Movie
Description
Ryoma Echizen is a twelve-year-old Japanese tennis prodigy who won four consecutive American Junior Tennis tournaments before his father summoned him back to Japan. He enrolls as a first-year student in class 1-2 at Seishun Academy (Seigaku), renowned for its tennis team. Standing 151 cm tall, he possesses green-tinted black hair, hazel eyes, and consistently wears his signature Fila hat outside school. His family comprises father Nanjiro Echizen (a former pro player nicknamed "Samurai Nanjiro"), mother Rinko Echizen, paternal half-brother Ryoga Echizen, cousin Nanako Meino, and pet cat Karupin, whom he deeply cherishes. Born December 24th, he is a Capricorn with blood type O. Academically, he excels in science and English due to his US upbringing but struggles with Japanese literature. His daily routine features early morning tennis practice, school attendance marked by frequent drowsiness in class, and post-lunch milk runs.
Initially characterized by arrogance and dismissiveness, Ryoma habitually uses the phrase "Mada Mada Dane" ("You still have lots more to work on") to belittle opponents. He provokes rivals with blunt challenges and forgets people he deems unimportant, including classmates and family members. This aloofness stems from his intense focus on tennis and early success, defeating Seigaku regulars Kaidoh Kaoru and Sadaharu Inui to secure his team position. Despite his confidence, he exhibits recklessness during matches, such as insisting on continuing play after a severe eye injury against Fudomine's Ibu Shinji. Over time, interactions with teammates—especially captain Kunimitsu Tezuka—soften his demeanor, fostering loyalty to Seigaku and an appreciation for teamwork. He shows rare moments of genuine concern for Sakuno Ryuzaki, like protecting her from a thief.
Ryoma's tennis style evolves significantly. Initially replicating his father's techniques, he develops original shots like the Drive B against Fuji Yuuta and the Drive A against Jin Akutsu. An all-rounder left-handed player who employs ambidexterity (Nitōryū), he specializes in singles and struggles in doubles due to court positioning. His signature techniques include the Twist Serve (effective against opponents' dominant hands), Twist Smash, COOL Drive, and the Samurai Drive, slicing the ball using the net rope. A pivotal development is achieving Muga no Kyōchi (State of Self-Actualization), enabling him to copy moves like Tezuka's Zero-Shiki Drop Shot and Sanada's FuuRinKaZan. This ability evolves into advanced states such as Ten-i Muhou no Kiwami (Pinnacle of Perfection) during his national finals match against Yukimura Seiichi. His stamina, court coverage, and tactical adaptability—like countering Shinji's Spot technique with Nitōryū—are frequently highlighted. While his doubles skills improve marginally in later spin-offs, he remains primarily a singles player.
Key narrative arcs include his defeat by Tezuka in an early secret match, pushing him to forge his own tennis identity and become "Seigaku's Pillar of Support." During the Kantō Regional finals, he overcomes Rikkai's Sanada Genichirou using Muga no Kyōchi, securing Seigaku's victory. In the anime, he competes in the U.S. Open as a wildcard, defeating Lleyton Hewitt, but returns for Nationals after vice-captain Oishi provokes him into reclaiming his regular spot. The manga depicts his Nationals matches, including wins against Atobe Keigo and Yukimura. The movie *Futari no Samurai* introduces half-brother Ryoga, revealing a shared childhood that ended when Ryoga abruptly left, causing Ryoma significant distress. In *New Prince of Tennis*, he participates in the U.S. U-17 camp as an All-American representative and later joins Japanese U-17 training, adopting the Black Revolutionary Brigade jersey and sustaining a minor nose injury. His growth culminates in a deeper appreciation for tennis beyond defeating his father, though he returns to America after Seigaku's national victory.
Initially characterized by arrogance and dismissiveness, Ryoma habitually uses the phrase "Mada Mada Dane" ("You still have lots more to work on") to belittle opponents. He provokes rivals with blunt challenges and forgets people he deems unimportant, including classmates and family members. This aloofness stems from his intense focus on tennis and early success, defeating Seigaku regulars Kaidoh Kaoru and Sadaharu Inui to secure his team position. Despite his confidence, he exhibits recklessness during matches, such as insisting on continuing play after a severe eye injury against Fudomine's Ibu Shinji. Over time, interactions with teammates—especially captain Kunimitsu Tezuka—soften his demeanor, fostering loyalty to Seigaku and an appreciation for teamwork. He shows rare moments of genuine concern for Sakuno Ryuzaki, like protecting her from a thief.
Ryoma's tennis style evolves significantly. Initially replicating his father's techniques, he develops original shots like the Drive B against Fuji Yuuta and the Drive A against Jin Akutsu. An all-rounder left-handed player who employs ambidexterity (Nitōryū), he specializes in singles and struggles in doubles due to court positioning. His signature techniques include the Twist Serve (effective against opponents' dominant hands), Twist Smash, COOL Drive, and the Samurai Drive, slicing the ball using the net rope. A pivotal development is achieving Muga no Kyōchi (State of Self-Actualization), enabling him to copy moves like Tezuka's Zero-Shiki Drop Shot and Sanada's FuuRinKaZan. This ability evolves into advanced states such as Ten-i Muhou no Kiwami (Pinnacle of Perfection) during his national finals match against Yukimura Seiichi. His stamina, court coverage, and tactical adaptability—like countering Shinji's Spot technique with Nitōryū—are frequently highlighted. While his doubles skills improve marginally in later spin-offs, he remains primarily a singles player.
Key narrative arcs include his defeat by Tezuka in an early secret match, pushing him to forge his own tennis identity and become "Seigaku's Pillar of Support." During the Kantō Regional finals, he overcomes Rikkai's Sanada Genichirou using Muga no Kyōchi, securing Seigaku's victory. In the anime, he competes in the U.S. Open as a wildcard, defeating Lleyton Hewitt, but returns for Nationals after vice-captain Oishi provokes him into reclaiming his regular spot. The manga depicts his Nationals matches, including wins against Atobe Keigo and Yukimura. The movie *Futari no Samurai* introduces half-brother Ryoga, revealing a shared childhood that ended when Ryoga abruptly left, causing Ryoma significant distress. In *New Prince of Tennis*, he participates in the U.S. U-17 camp as an All-American representative and later joins Japanese U-17 training, adopting the Black Revolutionary Brigade jersey and sustaining a minor nose injury. His growth culminates in a deeper appreciation for tennis beyond defeating his father, though he returns to America after Seigaku's national victory.