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REVIEW: The Prince of Tennis DVD


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GoodLuckSaturday



Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Posts: 567
Location: Indiana
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:46 pm Reply with quote
SaveOnePiece wrote:
You must be one of those 13 to 26 episode people that can't handle a series with actual depth. Go ahead and make fun of a series because' it doesn't have half naked balloon chested airheaded girls prancing around like a drunk deer.


Holy lord, you can't be serious.

Story and depth is one thing The Prince of Tennis simply DOESN'T have. It's like this: Ryoma makes Seigaku tennis team, Seigaku plays opponent, wins, moves on in touranment, plays opponent, wins, moves on in tournament, has ranking matches, plays opponent, wins, moves on in tournament.

There are things you can have legitimate beef with, but depth in relation to Prince of Tennis simply isn't one of them. The Prince of Tennis is one of the most straightforward series in existence.
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kuni_kuni



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 37
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:25 pm Reply with quote
Shouldn't those spam posts get deleted...?

Himalayus wrote:
Say what you want about shounen series starting off slow, but Naruto had me hooked during the first set, Bleach got me within four episodes, and One Piece had me in episode one (it's the stretchy arms, you see). Ippo hooked hard with its loveable underdog and hilariously crude humor, Slam Dunk with its fights and hero whose ego initially outstripped his skills (not to mention the rather silly romantic comedy stuff). There were plenty of things that PoT could have done, but instead it wasted nearly every minute of the first thirteen episodes. Instead of hooking me, it left me with my soul hanging out like a Looney Tunes character that got smushed by an anvil. That the later part apparently takes a more humorous tone piques my interest a little, but I'm just not willing to take the slog to get there. Not when there's so much better stuff to watch.

Opinions vary widely, but I think that the general consensus is that shounen series do in fact start off slow. Even though I hated the first episodes of PoT, I know plenty of people who got interested in PoT after only a few episodes (after all, how else would it get so popular?), even people who aren't particularly interested in anime. On that note, you say you loved One Piece after episode one. After watching 18 episodes, I dropped OP because I found it so painfully boring (I gave the manga a chance, at least, and it's entertaining enough). Bleach didn't have me interested until episode 33. Some people get hooked faster than others, but in retrospect, it's the general consensus.

Of course, I'm not necessarily saying that you should watch any more of it. I think one of the main problems you have with the show is the ridiculous tennis. If it is, I suggest you avoid the show like the plague, because it only gets crazier. Personally, I think real tennis is boring, so I love seeing those crazy shots. Apparently Wimbledon just started, so if I wanted real tennis, I'd just watch that. The show knows that it's ridiculous, so it's hard to take anything seriously.

And I agree with the person above me. PoT has no depth at all. And, really, nobody watches PoT for the plot. It's very much a character-driven show, and because of that, it takes a while to pick up. I'm glad I stuck with it, though. All of the characters are so quirky and it makes the show really fun to watch.
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Mokkori



Joined: 02 Feb 2006
Posts: 42
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:44 pm Reply with quote
GoodLuckSaturday wrote:
SaveOnePiece wrote:
You must be one of those 13 to 26 episode people that can't handle a series with actual depth. Go ahead and make fun of a series because' it doesn't have half naked balloon chested airheaded girls prancing around like a drunk deer.


Holy lord, you can't be serious.

Story and depth is one thing The Prince of Tennis simply DOESN'T have. It's like this: Ryoma makes Seigaku tennis team, Seigaku plays opponent, wins, moves on in touranment, plays opponent, wins, moves on in tournament, has ranking matches, plays opponent, wins, moves on in tournament.

There are things you can have legitimate beef with, but depth in relation to Prince of Tennis simply isn't one of them. The Prince of Tennis is one of the most straightforward series in existence.


I think you should read his post again? That quote you're commenting on is one of many examples throughout his post, of what he(SaveOnePiece) thinks some people might say about what he posted about Prince of Tennis.
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Patachu
Past ANN Contributor


Joined: 08 Jul 2004
Posts: 1325
Location: San Diego
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:58 pm Reply with quote
Actually, if you check it against the original review, it's a copypaste job with random insults written after each paragraph.

This guy doesn't know how to use quote tags or how to post a message JUST ONCE.
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SakunoEchizen



Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:11 pm Reply with quote
I think that there are a lot of good points floating around in here.

I've thought about more of the points made by the reviewer. He found the first 13 episodes of the series boring. I think he used the wrong adjective here. Perhaps he was bored, but the series itself isn't boring, it's slow- and yes there is a difference. It isn't plot driven over the entire series. It's only plot driven in sections, during each one of the tournaments the team faces. Most shounen anime is plot driven over all - Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece which the reviewer mentioned in his response post are all examples of this. They have strong plots and characters. Prince of Tennis has strong story and characters. This makes all the difference.

