Openings and Endings

Welcome to the review section for the opening and ending sequences in the Prince of Tennis anime! This section is really simple... for the reviews, scroll down. :) They're all on this page. Note: I cover both the music and the animation for each opening/ending sequence here, so the openings and endings won't be reviewed in the Music Section.

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[Opening: Season One: Future]

Music: If you haven't heard any Prince of Tennis music before hearing the first opening song, you might be surprised by how good it is, depending on what your expectations are. For my part, I was surprised, because I've been through plenty of lesser-quality anime music. Actually, "Future" is very typical PoT fare. It's upbeat with a good rock sound. The male soloist has a clear, distinctive voice with a unique, kind of expressive quality to it. The lyrics are about reaching for your dreams and fighting your hardest. You'll hear a lot more PoT songs something like it, but so long as you like PoT music, you'll like the first opening. If you haven't heard any PoT music, this is probably a great one to get a feel for many of the songs that are in rock/pop-style, although some PoT songs do occasionally use some more... unusual... styles. Lol.

Animation: Even though this is among my least favorite of the openings, it goes without saying that the first opening just HAD to be a Ryoma-fest. (I love Ryoma, but I also love the other Seigaku regulars, so I especially adore animation sequences with all the characters in them... but that's just me.) There are more still shots in this opening than usual. LOTS of still-shots. But it fits into the feel I think the animators were going for, so no real complaints there. And the sequences with Ryoma moving at the end have slightly choppy animation, but again, I think that's intentional. All things being equal, this was a good first opening sequence, but not my personal favorite. ^_^

[Ending: Season One: You Got Game]

Music: I actually find this ending very cute. It's another kind of rock-style song, and you really do get to hear the Japanese soloist sing "You got game" in English, which I found extremely adorable. (It's not really an adorable song, per se, I just find Japanese pronounciation of English words very cute...) It's very upbeat, the type of song I like to listen to before I go out and play a tennis match. (Isn't that ironic? :P) And the lyrics, of course, are nice and dramatic. Another good, typical PoT song.

Animation: Again, this isn't necessarily my favorite ending sequence, but I still like it. It has all the Seigaku regulars in it, which was a big plus for me. Although some of the brightly-colored backgrounds on the character shots are a bit humorous, if only because they look so... well... happy. There's also a lot of dramatic scenery shots, with mostly still shots or camera scrolling being the cinematography of choice here.

[Opening: Season Two: Driving Myself]

Music: Essentially, "Driving Myself" is another oh-so-typical PoT song. Dramatic lyrics and a rock-style tune with a male voice. But I do like this one more every time I hear it. The singer's voice has a cool quality to it, very smooth and melodic for a rock-style tune. I like the part of the lyrics where he says in English "We can do anything with a brave heart" and then he adds a phrase about "the voice of the dream" shortly afterwards. It just sounds cool, and for once, I can actually sing along for part of it and know what I'm saying. O_o Lol. Overall, a surprisingly pretty tune, which I like. ^^

Animation: As far as opening sequences go, this is definitely one of my favorites. I loved it infinitely more than the first opening. It includes all the regulars, along with some seriously gorgeous animation sequences where they're actually doing the tennis swings and everything. *_* VERY pretty stuff; I'm usually drooling by the middle of the sequence. You will love the shot with Eiji yawning in his pajamas (so CUTE! and make sure you notice the teddy bear in the background...), along with some beautiful shots of Fuji, if you're an eye candy enthusiast like myself. And if you're not, you're still being treated to an opening sequence with some shots that are actually moving. That can't be all bad.

[Ending: Season Two: Keep Your Style]

Music: Ah, yet another dramatic rock tune. I like the English lyric snippets in this one. Literally: "KEEP YOUR STYLE. BREAK IT OUT." Lol. What makes it fun is how serious the song is and yet the fact that it's a Japanese singer saying the English parts. I like the guitar part at the beginning, too. The singer's voice is definitely a great fit for a rock tune like this. It all works well, even though the song isn't on my top favorites. So it's still worth a listen.

Animation: This ending is one of the most unusual of the sequences, because it has just about everything, including some abstract still shots and some symbolism. It starts out showing a screenshot from the episode you just saw in the TV, or else it shows a shot of Nanjiroh Echizen on the TV back in his Samurai days. And you see tennis players' legs... walking. For a while. And then there are funky still shots of some of the rival teams and some of their members, which then goes into some very dramatic still shots of Seigaku players that scroll across the screen. Very interesting stuff. Not bad, either, as far as eye candy goes, but not the very best out there. It feels a bit random, but in a fun way. Not my favorite, but not bad at all.

