Hikari No Densetsu

Hikari no Densetsu (光の伝説?, lit. Legend of Light) is originally a manga series by Izumi Aso about a girl named Hikari Kamijou who dreams of becoming a national rhythmic gymnastics champion. The manga series title translates into English as "Legend of Light" (the female lead character's name, Hikari, means "light" in Japanese). In the mid 80s, the manga series was adapted into a nineteen episode anime series by Tatsunoko Productions studio and directed by Tomomi Mochizuki.

Hikari no Densetsu is primarily a love story that it is set in the late 80s junior high school atmosphere. The plot revolves around four characters and how they work to achieve their dreams. Hikari Kamijou, a young, naïve, care-free, young woman who dreams of becoming an Olympic Champion in the sport of rhythmic gymnastics ever since she witnessed a performance of the young Diliana Georgieva (a champion Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast). And while she performs poorly and is not very confidant in her skills as a rhythmic gymnast, she is very passionate about the sport and shows occasional brilliance during her performances.

On her journey to become an Olympic Champion, Hikari will meet a number of people, some friends, some rivals that will impact her life greatly. She will become friends with people that will help her become a better performer and a better rhythmic gymnast, while developing feelings for a young school mate who she befriends. He becomes very devoted to her in helping her achieve her goals, but is unaware of her feelings for him. And while she competes, Hikari will become a friend of a young, beautiful, artistic, woman who is a competitor in rhythmic gymnastics and like her also dreams of becoming a great gymnast. They become rivals in both sport and in the matters of love as both share feelings for the same person.

Things become more complicated for Hikari when she meets a young, handsome, and talented musician who begins do compose the music she uses while she performs her routines. And while he is very quiet, reserved, and a bit morbid at times, he quietly begins to develop feelings for Hikari and is unable to express this feelings only through his music. While Hikari does not see this, she will find herself in a very difficult situation when she discovers that she also has feelings for him. And while a bit naïve and carefree at the beginning story, Hikari will gain in maturity throughout the manga series and find her comfort from all her emotional turmoil through rhythmic gymnastics.

Hikari no Densetsu is one of the few sports anime and manga to have dealt mainly with rhythmic gymnastics as the main subject matter.