Prince of Tennis

(Viz, 2004-Present)
™ and © Takeshi Konomi
Black and white graphic novel series; read right to left.

Sports manga haven’t done particularly well so far in America, but that might change with Prince of Tennis, a series that may have more intrinsic girl appeal.

It’s about Ryoma, a 12-year-old tennis prodigy who, instead of relentlessly training to obtain his goal of being the best tennis player in the world, gets by on pure talent. And he’s that rarest of all male manga protagonists: he’s not a complete dork.

Instead, he’s got this whole Zen samurai cool thing going for him that allows him to breeze through any situation (whether it be girls or bullying older kids) and manages to do it without seeming cold or stuck–up. Soon, he’s trouncing upperclassmen on the courts and breaking down an unfair hierarchical system that’s keeping down the younger kids at school.

Prince of Tennis has solid characters, believable drama, and even loads of action, thanks to energetic art that really brings a tennis match to life, justifying Viz branding this one as an action manga.

— S.A. Bennett

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