Another pretty solid volume. Basically two Tennis matches back to back.
This series hasn't sold me on the characters yet. Mostly everyone is overly smart, a genius in a sense, and plays extremely well. It is fun to see the way the action moves and I like that part of it. But not overly impressed with the characters or plot yet. Still, a easy read. A 3 out of 5.
Twelve-year-old Ryoma Echizen, the uncrowned Prince of Tennis, has proven much already at Seishun Academy. He's defeated some of the school's best eighth- and ninth-grade tennis players, but has yet to qualify for the prestigious city tournament. To do that, he'll need to win two more matches: against eighth-grader Kaoru Kaido and ninth-grader Sadaharu Inui, legends at Seishun Academy whose skills sets are almost as opposite as could be. To earn the respect of the school's team and a leading position on it, Ryoma must extend his undefeated streak to include these two young tennis stars. It will be his toughest test yet.
Ryoma's arsenal of weapons on the tennis court is fully stocked, but Kaoru is confident in his own biggest weapon: the snake, a shot that clears the net and then veers back into the bottom of it, virtually a guaranteed point every time. Kaoru's long reach and prodigious strength allow him to use the snake, but Ryoma is still a small kid. What hope does he have of counteracting Kaoru's specialty shot? Sadaharu, on the other hand, is a studious observer, and has been taking notes on Ryoma's play since the younger boy's first match at Seishun. After analyzing the data, he can predict nearly every shot Ryoma takes, a clear advantage when they play each other for the first time. Defeating a shotmaker like Kaoru and a cerebral athlete like Sadaharu would prove that Ryoma not only deserves to make the Seishun tennis team, but to be its most celebrated member. Can Ryoma come through against the older kids when the pressure is on?
Kaoru and Sadaharu are skilled perhaps beyond credibility, but I like the video game vibe of the story, pitting Ryoma against harder "bosses" as he moves up the ranks. A video game doesn't have to be realistic to be exciting and challenging, and that's true of the first two Prince of Tennis volumes. There's a lot more story to be revealed, and I'm sure the series will grow thematically as that happens. I might give this book one and a half stars, and I'll be back for the next one. Ryoma Echizen is an interesting lead character of impeccable visual design, and I want to see what happens to him next.
Seventh grader Ryoma Echizen has proven to be a young phenom when it comes to tennis, but now he must prove that he deserves to be in the starting lineup. So, he must take on starters Kaoru Kaidoh (master of the “Snake” move) and the highly intelligent Sadaharu Inui, who is known for calculating data and knows the probability of one’s moves.
Will Ryoma be able to beat these two individuals and become a starter at Seishun Academy?
Find out in Takeshi Konomi’s hit manga, “The Prince of Tennis” Vol. 2!
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. Can Ryoma defeat these two starters and become the new starter at Seishun Academy?
With the second volume of “The Prince of Tennis”, we get to see a much more heightened competition in which Ryoma must take on his fellow Seishun Academy players, the starters to see if he can become a starter and compete in the next tournament.
So far, Ryoma has taken on players who have talked the talk but not necessarily that good. But this time around, he will go against two starters who are very good players and with different styles. Can Ryoma find a weakness in Viper’s technique and how can Ryoma defeat someone who has memorized his moves?
The second volume of “The Prince of Tennis” focuses on tennis competition but also giving readers a chance to get to know the various characters of “The Prince of Tennis”, 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.
Character design by Takeshi Konomi are well-done, the storyline manages to capture the excitement of tennis and strategy and more! I liked how he managed to capture the look of the Viper but also the strategy employed by Ryoma and his on-court rivals. Really good in capturing the action of the series!
oohh i usually dislike op mc's but i really like ryoma’s cockiness lol. also what i like the most here was that hes really strong from the start. unlike those other sports mangas ive read where the mc will only get stronger as the story progress. im so hooked!!
The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 2 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next nine chapters (8–16) of the on-going manga series.
Ryoma Echizen just joined the Seishun Academy tennis team, which is known for being one of the most competitive teams in Japan. Its members are incredibly talented, gifted, and athletic. With rigorous and extremely intense practices, the upperclassmen of the team expect the very best from themselves and they expect even more from the new members of the team.
