Need suggestion for anime with "hard working" characters

[Fizziks]

Hey everyone. I'd like some suggestions for anime to use in my next video.

Basically, the kind of anime I'm looking for is one that has a main character that is initially "bad" at something, but through hard work and perseverance is able to become really good at what they do. When it comes to what he/she "does", something related to sports or martial arts comes to mind, but I'd also be really interested in the person working in a restaurant (for example, working to become a top chef) or office environment.

Also, this isn't a requirement, but I'd prefer the anime to be a more comedic anime, as the song I plan to use probably wouldn't lend itself to something more serious.

[pacotacoshell]

Chihayafuru - karuta players
Skip Beat - actors
Nodame Cantabile - piano players and maestros
Tsuritama - fishermen
Hanasaku Iroha - chefs and housekeepers in an inn. This one would be your closest bet if you want a chef, one of the girls is the perfect character for this role
Honey and Clover - artists
Sakurasou - voice actors and video game devs
Tari Tari - musicians
Working!! - This anime is set in a restaurant, though I'm not really sure how many clips there are of people working hard moreso than fooling around.

[Fizziks]

Chihayafuru - karuta players
Skip Beat - actors
Nodame Cantabile - piano players and maestros
Tsuritama - fishermen
Hanasaku Iroha - chefs and housekeepers in an inn. This one would be your closest bet if you want a chef, one of the girls is the perfect character for this role
Honey and Clover - artists
Sakurasou - voice actors and video game devs
Tari Tari - musicians
Working!! - This anime is set in a restaurant, though I'm not really sure how many clips there are of people working hard moreso than fooling around.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll try and look at as many of these as I can.

Does anyone else have more recommendations?

[seasons]

The episode of Naruto where he, Sakura, and Choji have to make ramen. Episode 168, if Yahoo! Answers can be trusted.