
and director Eiji Okabe.
| Japanese Name | English Name | Release Date | Run time |
|---|---|---|---|
| アタック No.1 | Attack No.1 the movie | March 21, 1970 | 63 mins |
| アタック No.1涙の回転レシーブ | Attack No.1 Revolution | August 1, 1970 | 60 mins |
| アタック No.1涙の世界選手権 | Attack No.1 World Championship | December 19, 1970 | 63 mins |
| アタック No.1涙の不死鳥 | Attack No.1 Immortal Bird | March 17, 1971 | 50 mins |
Manga
The original manga is re-printed by ShueishaShueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
in 2003.
The redraw by Ozawa for Shin Attack No.1 spans the following 3 volumes:
Live Action Drama
In 2005 a live action drama based on Attack No. 1 aired on TV AsahiTV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
. Ueto Aya, the famous Japanese actress and singer stars as Kozue Ayuhara.
Story
The story is very similar to the original, but is a has a few differences.At the beginning of the manga series, Midori Hayakawa didn't like Kozue that much because Kozue was really good at volleyball, (but they soon became best friends), but in the 2005 drama, Midori has bigger issues with Kozue. First of all, Midori was better at volleyball than Kozue at the start of this drama, and was very jealous when Kozue got called to come and play for Japan's national team (although at this point they didn't play any matches, but trained to become stronger). Secondly, Midori has a huge crush on Tsutomu-kun (his second name is very hard to catch, as everyone in the drama calles him "Tsutomu-kun!" or "Tsutomu-san!"). Midori had known Tsutomu-kun since she was very young, and when she found out that he liked Kozue, she was extremely jealous of Kozue. But when Tsutomu-kun died while saving a young boy, Midori's jealousy sort of evaporated. Thirdly, when Kozue helped some girls who were in her volleyball team, Fujimi, from a drunken man, she became popular, and got the No.1 tracksuit for Fujimi, Midori was very jealous, so she didn't tell Kozue that Kozue had been taken out of Japan's volleyball team because, replacing her,Midori had been called to play for Japan. Despite all this jealousy from Midori, Kozue and her are best friends, and in the end get to play together for Japan, as Kozue is called back.
Another difference is, Kozue injures her leg very badly and has to have surgery, but recovers fully.
Also, in this drama, it doesn't tell us if Japan won worldwide, since it ends where Japan are playing Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
Spinoffs
In 1977 Fumio Kurokawa, Eiji Okabe and writer Haruya Yamazaki helmed Attack on TomorrowAttack on Tomorrow
was an anime series aired in 1977 in Japan. There were 23 episodes aired at 25 minutes each. It is often mistakenly believed to be a spinoff of the earlier, and more popular, series Attack No...
(based on a new story by Hana no Ko Lunlun
Hana no Ko Lunlun
, translated to English as The Flower Child Lunlun and Lulu, The Flower Angel is a magical girl manga by Shiro Jinbo, focusing on a theme of flowers in its stories. It was adapted into an anime by Toei Animation in 1979, and the anime was greatly successful in the West, particularly in Europe and...
creator Shiro Jinbo) for the Nippon Animation
Nippon Animation
is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....
studio, but it didn't come close to matching the success of the original series.
In 1984 Kazuyuki Okaseko (Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
) directed Attacker You!
Attacker You!
is a 1984 Japanese manga series by Jun Makimura and Shizuo Koizumi published by Kodansha. An anime series, consisting of 58 episodes of 24 minutes each, was produced by Knack Productions and broadcast by TV Tokyo from April 13, 1984 to June 21, 1985...
for the Knack animation studio; while not an official spinoff of Attack No. 1, Attacker You! invited the inevitable comparisons with the earlier series, although the latter was heavier on comedic elements. In addition, the screenwriters for the Italian version created a relationship between that series and Attack No. 1 that was not present in the original Japanese: they rewrote You Hazuki (Mila) as a cousin of Kozue, who was renamed "Mimi Ayuhara" in the Italian dub of Attack No. 1. This Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
-style reworking of the story of Attacker You! by the Italian dubbing staff carried over into the French and Spanish versions of the anime. To compound the confusion, the heroine of Attack on Tomorrow is named Mimi in both the Japanese and Italian versions (although she is renamed Virginie in the French version).
Reaction
This series was practically responsible for the explosion of the shōjo subgenre from 1960s and on. It was originally screened in evening prime time with a ~20% viewership, and the recordGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
with its iconic opening theme, sung by Kumiko Oosugi, had about 700 thousand sales. There were countless series that followed the same concept, but shifted the focus to different sports. Ace wo Nerae! for tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl
Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl
YAWARA!, also known as Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, is a Japanese manga series by Naoki Urasawa which ran in Big Comic Spirits from 1986 to 1993...
for judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
are just some examples of series that appeared immediately after the fading of this series.
The show has received numerous awards. On September 23, 2005 it was voted "TV Asashi Top Anime" placing 61 out of 100. On October 13, 2006 it was voted "Japanese Favorite TV Anime" placing 9 out of 100 among celebrities.
This show also had a profound impact not only for being a sport spirited (supokon) anime in Japan, but had a strong influence long after the series ended. Italian professional volleyball player, Francesca Piccinini
Francesca Piccinini
Francesca Piccinini is a female volleyball player who has represented Italy three times at the Summer Olympics. She was a member of the Women's National Team that won the gold medal at the 2002 World Championship in Germany. She made her debut for Italy on 1995-06-10 against the United States...
, is one such example of someone inspired by the series. (In Italy, the anime was shown on TV in the 1980s under the title Mimi e la nazionale della pallavolo. It was also known as Mila Superstar in Germany and other countries, Les Attaquantes in French, La Panda de Julia in Spanish and TAKKITAKKI in Uzbestikan.)
Kazuko Suzuki describes Attack No. 1 as an "innovation on the campus story", where a heroine would go to college and meet her future husband. She describes Kozue as "psychologically independent", as Kozue has realised that she must strive to create her own happiness and continues to strive on after her boyfriend's death.