Unowen

Animation as any other form of art can't avoid the rule of percentages that supposedly determines what is good amidst the mediocrity (that some would claim is around the 90% of the total). When it comes to old anime as the one object of this review, new factors appear, and the challenge is placed in discerning between what was lacklustre back in the day of its creation and what are the mere consequences of standing the test of time. Aim for the Ace! (Ace wo Nerae!) is one show worth to be highlighted thanks to the apparent simplicity of its premise, and the good mixture betweenthe sports' department with the constant dramatic situations and the psychological exploration of the characters. The fact of being only 2-cours long makes it from the very beginning way more accessible than some of the long-runners of the time. Aired in 1973, is not only one of the first anime of its genre, but also the first production to came under the name of studio Madhouse, and directed by one of its founders, Osamu Dezaki. The shows under the direction of Dezaki use to be safe bets for us viewers of our time, since they were able to find their strengths in the same limitations of the format that used to work as detriments instead. It is not, nevertheless, the aim of this review to praise this particular work for just being one of the first to make their appearance in this particular scene of both shoujo and sports. Aim for the Ace! is one truly interesting series by itself in spite of its context, with themes and worries that almost haven't aged with the pass of the decades, and that are still current and relatable. There isn't an excess of melodrama either, since the different issues are solved quite naturally, while others are introduced at the same time in one constant cycle of formulation-resolution that avoids dragging a particular problem for too long. The portrayal of its sports aspect shows a progressive and believable evolution. Visually speaking this show is a rarity, way less rough-looking than most TV productions of the end of the 60s and beginning of the 70s. Its peculiar color palette, with a high tendency for pastel colors, Akio Sugino's great work adapting the character designs and the overall good animation for the time are aspects worth to be mentioned. Apparently an obscure show in MAL terms with not even a thousand people rating the entry, it was actually a hit in Japan back in the day, albeit not in its original broadcast. An increased popularity in the following years thanks to retransmittions lead to the creation of Shin Ace wo Nerae! (1978), a remake of the series with updated visuals more alongside other Dezaki shows of the end of the decade. A summary movie for this remake, with new and better animation was also released on the following year. There are also a second and third seasons, released in the late 80s in the form of OVAs, nearly twenty years after the original series. Unfortunately, only the first season (that can be enjoyed as a stand-alone), the film (which I recommend despite the fact it covers the same events), and the first two episodes of the S2 OVAs are currently available with English subtitles [2021 update: both sequel OVAs are finally fully available!]. In conclusion, this 26-episode experience is really recommendable for any anime fan that is interested in the history of the medium. Some of the characters and themes of this show have been reformulated by numerous others almost to a fault, what affords the series a constant déjà vu vibe. Ultimately, don't miss it if by any chance you like Gainax's Top wo Nerae!, since the major part of that OVA's story works as a parody of Ace wo Nerae!

triplefox

I first watched Ace wo Nerae! in 2009, after learning of its existence through Gunbuster, and it had quite an impact on me at the time. It's a simple enough story - a great coach sees potential in a young student, and trains her to be a strong, courageous person on and off the court. Through hard work and persistence she overcomes her obstacles and grows successful. There is no audiovisual spectacle to be found in TV animation this old, from an era where Japanese animation's budgets, technical background and conventions were relatively limited. The most charitable thing you can say about it is thatit has some stylish design ideas, and a catchy opening theme. I tend to like art that borders on the abstract, so I still give it a decent rating. What I get impacted by every time I rewatch this(and I will go and rewatch an episode every year or two) is the strong storytelling. A lot of the tropes common to modern anime are seen here, in a more innocuous, unexplored form. It doesn't try to subvert anything or throw in huge twists, wacky characters or fantastical elements, it stays in a grounded, ordinary sort of telling, and just builds up your empathy for the characters and their goals with persistence. The simplicity of it is the thing that makes it remain interesting even now. If you want to see the story but would like different takes on it, you have plenty of alternatives: There is a 1979 film remake, a TV drama, and, of course, the original manga. The story does have a plot continuation in the sequel series and OVA, but they serve as more of a coda for fans.