[Ending Alt.: Season Two: Walk On]

Music: Something about this song is just funny to me. I don't know if that's a street organ or a synthesizer or what at the beginning there, but it seems so odd given that most of the songs are usually very guitar-driven. The rest of the song certainly fits well with that choice, though. The singer has a very unique way of delievering this song that could probably annoy some people. But I would give it a listen anyway. I personally like the song, even if it isn't one of my favorites. I like the chorus the best. ^^ "I never cry... Walk on the way."

Animation: This isn't really an official ending sequence. It just appears after one of the key matches in the series, like when the match against St. Rudolph was over. It's basically a re-cap of what already happened, but since I liked seeing the screenshots again, it's all good by me. I like how the St. Rudolph one ends with that shot of Eiji's hand. ^^ Cute!

[Opening: Season Three: Make You Free]

Music: This song has two versions. One is sung by a male vocalist and the other one is female. I actually love them both. As my sister pointed out, I think the male is stronger on the verse and the female is really good at the chorus. Either way, you'll like the song. It's ultra-catchy and stands out among the usual pop/rock PoT openings. Plus, one English phrase in the lyrics is, I kid you not, "Shake your soul." You just don't hear that every day.

Animation: Ah, yes, yet ANOTHER Ryoma-fest. Oh well. By this point, I loved him, so I forgave our little Ochibi for hogging screen time. Oddly enough, it's kind of a re-cap of how Ryoma won four junior tournaments in America, so the sequence almost feels like it should be/ is the same as the first opening. Either way, it's better than the first one to the extent that there's a lot more beautiful moving shots, along with that great shot of the patented Ryoma smirk. I also must say that my favorite part is the reference to Seigaku and to Tezuka at the end, with the whole "golden aura" thing and the regulars' uniform. That's good stuff.

[Ending: Season Three: White Line]

Music: Ahhh... White Line. I LOVE White Line. It's a great song. Why is it a great song? Because Aozu (i.e. the wonderful group of Ryoma, Fuji, Oishi and Tezuka) are the ones singing it. It makes me swoon on a regular basis. And if you think I'm kidding, you obviously haven't heard the song, because it's everything I love about seiyuu-performed PoT music. Beautifully smooth vocals. Sentimental lyrics. And the fact that four voice actors are stuck singing a mushy song because a bunch of fangirls love the stuffing out of them. It doesn't get much better than that. It really is a beautiful song, and, as always, Aozu sounds really good together. *sigh*

Animation: Drool. That is the word for this ending sequence. This one probably wins for my favorite ending just because of how GORGEOUS it is. It's of all the Seigaku regulars and starts off with several shots of the members of Aozu (see above), since they're singing the song, after all. And the shots are actually of the characters not in tennis gear, even though the sequence opens with a shot of the inside of a tennis club locker. I'm guessing the idea is to show what they're like after tennis practice or something. Either way, the whole thing is bee-yoo-ti-ful. Trust me. My faves would have to include the shot of Ryoma at the fast food joint, Oishi at what looks like a coffee shop or something, Tezuka on the train, and Eiji with the towel on his head. *_* My goodness, they're gorgeous. *cough cough* Anyway, it's great, and you should go see it. Now. Plus, it's the ultimate PoT Geek Test. If you are a true-blue PoT fan, you will be able to identify every Seigaku regular's tennis racquet using only the ending shot. Now go. Do it. Find out if you're half the PoT geek I am. And no bonus points for knowing which is Ryoma's racquet. That's easy. :P

[Opening: Season Four: Long Way]

Music: This is a great PoT rock song. It's more... uh, hardcore, I guess?... than the other rock-style openings. Definitely a more thrashy guitar. And the singer really belts out the lyrics. Lots of English in this chorus as well, which is always fun for me to listen to personally, since I have the Japanese skills of table salt. I really like the personality in this one; it's got a lot of adrenaline. One of my favorite opening songs, I would say overall. Plus, they worked the English word "innovation" into the song lyrics. Gotta love it.

