Ah, Prince of Tennis. One of the greatest sports anime which is overshadowed by the admittedly better sports anime like Hajime no Ippo. But don't let that deceive you. This is easily one of the greatest sports anime out there. So let's get to it.
Story:- 8
While the story isn't anything out of the norm for sports anime it still has the feeling of uniqueness. There are many fillers along the way but the best part about this anime is that even it's fillers are reasonably entertaining. The story never feels repetitive even though it is.
Art:- 7
Keep in mind that this is a 2001-2005 anime. So obviously comparing it to today's standards is not a good idea. But even comparing it to it's own time period it still seems a bit dated. It actually reminds me of the style of art used in Cowboy Bebop. So as you could tell the art is nothing special. But then there's the animation of the matches. Being a sports anime, there a going to be a gigantic amount of sports and unsurprisingly this anime has some of the best matches I've seen till date. The animation put into the body of the players while playing the game actually makes you feel like that's how the ball is supposed to curve and usually it follows the laws of physics pretty well, that is until you get to a certain point in the anime.
Sound:- 7.5
The soundtrack of this series like the art is nothing special but there are themes or songs that will very soon get stuck in your mind. The best example of this is "Honki Moodo" one of the most identifiable songs in the franchise. The openings and endings while nothing brilliant are still a charm to the ears.
Character:- 9
This is where the series really shines. Each and every character in this series has their own special personality and has quite a bit of depth in these personalities. My favorite being the Quirky Kikumaru.
Our main character, Ryoma, is a cocky but nice hearted protagonist. Even the "antagonists" of the series like Atobe or Yukimura have a large amount of depth to them.
For real villains like Akutsu or Mizuki they make you hate them since they either cheat, have no regard for their team or are really violent. Sort of like the real world since no one would like sportsmen without sportsmanship. Right?
Enjoyment:- 8
All in all I love this series and if you like sports anime or are a sports player I would recommend this to you. Even without any prior knowledge of tennis the anime will teach you it's basics. The fillers will have you laughing and the matches will have you pumped up. It's always a good time with this anime.
Overall:- 7.8/10
