Overview (Spoilers Below):
A mysterious man riding a horse suddenly challenges Ryoma to a tennis match on horseback!
Our Take:
The World Cup exhibition tournament has officially concluded its first match, but not in the way we hoped. Team Germany won the first game despite the best efforts from Team Japan and is looking to dominate the next few matches. But at least I got some enjoyment from the exciting face-off, and I don’t even like tennis.
This latest episode of U-17 World Cup sees the teams resting for the next part of the tournament, including Team Japan. However, that doesn’t mean the sports action is also taking a breather. The chapter sees Ryoma reuniting with his classmate Sakuno Ryuzaki, who arrives to see him compete in the tournament. After rescuing her from a group of thugs, Ryoma comes face-to-face with a wealthy prince from Team France, who challenges him to a game of horseback tennis, with Ryuzaki being the main prize.
Meanwhile, the members of Team Japan discussed the process of the tournament, where they placed 23rd in the standings. They stated that Germany isn’t the only team that will give them issues, as the team is part of the Big Four that’s been dominating the tennis world without losing a single match. The Big Four consists of Germany, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Even worse, Team Japan wound up in the same block as Switzerland for the tournament’s Group League. Man, this team can’t catch a break, and the World Cup has already started.
“Prince vs Prince” is a breather episode in which the seasonal plot slows a bit following an enticing match. It features another familiar face in the form of Ryuzaki and a unique type of tennis: horseback tennis. It’s like regular tennis, but on horses.
Unfortunately, despite these new rules, this match wasn’t nearly as exciting as the last two episodes regarding its pacing. This would’ve been another intense episode if the storyline focused more on Ryoma gradually learning to balance his horse while playing tennis instead of cutting to him being an expert on the horse. It could’ve been a helpful tool for Ryoma to improve his skills on the court, but the episode struggled to reflect on his improvement despite its usual episodic runtime. Other than that, it’s another enjoyable chapter in Ryoma’s quest to lead Team USA to the top.