Atakku no. 1

This series potentially had all the trademarks of a masterpiece: relatable and truly inspiring main character who just doesn't give a crap and is so deeply devoted to her cause that she's going to do anything in order to realize her goal including beating the ass of men who don't find her worthy of being their opponent because of sexism, good and catchy OST, excellent technical part and in particular painting-alike backgrounds that put to shame more modern CGI barf, classic shoujo elements that are loveable (in particular the tendency of people from all genders to cry like a river, I love it. Crying shamers can go to hell until the end of the time) and engaging (except a couple of suicide innuendos I would have gladly avoided), first half that is a 10/10 with no questions attached, and then...then the rest of the series happens, and the writing passes from good to acceptable (in particular, Kozue is presented with a bit of Mary Suish elements again I would have gladly avoided if possible) to just atrocious in all possible manners, with repeated Volleyball matches that are boring to watch and, as the icing on the cake, hamfisted sci-fi crap that has no reason to be in a SERIES ABOUT VOLLEYBALL and it reeks of your bog-standard mecha affair (Golion King of Beasts and Voltes V I'm looking at you) with the introduction of robot clones of the main protagonist and her team that resound like a complete void of ideas from the production team of this anime (this thing is far more bloody and violent than what American comics from the same era used us Silver Age fans to, so I can't excuse the same here). The question is: why? What's the reason of stretching a series to 100+ episodes if you can't keep a constant level of at least serviceable writing like it happened with other 100+ episodes series (Mahou Tsukai Sally and Saint Seiya, for example)? Why they couldn't give the viewer a rematch between Kozue and her team and the soviets BEFORE the 104 episodes landmark? I don't get it. Really disappointing, I must say. I still give a 7 out of 10 just because of the main protagonist, the magnificent first half (the real highlight of the whole series IMHO) and because in the second part there's still some entertaining bits worth of watching (I stopped watching it at episode 76 anyway), but they should have stopped this thing when they had to without overdoing it.

I'm in fact a fan of Japanese Animation but most series are just too long or the story keeps changing to often to become a good series. Attack No 1 was indeed a long series but it just kept running and running - no boredom in sight.

The story tells us of the volleyball-player Mila (her name in the German version ... I don't know the original) and her way to the top. I loved the series when I was 10 years old and I still like to watch the reruns if my time allows it.

I watched it for the first time when I was about 8 years old. I didn't remember it in the beginning but found it out by looking for the release date in Germany. And yeah, in Germany the series is called "Mila Superstar" and the main character called Mila. Today I'm 23 years old and very interested in japan animes. Recently I found "Mila Superstar" and must say I'm totally chilled by watching it again. Somehow I must say, I hate that in Germany it's labeled and produced as a production for kids. It really is far more than that (that must be the reason some episodes are banned in Germany). I will by the dvds and watch the Japanese versions.

What makes the story about the main character so special are the details about her social life and it's evolution. Needles to say the main characters charme is one more reason to watch the series.

Based on a comic (manga) by Chikako Urano. Atakku No. 1 (Attack No. 1 or Attack Number 1)was featured on girl's weekly comic magazine "Margaret" from 1968 to 1972 and started the volley ball craze in Japan of that time. This anime series first aired 12/7/68 in Japan and continued for 104 episodes. After it was aired in Japan, the animated series was syndicated over seas and became the favorite of youth from many countries. It was this anime series that became the seminal influence for the Olympic volley ball player Francesca Piccinini to start playing volley ball at the age of 9.

Story plot revolves around a high school teen age girl Kozue Ayuhara. Kozue came to Fujimi middle school due to health reason from a school in Tokyo which is famous for its volley ball team. Kozue finds slow moving pace of Fujimi middle school somewhat boring until she's challenged to play a volley ball match between the school's official volley ball team and the team made of renegade students who she befriends. Through some twists and turns, Kozue becomes the team member of Fujimi middle school's volley ball team and goes on to play in the inter-Jr. high school volley ball tournament with the stake of becoming Japan's number one Jr. high school volley ball team. She eventually becomes the captain of the team and due to her amazing talent as the team's ace attacker, she is nick named "Attack No. 1" (The nick name never appears during her career in Jr. high school but it's revealed in the story that this was her nick name in Jr. high school after she enters high school - confusing ?). After Kozue graduates from Jr. high school, she continues her volley ball playing career in high school, but not without some trials and tribulations in the beginning. Since it was created over 30 years ago, some of the machines and gadgets which appears in this series looks arcane, such as the "computer" which is programmed to figure the weakness of each player is still being programmed by punched tape reader.

This series made by Tokyo Movie ( All 104 episodes of this anime in Japanese is available as streaming video from Tokyo Movie's home page www.tms-e.com ) for Fuji television network was the first girl's sports animated series in Japan. Nearly 40 years after this series aired, a live action remake of this series aired in Japan in 2005 starring Aya Uyeto in the role of Kozue Ayuhara. Simultanously to the airing of this TV series, the original comic reprint became available in 7 volumes set and is available from Amazon.co.jp for those of you who would like to see the original manga version of this animated series.

The author of the comic Chikako Urano went on to write "Shin (New) Atakku No. 1" in 1976 which depicts Kozue after she graduates from high school, and more recently in 2004 a different artist named Hanao Ozawa is writing a manga in bi-weekly "Margaret" magazine also titled "Shin Atakku No. 1" (Sample issue of this manga can be seen at "http://margaret.shueisha.co.jp/attack/").

Even after 40 years this series has the power to move its viewers, and the more recent remake of Aya Uyeto is also energy packed volley ball saga that has moved this viewer. Everything about this anime is incredible, and you have to see it to appreciate it. Incredible energy packed animated series with beautiful background artistry that can't be dismissed as mere children's entertainment.