StoryHistory features a plethora of monumental battles, Nelson
versus Napoleon, the Greeks against the Trojans, and apparently any high school
tennis match featuring Ryoma Echizen. Prince of Tennis manages to take a
simple concept – a high school tennis tournament – and transforms it into a
wonderfully flamboyant and comedic romp into the world of sport.
Prince of Tennis follows the Seigaku Tennis Club and
its bid to make it to the Junior National Tournament Finals. Central to the
plot is Ryoma Echizen, a freshman tennis prodigy. Returning to Japan after
spending four years in America, Ryoma manages to not only wow the seniors at
Seigaku, but also easily secures a place as a “regular” – something unheard of
for a freshman. With their new ace player in place, Seigaku begins its quest to
conquer the regional championships and attain its dream of making it to the
National Finals.
Whatever excitement Prince of Tennis lacks in its
basic premise, it more than makes up for in pure entertainment and spectacle.
In a shounen tradition shared with series such as Naruto or Bleach, Seigaku’s regulars
demonstrate an array of impressive yet entirely outrageous new techniques.
Incorporating such exorbitant moves, the matches themselves become dazzling
extravaganzas that seem more like a clash between rival ninjas than a game of
tennis between middle school boys. As expected, these astonishing attacks always
emerge at the most crucial point of any given match. Naturally several aspects
of the plot become predictable, though I still found myself anticipating the
revelation of Ryoma’s most recent technique.
Prince of Tennis only manages to get away with such theatrical styles of play for one simple
reason: it never once takes itself too seriously. Designed to entertain rather
than educate, Prince of Tennis’s generous supply of comedy perfectly
complements its showy matches. Humorous exchanges between Seigaku’s club
members, ridiculous training camps, and various jokes surrounding Inui’s
special vegetable juice, nicely balance a generous helping of boomerang shots,
disappearing balls and shattered tennis racquets.AnimationOutside of the tennis court Prince of Tennis’s visual
quality remains fairly standard. However, with most of the series devoted to
Seigaku’s games, this is not a major problem as Prince of Tennis boasts
impressive animation during its match sequences. In particular some close ups –
such as that of Ryoma’s shoes as he jumps – exhibit a more realistic movement,
even down to the minute motions of his shoelaces.
By pouring more effort into the matches, Prince of Tennis’s
visuals heighten the intensity of what become epic battles. Whether displaying
Momo’s powerful ‘Dunk Smashes’ or Eiji’s flexible acrobatics, Prince of Tennis effectively portrays each playing style, and even the most ludicrous ideas seem
more believable.SoundThe musical score does well to enhance an already cheesy
atmosphere. Including suitably melodramatic music for intense matches and
light, bouncy harmonies for more comical moments, Prince of Tennis’s
sound design performs its duty. Though fitting admirably with the series, it
feels as Prince of Tennis’s score took few risks and instead chose a
safer, more generic path. Consequently the music frequently feels familiar
rather than in any way innovative. Completing its soundtrack, the series’
myriad of opening and ending themes, while moderately catchy, unfortunately
leave little lasting impression.
Overall, the voice acting is decent, with nothing to
complain about. Special kudos goes to Horio’s voice actor. His blaring, nasal
voice, served only to make Horio all the more irritating – a perfect fit for
the character.CharactersIncluding characters from other competing schools, Prince
of Tennis boasts a large cast. While Ryoma remains the central protagonist,
he is not Prince of Tennis’s sole focus. The other Seigaku regulars
demonstrate plenty of development throughout, from their various problems and
injuries, to the creation of their new match-winning techniques. Although
central focus always inevitably shifts back to Ryoma at some point, Prince
of Tennis often feels more like an ensemble series, which helps maintain
interest.
Even secondary characters such as the students from
Hyotei and Fudomine enjoy more development and screen time than would be found
in any average shounen series. By exploring their personal stories and
improvements, Seigaku’s opponents develop into more than just faceless rivals;
they become characters in their own right, which gives each match an added
depth. This allows Prince of Tennis to become something worthier of
viewing instead of falling into a realm of mediocrity entitled: ‘The story of
Ryoma Echizen’.OverallPrince of Tennis demonstrates satirical qualities that become, without
a doubt, its greatest strength. Mixing a large portion of comedic content with
matches of epic proportions, Prince of Tennis provides pure
entertainment and ideal viewing for those looking to kick back and relax. Hardcore
tennis fans may find Prince of Tennis a little on the ridiculous side,
but take it as it is and even those who, like me, aren’t necessarily fans of sports anime could find themselves enjoying this playful series.