English Dub Review: Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Inspired by his tennis champion father, Ryoma Echizen is determined to take his game to the next level and train in the U.S. But in the middle of an intense tennis battle to save his classmate Sakuno from dangerous villains, they somehow find themselves transported to the past, just as Ryoma’s father is about to undertake his final championship match at the US Open.

Our Take:

What do you get when you combine Japanese animation with one of the least exciting sports in history? You get a successful franchise that’s as everlasting as a round of tennis. Takeshi Konomi’s manga series about a tennis prodigy has sold millions of copies since its debut in 1999, resulting in it spawning an anime adaptation, several OVAs, two animated films, a live-action adaptation, and video games. Following a long hiatus, the franchise is about to make a comeback with a follow-up series called New Prince of Tennis U-17 WORLD CUP, which is slated for release this July. But before that happens, we have a new animated film adaptation that has Ryoma playing a whole new ball game.

The film, which is directed by Hiroshi Kōjina, features an original story set between the end of The Prince of Tennis and the start of The New Prince of Tennis, in which Ryoma trains his tennis skills in the United States. So if you’re wondering what the prodigy has been doing in-between the two mangas, this movie has got you covered. During his trip, Ryoma and his classmate Sakuno Ryuzaki unexpectedly wound up in the past. They then see Ryoma’s father, Nanjiro, competing in the U.S. Open. When Ryoma discovers that the mafia is forcing Nanjiro to throw the match, he’ll have to step up his game to save his father’s legacy.  

The latest film adaptation of the manga series is actually my first encounter with the franchise. I haven’t read the books and watched the anime, which ran from 2001 to 2005. So I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t be able to catch on with the concept while watching this movie. All I know about it is that it’s about a prodigy who joins a tennis club, makes some friends, and masters his skills on the court. However, the film’s plot was enough to convince me to give it a shot.  

The movie features two different versions: DECIDE and GLORY. The version I’m looking at is the former, which features a series of graphic-novel-like music videos that played after the film. If there’s one thing I learned from watching The Prince of Tennis, it’s that it made the sport look more badass than I thought it would be. I’m not joking. It almost made me want to try out the sport. As for the story itself, it doesn’t have the same amount of excitement as the sport it’s representing, but it may prove to be watchable for people who have been following the franchise since 1999.

The good thing about the film is that it didn’t require me to watch the anime or read the manga to understand its concept. It easily lets me know that Ryoma is a prodigy who honors the sport and trains to be the best player in the world through dialogue and flashbacks. Plus, the main focus is set only on Ryoma and Sakuno and their time-traveling adventure, with the supporting characters from the series sitting on the sidelines. As a result, it became a more accessible experience for me as a newcomer to get attached to its concept. Unfortunately, it’s also not the best option to introduce myself to the franchise as far as storytelling goes. While it’s not entirely horrible, I would say that it’s a pretty bland adaptation that’s more suited for longtime fans.

There are a couple of things that made the movie somewhat enjoyable for me, including the voice cast for the English voice cast. Ry McKeand and Xanthe Huynh from the Funimation dub reprise their roles as Ryoma and Sakuno, respectively, and they did pretty well in providing some charisma to these characters. Sure, some of their dialogue was a tad corny at times, but I never got bored with how they delivered their chemistry together.

The movie marks the first in the franchise to utilize 3D animation instead of using traditional animation in the anime. The CGI for specific anime shows or movies aren’t usually my cup of tea regarding the execution and rendering, especially when comparing it to their 2D counterparts. While the animation in Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis didn’t do a lot to change my viewpoint, it’s competent in showcasing its immersive tennis sequences, mainly the match between Nanjiro and Weasley Vaughn in the title match.

The film’s plot has that “take it or leave it” type of scenario, in which the events may not affect the series as a whole. It’s not just because of its far-fetched time-traveling element and below-average story. It’s also because the ending made the characters’ adventure and development entirely pointless. Plus, the reveal of the movie’s antagonist was very predictable. I knew exactly who it was the minute before it was even introduced.

It also has the one thing I honestly didn’t expect to see in a movie about a tennis prodigy: the musical numbers. Apparently, time travel wasn’t enough to keep the franchise refreshing. Unfortunately, the songs in the English dub are only in Japanese, which would mean that they didn’t bother to hire someone to sing the English translations. Nevertheless, I thought the songs were okay for the most part, if not a bit hokey and jarring, especially when considering the rapping gangsters in the film’s first act.

Overall, Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis offers plenty of moments that’ll satisfy fans of Ryoma’s journey. However, its lackluster plot involving time travel, musical numbers, and the mafia may prove to be a tough sell for newcomers. Its voice cast and animation were the only two highlights that made the film tolerable for me. On the other hand, the story can be as frustrating as playing actual tennis regarding the characters, songs, and development. As my first introduction to the Prince of Tennis franchise, the movie is fine, but it could’ve been a lot better regarding its approach to reaching people outside of its target audience.