Anime like Hikari no Densetsu

Ace wo Nerae!

Also known as Aim for the Ace!.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Tokyo Movie Shinsha , Mainichi Broadcasting System , Anime Room , Tokyo Animation Film , Imagica , King Records , Studio Sign , Discotek
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Sports

On her first day at Nishi High School, 15-year-old Hiromi Oka is inspired by top player Reika "Ochoufujin" Ryuuzaki to take up tennis. Shortly after joining the school's tennis club, she encounters Jin Munakata, the club's new coach. Munakata puts everyone under rigorous training that even puts Ochoufujin to shame. Despite the hardships, Hiromi's determination prompts the coach to select her as part of the club's main players. Because of this, Hiromi must endure the peer pressure from her seniors to become an ace tennis player.



Tags: Tennis , School Club , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Coming of Age , Primarily Teen Cast , Bullying , Ojou-sama , Delinquents , Slapstick

Attack No.1

Studio: Tokyo Movie Shinsha , Fuji TV
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Sports

Kozue Ayuhara is a highschool girl and enthusiastic volleyball player. Her dream is to play in the Japanese national volleyball team. During the series she makes it from the school district league up to the Japanese volleyball finals, step by step till the international volleyball championship. But the faster and higher Kozue climbs the career ladder up, the more she gets confronted with the dark side of success: too high expectations, self-conceit and envy are progressing towards serious problems.



Tags: Shoujo , Volleyball , Adoption , Tragedy , Female Protagonist , School Club , Primarily Female Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Foreign , School , Heterosexual , Delinquents

Kaleido Star

Also known as Kaleido Star.

Studio: GONZO , Production I.G , TV Tokyo , Hal Film Maker , ADV Films , Funimation , G&G Entertainment , Horipro , MediaNet
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Sports , Supernatural

Sora, a young girl from Japan, comes to America in search of her dream. She wants, with all her heart, to be a member of the Kaleido Stage, a world famous circus, with a combination of musicals, acrobatics and magical effects. With the help of her friends, she struggles to make this dream come true.

Tags: Circus , Female Protagonist , Foreign , Acting , Coming of Age , Acrobatics , Work , Fairy Tale , Ghost , Dancing , Primarily Teen Cast , Musical Theater , Animals , Idol , Police , Cosplay

Glass no Kamen

Also known as Glass Mask.

Studio: Eiken , Studio Jack
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Kitajima Maya, a 13-year old girl with a talent for acting, was discovered by the reclusive actress Tsukikage. The story follows Maya's growing up, intense training, overcoming challenges, and evolving into the foremost actress of her generation (she is about 20 so far). Maya's greatest rival is Himekawa Ayumi, the beautiful daughter of a famous movie couple. They ultimately vied for the most sought-after role - the "Crimson Goddess". An equally important subplot Maya's relationship with the handsome and ruthless entertainment mogul Hayami Masumi, who secretly became her number one fan, but misunderstandings and bad-timing obstructed their romance...



Tags: Acting , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Work , Age Gap , Coming of Age , Ojou-sama , Classic Literature , Heterosexual

Top wo Nerae! GunBuster

Also known as Gunbuster.

Studio: Gainax , Studio Fantasia , Bandai Visual , Victor Entertainment , Discotek
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Sci-Fi

In the very near future, a race of huge, insect like aliens is discovered traveling the galaxy. These aliens seem dedicated to the eradication of the human species as it takes its first steps away from the solar system, and they are getting closer and closer to Earth. Humanity has responded by developing spacegoing battleships and giant fighting robots. These robots are piloted by the best and brightest of Earth's youth, picked from training schools around the world.

The story begins in the year 2023, not long after the first battles with the aliens, and centers on young Noriko Takaya. Although Noriko's father was a famous Captain in the space fleet who was killed during one of the first battles of the war, her own talents as a pilot are questionable. Nonetheless, she has entered a training school. Through the series Noriko, joined by the beautiful and talented Kazumi Amano, will fight to overcome the trauma of war, the doubts of her peers, and her own lack of confidence.



Tags: Space , Female Protagonist , Coming of Age , Military , Space Opera , War , Super Robot , Time Manipulation , Primarily Female Cast , Aliens , Time Skip , Cosmic Horror , Tragedy , Kaiju , Tomboy , Travel , Nudity , Philosophy , Heterosexual , Bullying , Astronomy , Achromatic , School , Parody , Love Triangle , Henshin

Attacker YOU!

Also known as Attacker You!.

Studio: Shaft , Knack Productions
Status: Finished
Genres: Romance , Sports

Attacker You! is the story of ambitious and energetic 13-year-old junior high schoolgirl You Hazuki (variously known as "Mila," "Jeanne" or "Juana" in Western dubbed versions of the anime), who moves to Tokyo from Osaka to live with her father Toshihiko, a cameraman recently returned from Peru, and attend school. You's mother is not in the picture, having left when You was very young. Also living with You and her father is her younger brother Sunny, who is very attached to his older sister and tends to follow her everywhere she goes, including to school and to her volleyball matches. You is also curious about Kyushi Tajima, the pretty blonde woman whom she sees covering volleyball games on television, and about why her father becomes very angry whenever You mentions her.

You is passionate about volleyball and dreams of one day being a part of Japan's national women's volleyball team in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. She joins her school's girls' volleyball team and quickly becomes one of the top players, although her coach (who is also her homeroom teacher) is brutal and literally slaps his players around when they don't live up to his expectations. You begins a tumultuous friendship with former school volleyball champ and former arch-rival Nami Hayase (French name: "Peggy"), which comes to a head when the two girls join opposing professional teams. She also develops a crush on So Takiki, the captain of the Hikawa boys' volleyball team (known as "Shiro," "Serge" or "Sergio" in various Western versions), and puts as much effort into trying to win his heart as she does into her game.

Tags: Volleyball , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , School , Primarily Female Cast

Miracle☆Girls

Studio: Japan Taps , ASATSU , Nippon Television Network
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mahou Shoujo

Mikage and Tomomi Matsunaga are Miracle Girls, they have a telepathic link with each other and can teleport when they link their little fingers. Tomomi is a sports star and has a boyfriend called Noda. Mikage is the smartest student in the school and is in love with her senpai. He moved to London to study but they still kept in touch, that is until a selfish princess called Marie decides that he should come with her back to Diammas. Back in Japan the twins are having various problems of their own. But they soon realize that there is a link between Marie, an ancient legend and a girl they know called Emma.



Tags: Magic , Shoujo , Female Protagonist , Twins , School