The Prince of Tennis (2006)

I admit that the reason I watched this is because of Hongo Kanata. I guess you can add the reason that I actually like the anime Prince of Tennis. (Yes. Just there and let's not go over Shin Prince of Tennis because... ugh.) I approached this movie, ready to face anything that's going to be offered to me. And here's what I got...

The story is still about the tennis prodigy Echizen Ryoma, the team he had in Seishun Gakuen or Seigaku, and, tennis games, of course. The ending is the episode 68 of the anime, so imagine how big a chunk of the original story was gone to fit this in an almost two-hour film. The district preliminaries and prefectural tournament were skipped, so the tournament showed was the Kanto regionals.

It is good that they managed to show each of Seigaku regulars' signature moves. It is also good that there are games because, after all, this is about Echizen whose life revolves around tennis and this is truly a sports show. However, the bad side of these is that all the characters lack depth.

I hoped to see Ryoma's relationship with the other members, how he would become one of them, but it wasn't shown. The longer interaction he had was with Tezuka and with Kaidoh and those were also matches. In the end, what I saw was an arrogant Ryoma who desires to become stronger, same as the one from the beginning of the movie, and it ends there. The rest of the characters were also flat. Even if I got a glimpse of the past of the movie-only characters Egate Mcleod HIgaki and Higaki Shioin, they still lacked some depth, though I think Egate was the better, though still not fine, character than Echizen himself here.

I have to give the writers a nod for deciding to make a movie-only character for the ending. Had they followed the anime/manga, the ending would be Ryoma's game with Wakashi Hiyoshi. Although that was a good one, it wouldn't show much of Ryoma's struggling. (I felt like I was watching his game with Akutsu when Egate showed his playing style.)

Shioin's character kind of irked me because she replaced Ryuzaki Sakuno. (Yes, I'm a fan of RyoSaku.) Anyway, she's the type of character that was better off the story, but I think that she was placed there so that the other Higaki wasn't as flat as the other characters.

With regards to acting, I think they range from bad to acceptable. I think Hongo Kanata captured Echizen's arrogance. Shirota Yuu lacked the strictness and coolness and seriousness of Tezuka. The actor who acted as Egate did a fine job becoming an irritable character. The actor who portrayed Atobe also lacked arrogance.

The background music played in matches suit the atmosphere as it feels like being challenged or having the need to overcome something or preparing for something big to come. The ending song was fine.

A once in a lifetime experience of watching this is more than enough.

Overall, the story is rushed and the characters suffer from lack of development and depth. There's nothing noteworthy in acting and music. Watch this if you're an avid fan of the series who doesn't like missing out on anything related to PoT. Watch this if you can bear with exaggerations of this sports' games. Watch this if you can't bear to miss anything of Hongo Kanata or Shirota Yuu. Otherwise, don't.

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I haven't watch the anime nor read the manga but this movie is superb with its amazing special effects on tennis technique!
It is very entertaining with all that exaggerated actions on the court and the story is classic, about someone who never been defeated, was stumbled and was able to stand up at the end. I also like how the supporters cheers on their team, with all the chant, banners, color coding whatnots, it is fun watching it.

The actors were good in portraying their role but I don't feel any character depth, but most of them were eye candy. The lead actress though has minimal contact and scenes with the prince of tennis, and I am not happy with her acting, she's like frozen or something, it didn't just reach me (maybe it's just me hehe) but her playing the music instrument on him was a touching scene.

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