It's difficult to give "Prince of Tennis" a score and write a review because all the "negative" aspects just enhance the experience. Leave all logic at the door, and strap in for a ride.
-Story-
I'll admit I don't know much about the "Prince of Tennis" franchise, but didn't feel too alienated going in. You can pick up the necessary information (and that's very little) in the plot setup and hit the ground running into the minefield of crazy.
The story will lull you into false security with its cliché kidnapping premise, but has more than enough head-scratching "What the heck?" moments to keep you wondering what in the world will happen next. Logic won't get you from point A to B in "Prince of Tennis" -- plot points just happen, everyone thinks with their tennis racket, and there are story elements I'm still waiting for an explanation on. The movie clearly lacks the writing ambition to make their cheesy clichés anything more, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it more for that.
If you're the type to yell at your screen when characters make nonsensical choices, or contrived plots get you down, this won't be the story for you. If you can love it for its shortcomings, you'll be smiling in return.
-Art and Sound-
The clear elephant in the room is the art. Most people don't take kindly to fully CG anime, and one look at the poster makes sure you know this won't be the one to change minds. Still, I held out hope it would all look better in motion. That hope was sorely misplaced. The main character models look the best and get a lot of help from lighting in the scene, but they never quite look good. Minor and background characters make you feel gross inside and out when you look at them; the feeling brings the whole movie down. Comparing it to PS2 cutscenes feels unfair to the good graphics the console had.
The music on the other hand had no reason to be this catchy. Mere seconds after the movie starts, it launches into a j-pop dance performance I wish I could get out of my head. Anytime a character plays tennis, you can bet they are going to sing about it. Each number is so nonsensical and forced, I couldn't help but anticipate where the next one would be crammed in. Each one felt like a gift, the icing on top of this stupid, goofy movie and I'm eager to rewatch "Prince of Tennis" for these alone.
-Character-
Tennis is clearly the most important thing in the world to these characters, and they don't go much deeper than that. I'm sure through the long standing franchise, these characters have grown and developed in substantial ways, but I struggle to think this movie contributes anything to that. No one will be calling this essential viewing.
Everyone from Ryouma, to his wannabe girlfriend Sakuna, to his father Nanjiro and the villains are one note characters in a story that demands little else. But to the movie's credit, each character is so strongly devoted to their one or two traits you can't help but laugh. It feels like the writers knew very little about the characters and just doubled (or maybe even tripled) down on the few things they did. You get a very clear picture of the characters and their motivations, but sacrificing nuance and depth in the process.
For days after seeing "Prince of Tennis" I smiled a big goofy grin whenever I thought of it -- I still did while writing this. Despite -- and probably thanks to -- all its shortcomings, this movie was one of the most memorable and enjoyable viewing experiences I've had in years. I'm going to rewatch it the next chance I get, and explain the experience to any friend who will listen.
Reviewing this like any other anime feels disingenuous; "Prince of Tennis" is truly the definition of "more than the sum of its parts" and I encourage you to do the math for yourself.