Animation: 'Hoo boy. Wow. This is good stuff. *pauses to breathe* Sorry about that; I had to recover from an attack of fangirlish-ness. Seriously, I LOVE this opening. It is definitely my favorite, and it had plenty of competition. The eye candy is some of the best in the series. And you have to love that Ryoma, whose motto must have something to do with anti-conformity, is chewing light blue-ish bubblegum instead of the standard pink color. And then there's Oishi in his fantastically yellow plaid shirt. We don't know why, but we love him anyway. Lol. And there's Eiji with his earphones, who I seriously just want to glomp. But that isn't even the best part. Those are all still shots, but they're followed up by the most beautiful tennis-related motion sequence of Seigaku in the whole series. Not to mention a gorgeous glimpse of Tezuka. I could watch this sequence over and over, if only to admire the oh-so-realistic way their shirts fly up during their tennis serves. Hey, it's true-to-life, and the fangirls don't mind. Everybody wins, right? :3

[Ending: Season Four: Kaze no Tabibito]

Music: The song for the fourth ending is another good one. "Kaze no Tabibito" is also redone by Fuji and Tezuka, which is great. But I do like the original anyway. The male vocalist has a unique voice that fits the song really well. And it's impressive how he can sing all the way through some of those wordy phrases at the beginning. It's catchy and a good rock song that's more mellow than the opening it goes with. So give it a listen, and enjoy. ^^

Animation: Wait... I had a gorgeous opening sequence, and I still get an eye candy-filled ending? Wow, they were on a roll over there at the animation studio. It's mostly just still shots, and yes, we have a VERY extended shot of the locker room with the window changing from morning to sunset to evening. But you can watch the stuff in the lockers change, and the Seigaku regular screenshots that follow are SO worth the wait. Eiji and Momo's shots are just too kawaii!!! (er, I mean, cute... sorry about the fangirl lapse there) And for some reason, Ultra-Girly Fuji on the Telephone makes me smile. Of course, we have random obligatory shots of the Freshman Trio, Sakuro, Inoue, and Friends... but that's okay. They can be in an ending once without me caring too much. I mean, they're still characters after all. Plus, there's a shot of Karupin, and that's just great. Mad love for the kitty, right? :3

[Opening: Season Five: Fly High]

Music: Oh boy. "Fly High" is such a unique song. Of course, my friend started cracking up when she first heard it and said it reminded her of Elton John. O_o Don't ask; I don't know why either. But the point is, it's unique. It's kind of a melodic, early 90's rock-style tune with slightly higher-pitched vocals than you might expect from a male vocalist. Personally, I love it. It was probably my favorite opening song the first time I listened to all the openings, just because it stands out so much. And the guitar part after the introduction is most catchy. Lol. ^^ "Fly high and sky high!"

Animation: Again, this is one of the better openings, mainly because it includes everybody in Seigaku. I really like how it opens with that famous shot of Ryoma and Tezuka on the tennis court. That's such a pivotal point in the plot that it should be referenced as much as possible, in my humble opinion. And even though the beginning is pretty much a RyomaFest, it's still beautifully animated. I really like the shot of Ryoma in the wind toward the start of the sequence. Plus, the action sequences later are great. My favorite bit is probably the shot of Oishi that then goes into the shot of Tezuka, in which we zoom straight in to Tezuka's eye. And, after all, you don't get to do that every day, least of all while he's turning SeigakuPillar Golden.

[Ending: Season Five: Sakura]

Music: This is.... a very dramatic song. Personally, it isn't one of my favorites. Besides being named the obligatory "Sakura" (anime always references cherry blossoms SOMEHOW), the lyrics have almost nothing to do with PoT itself. I can forgive this, but the reality is still there. Also, the male vocalist has an odd way of bringing his voice to a squeak at the end of phrases. I'm guessing it's on purpose, but it sounds odd and gives the vocals a kind of forced feeling. It's certainly a very dramatic song, just not one of my favorites. Plus, no catchy rock tune = my minor and undiagnosed ADD kicks in.

Animation: Oh my goodness. *sighs* What does this ending have to do with PoT?? What we have here, folks, is a bunch of shots of flowers falling amid a sparkling background. Symbolism is good, but this is a HUGE stretch for a tennis show. The only real PoT references are the angst-ridden Seigaku screenshots that flash by the screen and then the watercolor picture at the end. And while I don't mind the eye candy value of the watercolor at the end, we also have things in that picture such as Kaidoh in a !Pink! bandana. And that's a bit awkward. All things considered, this would be my least favorite ending, simply because it looks like it belongs in a shojo anime. O_o

[Opening: Season Six: Shining]

Music: At first listen, when you hear "Shining," you may think it a bit too happy for your taste. I know I did. The background music is a combination of what sounds like a brass orchestra mixed with a synthesizer. That and the sunshiny tune may have you rolling your eyes at first. But at least in my case, it grew on me. It's now one of my favorite openings, mainly because it's so catchy and carefree-sounding. It also contains the English line that I used to name this web site. "Let's get the seven lines!" So overall, I personally like it and would recommend that you give it a try yourself unless you absolutely despise happy-sounding music.

