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    Ace wo Nerae! Final Stage

    「エースをねらえ！」 —ファイナル・ステージ— / Ace O Nerae! OVA 2 / Aim for the Ace: Final Stage
    Ace wo Nerae! Final Stage
    Genres: Drama, Shoujo, Sports
    Demographics: Shoujo
    Studios: Tokyo Movie Shinsha
    Rating: 6.83 / 10
    Rank: #5295
    Popularity: #10452
    Users Listed: 3,336
    Users Scored: 1,345
    NSFW: No
    Last Updated: 05/20/2024
    Aired: October 25, 1989 – April 25, 1990 (Fall)
    Type: ova
    Source: manga
    Age Rating: PG 13
    Episodes: 12

    Synopsis:

    The series follows Hiromi as she navigates the demanding world of competitive tennis, using the sport as a backdrop for personal growth. The narrative explores her evolving understanding of herself and her place in the world, subtly depicting the quiet shifts that accompany maturation. Focusing on internal struggles rather than external conflicts, the anime portrays the dedication required to excel in athletic pursuits alongside the challenges of self-discovery. Through rigorous training and challenging matches, Hiromi confronts vulnerability and learns to reconcile ambition with emotional maturity. The atmosphere is grounded and realistic, emphasizing character development over heightened drama, offering a thoughtful look at the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

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    Episodes:

    • Episode 1: Episode 1 (Aired: 10/25/1989)
    • Episode 2: Episode 2 (Aired: 10/25/1989)
    • Episode 3: Never Say Goodbye (Aired: 11/25/1989)
    • Episode 4: Episode 4 (Aired: 11/25/1989)
    • Episode 5: Episode 5 (Aired: 12/25/1989)
    • ... and 7 more episodes

    Characters:

    • Oka, Hiromi (Main) - Voice Actors: Mizutani, Yuuko
    • Ryuuzaki, Reika (Main) - Voice Actors: Sakakibara, Yoshiko
    • Aikawa, Maki (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Sugaya, Masako
    • Chairman Ryuuzaki (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Fujimoto, Yuzuru
    • Chiba, Takashi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Horiuchi, Kenyuu
    • Katsura, Daigo (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Genda, Tesshou
    • Midorikawa, Ranko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yamada, Eiko
    • Munakata, Jin (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Nozawa, Nachi
    • Ozaki, Yuu (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Umezu, Hideyuki
    • Toudou, Takayuki (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Inoue, Kazuhiko

    Staff:

    • Dezaki, Osamu (Director, Script, Storyboard)
    • Iijima, Masakatsu (Episode Director)
    • Takeuchi, Yoshio (Script)
    • Moriguchi, Hiroko (Theme Song Performance)
    • Kanai, Jirou (Key Animation)
    • Ootsuka, Shinji (Key Animation)
    • Serizawa, Hiroaki (Music)
    • Sugino, Akio (Character Design)
    • Yamamoto, Sumika (Original Creator)

    Reviews:

    • User Tsubakiaka (Score: 7/10):
      well it's the finale of the tennis show that rocked the world and became one of the best selling shoujo manga of all time. Farewell Oka! In a very bittersweet goodbye to one of the most surprising additions to lifelong favorites, I look back at the series with fondness. Mainly upset that I won't be able to rush to review something I'm so in love with so others might have insight into such a forgotten series, or be the sole commenter on streaming sites. Final stage is a direct continuation of Aim for the ace:2. I would barely call them separate seasons as the story isbasically just chopped in two and called couers. nnThe biggest change is the focus on the romantic subplot finally that we got glimpses of back in the second season. I was honestly shocked to see Oka take ahold of her own life for once - being influenced by her coaches for so long! We also get a bit of a Madame butterfly side arc which was a nice break. It flowed well into the final episodes.nnNote that the budget reflects on the amount of pastel freeze frames (Dezaki...) and still shots to stretch the time to reach the airing slot as well as just lower frame rate in some places. And i did find myself slightly peeved but,if you're going to watch this then you know from the past its expected. Not to say there weren't some nice moments and animations. Highlights include Episode 8's mini battle of the sexes, the queens match! (which i wish had a higher budget, oka is growing!) Reikas match in episode 11 which flipped my expectations! The ending had a lot to be desired but it was simple goodbye.
    • User LuxuriousHeart (Score: 5/10):
      As the series went on, it got lower audience ratings. And I agree with the audience. For me, if was the opposite of Attack No 1. The audience rated Attack No 1 an average score, but it was actually a very good series. This series got a good score, but was ultimately a rather lackluster series. The issue was the priorities. More time focused on a romantic subplot and a temper tantrum, as opposed to the actual sport. The main character didn't even feel like a main character at times. The rivalries weren't built up. Maybeit needed more episodes. Attack No 1 managed to have a romantic subplot, while also building up the rivalries organically. Though Attack No 1 also had more than 100 episodes. This series felt like they were limited and had to chose, and they decided that the romantic subplot was more important. Perhaps the stories needed to be broken up, and have focus on them. nnI don't know... I hate to compare, but I have to. I went into Attack No 1 thinking it'd just be a 6/10, and it was ultimately a 9/10. I went into this series thinking it'd be an 8/10, but it was ultimately a 5/10 series at the end of the day. Bummer.

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    Related Anime/Manga:

    • Ace wo Nerae! 2 (anime - Prequel)
    • Ace wo Nerae (manga - Adaptation)