It also depends on taste. I personally don't care for One Piece and I find Naruto entertaining only once in a while. I'm a pretty big Bleach fan, but I sometimes find its never ending plot driven arcs tedious; and that's simply because of the kind of person I am.

I find Prince of Tennis to be an entertaining, character heavy, sports anime. The main purpose of the anime/manga is not to get people into tennis or to become wrapped up in the whole "what will happen to the main character" question of many shounen anime. It makes the viewer mainly want to know what will happen to each character on a more personal level. The Prince of Tennis story and plot (where it occurs) is not deep, as a few people have mentioned, but it's characters certainly are. That's where the series succeeds, and really only if that's what you prefer to see.


Last edited by SakunoEchizen on Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
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sdsyukichan



Joined: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 93
Location: Ontario, Canada
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:12 pm Reply with quote
Oh, come on. Sure, its not all "yes, we play serious tennis" but its not HORRIBLE. D:

I do agree the first 13 episodes aren't terriffic, but the series gets way better when more characters come along.

The only thing I agree with in that review is that the English VA's lack any sort of talent - or if they have it, they don't show it.

I could go on a mad fangirl rant (its my favourite series), but.... I'll wait to see if they review the other boxes as they come out.
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domino



Joined: 25 Nov 2004
Posts: 373
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:22 pm Reply with quote
Just watched this week's Toonami Jetstream episode of Prince of Tennis, and I think it's FINALLY at the point where the series gets good.

So yes, harsh review, but I've got to admit it's true: the first 13 episodes or so are terrible. A fellow PoT fan and I recently sat down and watched them all again and we couldn't stop laughing at how we never noticed how bad some of the early episodes are. The parts where stray cats keep appearing around Fudomine in attempt to be symbolic was particularly hilarious.

The Prince of Tennis anime started six years ago and has come a long way, though. Comparing the quality of the beginning to the current episodes (OVAs) makes them seem like different shows altogether...
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ichiro3923



Joined: 08 Apr 2007
Posts: 167
Location: hiding in your closet watching you
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:30 pm Reply with quote
kuni_kuni wrote:
Randall Miyashiro wrote:
I hate those traditional shonen heroes who are spunky adolescent youth who manages to beat the cooler rival character.


Seriously, the whole "underdog overcomes endless trials" convention is tiring. I like that Ryoma is somewhat badass in the beginning (and even he gets humbled later on...and it shows).


I don't think that PoT is bad at all, but I still hate Ryoma's character. Mad

Cool Badass = Alucard from Hellsing;

Annoying Punk who tries too hard to act cool = Ryoma

P.S.- It's not just Ryoma, you're going to see alot of the egotistical characters(with the traditional smirks and the "I'm better than you" grins) for a long time....
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kuni_kuni



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 37
PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:43 pm Reply with quote
ichiro3923 wrote:
kuni_kuni wrote:
Randall Miyashiro wrote:
I hate those traditional shonen heroes who are spunky adolescent youth who manages to beat the cooler rival character.


Seriously, the whole "underdog overcomes endless trials" convention is tiring. I like that Ryoma is somewhat badass in the beginning (and even he gets humbled later on...and it shows).


I don't think that PoT is bad at all, but I still hate Ryoma's character. Mad

Cool Badass = Alucard from Hellsing;

Annoying Punk who tries too hard to act cool = Ryoma

P.S.- It's not just Ryoma, you're going to see alot of the egotistical characters(with the traditional smirks and the "I'm better than you" grins) for a long time....


Really? I don't think they're that many, with the exception of Atobe, Mizuki, and maybe Sanada. And all of the characters are made fun of so often that it's hard to take some of their personalities seriously (matrix-Tezuka Zone? Tezuka has a poker face all the time, but after that, can you really take him seriously?).

Oh, and I'll always refer to Ryoma as badass because of the way he beat up Sasabe in episode 1 (utterly ridiculous, but utterly hilarious). I don't think he tries to act cool, I just think that it's in his nature to be nonchalant.
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Kimyo



Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 101
Location: In my own world.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:12 am Reply with quote
As I read the review, I kept giggling to myself as everything he wrote matched observations I've made while watching the show on Cartoon Network-- silly music, ridiculous super-powered tennis, Sakuno IS LAME, Ryouma is arrogant, etc etc. I agree with almost everything, but I've always loved this show and will continue to watch.

As for the dub, I never really noticed, but I guess the voices are only so-so, except for the lady reporter and Nanjiro, voiced by one of my favorite VA's, the sexy Liam O'Brien! Very Happy

I also watch real tennis when I can (which is rare, since it bores my mom to tears). My favorite player is Rafael Nadal! Whoo!
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ichiro3923



Joined: 08 Apr 2007
Posts: 167
Location: hiding in your closet watching you
PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:06 am Reply with quote
kuni_kuni wrote:
ichiro3923 wrote:
kuni_kuni wrote:
Randall Miyashiro wrote:
I hate those traditional shonen heroes who are spunky adolescent youth who manages to beat the cooler rival character.


