Although the most popular and well-known sports-themed anime are largely consumed by baseball, volleyball and soccer — such as Haikyuu and Blue Lock — there are plenty of series out there that concentrate on tennis, another of Japan’s most popular athletic disciplines. Dating back as far as the early 1970-seventy-m7w328nn” title=”70“>70s, the collection of tennis-based anime has grown over time and continues to do so, with Aim for the Ace being one of the first. Some non-sports anime have even dedicated entire episodes to tennis matches, including Spy x Family and Sailor Moon.
However, not all anime with tennis players put their heart and soul into the sport. In fact, some have failed to address the techniques and efforts that must be put in, while others have seemingly used it as a background decoration, with Teekyu being a widely-known example of the latter. Thankfully, there are still a myriad of anime that are able to give avid tennis fans a sports-themed series worth their time.
A Plethora of the Best Tennis Anime
Considered to be the first-ever tennis anime, Aim for the Ace follows incoming high school student Hiromi Oka, who decides to join the school’s tennis team after witnessing an older student’s extreme skills and talent. Despite not being as good and struggling to come to terms with her anxiety, Hiromi doesn’t give up, instead choosing to apply everything her coach teaches her in training. As she continues to improve her craft, Hiromi soon gains the attention and support of tennis enthusiasts around the world.
In contrast, the far more contemporary Stars Align focuses on introverted junior high school student Maki Katsuragi, who has no intention of joining any clubs. However, after Toma Shinjo, the captain of the boys’ soft tennis club, catches a glimpse of Maki’s fast reflexes — a trait crucial to the sport — he urges him to join the team, seeing great potential in him. Even though he has never played before, Maki proves to be an unexpected natural thanks to both his quick reflexes and willingness to learn.
Another notable entry is the critically-acclaimed Prince of Tennis, which centers on Ryoma Echizen, a tennis prodigy who enrolls in an academy specializing in Japan’s best tennis teams in the making. After obtaining a wide amount of victories, the captain allows him a spot on the team, where he is initially looked down upon for his young age. As they make their way to qualify for a national championship, Ryoma and his team must do whatever it takes to ensure a spot, from creating their own styles of play to learning to work as a team. Out of all three of these tennis anime, Prince of Tennis stands as the best in its sports category for a number of reasons.
Prince of Tennis Puts Emphasis on Style and Movement
Despite its matches containing a lot of unrealistic or overdramatized shots and movements, Prince of Tennis stays true to Ryoma’s and his teammates’ efforts to improve their skills by learning new strategies and methods. As tennis is more than just hitting a ball back and forth until it lands on the ground, each teammate must pay attention to their form and how they play, such as how to hit with their racket. Ryoma’s twist serve as well as his extensive knowledge of drive volleys serves as a prime example of this, making it seem like he truly has dedicated his mind to tennis.
Although some may be annoyed by the extremely fast speed of the ball or the ridiculously high jumps the characters can achieve, this kind of thing does a good job of showcasing just how action-packed and quick-minded tennis can be. Due to this, Ryoma and his team must be able to make effective decisions within a matter of seconds at crucial times, as one small mistake can lead to a grave outcome in a match.
Ryoma Learns to Grow Through His Challenges
Even though Ryoma is exceptionally skilled in tennis from the beginning, it was not initially his choice, as his father, a retired player, raised him in the sport with the intent to challenge him one day. However, Ryoma refuses to let this define him and instead pays attention to his own techniques and what tennis really means to him, allowing himself to be separate from his father and truly enjoy it — something much-needed with any sport in order to truly succeed.
Besides learning to develop his individual style, Ryoma also comes to see his teammates as his friends. Although he acts brash toward them at first, he eventually realizes that they all have their unique ways of and reasons for playing tennis, seeing they have much to contribute. As they practice and play more, Ryoma finds himself able to care for his teammates and cooperate with them — one of the many requirements to win any match, and certainly one of the best aspects of the series as a whole, making it stand out from anime’s tennis crowd.
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