TV-Series
Description
Nanijiroh Echizen, also known as Nanjiro Echizen, is the father of the protagonist Ryoma Echizen in The Prince of Tennis. He is a former professional tennis player who was given the nickname Samurai Nanjiro or Samurai from the Land of the Sakura due to his invincible tennis skills during his active years. In his youth, he dominated the tennis world and was described as a once-in-a-century genius. He retired unexpectedly when his son was born, despite being only one match away from breaking a world record and earning a Grand Slam title. Before going professional, he was trained by Sumire Ryuzaki, who later became the coach of the Seishun Academy tennis team. Ryuzaki discovered his natural talent early, especially after he invented a two‑handed playing style called Nitōryū on his own.
Personality wise, Nanjiro is cheerful, childish, and shamelessly perverted. His daily habits include reading gravure magazines, smoking, and teasing his cat Karupin, which often results in the cat biting or scratching him in retaliation. Despite his immature antics, he is a deeply skilled and experienced tennis player who remains physically fit even after years of retirement. His motivations are centered on his son: he chose to end his professional career to devote his time to teaching Ryoma tennis. He holds high hopes that Ryoma will not only become the world’s strongest player but also strong enough to defeat him one day. This drive leads him to train Ryoma using harsh and unconventional methods, such as having him hit stones with sticks behind a waterfall.
In the story, Nanjiro acts as a constant background presence and occasional mentor. He enrolls Ryoma at Seishun Academy, the school he himself once attended. His past as a legendary player casts a long shadow over the series, and his identity as the Samurai serves as a benchmark for Ryoma’s growth. He also appears in the sequel The New Prince of Tennis as the coach of Spain’s U‑17 World Cup team, applying his expertise internationally. His coaching style is trickster‑like and psychologically provocative, aimed at stimulating growth in his trainees.
His key relationships include his wife Rinko Echizen, a sweet‑tempered attorney whom he met in the United States when he defended her from an abusive coach. He also has an adoptive son named Ryoga Echizen, introduced in a non‑canon movie. With his biological son Ryoma, their relationship is both playful and stern. Nanjiro often teases and challenges Ryoma, but he also shows genuine care by sacrificing his own career for the sake of Ryoma’s development.
While Nanjiro does not undergo significant personal development in the series, his role as a foil to his son is important. Where Ryoma is quiet, aloof, and socially dense, Nanjiro is outspoken, eccentric, and a shameless flirt. Both share extraordinary tennis talent and confidence. Nanjiro’s retirement and his decision to train Ryoma represent the central thematic tension of legacy and surpassing the master.
Nanjiro’s tennis abilities are among the highest in the series. He is an all‑rounder and plays right‑handed, but he can use both hands effectively thanks to Nitōryū, a technique that allows him to switch his racket to his left hand for backhand shots. His Nanjiro Zone is a perfected form of the Tezuka Zone: by applying subtle spin to the ball and positioning himself slightly behind the center of the court, he creates a circle about 4.2 meters in diameter that draws all returns toward him. He can perform this technique with his eyes closed, relying solely on concentration and reflexes. His one‑footed split step uses exceptional balance and fast muscle rebound to expand his defensive range. He has also mastered Teni Muhō no Kiwami, the Pinnacle of Perfection, which is the last door of the Muga no Kyōchi state. This mindset of pure enjoyment of tennis unleashes his full potential, enhances all his abilities, and engulfs opponents in a mental field that disrupts their performance while granting him immunity to mental attacks. Nanjiro is one of only two known players to have opened that door, the other being his son Ryoma. Additionally, he possesses a variation of the twist serve that bounces to the side rather than toward the face.
Personality wise, Nanjiro is cheerful, childish, and shamelessly perverted. His daily habits include reading gravure magazines, smoking, and teasing his cat Karupin, which often results in the cat biting or scratching him in retaliation. Despite his immature antics, he is a deeply skilled and experienced tennis player who remains physically fit even after years of retirement. His motivations are centered on his son: he chose to end his professional career to devote his time to teaching Ryoma tennis. He holds high hopes that Ryoma will not only become the world’s strongest player but also strong enough to defeat him one day. This drive leads him to train Ryoma using harsh and unconventional methods, such as having him hit stones with sticks behind a waterfall.
In the story, Nanjiro acts as a constant background presence and occasional mentor. He enrolls Ryoma at Seishun Academy, the school he himself once attended. His past as a legendary player casts a long shadow over the series, and his identity as the Samurai serves as a benchmark for Ryoma’s growth. He also appears in the sequel The New Prince of Tennis as the coach of Spain’s U‑17 World Cup team, applying his expertise internationally. His coaching style is trickster‑like and psychologically provocative, aimed at stimulating growth in his trainees.
His key relationships include his wife Rinko Echizen, a sweet‑tempered attorney whom he met in the United States when he defended her from an abusive coach. He also has an adoptive son named Ryoga Echizen, introduced in a non‑canon movie. With his biological son Ryoma, their relationship is both playful and stern. Nanjiro often teases and challenges Ryoma, but he also shows genuine care by sacrificing his own career for the sake of Ryoma’s development.
While Nanjiro does not undergo significant personal development in the series, his role as a foil to his son is important. Where Ryoma is quiet, aloof, and socially dense, Nanjiro is outspoken, eccentric, and a shameless flirt. Both share extraordinary tennis talent and confidence. Nanjiro’s retirement and his decision to train Ryoma represent the central thematic tension of legacy and surpassing the master.
Nanjiro’s tennis abilities are among the highest in the series. He is an all‑rounder and plays right‑handed, but he can use both hands effectively thanks to Nitōryū, a technique that allows him to switch his racket to his left hand for backhand shots. His Nanjiro Zone is a perfected form of the Tezuka Zone: by applying subtle spin to the ball and positioning himself slightly behind the center of the court, he creates a circle about 4.2 meters in diameter that draws all returns toward him. He can perform this technique with his eyes closed, relying solely on concentration and reflexes. His one‑footed split step uses exceptional balance and fast muscle rebound to expand his defensive range. He has also mastered Teni Muhō no Kiwami, the Pinnacle of Perfection, which is the last door of the Muga no Kyōchi state. This mindset of pure enjoyment of tennis unleashes his full potential, enhances all his abilities, and engulfs opponents in a mental field that disrupts their performance while granting him immunity to mental attacks. Nanjiro is one of only two known players to have opened that door, the other being his son Ryoma. Additionally, he possesses a variation of the twist serve that bounces to the side rather than toward the face.