Animation: I actually love this opening. Next to "Long Way," it might be my favorite. It has both gorgeous eye candy and some funny bits. I love the Inui Juice sequence and Eiji's self-portrait in particular. And we actually do get some brief, well-animated tennis sequences as well. In my opinion, this opening sequence has everything I ask for in a PoT opening. Something to drool at, something to laugh at, and something to watch over and over. So, when it comes to the animation for "Shining," enjoy. ^_^ You've also got a fantastic ending to watch when the episode's over.

[Ending: Season Six: Wonderful Days]

Music: Ahh, I love this ending! It's definitely one of my favorites. The music is sung by the "music group" Puru Tabu to Can, which means we get to hear Atobe, Yuushi, Sanada, Shinji, Kamio, Sengoku, and Kirihara sing! (I know, I know, it's a really random group of people, but still... mad love for rival characters!! And, of course, Atobe has to sing first. Duh.) The music is a bit different, but it's kind of hard to explain why. It's pretty mellow, a kind of easygoing song that's cheerful and fun, but with a beat. It's maybe a tad cliche toward the end, but everyone I know loves it anyway. You will too.

Animation: I have two words for you: eye candy. *_* If you like eye candy, you will love this ending. It's got lots of gorgeous still shots (and some moving ones) of over a dozen notable characters from the rival schools. The beginning shot of Atobe alone will melt you into a puddle of adoring goo. (Well, if you're a fangirl, anyhoo...) Plus, I LOVE that there's a shot of Kajimoto in it, who is possibly the yummiest under-appreciated bishounen in the whole series. If you haven't seen this ending, go find it somewhere and watch it. Now. You will be purring for weeks. (Well, again, only if you're a fangirl... ^^;)

[Opening: Season Seven: Dream Believer]

Music: This is probably, musically speaking, the best (or one of the best) openings in all of Prince of Tennis. It's a great rock tune, with kind of a punk-ish flavor to it. The vocals are energetic and intense, and the lyrics, as always, are great, especially the English key words they use. "Get up!" "Stand up!" The instrumental parts are also very well done, especially the guitars. A really energizing tune with a great melody that you should hear as soon as possible if you like PoT music at all.

Animation: I really loved this opening as well, which made me happy, since it's the last PoT opening that will ever be made, most likely. (*sob* T_T Lol, excuse my pathetic fandom-induced sorrow). Anyway, I like the gritty look of the cinematography and the animation. It matches up with the song perfectly. And I like the concept, too... The way Ryoma is shown walking past or sitting near each of the Seigaku regulars is cool (plus he's chewing on blue-green bubblegum the whole time O_o). Some of the movements are awkward, but I have a feeling that, too, was intentional, to match the music. I especially love the clip at the end of a gorgeous Ryoma sipping his ever-present Ponta, but that's just me speaking as a fangirl, of course. The muted colors on this one were also a nice touch, I thought. And, of course, they tie in the ever-present Tezuka vs. Ryoma rivalry nicely (which even hints at the nature of the last PoT episode ever!).

[Ending: Season Seven: LITTLE SKY]

Music: The first time I heard this song, I wasn't particularly impressed. The vocalist does have a very unusual voice, which I noticed right away, but I wasn't sure if I liked it or hated it. Actually, I really like the song now. Something about it is very appealing. It's probably the unusual nature of the melody... It doesn't quite turn out the way you expect, but it's still catchy. The vocals also have a strangely appealing quality to them, once you get used to the vocalist's voice. One of the slightly more mellow rock songs in PoT, I'd recommend giving LITTLE SKY a couple of listens before you decide what you think, because it isn't the typical sugar-rush rock PoT normally delivers... but it still beats out unremarkable songs like the "Sakura" ending.

Animation: I wasn't particularly impressed by this ending, but for what it is, it works. It mostly consists of still shots of random scenery, like the court on the temple grounds. There's also some abstract images of a tennis ball apparently being launched into space and emitting a rainbow aura. (O_o) Ours is not to question why, but to merely enjoy a nice sequence of Ryoma picking up a ball with his racquet... and a slightly amusing ending shot that is, quite frankly, a tribute to fan service everywhere. (I laugh.) But really, as far as endings go, it's certainly not the worst ever, and it's acceptable for what it is, since it doesn't try to be one of the beautifully animated openings I expect from PoT.

A note to the wise: If you are smart, or perhaps simply have too much free time like I do, you will always watch the openings and endings at least once per episode. Not only will you be treated to a beautiful display of sight and sound, but on occasion, you will be surprised by what you see. That's right; occasionally they switch out some of the shots in the sequences for new ones, which are usually more humourous than the originals. If you don't look for these changes, you'll miss some of the funniest stuff in the series. The only hint I will give you is as follows: Pay special attention to chibis and hour-long specials. That is all. You may go. :P