Kawaii! Tennis Apparel In Prince Of Tennis

Tennis is a sport that can be appreciated both for the on-court action and the various getups worn by the players—much more so when it's turned into an anime, filled with some of the most adored characters wearing the most colorful tennis apparel. The Prince of Tennis capitalized on the visual appeal of its characters and turned it into one of the most-followed anime series in modern times.

Bannered by small but highly gifted and athletic Echizen Ryoma (the titular prince of tennis), the show is filled with anime-style tennis action, pretty boys, an eclectic mix of uniforms, and more pretty boys. Echizen Ryoma is a high school freshman prodigy. He is characterized by his omnipresent cap with an ‘R' emblazoned at the front, polo shirts, wristbands and shorts. Of course, Ryoma doesn't start out wearing the red, white, and blue jersey of the tennis regulars or varsity from Seishun Gakuen (their school). He usually has a white polo with red sleeves coupled with black shorts and the cap. It's a getup recognized by many a fan.

Team captain Tezuka Kunimitsu is the epitome of cool under fire. When not in uniform, Tezuka has been seen sporting some old-school tennis polos, like that maroon one in a match with Ryoma where he had the collar up. The rest of the team members also have their characteristic tennis apparel. Fuji Syusuke is your classic pretty boy archetype, sometimes bordering on the girly. He has no-nonsense tennis attire on most of the time—regulation jersey, white shorts, and the team jacket. Momoshiro Takeshi is lean and sporty, with sleeveless tops to highlight his athletic play. Kaidoh Kaoru, the silent slithery type, accents his tennis gear with bandanas.

Even supporting characters have colorful tennis apparel, such as the other freshmen who are friends with Echizen and the other acquaintances of the players. For example, Ryoma's father plays tennis in traditional Japanese gi. It's really funny, and he even constantly wins against his son even with that garb.

Even the opponents have colorful uniforms. Perhaps one of the most interesting is the Hyotei Gakuen tennis regulars' uniform. It's a take on the standard polo shirt, but with a variety of vertically-aligned highlights. The collar is black, with black vertical lines run through the right side of the polo, with blue, gray, or teal sleeves that are offset along the left side of the shirt. Another opponent of interest is Rokkaku, with their elongated wooden tennis rackets and sleeveless maroon tennis jerseys with patterned trim.

One of the most interesting aspects of this show is that the producers can market the apparel of the tennis clubs. For example, Seigaku jerseys and jackets are sold in most shops selling anime merchandise. A lot of cosplayers have easy access to the jackets, and there's a good chance that, if you go to an anime convention, you'll spot a tennis-wielding cosplayer with a jersey from any of the schools featured in The Prince of Tennis.

Tennis has come to be known as a sport where fashion meets the playing court, and its popularity has reached even the 2-dimensional world of Japanise cartoons or anime. That's why, even after 200 or so episodes and several musical productions, The Prince of Tennis remains one of the most recognized series today.

With the action, characters, colorful tennis apparel, and just plain entertaining stories, there's no doubt the series will continue on for a long time.