Prince of Tennis Characters, Ships and Fic Recs

[reposoir]

For the Record

In MY opinion:

Seigaku ≠ Gryffindor
Hyotei ≠ Slytherin
Rokkaku ≠ Hufflepuff
Rikkai Dai ≠ Ravenclaw

Cross-fandom referencing to try to understand the schools of Prince of Tennis is an incorrect simplification. It DOES not work and I DO NOT agree with it. NO team can be pigeonholed into a particular "school", just as NO team in the series is evil and NO team is any more violent than the others.

This show is all about the characters and their interactions with each other through the common medium of tennis.

Not all characters are mentioned here. Not all ships are mentioned here. Not all fics are mentioned here. These are the most notable characters and pairings and/or my favourites. These are my perceptions and my interpretations, which I may or may not always share with others.

Characters

Seigaku

Echizen Ryoma:
The Prince of Tennis. The Pillar of Seigaku. Petulant. Sullen, even. Addicted to grape Ponta and fluent in English. Ignorant [or clueless] about girls. I think his true loves in life can be summed up by three things: his determination to beat his father [one day] at tennis, Karupin the cat, and sleeping. He's not the typical "main character" of many books or tv series or movies- he's not particularly outgoing, he's not all that likeable or all that nice, but when he gets that glimmer in his eye during a match, when he gives a senpai a retort, I grin a bit too.

Tezuka Kunimitsu:
Ah, Buchou. The Captain. The stoic, laconic pillar. He frustrates me sometimes because he's so damn serious, but when you see him smile, ever so slightly, when the team wins a particularly hard match, it's worth it. I am firmly convinced he has a bonsai tree named Marilyn in canon, in addition to the fact he reads Gravitation and has a weird obsession with sausages. His backstory explains so much- it's sad, it's awful, but his determination to take Seigaku to the Nationals is impressive. I think that's what drives him in life. He's scary, but behind when you understand the facade (because a lot of it is a facade), everything makes sense. No wonder Seigaku and so many other schools admire him.

Oishi Shuichiro:
Reliable, dependable, "boring" some might say. Vice Captain Oishi, the mother hen and perpetual worrier. I think one of the few mysteries about him are those damned headfangs and what on earth is up with his hair? On occasion, however, he has been sneaky. Oishi isn't the flashiest character by a long shot, he's not the best tennis player, he's not witty and embarassing things happen to him with girls, but all that endears him to me. That and he wakes up ridiculously early. His Meat Nazi issues in canon are truly, truly priceless and give him depth of flavour character. Half of the Golden Pair with good reason.

Kikumaru Eiji:
Fun, loud, acrobatic Eiji. I love watching him onscreen, I love hearing him shout "Hoi Hoi!"- he makes me smile, especially when he'll on occasion make cat sounds. Is he a cat? Maybe, maybe not. Watching him grow as a player is so rewarding, to watch him realize that he's a better tennis player than he thought, that he can do more than just acrobatics. He loves toothpaste and his teddy bear, ice cream and celebrities- he's human and still a child and not perfect in so many ways and the perfect complement in tennis and character to Oishi as the other half of the Golden Pair.

Momoshiro Takeshi:
The big brother to Ryoma, and closest thing he's got to a friend. He's fun, like Eiji, and his jibes at other characters make me laugh. His hair makes me shudder, if only at the amount of gel and/or wax he must use. I love watching him grow as a character, too, as well as fight with Kaidoh. He's one of the few almost-straight characters of the Seigaku regulars, and I am convinced he and Ann Tachibana will be an item later, like in high school.

Kawamura Takashi:
GREAT-O! He loves Engrish phrases and he's hilarious to watch whenever Eiji or Fuji (usually) hands him a racket for tennis. He has a perfect split personality. He doesn't appear in very many games, but he's always there in some way. He is also the only [mostly] straight character of the Seigaku regulars in my eyes. He's the good boy, helping his father with the Sushi shop, strong and nice. Sometimes it's easy to forget he's on the team too, and I wish he'd have a bigger role in some episodes, but then maybe it's a good thing that he's not always picked on.

Inui Sadaharu:
I like Inui. You think he's this stereotypical nerd creature, until you discover he is horribly creepy and sadistic and brilliant and dedicated. He will follow people around to gather data on them- anything about them. He will do that for years (Tezuka, for example). His juice is love. And disgusting, but hilarious whenever there is any mention of it. My stomach cringes along with the other characters. He's strong, too, and trains more than any other character- 225% of what they do. My jaw dropped when I learned that. Some of the best parts, though, are when his data fails and he is at a complete loss of what to do- stumped. That humanizes him and makes you remember that he's fourteen, too.

I only wish I could see his eyes.

