CREATOR

:

Konomi Takeshi

PlOTLINE

:

Also known as Tennis no Oujisama or Tenipuri.

Cocky and arrogant freshman Echizen Ryouma joins the Seigaku Jr. High tennis team, and quickly makes it clear that he has the immense talent to match his snarky mouth (LOL). As he embarks on his coming-of-age journey throughout his schooling, pre-teen and junior-high tennis life, he is joined by the colourful characters of the Seigaku tennis team, as well as the many players from other schools. ^^

COMMENTS

:

Ok, firstly the cons. This series is huge. At some point in time or other, the filler episodes (episodes where the guys aren't playing tennis / playing matches) will start to get boring, and the humour will seem overused. Also, some of the action scenes are way too repeated. ~.~

Now the pros. Without gushing, I have to say that in no time, I found myself totally sucked into the Tenipuri world. I admit that I am personally very inclined towards sports anime in general, but Tenipuri is just absurdly addictive! You'd just find yourself chasing episode after episode. ^^ Plus, the characters themselves are fascinating, and they develop throughout the series, so you grow with them. The numerous touching and heart-warming bits are also all worth watching for.

MAIN CHARACTERS

:

Hmm...problem with sports anime is that you have teams and teams of really interesting characters. But like usual, I'm gonna touch upon the central ones, plus a few teams that I think everyone should know about. ^^

Seigaku

:

Our central team, and its whole bunch of colourful team members! Seigaku is one of the most prestigious tennis schools in the Tokyo Prefecture, but it has more than just reputation - namely a tight-knit, support-based bond between its members.

ECHIZEN RYOUMA (1st Yr). He's our smart-mouthed and amazingly skilled tennis rookie! Echizen's a fascinating central character, although at times he does fall into the can-do-no-wrong super rookie stereotype in any sports series. Luckily, he starts off cool and distant, but eventually becomes more developed as a person.

TEZUKA KUNIMITSU (3rd Yr). The strict, uncompromising Captain of Seigaku and ace of the team. While assumed to be as cold and calculative as his appearance suggests, he actually possesses strength of will and character that few can match. He sees himself in Echizen and has a hand in helping Echizen to evolve as a player.

OISHI SYUICHIROU (3rd Yr). Vice-Captain of Seigaku. Oishi constantly worries about everyone's welfare, so he's also known as the Mommy of Seigaku. Tennis-wise, he's a composed and consistent player who makes up for his lack of flashy skills with raw perserverance. Is also one-half of Seigaku's best doubles pair - the Golden Pair.

FUJI SYUUSUKE (3rd Yr). The number 2 of Seigaku and a tennis prodigy. Although smiley and seemingly amiable, he possesses a serious, almost dangerous side to him that should never be overlooked. Tennis-wise, he rarely displays real motivation (because of his talent), and has to rely on others to find his own drive.

KIKUMARU EIJI (3rd Yr). The other half of the Golden Pair. Light-hearted and bouncy, Eiji is also known for his acrobatic prowess, and his superb motion-vision. His shortcomings are his lack of stamina and occasionally selfish play due to his love of attention. But gradually, he does grow out of his childishness.

KAWAMURA TAKASHI (3rd Yr). Also the son of a sushi-restaurant owner. He's sweet and affable, until he gets a racket in his hand, then he morphs into a roaring, bellowing, English-spouting powerhouse ("BUUUUURNING!!!"). His specialty is his incredibly powerful shots, and his selfless, overwhelming sense of purpose.

INUI SADAHARU (3rd Yr). Data Tennis is his specialty. He collates information on every player he finds to analyse ways to beat them. Beneath that stiff exterior however, lies a sadistic streak and a hilariously dry sense of humour. His other hobbies include whipping up death-inducing juices to force on his teammates. ^^;;

MOMOSHIRO TAKESHI (2nd Yr). A brash, kind-hearted, outspoken guy who's popular with everyone (except ahem, the guy below). He starts out being a mere power-hitter, but later evolves and discovers his true abilities in his vision and reading of the game. Now all he needs is just the same control over his tripwire temper.

KAIDOH KAORU (2nd Yr). Everyone thinks he's a horribly fierce and intimidating, viper-looking devil, until you realise that he really is just a big kitty. ^_^; But it takes nothing away from his incredible stamina and unmatched perserverance. His famous moves are the Snake - a crazy spin shot, and later, the Boomerang Snake.

