OVA
Description
Ryōma Echizen, a 12-year-old tennis prodigy, won four consecutive American Junior Tennis tournaments before joining Japan's Seishun Academy. He follows the legacy of his father, former pro player "Samurai Nanjirō" Echizen, who shaped his early skills and competitive drive. His family includes mother Rinko, paternal half-brother Ryōga, cousin Nanako Meino, and cherished cat Karupin—demonstrated when Karupin followed him to school or hid in his bag during the US Open.
Initially reserved and arrogant, Ryōma dismissed opponents with his signature "Mada Mada Dane" and overlooked people he deemed unimportant, like classmate Sakuno Ryūzaki. His singular focus remained tennis. He has green-tinted black hair, hazel eyes, and stands 151 cm tall, consistently wearing a modified Fila hat (featuring an "R") and Fila tennis gear.
Ryōma’s tennis style evolved from mimicking his father’s techniques to forging his own under captain Kunimitsu Tezuka’s challenge: "Become Seigaku’s Pillar of Support." He mastered original moves like the Twist Serve, Drive variants, Cool Drive, Samurai Drive, and Cyclone Smash. A strategic analyst mid-match, he often started right-handed to assess opponents despite being left-handed.
Progressing from Singles 3 or 2 to Singles 1 during Tezuka’s injury absence, Ryōma briefly attempted doubles with Takeshi Momoshiro but clashed stylistically. Key rivalries included his father, Tezuka, and Shūsuke Fuji, while opponents like Kevin Smith targeted him for Nanjirō’s past victories. His overconfidence led Tezuka to demote him to reserve during a U.S. exhibition match to instill humility.
Beyond tennis, Ryōma displayed subtle loyalty—using a tennis ball to stop a thief harassing Sakuno and expressing annoyance over her spilled food. Though indifferent to his female fans, these rare protectiveness hints suggested a buried connection to Sakuno. Academically strong in English but weak in Japanese, he often slept through classes.
Later, at the U-17 camp, Ryōma joined Japan’s Court 2 but was expelled for match interference to defend a friend. He briefly became No. 14 for the U.S. All-American Representatives before reconciling with Team Japan during the World Cup. His bonds with teammates, especially Momoshiro, deepened as he evolved from a solitary talent to a team leader. After guiding Seigaku to a National championship, he departed for the U.S. Open, driven to surpass his father.
Initially reserved and arrogant, Ryōma dismissed opponents with his signature "Mada Mada Dane" and overlooked people he deemed unimportant, like classmate Sakuno Ryūzaki. His singular focus remained tennis. He has green-tinted black hair, hazel eyes, and stands 151 cm tall, consistently wearing a modified Fila hat (featuring an "R") and Fila tennis gear.
Ryōma’s tennis style evolved from mimicking his father’s techniques to forging his own under captain Kunimitsu Tezuka’s challenge: "Become Seigaku’s Pillar of Support." He mastered original moves like the Twist Serve, Drive variants, Cool Drive, Samurai Drive, and Cyclone Smash. A strategic analyst mid-match, he often started right-handed to assess opponents despite being left-handed.
Progressing from Singles 3 or 2 to Singles 1 during Tezuka’s injury absence, Ryōma briefly attempted doubles with Takeshi Momoshiro but clashed stylistically. Key rivalries included his father, Tezuka, and Shūsuke Fuji, while opponents like Kevin Smith targeted him for Nanjirō’s past victories. His overconfidence led Tezuka to demote him to reserve during a U.S. exhibition match to instill humility.
Beyond tennis, Ryōma displayed subtle loyalty—using a tennis ball to stop a thief harassing Sakuno and expressing annoyance over her spilled food. Though indifferent to his female fans, these rare protectiveness hints suggested a buried connection to Sakuno. Academically strong in English but weak in Japanese, he often slept through classes.
Later, at the U-17 camp, Ryōma joined Japan’s Court 2 but was expelled for match interference to defend a friend. He briefly became No. 14 for the U.S. All-American Representatives before reconciling with Team Japan during the World Cup. His bonds with teammates, especially Momoshiro, deepened as he evolved from a solitary talent to a team leader. After guiding Seigaku to a National championship, he departed for the U.S. Open, driven to surpass his father.