As far as winning strategies go, no effective game plan can be carried out without one essential factor--stamina. And when Seishun Academy's Eiji succumbs to exhaustion, their chances of securing the crucial win over St. Rudolph's fades with each drop of their hard-earned sweat. Then, Seishun's setback turns into an even more daunting situation when their team equalizer, Ryoma Echizen, treads unfamiliar ground in his match against the infamous lefty killer Yuta. With Yuta's impressive win-loss record of 16-0 against left-handers, Ryoma's in for one tricky match….
-really enjoying this i swearrr -im saying this again!!! momo and kaidou's rivalry 💯💯 so chrew -WE FINALLY GOT TO SEE SYUUSUKE WITH HIS EYES OPEN!!!!! -ryoma when hes provoking his opponents >>>
5/5 (Review is for the series as a whole and does not contain spoilers)
This series follows 7th grader Ryoma Echizen as he strives to become the number one tennis player at his junior high school. Throughout the series, Ryoma faces off against numerous opponents, each one stronger than the last, in an effort to help lead his tennis team to becoming the champions of the National Tennis Tournament.
This series is a cute, action packed story about some junior high school students playing tennis. No prior knowledge of tennis is necessary, as the author takes the time to explain how certain shots are executed and briefly mentions which professional tennis players may use those shots. As the story progresses, some of the tennis shots get a bit more unrealistic and overly dramatic, but it adds to the excitement and builds tension. (So note that if you are an avid tennis player, it might seem a bit out there in terms of realism.) This is a great series for people who enjoy sports manga, and who enjoy competition, as the boys in this manga continue to push each other to new heights in their skills. There are also some good lessons in the story that teach the readers about having fun and continuing to persevere even when things get tough. It also teaches readers that sometimes we lose, and that’s okay too. In terms of age ratings, I would say that this series is a safe one for those in middle school, or perhaps even a bit younger. Overall, I really enjoyed this manga for its low stakes, fun action, and enjoyable cast of characters.
The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 8 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next nine chapters (61–69) of the on-going manga series.
This tankōbon continues the Tokyo Prefecture Tournament Quarter-Finals completing the simultaneous pairs matches. Eiji Kikumaru/Shūichirō Ōishi pair loses 7–6 sets, mainly due to Kikumaru losing his second wind. However, Takeshi Momoshiro/Kaoru Kaidō wins by resignation, because Shinya Yanagisawa gets injured by Momoshiro's power shot. The score is tied 1-1 matches as the singles part of the round begins.
The third match begins with Ryōma Echizen and Yūta Fuji, who just happens to be the younger brother of Shūsuke Fuji. What makes Yūta so formidable is that he has an ability to make it difficult for left-handed people to return, which is Echizen’s dominant hand. The tankōbon closes with Echizen losing the first game – mainly just testing his opponent’s abilities.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The tankōbon concludes the pairs' tennis rounds with Seishun Academy losing and winning one round each and just starts the Echizen-Fuji singles match, giving a taste of what to come.
All in all, The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 8 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
At the time of this review, I have read volumes 8-14.
The Golden Pair's Game That was quite a showing! They did their all, but Eiji needs to get more stamina to benefit his teammate. Yet, Shuichiro was handling it pretty well, all things consider.
Momoshiro and Kaoru's Game "There are no scripts...in tennis!" You said it Momoshiro! Kaoru mastered and use his accidental move, which was great to see and a shock for the other team. That definitely did not follow the script. Also this partnership is interesting as the captain says "They looked like a mismatch pair at first. But sometimes it happens that...1+1 equals 3. Or even 4." The end of the game was a letdown and that is all I am going to say about it.
Crazy Talented Players "WAS THAT A DUNK SMASH?! I CAN'T BELIEVE A JUNIOR HIGH KID HIT THAT!!" With the names for the moves in here and the level of talent of the players, it reminds me of Kuroko's Basketball. This means if one is realistic then both should be realistic. Now maybe that is the nature of tennis. I do not know, but I keep thinking this is like Kuroko's Basketball.
Ryoma's Game This is a game of cat and mouse, except both players think the other one is the mouse and they are the cat. Of course, I rooted for Ryoma. You get bit nervous for him, due to his opponent's nickname.
Verdict: Who is going to win Ryoma's match?! We find out in the next volume.
The Golden Pair lose a really close match but the suprise duo of Kaido and Momo win their match in a fight to the almost finish as St. Rudolph runs out of gas and ends up forfeiting the game.
Next up Ryoma's match with Yuta Fuji... Shusuke's younger who has a bad case of sibling rivalry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The doubles game still continue and noooooo Seigaku's golden pair have lost 7-6 it's pretty close, but not to worry, we still got the other pair, Kaido n Momo showing they're not that bad as a pair, they're pretty good in fact, lots of fighting but also lots of showing of their power, and it's the beginning of Echizen vs Fuji, super excited to start the next volume.
Volume eight concludes the Oishi/Kikumaru match and begins Ryoma's against "Lefty Killer" Yuta. The focus on real tennis that began with the Australian formation in volume seven continues here: it's common for players to struggle against lefties, whose spin and shots fall a little differently than a righty's would - even if they're a lefty themselves. Again, the realism strengthens the story line in a way that the fantastical shots don't.
This volume has the same shortcomings as the previous ones: cliches, formulaic plot, and somewhat one-dimensional characters. As a tennis player, the tennis action drew me in and allowed me to overlook these faults.
Both doubles matches come to a good conclusion and Ryoma finally takes to the court. The two doubles matches together have been the best part of the series so far, with the most unpredictable back-and-forth rallies. Hopefully this pace can continue into Ryoma's matche.