Aim for the Ace!, known in Japan as Ace o Nerae! (Japanese: エースをねらえ! Hepburn: Ēsu o Nerae!?), is a manga series written and illustrated by Sumika Yamamoto. The series tells the story of Hiromi Oka, a high school student who wants to become a professional tennis player as she struggles against mental weakness, anxiety and thwarted love. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's shōjo magazine Margaret from January 1973 to February 1980. Later, Shueisha collected the chapters and published them in 18 tankōbon volumes.
The manga was adapted into an anime television series in 1973 by Tokyo Movie which was originally broadcast on Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) between 1973 and 1974. Aim for the Ace! also spawned another television anime and an anime film in the 1970s, two original video animations (OVA) in the 1980s, a live-action Japanese television drama in 2004, and many types of Aim for the Ace!-related merchandise.
The series is one of the best-selling shōjo manga series of all time, having sold approximately 15 million copies in Japan. It has been also popular among anime viewers, and become a hit in Japan, even among its non-target audience. It is considered a classic by anime and manga critics, and has been influential in anime industry.
