English Dub Review: The Prince of Tennis “Hyotei vs. Rikkai Game of Future”

 

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The Princes of tennis are taking part in one of the biggest games in recent memory. When Atobe invites Rikkai to play in an exhibition match against Hyotei, all the guys are excited about the chance to prove their stuff out on the court — especially since it will be the third years last opportunity to take the court along with the younger members of the team.

Our Take:

The Prince of Tennis has a long history in various media forms throughout the years, but interest in the franchise experienced a revival when Funimation announced that it would be re-dubbing the entire series so fans can view the episodes from a fresh audio perspective. The new dub is starting with one of the most recent entries in the series, a pair of OVAs that together form Hyotei vs. Rikkai Game of Future. It’s certainly a big deal for fans of the franchise, but will it be the right thing to lure in newcomers onto the court?

Based on these two 45-minute episodes, I’d say it’s not very likely. It’s a little odd that Funimation is starting out the new dub by releasing these OVAs, honestly. The people most likely to enjoy these OVAs are those who have already watched the original series and become attached to the characters and their backstories. The new dub is well done, but it can’t really make up for the fact that there’s really not much here to speak of when it comes to excitement.

I’m not a huge tennis fan, but I have played it in the past and I can say that there just weren’t many points in these episodes where I was in suspense or awed at the sports action taking place on screen. This just isn’t a very good looking show by the standards of 2021. The show tries to make up for it by throwing in quirky power moves like laser beams and the “mirage mirror”, but even the magical super-powered bits were underwhelming — maybe this part is better executed in the actual series.

My favorite part of these OVAs was definitely the new English dub, which feels like it has some solid strength behind it. Apparently more than one member of the cast grew up watching the show and playing tennis in high school, so it’s nice to get that bit of extra authenticity going on behind the scenes. On screen, characters are well cast and the performances show a decent amount of passion when required.

By the end of it, Rikkai has come away with the hard fought victory for better or worse. But I did appreciate how Hyotei handled their loss, by cheering despite the disappointment and taking pride in the game they may play alongside some of their peers. And wouldn’t ya know it, after the game is over the episode ends for real on a couple still shots of a group pillow fight.