It’s the first day of the tournament and both Ryoma and Momoshiro must become partners and play a doubles match against a duo that defeated them with ease. Can Ryoma and Momoshiro win their doubles matchup? A great sports manga that is addictive and leaves you craving for more! “The Prince of Tennis” vol. 3 is recommended!
© 1999 by Takeshi Konomi. All Rights Reserved.
MANGA TITLE: The Prince of Tennis vol. 3
STORY AND ART BY: Takeshi Konomi
FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: SHUEISHA, Inc.
PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Shonen Jump Manga
RATED: A for All Ages
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2004
Prince of Tennis Ryoma Echizen engages in yet another battle of skills and wits, but this time he’s not fighting alone. Caught in a quest for victory in a pick-up game of street tennis, tennis prodigy Ryoma and his teammate Momo put their doubles tactics to the test. As the district preliminaries get underway, top-seeded Seishun Academy’s finest contend with the best from each school using unorthodox strategies to win their games.
Is Ryoma’s doubles skill level as brilliant as his singles maneuvers? And will he win enough matches to own his place as a 7th grade starter in the team? Find out as the Prince of Tennis discovers and applies the doubles techniques he learns from the books and off the street!
Seventh grader Ryoma Echizen has proven that he deserves to be a starter at Seishun Academy. Having beaten the Viper and Inui, Ryoma was made to be a starter and now Tezuka is getting the Seishun Academy starters ready for their tournament.
But one day while Ryoma and Takeshi Momoshiro are going home after practice, they pass by a tennis court and see a duo playing doubles. The duo encourages Ryoma and Momo to take part in a game of doubles and being singles players, both feel they can play a doubles match with ease.
As they go against two high schoolers in a doubles match, Ryoma and Momo quickly learn that they are not in synch and are not great at doubles.
On the day of the tournament, Seishun Academy must take on Gyokurin and both Ryoma and Momo find out that their coach will be making them play a doubles match and find out that their competitors they will be going up against are the two teenagers that beat them the night before.
Will Ryoma and Momoshiro be ready to play a doubles match against Gyokurin’s Izumi and Fukawa?
Find out in Takeshi Konomi’s hit manga, “The Prince of Tennis” Vol. 3!
What is “The Prince of Tennis”?
In 1999, tennis player and manga artist Takeshi Konomi created a series known as “Tennis no Ojisama”.
Published in Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump” in July 1999, the series became one of the most popular sports manga series created and would eventually lead to an anime series adaptation by Trans Arts and Nihon Ad Systems & TV Tokyo.
Suffice to say, the series became an incredible hit and popular media franchise which would lead to video games and more!
In vol. 2, Ryoma Echizen must take on Kaoru Kaidoh who is known as “Viper” to his teammates. He hardly speaks, his eyes look as he’s looking past you and he is the master of the snake technique (derived from the “Buggy Whip” shot) and also other techniques.
Ryoma’s second matchup is against Sadaharu Inui, highly intelligent and tries to keep meticulous data on all his players, including the number of shots, what type of shots and what position they were when they have taken their shots. And Inui feels he has Ryoma all figured out.
As Ryoma defeats both the Viper and Inui, he makes the the team as a starter and while they wonder how they will be factored into the tournament, as they are returning home, both Ryoma and Momoshiro spot people playing doubles in the court.
Thinking that it wouldn’t be much of a big deal since they are singles players, both quickly learn that playing a doubles match can be very difficult and they lose their match up badly!
And now, in volume 3, Ryoma and Momoshiro find out that their coach wants them to play doubles and their first match against Gyokurin are the two guys that beat them the evening before?
After playing horribly the night before, what kind of strategy will they have in winning a doubles match?
With the third volume of “The Prince of Tennis”, it’s great to see Takeshi Konomi introducing people to doubles play.
As the first two volumes focused on singles matchups, Konomi goes to show that playing doubles, even if you are a very good singles player is not going to be easy.
The third volume of “The Prince of Tennis” focuses on tennis competition but also giving readers a chance to get to know Momoshiro but most of all establish the doubles team gameplay. So, while these are competitive matches, they are matches that are also character building and introduction storylines of the starters of Seishun Academy.
I first discovered “The Prince of Tennis” back in 2002. Having discovered the anime series, I was instantly hooked by the fact that a series about tennis was created. And reading the manga, the manga is just as exciting as the anime series as Konomi tries to capture the excitement of tennis competitions.
Character design by Takeshi Konomi are well-done, the storyline manages to capture the excitement of tennis and strategy especially for the doubles matchups featured in volume 3! Can Ryoma and Momoshiro beat the same duo that defeated them badly the night before?
Overall, the third volume of “The Prince of Tennis” is simply delightful and exciting. A great sports manga and I can’t wait for volume four! Recommended!