Archive for the Aim for the Ace Category


Live Action: Ace o Nerae! Episode 9

May 9th, 2006

I very briefly reviewed the Live Action Ace o Nerae TV series in July 2004. If you haven’t yet seen it, I strongly recommend doing so. It’s not yuri, but the akogare Hiromi feels for Ochoufuujin is handled really well on both sides. In fact, all of the cast nail their roles. It’s just excellent all the way around.

The television series ended with Episode 9, but as I clicked around looking for a good picture, I find that there is a second epilogue episode that covers later events in the manga. If you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t click on the “Album” link. The pictures are pretty much a dead giveaway. (No pun intended…)

So, Episode 9 of the television series is, for the most part, a live-action version of the anime movie/OAV. The story of the OAV was Hiromi’s battle to become the representative of Japan at an international competition. Of course her ultimate rival and partner is Ochoufuujin herself, Ryuuzaki Reika. At the end of the movie Reika and Hiromi fly off to America (ooohh! lesbian code phrase!) together. Reika is in her usual girly outfit, complete with pink bow in her hair, but Hiromi has chosen to travel in a three-piece white suit and tie and a slightly butchier haircut than previously. They make a lovely lesbian couple. LOL

Unfortunately for us, the live-action version is not completely faithful to the movie. While Reika and Hiromi still have to face off, only one will be going to America. But, before you despair, let me say that the tennis match between the two women was as full of sexual tension, love, akogare, etc, etc, as anyone could have ever wanted. It was *brilliant.* The fact that Hiromi flies off with Toudou – who is a really good guy that I’ve liked in every version of this story – does not lessen by one whit the tension of this final battle. This tennis match was sex, pure and simple. If you are hardcore “cannot STAND to see Hiromi with Toudou”, then stop after the tennis match. But watch that match!

Ratings:

Cinematography – 6 Nothing they can do, no matter how many slow-notion and effects they use, will ever really make it seem like anyone on the show can really play tennis…but that aside, it’s pretty good.

Story – 8 Mmm, competent women. Competing.

Characters – 9 If you’re not in love with these characters by now, you’re hopeless.

Yuri – 7 Did I mention how good the tennis match is?

Service – ? What would you eroticize in this…oh, wait, women wear skirts for tennis. Ugh, okay, 4, but how sad is it that I can even think this way? There goes another piece of my soul….

Overall – 8

Your milegae may vary, but I watched this episode twice. In a row. THAT’S how good the tennis game is. ^_^





Live Action: Ace wo Nerae! (Aim for the Ace!)

July 13th, 2004

aon(Para toda la gente de habla hispana: http://coyuhi.foros.ws/viewtopic.php?t=533. Gracias Laura-sama!)

On January 20th, I reviewed Ace wo Nerae! (Aim for the Ace!). Well, let’s face it, this 30-year old manga hasn’t changed much in seven months, but there’s a few fun updates I wanted to share with you.

Firstly, Ace is now a live-action television show. It’s been on for a while, but I’ve only managed to see one episode of it. So far, it looks like the show is playing pretty close to the original manga. The akogare Hiromi has for Ochoufujin remains intact, as she goes all doe-eyed and gooey when the older girl comes close or, gasp!, touches her. What is funny to see is how sily the character design of Ochoufujin looks in real life. What played as uber-cool and mature lady-like in a 1970-something shoujo manga, looks kind of goofy when transferred to reality, now. But to her credit, the girl playing Ochoufujin, aka Ryuuzaki Reika, is doing a nice job being competent and focused. And Hiromi is being played pretty much as affable and charming as the original, with a touch more strength, so you can see right from the beginning what the coach sees in her. Speaking of the “Oni” Coach, the actor playing Coach Munakata is stellar. Brooding and dark, intense and nearly sadistic, he’s absolutely *perfect.*

