Water Polo Yankees (水球ヤンキース, Suikyu Yankisu)[1] is a 2014 Japanese television drama, starring Yuto Nakajima of Hey!

He enrolls in Saku High, which he admires thanks to one of its graduates, Yoshio Kurosawa, a yankee (20th century Japanese delinquent) who saved him from bullies and who encouraged him to never give up in pursuit of his dreams.

However, to his dismay, he finds out that Saku High is inhabited by low-lives who resign to being underdogs in the town, and the school itself is about to be closed due to a lack of popularity.

Needing seven members to start the club, Naoya builds friendship with the playful trio Tomoki Kimura, Kohei Shimura, and Shinsuke Kato, the pessimistic but good water polo player Ryuji Mifune, as well as the wild Ryo Chiaki and his friend Koki Miyaguchi.

Slowly, Naoya learns about the team's problems and bring them from their sulking with a determination to beat Suiran High, whose water polo team is aced by Torao Kitajima, a frenemy of Ryuji who strives to beat the latter to win the heart of Rei Fujisaki, despite the fact that Rei is unconditionally in love with him.