Tennis no Ojisama - Futari no Samurai
Encyclopedia
is an animated
film based on the manga
series The Prince of Tennis
by Takeshi Konomi
. It was produced by Nihon Ad Systems
and Production I.G.
, and directed by Takayuki Hamana
. The movie premiere aired after another short film spun off from the series titled .
, but mysteriously left home prior to Ryoma enrolling in Seigaku. That evening, after a banquet dinner, Takashi Kawamura, being a sushi chef, remarks that the food did not taste as expensive as it looked. In the bathroom, Sadaharu Inui discovers that the marble on the wall is fake when he tears off a piece of wallpaper. It becomes clear that something is not right. The next day, Sakurafubuki reveals to Tezuka and Oishi that they are actually part of an illegal gambling plot. If they purposely lose their matches the next day, Sakurafubuki will rake in a lot of money from people that have betted on Seigaku winning. But, should they choose not listen and win the matches, the team faces the grim possibility of losing their lives.
It turns out that everyone on the ship are either gamblers or Sakurafubuki's henchmen, so therefore, Seigaku can only trust themselves. The team tries to form a plan of action while playing the matches as directed, but they are ultimately held hostage by Sakurafubuki's chef when Kikumaru Eiji is caught eavesdropping. Only Tezuka, Fuji, and Echizen are allowed to leave to play their matches. Tezuka and Fuji win their matches easily. Upon seeing Ryoma's performance, Ryoga decides to betray Sakurafubuki in order to play a match against his brother to see who's the better player.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team escape from the room where the chef held them hostage (thanks to Inui's clever usage of his Juice), and then are forced to engage in a rather humorous run from the corrupt crew members. In the end, they are recaptured and bound by Sakurafubuki, who holds them at gunpoint. Ryoma realizes that his teammates' lives are going to be at risk if he continues to play against his brother.
Fortunately, Ryoga decides that he will not be Sakurafubuki's pawn any longer, and fires a tennis ball straight into his forehead. This allows the rest of the team to escape once again. As Ryoma and Ryoga's match continues, a terrible storm brews, forcing everyone on the ship to evacuate through the lifeboats. Seigaku keeps order throughout the panic and helps the passengers, although Momoshiro and Eiji end up falling overboard. The Echizen brothers, however, keep playing their match, even as an enormous tidal wave descends upon the cruise ship. They seem unfazed as they play their match underwater. In the end, Ryoma comes out as the victor when the ball drops onto Ryoga's side of the net, despite that the net is gone and a large light has crashed across the court. Ryoga accepts his defeat and remarks that Ryoma's tennis certainly has improved. The two escape via Ryoga's jet ski, and Ryoma is reunited with his team, who have all escaped the ship unharmed. Ryoga takes Ryoma's hat and gives him an orange and tells him to find his "Grand Dream". After that, he rides his jet ski into the sunset.
Atobe Keigo then arrives at the scene and witnesses Sakurafubuki being arrested. In an earlier phone conversation with Oshitari Yuushi, who also appeared along Gakuto Mukahi, Atobe remarked that he did not know Sakurafubuki and suspected that Seigaku was involved in a scam.
with his hazel eyes and black-green hair. While the Echizen
family were in America, Ryoga was taken in by Nanjiro and lived with them for a time. His tennis technique is modeled on that of Nanjiro.
When he left the Echizen's home, he was hired by the billionaire Sakurafubuki Hikomaro to play tennis for him in his gambling schemes. In the flashbacks, it showed that he was rather close to Ryoma. At first he said that Ryoma's tennis was awful (which was true when he was about five or so). It was shown that Ryoga's skills were far superior, but as Ryoma continued to improve, Ryoga began spending more time with him. It is unknown why he ran away, possibly that he was just bored with home. In the fourth OVA, Another Story, Ryoga makes another appearance. Ryoga is voiced by Yuuta Yamazaki.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
film based on the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series The Prince of Tennis
The Prince of Tennis
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The title is often shortened to , a portmanteau of the two parts in the Japanese pronunciation of the words "Tennis Prince". The manga was first published in Japan in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 1999, and ended...
by Takeshi Konomi
Takeshi Konomi
is a Japanese manga artist. He owns a cat named Kahluamilk whom he uses to assist him in drawing "Karupin", a character in his The Prince of Tennis. He has said that bathing inspires him to think of new ideas for manga..-Financial standing:...
. It was produced by Nihon Ad Systems
Nihon Ad Systems
, NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is...
and Production I.G.
Production I.G.
is a Japanese anime studio and production enterprise, which was founded on December 15, 1987 by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa. It is headquartered in Kokubunji, Tokyo, Japan....
, and directed by Takayuki Hamana
Takayuki Hamana
is a Japanese animation director attached to Trans Arts.-Anime involved in:*Chocolate Underground: Director*Hakkenden: Legend of the Dog Warriors': Key Animation *Idaten Jump: Director*Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade: Key Animation...