On a different note, I was re-reading Ace! recently while watching Wimbledon. Because Ace! was written in the 70’s, many popular 70’s tennis stars appear in the story, especially later on, as Hiromi approaches world-class. We see cameos of Bjorn Borg, Martina Navritalova, Chris Evert and Hiromi even plays a singles match against Billie Jean King. It occurred to me that Billie Jean King probably did not know that she was in a 1970’s Japanese manga, so I emailed her and told her. I offered to send a copy of the volumes in which she appears. I received an email back, saying that she’d love to have a copy. So, I’m sending her Vol. 8 and 9 of the Akita Bunko reprint with a note that states, “In a climactic international match, Hiromi plays Billie Jean King…and loses. You might be amused to learn that you are gracious in victory and offer Hiromi a few encouraging words.” ^_^

I also took the liberty of throwing in a copy of ALC Publishing’s Rica ‘tte Kanji!?, just for fun. We’ll see if Ms. King responds. ^_^

One last note – I’ll be out of town for work for a few days, so don’t expect an update until I get back. If you’re starving for Yuri manga and anime talk, join the folks at the Yuricon Mailing List and talk away!





Yuri Anime: Aim for the Ace! / Ace wo Nerae!

January 20th, 2004

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Part 1

This week, I’ll be running over a few Yuri titles which are, as I say above, old, new, borrowed and blue. Call it a “theme week.”

First up, today, something old. And now I’m torn, which of the many, many old series that I’ve grown to love, do I review?

Let’s start with this one:
Ace wo Nerae!, (Aim for the Ace!), from 1973. This is probably one of the oldest truly *shoujo* anime out there.

Ace wo Nerae, adapted from the popular manga of the same name (another Margaret magazine Yuri classic!) is the story of Oka Hiromi, a first year student at Nishi High School. Hiromi, like many other girls in the school, deeply admires Ryuzaki Reika, known as “Ochoufujin,” the shining star of the girl’s tennis team. Ochoufujin, along wth the other upperclassmen, make up an unbeatable women’s tennis team which has attracted over 100 first-year newbies – including Hiromi and her friend Maki. Hiromi is happy as a clam to be near to her idol, Ochoufujin, and even get the occasional kind word from her, but everything changes the day the new coach shows up.

For some reason the new coach sees potential in Hiromi that no one, not even Hiromi herself, can fathom. He singles Hiromi out and begins working her mercilessly, even replacing one of the ace upperclassmen with a terrified and, subsequently, harrassed, Hiromi.

Ace wo Nerae will immediately remind viewers of another Margaret manga classic Oniisama E (Brother, Dear Brother) since the character designs and direction for the anime were done by the same people; and the plot is the usual shoujo fare of the seemingly average girl being catapulted into the rarified world of the great ones in her school. The biggest difference is that in Ace, Hiromi finds herself not only capable of handling the stress, but grows to be a very strong person and a very strong tennis player, as opposed to just growing up a little as a result of her experiences. We actually get to see her game improve over time and, as she matures and becomes the player the coach knew she could be, she steps into a position as one of the team aces.

In terms of Yuri, Ace definitely straddles the line between adoration and romance Because this manga and anime are from 1973, the Yuri is encoded in small, subtle things. You won’t see tearful confessions of love, much less a kiss or anything, but watch Hiromi carefully, as she dresses to bring flowers to Ochoufujin…or if you can find it, there’s a wonderful screencap from the Ace wo Nerae movie, as Hiromi and Ochoufujin head off to America together (a code in itself, really, as America is always seen in lesbian fiction as the place to escape to to be together.) Hiromi is wearing a three-piece white suit and tie, her hair has gone completely masculine. She looks about as butchy as someone could possibly have drawn a girl in the early 70’s.

As a representative of early Yuri, Ace wo Nerae is a spectacular example, but expect a fair dollop of cheesy-ness, as the character designs, music, art, etc are all over 30 years old. The op art graphics and laughable opening theme are delightfully retro now.The most important thing is that the characters are genuinely likeable and their motivations fathomable. I give this one a strong recommendation, if you want to see where many of the conventions of Yuri come from.

Ratings:

Art – tough to call, because it’s so dated. For its time, 7
Story – 9
Characters – 9
Character Design – 8
Music – Makes me giggle every time I hear it, 6
Yuri – 2 Negligible, but not not there.

Overall – 8

As always, for updates on Ace wo Nerae and other classic anime and manga, join us at the Yuricon Mailing List.