While most of the first years are on pins and needles hoping they won't get cut from the team, Ryoma Echizen is confident, cool, and collected. Some might even say he's cocky, but at least he's got the skills to back up his attitude. With his virtually un-returnable "twist serve," Ryoma is sure to make the starting team.
This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The tankōbon continues the tournament of new comers to determine the varsity tennis team for Seishun Academy. Upstart Ryoma Echizen breaks tradition of not only being the first freshman to try0ut, but he is seemingly breezing through the tournament. To no reader surprise, as it was a foregone conclusion, Ryoma Echizen made it to the varsity team.
All in all, The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 2 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
Once again I see Kuroko's Basketball in this manga. Yes, I know this came first, but I did not read this first. There are some miscellaneous points I want to make.
1. Middle School Grade Breakdown vs. Presentation of Characters: I finally receive clarification that in Japan high schools are 10th-12th grades. Japanese middle schools are grades 7th-9th and elementary schools are 1st through 6th. For the most part, this is different in the United States. Typically, the breakdown is K-5th grade is elementary, 6th-8th grades are middle school, and 9th-12th grades are high school. How the characters are drawn make them look older than what I think they should be, especially the 9th graders. The 9th graders look like they should be seniors, especially the captain! Haikyuu's Hinata would probably feel bad that they are 9th and 8th graders who look older than him. I think part of this discrepancy is due to the author's illustrating style.
2. Superhuman Athletic Abilities: Like Kuroko's Basketball, you have guys who have skills that seem like they are a superpower and practically unrealistic. Now this could be a result on how the sports are presented. Think about Haikyuu. Haikyuu has scarily good people that seem like they should not exist, yet to my knowledge you have actual volleyball players who basically say that the content is pretty realistic. It would be interesting to see basketball players and tennis players react to The Prince of Tennis and Kuroko's Basketball.
3. Royalty in Sports: What's with sport manga and royalty? Kuroko's Basketball has the Emperor Eye. Haikyuu has the Great King and the King of the Court. While nobody has call him this yet, Ryoma apparently is the Prince of Tennis.
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.
One thing I can absolutely give this series already, these volumes are really fast reads. I still know absolutely nothing about tennis, and I'll probably never learn, but at the very least, this has been entertaining.
I suppose my big complaint right now, aside from my difficulty engaging with or attaching to most of the characters, is that Ryouma as a protagonist feels largely one-dimensional. We do get a few moments in this volume hinting at something driving him and more character depth, but I don't anticipate that doing much for his character this early on. He shows little to no emotional range and he's just very cocky, arrogant and feels like the collective wet dream of the other players that watch his matches and wish they were half as good as he is. It'd almost be a case of Gary-Stu Syndrome...but at least most Gary-Stu's have personality beyond "arrogant" and don't feel flat as cardboard.
Perfectly enjoyable tennis manga in which the protagonist is a little too skilled too soon, but charming despite his arrogance. It's fun, engaging drama. The side characters are where the story shines so far, i feel. I just love sports manga, man. (What happened to me)
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After 2 years out, I've been getting back into tennis again in a serious way. £30 an hour coaching, social tennis once or twice a week, and league doubles matches. I usually get dumped in the E or D team to babysit new players, but lately ive been filling in for C team with a cool slice and volley player, and weve scored a win against a C team and also a B team, which is massive for my confidence. I still can't hit a good kick serve in a match, or really unleash the forehand as good as it can be in practice. Match nerves, yknow? If anyone knows any mantra that help them to play better, let me know. I can't let down my senpai, or the captain!
I really enjoyed this sport manga, it's a really fun read with an out of this world mc, a genius main character, a prodigy, with skill that no one can compete with, kinda silly but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. This volume is still about competition to become a reguler team for the academy and about Ryouma Echizen beating everyone. Ryouma is a cocky boy but he has the skill to be cocky and he's definitely his father's son and all he wanted is to defeat his father (his father defeat him everyday), he's trying to find a way to defeat his father by defeat all kinds tennis player who's using unique technique.
This was an epic series so far, and the way tennis is depicted makes it such a fun read to read. The drawings are nice, and it's a lot of tension during the matches to keep you on the edge of your seat. -Patron I.N.