. The movie premiere aired after another short film spun off from the series titled .
Plot
The Seishun Academy Middle School tennis regulars are invited on a cruise by Sakurafubuki Hikomaro to play a match with his own tennis team. Aboard the cruise ship, Ryoga Echizen introduces himself to the team as Ryoma's older brother. Ryoma reveals that Ryoga was adopted by Nanjiroh many years ago, when they lived in AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but mysteriously left home prior to Ryoma enrolling in Seigaku. That evening, after a banquet dinner, Takashi Kawamura, being a sushi chef, remarks that the food did not taste as expensive as it looked. In the bathroom, Sadaharu Inui discovers that the marble on the wall is fake when he tears off a piece of wallpaper. It becomes clear that something is not right. The next day, Sakurafubuki reveals to Tezuka and Oishi that they are actually part of an illegal gambling plot. If they purposely lose their matches the next day, Sakurafubuki will rake in a lot of money from people that have betted on Seigaku winning. But, should they choose not listen and win the matches, the team faces the grim possibility of losing their lives.
It turns out that everyone on the ship are either gamblers or Sakurafubuki's henchmen, so therefore, Seigaku can only trust themselves. The team tries to form a plan of action while playing the matches as directed, but they are ultimately held hostage by Sakurafubuki's chef when Kikumaru Eiji is caught eavesdropping. Only Tezuka, Fuji, and Echizen are allowed to leave to play their matches. Tezuka and Fuji win their matches easily. Upon seeing Ryoma's performance, Ryoga decides to betray Sakurafubuki in order to play a match against his brother to see who's the better player.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team escape from the room where the chef held them hostage (thanks to Inui's clever usage of his Juice), and then are forced to engage in a rather humorous run from the corrupt crew members. In the end, they are recaptured and bound by Sakurafubuki, who holds them at gunpoint. Ryoma realizes that his teammates' lives are going to be at risk if he continues to play against his brother.
Fortunately, Ryoga decides that he will not be Sakurafubuki's pawn any longer, and fires a tennis ball straight into his forehead. This allows the rest of the team to escape once again. As Ryoma and Ryoga's match continues, a terrible storm brews, forcing everyone on the ship to evacuate through the lifeboats. Seigaku keeps order throughout the panic and helps the passengers, although Momoshiro and Eiji end up falling overboard. The Echizen brothers, however, keep playing their match, even as an enormous tidal wave descends upon the cruise ship. They seem unfazed as they play their match underwater. In the end, Ryoma comes out as the victor when the ball drops onto Ryoga's side of the net, despite that the net is gone and a large light has crashed across the court. Ryoga accepts his defeat and remarks that Ryoma's tennis certainly has improved. The two escape via Ryoga's jet ski, and Ryoma is reunited with his team, who have all escaped the ship unharmed. Ryoga takes Ryoma's hat and gives him an orange and tells him to find his "Grand Dream". After that, he rides his jet ski into the sunset.
Atobe Keigo then arrives at the scene and witnesses Sakurafubuki being arrested. In an earlier phone conversation with Oshitari Yuushi, who also appeared along Gakuto Mukahi, Atobe remarked that he did not know Sakurafubuki and suspected that Seigaku was involved in a scam.
Ryoga Echizen
is the antagonist turned protagonist in the film. Ryoga is the adopted son of Nanjiro Echizen, a former professional tennis player. He bears a strong resemblance to RyomaRyoma
Ryōma is a Japanese given name. It can be written with several kanji, including 龍馬 The following people and fictional characters have the name Ryoma:People*Sakamoto Ryōma, a late-Edo Era notable...
with his hazel eyes and black-green hair. While the Echizen
Echizen
Echizen may refer to:* Echizen Province, an old province of Japan* Echizen, Fukui, a city in Fukui Prefecture* Echizen, Fukui , a town adjacent to said city, in Fukui Prefecture* Nomura's jellyfish, also known as Echizen jellyfish...
family were in America, Ryoga was taken in by Nanjiro and lived with them for a time. His tennis technique is modeled on that of Nanjiro.
When he left the Echizen's home, he was hired by the billionaire Sakurafubuki Hikomaro to play tennis for him in his gambling schemes. In the flashbacks, it showed that he was rather close to Ryoma. At first he said that Ryoma's tennis was awful (which was true when he was about five or so). It was shown that Ryoga's skills were far superior, but as Ryoma continued to improve, Ryoga began spending more time with him. It is unknown why he ran away, possibly that he was just bored with home. In the fourth OVA, Another Story, Ryoga makes another appearance. Ryoga is voiced by Yuuta Yamazaki.
External links
- Official website at ShochikuShochikuis a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
- Official Tennis no Oujisama website