Prince of Tennis, The Box Set 4 (DVD) (Japanese Animation) >Out of Print<

As the second season of the shonen (boys’) sports series Prince of Tennis continues, the team from Seigaku Middle School competes in the Metropolitan Tournament, an major step toward their ultimate goal, the Nationals. The training is grueling, and anyone who slacks off has to drink Inui’s vile “penal-tea” health potion. Ginka Junior High, coached by the wily Banji, ranks as their most serious foe. Seigaku’s “Golden Pair” defeats Ginka’s “Plain and Simple” duo in doubles, and upbeat Takeshi “Momo” Momoshiro overcomes muscle tremors to beat “Lucky” Sengoku. Not surprisingly, the outcome of the tournament hinges on the final match between seventh grade star Ryoma Echizen and Ginka’s older, bigger bully-in-residence Jin Akutsu. Although he behaves like a thug, Akutsu is a gifted athlete and a cagey player: he’s the most dangerous challenger Ryoma has faced. Seigaku captain Tezuka calls the match a contest between Akutsu’s pride and Ryoma’s courage, but much more is at stake. As the face-off continues, Coach Ryuzaki sees Ryoma improving, but his spiritual growth outweighs his athletic progress: he moves from “samurai junior to samurai.” Ryoma’s discipline and dedication embody the traditional virtues of bushido; Akutsu’s cruelty and arrogance represent their negation. A junior high tennis match becomes a moral duel comparable to the battle between Kenshin and Sishio in Rurouni Kenshin. Coach Ryuzaki has Ryoma, Momo, Inui, Tezuka, and their friends training for the next tournament the day after their victory in the Metropolitan.