Seishun takes on Yamabuki Junior High in the continuance of the District Preliminaries. As Seishun leads 2-1, can Ryoma defeat Jin Akutsu to win the tournament or will the temperamental Jin get the best of Ryoma? “The Prince of Tennis” vol. 13 is highly recommended!
© 1999 by Takeshi Konomi. All Rights Reserved.
MANGA TITLE: The Prince of Tennis vol. 13
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: May 2, 2006
Seishun Academy is in the finals of the District Preliminaries, and the only player standing in their way is mean, violent, and ill-tempered Jin Akutsu of Yamabuki Junior High! Ryoma desperately needs to tough up mentally, as Jun has figured out a way to punish him with his powerful shots. Meanwhile, Seishun hold more intra-squad games, and this time someone loses his spot on the starting team…!
It’s the matchup that many have been waiting for… Seishun Academy’s Ryoma Echizen taking on Yamabuki High School’s Jin Akutsu, the person who beat up a few players from Seishun Academy and the guy who pelted rocks and hurt Ryoma’s face.
And with Seishun Academy ahead 2-1, who will win the match, Seishun’s phenom 7th Grader or Yamabuki’s undefeated player?
Meanwhile, it’s time for the June Intra-Squad Ranking Matches and one player will rise to the ranks as one of the best at Seishun!
Find out who in “The Prince of Tennis” Vol. 13!
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!
“The Prince of Tennis” is a manga series that revolves around Seishun Academy’s players and it’s seventh grade prodigy Ryoma Echizen. As other have the drive to become great tennis players, for Ryoma, his goal is to beat one person he has never beaten…his father, former tennis prodigy Nanjiro Echizen.
“The Prince of Tennis” features the following characters:
- Ryoma Echizen – A seventh grade tennis prodigy who’s tennis skill has shocked everyone at Seishun Academy, but his lost to Team Captain Kunimitsu Tezuka makes Ryoma learn that he still has a ways to go in his tennis game.
- Kunimitsu Tezuka – The Team Captain who is trying to recuperate after an ankle injury. An excellent player but he starts to see the amazing potential of Ryoma.
- Shuichiro Oishi – The Alternate Team Captain and one half of the “Golden Team” duo with Eiji Kikumaru.
- Shusuke Fuji – One of the star solo players of Seishun Academy
- Eiji Kikumaru – Known for his acrobatic skills on the tennis court, he is one half of the “Golden Team” duo with Shuichiro Oishi.
- Takashi Kawamura – Seishun Academy’s power player.
- Sadaharu Inui – Known for keeping stats on data on every tennis player.
- Takeshi Momoshiro – Known for his dunk smash, Momoshiro has been limiting himself on the court after suffering an ankle injury.
- Kaoru Kaido – Hardly speaks, his stare is cold as ice and always looks grumpy. Known as “The Viper”.
- Sumire Ruuzaki – The Team Coach
- Nanjiro Echizen – Ryoma’s father who was once a tennis prodigy and was expected to go professional until he suffered a major injury. Now living at home and is a pervert, but still can easily beat Ryoma.
- Sakuno Ryuzaki – Sumire’s granddaughter and friend of Ryoma. Started playing tennis after watching Ryoma play.
- Kachiro, Horio, Katsuo – Seventh graders who are on the tennis team.
For “Prince of Tennis” fans, fans of the series are getting a wonderful volume as the matchup between Ryoma Echizen and Jin Akutsu concludes…and it’s one of the most difficult matches that Ryoma has played yet.
But for fans, it was a competition that one wanted to see as Jin Akutsu has literally been a hot-headed antagonist, beating up on anyone he feels like and hurting them without any repercussions. So, to see Ryoma not file any charges against him and wanted to take him on the court was rather exciting, because as a fan of the series, you wanted to see Ryoma to literally kick Jin’s butt on the tennis court via a one-on-one matchup.
Meanwhile, the second half features a player who has been behind-the-scenes and now wanting to take on Seishun’s #1 player, Captain Kunimitsu Tezuka. And that player has pretty much figured out everyone’s weakness… or did he?
Character design by Takeshi Konomi are always well-done, the storyline manages to capture the excitement of tennis and strategy of tennis, but also for the series of introducing a cold antagonist. Great artwork and for the most part, his attention to detail for the players and the surrounding environments are well-done.
One of the best volumes of “The Prince of Tennis” so far, volume 13 is recommended!