Volume 14 concludes the ranking matches and leaves Momo without a spot! He skips practice for a few days and meets up with An Tachibana, Kippei's younger sister, where he eventually runs into the Hyotei tennis team. The tournament draw is set up and the pressure increases as the Hyotei/Seigaku match begins. Overall, this volume is mostly filler that returns to the hum-drum at Seishun Academy, a nice change from the breakneck tennis action; it also allows for some much-needed character development that the action-packed plot doesn't allow.
It was good to see An again, a side character that I was beginning to think would disappear. I wish the story dealt a little more with the potential Momo/An relationship it hints at - the possible distractions from the tennis team, additional missed practices, them watching each others' matches - to allow for further character development, but alas, some things aren't meant to be. Despite this, volume 14 is a fun installment that gives more insight into the lives of the boys on the tennis team, though the whole pregnant woman thing was a little contrived/ridiculous.
The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 14 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next nine chapters (115–123) of the on-going manga series.
The first half of the tankōbon concludes the Intra-School Ranking Tournament at Seishun Academy and the restricting of the Seishun Academy’s regular team. Each member of the team trains to become better and stronger in hopes to compete in the Kantō Reginal Tournement. Their efforts are double when they find out their opponent – Hyoutei Academy. Apparently, Sishun Academy lost to them last year in the Finals at the Tokyo Prefecture Tournament.
The tankōbon closes just as the first match begins with Shūichirō Ōishi and Takeshi Momoshiro would be the second Pairs Team that would be playing first. Interestingly enough, Ryōma Echizen won’t be playing, but would be serving as a reserve, which doesn't bode well to one of the single players as it seems like a foregone conclusion that Echizen would be replacing one of them.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. It is another transitional tankōbon, which was quite surprising as I thought the narrative would instantly delve into the Kantō Regional Tournament. However, I am glad that Konomi took his time as it is interesting to know the individuals of the Seishun Academy Regular team better. Interesting to note that Kunimitsu Tezuka received an invitation to study abroad in California, where many of the professional tennis players have trained. His stay at Seishun Academy may be cut short if he takes the offer.
All in all, The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 14 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
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.
At the time of this review, I have read volumes 8-14.
Kuroko's Basketball is Prince of Tennis's Heir How they talk about the players is just like Kuroko's basketball. I mean "manifestation of skill" and "beyond that of a junior high player" could have easily have come from Kuroko's Basketball. I will say Kuroko's Basketball does a better job at drawing his players to look like the grade they are supposed to be in, but it is not by much. I mean Kunimitsu looks like he should be graduating from high school already!
Doubles Match at the End Well, this is going to be an interesting. It is going to be exciting and nerve-racking to see how Seishun does. Also one of their opponents on page 174 looks like Harry Potter circa the Goblet of Fire.
Kunimitsu defeats Sadaharu proving once again why he is the Captain and that we haven't seen the best of what he can do. Unfortunately, Momo is out as a starter. But the team is still planning to win the Kanto tournamanet so they can make it to Nationals. First they have to play Hyotei the team that beat them in last years tournament, albeit it was a different lineup for Seishun.
As an aside, I really love the Chibi versions of the characters that are sometimes on the back page of the next chapter. They're adorable but also funny things are happening.
Oh heck yeah we got ourselfes a training arc! Let's goooo looks like the team is in for some shakeups and new tricks. I always love these arcs, especially when we get back to the real matches and can see how everyone has grown.