Fudoumine

:

This school is the quintessential underdog. Unseeded and virtually unknown, the young Fudomine team (made up of mostly 2nd-yrs) exceeds everyone's expectations by battling its way to secure a place within the top ranks of tennis schools.

TACHIBANA KIPPEI (3rd Yr). The Captain, coach, manager and pillar of support in the team. Without giving too much away, this Fudomine team is single-handedly united under Tachibana's guidance, and thus, the rest of team relies heavily on him. As an individual, Tachibana is a high-level player that is said to be on par with nationally-ranked players.

IBU SHINJI (2nd Yr). Tennis-wise, he's one of the more talented members in Fudomine, and reputed to possess a tennis sense that rivals Fuji of Seigaku. Off the court, he's easily one of the kookiest characters in the series. Neurotic and spacey, he has this really weird (and hilarious) habit of rambling, and damn, does he bear a grudge!

KAMIO AKIRA (2nd Yr). Also known as a speed demon. Like Shinji, he's one of the standout players in Fudomine. His tennis skills revolve around his incredible speed and rhythm on the court. Off the court, he's high-strung and goes ballistic at the slightest provocation. Witness his ranting and raving at the similarly explosive Momo! ^^

Hyoutei Gakuen

:

A tennis school with enough prestige to match Seigaku. Boasting over 200 members, Hyotei works on a tier-system where a regular is dropped once he loses a match, and someone else takes his place. Brutal, but effective. ^_^;

ATOBE KEIGO (3rd Yr). The charismatic Captain and ace of Hyotei. He's good-looking, rich, spoilt, arrogant, diva-esque, BUT he also possesses incredible tennis skills to match that Titanic-sized ego of his. His specialties are the Insight (exploiting his opponents' weaknesses), and Rondo Towards Destruction - a double-smash.

SHISHIDO RYOU (3rd Yr). Once nothing more than an arrogant, mediocre vainpot, Shishido is brought crashing down to earth after losing a match - and subsequently his regular spot. Despite the odds, he claws his way back into the team after much hardship, and is now known for his gritty determination and amazing reflexes.

OHTORI CHOUTAROU (2nd Yr). A very un-Hyotei-like member because of his niceness. Reserved and kind-hearted, Choutarou secures his place in the team with his practically unreturnable Scud Serve. Off the court, he is particularly taken with his Shishido-senpai (are all of our yaoi senses ringing by now? ^^)

OSHITARI YUUSHI (3rd Yr). Also known as the Tensai, and the most troublesome guy of the Hyotei team. Like all prodigies, he plays by feel and naturalness, and has great big-match temperament. Off the court, he has an ego which is no smaller than Atobe-sama's, but he doesn't flaunt it. Probably he KNOWS that he's got it all. ^^;;

MUKAHI GAKUTO (3rd Yr). Tiny and sharp-tongued, he's probably the most acrobatic player on the whole circuit. His specialities include flying (I kid you not), the Moon Salute, and his weakness would probably be his lack of stamina, and his temperament where his confidence does get rattled if left unchecked.

AKUTAGAWA JIROU (3rd Yr). Jirou spends the greater half of his life sleeping, waking up only when (1) he HAS to play and (2) when Atobe orders him to. And when he's awake and actually excited about his match, he explodes into this loud, gushing, super-enthusiastic serve-and-volleyer. Very adorable boy, this sleepy lil' lamb. ^^

St. Rudolph

:

One of the schools that is matched up against Seigaku. St. Rudolph's a pretty strong tennis school, especially with manager Mizuki's penchant for recruiting and then training high-potential players.

MIZUKI HAJIME (3rd Yr). Manager of the team. Mizuki feeds off data he collects from observing every other player, and like Inui, he then finds ways and means to counter the moves of those players. However, Mizuki goes a step further by sacrificing the well-being of his team so as to win. He's also a wonderful villain! Slimey, yet fascinating. ^^

FUJI YUUTA (2nd Yr). Also known as Fuji's younger brother. Frustrated at being overshadowed by Fuji, he leaves Seigaku to join St. Rudolph, so as to develop his own potential (which really is a LOT). Character-wise, he's blunt, straightfoward and altogether too innocent, despite his gruff exterior. His specialty is the rising shot.

