There used to be a time when I was so much into the sports anime. I took time to realise that all the sports anime are more or less the same. This one is not too different either. Quite predictably, the main character, Ryoma Echizen is a transfer from America. Throughout the anime, we get to watch his experiences while playing for his School team Seigaku. However, I have to admit that Ryoma was a different type of a main character. He wasn't goofy at all. A 14-year-old prodigy, playing with the Highschoolers, he was quite mature for someone of his age. The way he handles the challenging situations is extremely adult-like. Nevertheless, it doesn't mean that he is a complete 'hero.' There are also those(probably Fuji Shusuke and Tezuka Kunimitsu), who get better of him. I would like to assume that Tezuka was shown as an obstacle, something that he wishes to overcome. The anime ends in a same way as other sports anime. Ryoma flying back to foreign land to continue with his sports journey.
The other characters are typical. There is one strict leader(Tezuka), a cool genius, a megane guy with some weird habits, a tragic guy facing some quite a situation, a short tempered guy, the characters who are the golden pair when it comes to doubles. I feel they do get their dues and almost each of them are developed pretty well. The animation is outdated but it used to look cool back then. The songs are skippable.
To conclude, it's an enjoyable anime. Tennis being an individual sport looks like a very intense battle in anime version.
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