Seriously, the whole "underdog overcomes endless trials" convention is tiring. I like that Ryoma is somewhat badass in the beginning (and even he gets humbled later on...and it shows).


I don't think that PoT is bad at all, but I still hate Ryoma's character. Mad

Cool Badass = Alucard from Hellsing;

Annoying Punk who tries too hard to act cool = Ryoma

P.S.- It's not just Ryoma, you're going to see alot of the egotistical characters(with the traditional smirks and the "I'm better than you" grins) for a long time....


Really? I don't think they're that many, with the exception of Atobe, Mizuki, and maybe Sanada. And all of the characters are made fun of so often that it's hard to take some of their personalities seriously (matrix-Tezuka Zone? Tezuka has a poker face all the time, but after that, can you really take him seriously?).

Oh, and I'll always refer to Ryoma as badass because of the way he beat up Sasabe in episode 1 (utterly ridiculous, but utterly hilarious). I don't think he tries to act cool, I just think that it's in his nature to be nonchalant.


Maybe "alot" was an exageration, but I felt that the arrogant character was repeated from team to team Seigaku has faced:

Akutsu and "Lucky Kiyosumi" from Yamabuki High
Mukahi and Oshitari pair from Hyotei
Youhei and Kouhei pair from Jyosei and the team's manager who believes that they are her "masterpiece"

I stick by my opinion that Ryoma is not badass, or at least nowhere near badass as Alucard. And it's hard for me to like Ryoma when he has to humiliate the characters (ie. switching from right hand to left, or saying "I'm going to be serious now") just to feel and remind himself how much better he is (even most of the character's he's faced inside and outside his team felt that he was too arrogant). I have only seen up to episode 82 so I'll have to take your word that he will be more humble.

I'm going to stop bashing the characters and am going to say that there are episodes that were entertaining and hillarious, like the chibi episodes or The episode where Ann Tachibana said she was going on a date with Momo.
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Parvati-IV



Joined: 14 May 2007
Posts: 72
PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:20 am Reply with quote
Wow, am I one of the only people who liked the show from the beginning?? I also thought Ryoma was an interesting change of pace for a main character. It was seeing the universe through the prodigy's eyes (like the freshman in Slam Dunk, Miyata in Ippo, or Touya in Hikago). I think if those stories were told from their points of view, those shows would feel different and maybe a little more "slow" too.

As for replacing the OP/ED, that's a really subjective call to say the new ones are better or not. Why replace them at all? DVDs are supposed to be uncut...


Back to Ryoma, I thought one of the fun things about him was that he was as good as he presented himself as being. Sure, he wins pretty uch all the time, but other people in Seigaku lose, so all those matches that stretch out to Singles 2 or 1, someone lost and it wasn't always clear who that was going to be.
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Honeyrider



Joined: 10 Oct 2006
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:33 am Reply with quote
ichiro3923 wrote:

Cool Badass = Alucard from Hellsing;

Annoying Punk who tries too hard to act cool = Ryoma


Alucard= Vampire

Ryoma=12 year old tennis player

There's a bit of a reason for the distinction ;)

Though in all honesty, Middle school boys tend to have egos~ so we shouldn't be so surprised XD;;
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ichiro3923



Joined: 08 Apr 2007
Posts: 167
Location: hiding in your closet watching you
PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:25 pm Reply with quote
Parvati-IV wrote:
Wow, am I one of the only people who liked the show from the beginning?? I also thought Ryoma was an interesting change of pace for a main character. It was seeing the universe through the prodigy's eyes (like the freshman in Slam Dunk, Miyata in Ippo, or Touya in Hikago). I think if those stories were told from their points of view, those shows would feel different and maybe a little more "slow" too.

As for replacing the OP/ED, that's a really subjective call to say the new ones are better or not. Why replace them at all? DVDs are supposed to be uncut...


Back to Ryoma, I thought one of the fun things about him was that he was as good as he presented himself as being. Sure, he wins pretty uch all the time, but other people in Seigaku lose, so all those matches that stretch out to Singles 2 or 1, someone lost and it wasn't always clear who that was going to be.


Speaking of openings and ending, I watched the one dubbed show, and they replaced the second opening song with a guitar rock solo. Why would they do that? I didn't think the second opening was bad.
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kuni_kuni



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 37
PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:44 pm Reply with quote
ichiro3923 wrote:
Speaking of openings and ending, I watched the one dubbed show, and they replaced the second opening song with a guitar rock solo. Why would they do that? I didn't think the second opening was bad.
I'm guessing it was a time edit (like for every other Toonami show). As for why they kept the dubbed OP/ED for the supposedly uncut DVDs, I have no clue. I hope they fix it in time for the 3rd DVD set, because "Driving Myself" (2nd OP) and "Keep Your Style" (2nd ED) are some of the best songs in the series, IMO.
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