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Review of: Tennis no Ohjisama

This is: Anime
Availability: fansub
Review by: LS

Tennis no Ohjisama, or Prince of Tennis, is about the experiences of a junior high school tennis team as they strive for the national championships. That simple description, however, does not do the show justice. I have only seen about a dozen episodes so far but Prince of Tennis is a show that immediately captures your attention.

The protagonist, Ryoma Echizen is a twelve-year old tennis prodigy who catches the eye of just about everyone when he makes it onto the highly competitive Seigaku Middle School tennis team as a freshman. The show follows Ryoma and the team from match to match with each tournament essentially comprising a “story arc” of the series. Reserved, oblivious to most things unless they involve a tennis racket, and with a chip on his shoulder, Ryoma is so good that it seems no one can even challenge him on the court, let alone defeat him. As we learn more about Ryoma’s background and he begins to interact with the other characters, however, his single-minded focus becomes more understandable and his amazing skills are put to the test. We get to see Ryoma grow and develop as a character and as a tennis player.

In fact, Prince of Tennis’ strength comes from its wonderful and well-developed characters and its focus on the interactions between them. In addition to Ryoma, there are the other Seigaku Regulars, fine examples of bishounen at their best. From Tezuka, the serious and shrewd captain, to Momoshiro, the laid-back friendly junior, to Inui the strategist, these guys are intense, competitive, well-fleshed out (and beautifully drawn) characters who have to learn not only strive for their own achievements but also how to work together as a team. Care is also given to the secondary characters that make up the friends, foes, and families of the regular players. All of these individuals are fully developed and have their own personal stories, serving as more than just foils for Ryoma. As enemies become allies, a seeming antagonist becomes a supporter, or a competitor is shown to be sympathetic, you begin to care just as much about their lives, dreams and goals as you do Ryoma’s.

The action is intense and entertaining, both on and off the tennis courts. Who knew junior high tennis could be so dramatic and even cutthroat? During matches, I actually found myself on the edge of my seat at times, wondering who was going to get match point, cringing when a ball was out, and rooting for my favorite player. I give credit to the great animation that was smooth and drew the viewer into the match, but also to the great characters who are so vividly realized that you actually do care who wins and what happens. However, there is also plenty of humor inserted throughout, most notably in the role of Ryoma’s know-it-all friend Hyorio, and Nanjiro, Ryoma’s father, a man amusingly determined to act as immature as possible and whose sole occupation at present appears to be lying around reading dirty magazines and occasionally ringing the temple bell. There are also plenty of “awwww” worthy moments courtesy Sakuno, who has a serious crush on Ryoma but must deal with his obliviousness and a best friend who is the self-appointed president of the Ryoma fan club.

Engaging characters, a well-paced plot, action, comedy, sports, romance and very pretty characters, Prince of Tennis is a simple story that is simply entertaining. Prince of Tennis is still being broadcast in Japan and is only available in the US via fansubs.

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