Prince of Tennis Watch Online
[Introduction to the Anime Prince of Tennis]
Translated as "Prince of Tennis," 《テニスの王子様》, authored by Takeshi Konomi, is a story centered around Rikkaidai Middle School's tennis club members who strive in the sport of tennis with the goal of becoming national champions. The manga began serialization in 1999 and concluded on February 29, 2008. The anime premiered its first episode on October 10, 2001, and ended on January 23, 2009. Currently, the National Tournament arc is being released in OVA format and has now been fully issued.
This completed manga can be considered another successful sports-themed comic after "Slam Dunk." "Prince of Tennis" consists of a total of 379 chapters. After the manga was adapted into an animated series, it once sparked a tennis craze in Japan. The "Seigaku Tennis Festival - 03" held on March 30, 2003, at the famous Ariake Arena in Tokyo attracted 16,000 anime fans, making it a rare ACG spectacle in recent years in Japan.
The animated version of the popular manga by Takeshi Konomi, also known as "TV Prince of Tennis," consists of 178 episodes with excellent visuals and character designs that remain faithful to the original manga characters, featuring cute character settings. In terms of plot, it excels in sports themes, offering both thrilling matches and lighthearted campus humor. Although it contains some exaggerations and inaccuracies common in sports shows, it still serves well for casual viewers, providing some knowledge about tennis and increasing interest.
Early on, Takeshi Konomi worked as an assistant to manga artists (these three manga artists were respectively: Mitsujirou Kuwana, author of "Ninku," Yuzuko Asami, author of "Sara S," and Takaya Amagasa, author of "Meirei Butouju Gion Sendan Yoshitsune") while leading a working life. Additionally, he submitted his own works to Shueisha. Later, his work "Ironman ~World's Toughest Man~" was appreciated by the editorial department. Konomi then continued with a sequel, which was eventually published in the special issue of "Weekly Shonen Jump" in 1993. Afterwards, through multiple attempts and efforts, the serialization of "COOL RENTAL BODYGUARD" was finalized in 1996. After two special short stories were released, "COOL RENTAL BODYGUARD" began its long-term serialization in the 40th issue of "Weekly Shonen Jump" in 1997.
In 1998, shortly after the serialization of "COOL RENTAL BODYGUARD" ended, Konomi started working on "Prince of Tennis," which was initially serialized as a special short story in "Weekly Shonen Jump" until it officially began serialization in the 32nd issue of 1999. The work became extremely popular, putting Konomi on a stable path as a mangaka. The serialization of "Prince of Tennis" concluded at chapter 379, with the collected volumes reaching up to 42 (as of June 2008, it was the final volume). Over nine years of serialization made "Prince of Tennis" a long-running series. By the 40th volume, "Prince of Tennis" had accumulated over 40 million copies sold in Japan. Since its debut, the popularity of "Prince of Tennis" has remained strong not only in Japan but also internationally, leading to the release of novels, animations (starting in 2001), games, music (starting in 2003), OVAs, live-action films (2006), stage plays, TV dramas (produced and aired in China, scheduled to begin airing in 2008), and various merchandise. There was even a "Seigaku Tennis Festival 2003" held at a stadium in Tokyo, attracting 16,000 anime fans. After the release of the animated version, the work gained many more female readers.
Konomi once provided voice acting for the anime version of "Prince of Tennis," composed and wrote lyrics for the anime songs, and even made a cameo appearance as a waiter in the live-action movie of "Prince of Tennis." On December 25, 2005, in the "Ryoma Echizen Mini Photo Book" released in Japan, he collaborated with Ryoma Echizen's voice actress Junko Minagawa to perform a duet song.
In the 35th issue of "Weekly Shonen Jump" in 2006, due to poor health, Konomi announced a long-term hiatus for the series and simultaneously stated that there was no intention to end the serialization. When the serialization resumed in the 42nd issue of 2006, Konomi explained that due to back pain, he was unable to sit comfortably on a chair for two weeks.
Thanks to the success of "Prince of Tennis," Konomi ranked 9th in the Japanese Tax Office's entertainment industry tax payment ranking in 2002, third among manga artists only behind Rumiko Takahashi and Gosho Aoyama. In the same statistics in 2001, he ranked 10th.
The greatest success of "Prince of Tennis" lies in its portrayal of character personalities and dazzling tennis techniques. Whether describing the main characters of Seigaku or the tennis players from other schools, the author has put tremendous effort into meticulous and thoughtful details. Upon closer examination of these characters, fans will find them relatable and resonant because all their personalities are derived from real-life traits, reflecting the shadows of each person we encounter in daily life.
Plot Summary
Ryoma Echizen, a prodigious young tennis player who achieved four consecutive victories in the American Junior Championships, returns to Japan at the call of his father, once a prominent figure in the tennis world, and enrolls in the prestigious Seishun Academy's junior high tennis club. The coach of the tennis club is Ryuzaki, a senior of Ryoma's father Nanjiroh. Among the team members are the captain Tezuka Kunimitsu, vice-captain Oishi Shuichiro, Fuji Syusuke with exceptional ball sense, Momoshiro Takeshi skilled in trick shots, Kikumaru Eiji adept at acrobatic play, Inui Sadaharu adhering to thorough data analysis, Kaidoh Kaoru who becomes fiercer as the match progresses, and Kawamura Takashi with unpredictable emotions... Despite Ryoma's arrogant attitude, which is not favored by his teammates, his overwhelming strength earns respect for a first-year student...
Ryoma Echizen is a left-handed tennis ace who won four consecutive championships in the United States. The story begins when Ryoma enters Seigaku. Actually, Ryoma's father, Nanjiroh Echizen, was once a professional tennis player who briefly shone in the world of tennis, winning championships in the U.S., but gave up the honor of being number one in the world to find a new goal when Ryoma was born, retiring to a temple in Japan. Ryoma learned tennis under his father's somewhat teasing attitude; for him, tennis wasn't a hobby but rather a goal to surpass his father, hence there was a hard-to-surpass shadow in his heart. At the start of the new semester, although Ryoma helped other freshmen in the tennis club stand up against bullying from upperclassmen, his attitude was quite cocky, quickly leading to matches against seniors. Unexpectedly, the first-year Ryoma displayed astonishing skill, catching the attention of the tennis club advisor Ryuzaki Sumire and the club president Tezuka, and was exceptionally selected as a regular member, beginning the journey towards the national tournament. During this time, Ryoma met many people passionate about tennis and ultimately won 3-2 against Rikkaidai, becoming the national number one. Ryoma Echizen goes to America, Momo and Kaidoh graduate, with Kaidoh becoming the tennis club president. The others graduate smoothly.
Prince of Tennis Watch Online