PREFACE
There’s a new kid on the courts and the tennis club doesn’t
know what hit them.
Like a twist serve to the face, Ryoma Echizen takes the Seishun
Academy Tennis Club by storm. This unassuming 12- year- old is a
tennis ace who never backs down from a challenge. The more
impossible it is the better he likes it. As a seventh grader he
takes it upon himself to bring down the club bullies and earn
himself a spot on the starting roster among the eighth and ninth
grade tennis gods of Seishun.
Can this upstart kid take on the most powerful of tennis players
to become the "Prince of Tennis"?
MANGA VISION TEST
ARTWORK: Konomi’s style is clean and
incredibly detailed. Clothing, shoes, and rackets all mirror their
real-life components. Konomi also has a knack for directing your
attention exactly where he wants it without neglecting the
background. It’s very easy to visualize Seishun Academy actually
exists. Layering effects and oversize characters that straddle
panels make every page an interesting read.
SOUND EFFECTS: The effects have been translated
but they pack exactly the right amount of visual oomph. The sound of
a tennis ball on the court jumps off the page and you can
practically hear the players sweat. Occasionally the effects are
overly large or distracting but with the intricate detail of the
drawing easy to ignore in favor of more exciting action.
EDITS: Without
having access to the original, it’s hard to say if anything has
been altered but the story has a whole and complete feel to it so if
anything was removed or altered it doesn’t affect how enjoyable a
read this is. These are Jr. High kids so you hope they weren’t
getting into too many naughty things that can’t be shown but…
you never know.
EXTRAS: I love the extras in this series! They
range from serious to silly and are always fun to come across. The
author’s bio and note in the front are fun to read in every volume
and the chapter intro page often contain character glamour shots but
it the interlude sketches which are cute and clever that really get
your attention. They often refer to something that was previously
said in a humorous manner. For example, someone mentions the need to
“stake your territory” so the interlude has a character with a
mallet driving a stake into the ground. I look forward to these
almost as much as the story itself.
BOOK REPORT
STORY: This is definitely a visual story. No
one really has that much to say, everything is driven along by the
drawings. Takeshi Konomi uses the actions as much as the words for
exposition though you just know he has to be holding back all the
good stuff for later volumes. By deliberately not explaining
Ryoma’s time in America or anything about his family you feel
compelled to keep reading until you figure it out. The finely
executed tennis matches themselves have little dialogue. All you get
is the occasional taunt between players or murmured adoration from
the watching masses but little more is really needed. Too much
chatter would kill the entire momentum. Konomi is clearly a fan of
the strong- silent- type story and he has hit a smash with this one.
TRANSLATION: The translation feels natural and
none of the dialogue is too stilted. The formality that occurs just
reminds the reader that these aren’t you typical American Jr. High
kids.
CHARACTERS: Ryoma Echizen is a tennis god in
training. His calm demeanor and baseball cap hide the fire and
passion within. With 4 consecutive US Junior Tournaments under his
belt he’s ready to take on Japan. No one understands what motives
this small teenager but when he let’s loose everyone should get
out of his way.
Sakuno Ryuzaki is in the seventh grade along
with Ryoma. She is a bit of a flighty airhead. She causes Ryoma to
be disqualified from a tennis tournament because she gives him the
wrong directions but she really only wants to be friends with the
silent tennis prodigy. Sakuno is a hopeless tennis player herself
but joins the girl’s team out of loyalty to her grandmother Sumire
Ryuzaki who is the coach.
Takeshi Momoshiro is an eighth grade starter
for the Seishun team and the first real player Ryoma meets. Momo is
an energetic and fun loving guy with a wicked competitive streak. He
senses things in Ryoma that intrigue him and Momo is perfectly
willing to taunt the younger boy to bring them out.
Kunimitsu Tezuka is the ninth grade captain of
the tennis team. His cool eye evaluates his players and plays off
their strengths. A strong player in his own right he keeps the team
on their toes with monthly ranking matches for the right to be a
starter. He surprised everyone, except Sumire, when he allowed a
mere seventh grader to participate. Tezuka clearly sees the future
path of this amazing player and is willing to set him, albeit
reluctantly, on his way.
FANSERVICE: Prince of Tennis fanservice is a
little different than the traditional. Most of the main characters
are Jr. High boys who eat, sleep, and breathe tennis so panty shots
and busty females are in short supply. The real service is in the
explanation of tennis. Konomi demonstrates grips, gear, and shots
without being obnoxious or preachy. I know practically nothing about
tennis (except that you don’t get extra points for hitting the
ball over the fence. Stupid fence.) but I never felt that I was
missing any of the story. Granted greater knowledge of the rules and
techniques wouldn’t hurt but it is absolutely not necessary to
enjoy the story.
FOOTNOTES:
I had never come across a sports manga before
so I was intrigued with the thought. Being completely non-athletic I
have always avoided anything to do with them but I was immediately
drawn into the Prince of Tennis. Sakuno is so sweet and obviously
innocent that you want the older kids teasing her to pay and the
silent, confident Ryoma is just the one to do it. He might be a
little arrogant but his mystery keeps the reader engaged and wanting
more. The tennis lessons embedded in the story are always
interesting and informative and not preachy. The only disappointing
aspects of the manga was the cliffhanger ending of a tennis match
which is continued in volume 2.
I was completely surprised that I liked this
series as much as I did. Being neither male nor athletic, I fully
expected to read the first volume and then put it down for good.
Silly me. I got completely sucked in and absolutely had to have the
next one (and the next one and the next one). I have to keep an eye
on the release dates so I don’t miss the new volume.
The art was unlike any I had seen before and I
really enjoy the detail and looking for the translated mutterings of
the characters. It is so easy to get pulled in by the story, the
details are infuriatingly, and intentionally vague so that you just
have to grab the next one to find out what it is the characters are
hiding. Konomi has made an art of not telling you what you want to
know yet addicting you completely to the plot so you have to know
more.
The comic interludes and glamour shots make my
day every time I read them and they only get better as the series
continues. Those alone are almost worth the cost of the manga.
It’s nice to see an all ages story with intelligence that keeps
you guessing, on the edge of your seat, and laughing all at the same
time. Especially when even the sports challenged can read along and
enjoy all the same.
I encourage everyone, even the uncoordinated
among you, to give Prince of Tennis a try. Don’t let the shonen
aspects throw you. It might not be a sappy romance but girls can
like sports manga too- even ones like me who can’t play a game to
save their life. I might not be able to play tennis (or soccer or
softball) but I certainly understand its appeal a lot more now. So
whether you grab your racket or just grab the manga give Prince of
Tennis a swing. It’s definitely more fun than a twist serve to the
face.
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