The Prince of Tennis by Takeshi Konomi

Rated A for All Ages from VIZ Media

The North Branch Library has books volumes 9-10, 12, 14, 18-27.

This was a series I did not expect to like--I don't play tennis and don't know about tennis strategy and competition. So I expected that I would soon get lost and give it up. I couldn't have been more wrong. This is one series (the others being Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist) that I read as soon as we get it in. I have gotten caught up in the competition and quite like a number of the characters (even though after 22 volumes I still couldn't tell you most of their names.)

Volume 24: The Kanto tournament continues, and things are not looking good for Seishun. Rikkai has dominated and looks to win the last three matches in record time.

The "golden pair," Eiji Kikumaru and Suichiro Oishi, are up. When one of the opposing players aims the ball at Eiji's head, he goes down and seems to lose consciousness for a brief time. He's carried off on a stretcher as we see a flashback to when he and Suichiro began playing together as children. Awww, how cute they both are! Eiji comes to, leaps off the stretcher, and gets back into the game. (Where is the team doctor? Surely someone should check him out first. And come to think about it, where is the umpire?) Eiji and Suichiro are playing better than ever, but it's still not enough. They lose their match.

In between matches, Ryoma is at the vending machines when he overhears an intriguing phone call. One of the Rikkai players is talking to their team leader, in the hospital and facing surgery.

The next match is a singles between Seishun's team leader, Sadaharu Inui, and Renji Yanagi. They used to play together as doubles partners years ago and are both data collectors. Now they know each other's games so well they can predict not only each other's plays, but finish each other's sentence. But it looks like Renji is going to force Sadaharu to give up his data game.

Volume 25: Sadaharu Inue and Renji Yanagi are in the midst of their match, and it looks like Renji has the upper hand. Sadahru even throws out his data, but Renji says "There is no victory for those who abandon their play-style." Indeed, Sadaharu is looking exhausted. But all is not lost--Sadaharu is actually re-creating their last, unfinished match. Now we'll find out who really is the better player--and it's a win for Seishun!

Renji's loss means Rikkai has broken their promise to their team leader, in the hospital waiting for a surgery. Renji submits himself for punishment, but the blow is deflected by Akaya, who now gives himself 14 minutes to win his match with Shusuke Fuji. It's a tough match, and Akaya slams a drive that knocks Shusuke to the group. He gets up to continue playing, but he's got to hide the fact that the blow has made him temporarily blind.