Yamabuki

:

A really good team under the guidance of the smiley but rather slimey Coach Banji - who incidentally has a lot of history with Coach Ryuzaki of Seigaku and Echizen Nanjirou (yep, ochibi Echizen Ryouma's daddy).

AKUTSU JIN (3rd Yr). He's one of those at-a-glance villains who's introduced into the series when he beats up several Seigaku players for no apparent reason. Violent and destructive, Akutsu despises tennis yet is superb at it. He plays for the sake of humiliating tennis-lovers, and this perception changes after he plays Echizen.

SENGOKU KIYOSUMI (3rd Yr). An amiable and jokey player whose specialty seems to be Lady Luck herself. He's hardly ever serious and relies on mind games and his natural tennis sense to win. In fact, he doesn't even think much of tennis, until his experiences in the tournament - which taught him to appreciate the game a little more.

DAN TAIICHI (1st Yr). A sweet, kawaii, tiny freshman who idolises Akutsu. ^_^; While not being particularly bright, little Taiichi scores points for his rather naive persistence and credible tennis skills. Later in the series, he switches his puppy-enthusiastic attentions to a rather blah and unappreciative Echizen. (LOL)

MANGA DETAILS

:

Number of volumes : 25
Status : Ongoing

I only have 5 volumes of it. The artwork is pretty good. It's got to be! The anime follows the original manga artwork very closely. I thought the tennis action is pretty well-depicted, although at times, I wasn't quite sure what kind of shots were being played. ^^;; Other than that little problem, everything else about the manga is good!

SAMPLE 1 (3 pics)

SAMPLE 2 (3 pics)

ANIME DETAILS

:

Director : Takayuki Hamana
Character Design : Ishii Akiharu
Music : Watanabe Cheru
Episodes : Over 175...and counting!
Status : Ongoing

ANIMATION

:

Nice! Bright, striking colours and clean, clear animation. There're also all these HILARIOUS chibi episodes to look out for. ^^ Ah, the tennis-play is also very, very nicely done. I especially like the inter-cutting between players and ball-play. On the other hand, like I said, certain scenes are reused too much, and some of the special shots of the players look startling like martial arts (a la Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon ^_^;). There's also the one major problem with the anime. It has progressed too fast (faster than the manga, in other words), so for the latest batch of episodes, it's just heading off into its own direction now. The last arcs of the anime are no more than fillers, and lack the depth that it has shown at the beginning and the middle.

SCREENCAPS

VOICE-ACTING

:

After watching so much of the anime and promotional events, many of the seiyuu whom I was hardly familiar with at first have grown familiar to me. Ishida Akira does such a great job as the slimey Mizuki (hear him drawl and cackle evilly). I also love the female seiyuu's - Minagawa Junko and Kaida Yuki - work as Echizen and Fuji respectively. Also, Suwabe Junichi is so brilliant as the Diva-Buchou Atobe. ^^ And not forgetting Tsuda Kenjiro as the velvet-voiced and sadistic Inui, LOL.

Anyway, here's a *SALUTE* to all the seiyuu on this series. They all did a wonderful job, right down to the most minor of characters!

MUSIC

:

Tenipuri music is a strange thing. It seems EVERY seiyuu in this anime is involved in the music, and everyone has an album to his/her name. O.O Plus, even nearing the end of the anime, the music never stops being produced. There is a TON of Tenipuri-related albums out there and good luck collecting them! ^_^' Also, other than the music, there're also Rajipuri (Tenipuri radio shows) and Tenimyu (Tenipuri musicals). I've lost track of much of them, but anyway, here're just a few tracks that I like :

• Kaisu (instru)
• You Got Game (ED 1) sung by Kimeru
• Make You Free (OP 3) sung by Hisoca
• Soushi - Tezuka Kunimitsu
• Brand New Days - Ohtori and Shishido
• Boys' Cloud - Atobe Keigo
• No Wonder - Atobe Keigo

RESOURCES

:

TENNIS NO OUJISAMA OFFICIAL SITE (Japanese)

SEIGAKU||KARUPIN.NET (Fan site)

POT DJ SCANLATION PROJECT (Fan site)

TSUBAME GAESHI (Music site)