El dibujo está mejorando. Ahora los personajes de fondo no están con caras raras. La historia, al menos de momento, no se alarga demasiado. Los partidos tienen una duración aceptable. Ahora solo esperaré, a que desarrollen las personalidades de los personajes principales, un poco más.
Would be nice to see the main character challenged a little bit. There are also a lot of characters who are yet to really do anything to distinguish themselves.
Great for sports fans and tennis players, the second installment in The Prince of Tennis introduces more tennis techniques and more characters on the Seigaku Tennis Team. Arrogant Ryoma takes on upperclassman Kaido and Inui during intramural matches to prove his talent, and despite his off-putting attitude, readers root for Ryoma (after all, who hasn't wished they were skilled enough to put older folks in their place? Sounds like a fairy tale dream!). The plot moves quickly, with lots of dramatic tension, and the characters become more likable as readers get to know them a little better. The tennis is still mostly grounded in reality: Konomi portrays real - but exaggerated - techniques. Konomi includes various explanations on these techniques through his characters, making the tennis understandable even to people who've never picked up a racket.
It has the same shortcomings as the first volume: there are lots of cliches, the characters are still one-dimensional, and the plot is formulaic. The tennis action, for me, allowed me to overlook these faults.
It’s amazing how quickly this series moves onto the shonen standby of fighting tournaments. However, where there usually is character development either in between or in impassioned speeches, there is little of that in this volume. You get slight background on Echizen and a hint on Echizen’s motivation for playing tennis, but then the story moves right back to the battle (aka tennis match).
Compared to the last volume, the panels are less packed and there are a lot more large panels filled with dramatic poses (which everyone loves, it’s tension building). But the jumping technique that Echizen uses towards the end of the volume is hard to convey in print. I remember it in the anime so I knew that Echizen was jumping and not being beamed up by some alien spaceship. Unfortunately, I think that’s one of the weaknesses in the manga; the different techniques that Konomi describes are sometimes lost in translation.
Like the first volume of Prince of Tennis, this volume just shows a few tournaments and it shows a couple of characters but don't seem to show them having any personalities.
To be technical, they do have personalities but they only revolve around their tennis techniques. One tough guy who is creepy is tall and has this move called "the snake". Another guy is able to predict the movement of tennis players and is incredibly smart. No personality whatsoever. Just guys noticed by their tennis techniques.
The only thing that's entertaining are the audiences reactions to the games. They are very serious and treat it like a battle which is very similar to how they treat it in Naruto during the exams. At times it can be hilarious but there are times when it just seems a bit pathetic. To me, it's just a sport. To others, it's life.
So I can't complain. It's just not that investing for me.
Very similar in structure to the first issue with a wealth of repeated vocabulary. That said, the overarching story advances and I'm beginning to see a slight bit more of Echisen's personality (beyond singleminded focus on tennis). There are probably many subtler points I'm missing in this manga because of the language barrier, but I enjoyed reading it! Also managed to fill 80 flashcards with vocabulary from this issue. Overkill, I'm certain.
I would be tempted to give this five stars if I liked the main character at all. There are hints that he's not JUST an annoying-but-talented jerk, which helps keep me reading. In a way, he is a 7th-grade anti-hero, frequently putting other jerks in their places, but that doesn't make him likeable. For anyone who likes tennis, though, this has a lot of other stuff to recommend it.
Ah now we're getting some matches in. I like seeing Ryoma use some actual strategy here instead of being naturally OP. I mean, he's still crazy OP, but it doesn't look effortless now. I still wish he had personality other than being cocky and talented but with the introduction of new characters that can actually put up a fight against him (and make him work for a win) I'm enjoying it more.
I find this manga very interesting. It truly is a sports story about tennis and even though you don't know the rules or how is played is explained as the story progresses. I like Echizen, but his cocky attitude is a little annoying.
Par serve. And LOTS of fun. Especially for those the hate sports and are tired of David Foster Wallace. It balances the dramatic subplots with the action on the court, but leans into the typical Dragon Ball Z thing where the next boss, ever more powerful, is just around the corner.