Attack No.1

Aired: 1969 - 1971

A TV anime with production by Tokyo Movie (now TMS Entertainment) and animation by A Production. Based on Chikako Urano's manga serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Margaret from January 1968 to December 1970. Broadcast in 104 episodes on Fuji TV every Sunday at 19:00-19:30 from December 7, 1969 to November 28, 1971. Kozue Ayuhara (voiced by Kurumi Kobato) transfers into volleyball powerhouse Fujimi Gakuen, where through the brutal training regime of coach Shunsuke Hongo (voiced by Hideo Nakamura) and her rivalries and friendships with teammates like Midori Hayakawa (voiced by Sumie Sakai) she grows from individual skill to true team play in pursuit of national and global supremacy - a true sports-spirit volleyball anime. As Japan's first women's sports-spirit anime, it became a social phenomenon, averaging 19.9 percent in ratings (peak 27.1), selling 700,000 theme-song records, and - broadcast overseas - sparking the popularization of volleyball in Italy. It also catalyzed the formation of the All-Japan High School Volleyball Spring Tournament. (C)Chikako Urano / Tokyo Movie