Kaidoh Kaoru:
Mamushi. I thought he was evil for the first five or so episodes, because he has these slanted eyes with small pupils and he hisses like a snake, he moves like a snake. Until you later discover that he is a horrible softy for puppies and kitties. And he is petrified of ghosts. And his family is exactly like him. And his mother packs him lunches to bring to school. Like Inui, he is amazingly dedicated to training, above and beyond the other characters. He is the character the animators like to pick on, but it's all good fun that the nastiest-seeming regular gets into the funniest of situations. Kaidoh is such a marshmallow inside and when he when in Kindergarden, he was mistaken for a girl and make to wear dresses. That might exlain some of his issues, actually.

Fuji Shuusuke:
He is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma. ^_^ He's smart, he's very very observant, he knows things, everything. He's brilliant at tennis, but very rarely puts any effort into his games. He's sadistic: he doesn't get his thrills from tennis, he gets his thrills from crushing his opponents. He grows cacti and likes photography. And he loves his brother Yuuta. Questionably so.

Fudomine
The story of their tennis club makes me feel warm and fuzzy, because it's about rebellion and becoming something from nothing, about the unexpected and the dark horse. Sad in some ways, but gratifying in so many others. According to one information site, they are known as being a violent school, but frankly, I'm not entirely convinced they are any more violent than a school like Seigaku.

Tachibana Kippei:
I mostly want to know one thing about Tachibana:
-the deal with the dot in the middle of his forehead
His teammates admire him so much for what he's done for them over the past six months, taking a group of dedicated freshmen who didn't agree with the tennis club, who were nobodies and turning them into somebodies after a mutiny of sorts. He used to play a style of tennis like Kirihara, until he whacked a player in the eye and caused that play to never be able to play tennis again. Tachibana went through penitance, and ironically, Kirihara injures him when they play S3 in the Kantou regionals. Tachibana likes to cook, also. His backstory is kinda sad, like Tezuka's in a way only more, because it invovles best friends forever and injury and Tachibana obviously still had major Chitose issues for a long while. Poor bastard.

Kamio Akira:
Hot-tempered. Has his tennis rhythm. In awe, I'd say, of Tachibana. I could wax poetic about him for a long time, but it'd sound like empty praise. I love how dedicated he is to his team, so much that he doesn't even tell Tachibana when some of the Fudomine regulars are in a car accident before a tournament because he wants to keep playing so as to not disappoint Tachibana. He has a crush on Ann Tachibana and is horribly envious when he sees Momoshiro and her on a "date". During the Junior Senbatsu, he was framed for pushing Kirihara down the stairs and his hot-headed temper flared up- moreso for others thinking Kirihara was protecting him by lying about it than simply being framed. Ah, Kamio, how I love you so! Along with Mizuki, he's a character I really dig.

Ibu Shinji:
He likes grip tape. And tennis. He wrote a poem called "High on Rhythm" (about Kamio, obviously) and as a joke was prompted to enter it into a school contest, which he then won. His favourite place is the Ramen Museum in Shin-Yokohama, oddly enough. He mumbles a lot to himself, a never-ending dribble of musing about this and that and he never seems to change facial expressions. Shinji is first shown in the manga as about to beat another player up, which seems to detract from his detached expressions. To me, this just reveals Shinji's underlying passions and emotions rather than characterizing him (and the rest of Fudomine) as violent.

St. Rudolph

Fuji Yuuta:
He has such anger! And a fraternal complex, too, it seems! He has this horrible one-sided love-loathe relationship with Fuji, both funny and somewhat sad at times. I question if he always really wants to be at St. Rudolph of his own will, or if it is completely a case of esacping his brother's shadow, much of which he seems to make worse for himself. I think he's conflicted and fascinating and whenever there are Fuji family moments, I love to watch the dynamics and wish that Yuuta wasn't always trying to push Fuji away from him.

Mizuki Hajime:
He's awful, he's selfish, he's horribly self-concerned and sneaky and quite possibly the gayest character in the series I've yet come across. He wears purple flowered shirts, has a pillow with matching fabric and a curtain over his tennis club room cubby. He does his own laundry- the only person at St. Rudolph to do so and it makes one wonder what he's got in there he doesn't want people to see. He wears lip balm (not the sort to make his fingers sticky, however) and makes passes on poor Yuuta which may or may not necessarily be tennis-related. He twirls his hair and uses data tennis, but nowhere near as effectively as Inui. He sees himself as Fuji's arch rival in tennis. Still, Mizuki's "evilness" is almost endearing because it is so petty and pitiful at times.

Yamabuki

Sengoku Kiyosumi:
He is one of the only [adolescent] characters in the entire series who seems to like the ladies and he has been known to spy on them, chat them up and be easily distracted (not unlike Nanjiroh). He is said to be lucky, but according to him, he makes his own luck, it doesn't just fall in his lap. He's dedicated to the game and undergoes a transformation in his play, similar to Shishido in a sense, after losing to Kamio in the Kantou regionals. He boxes for a month straight and comes back to tennis with a fresh perspective and hot new muscles.

Akutsu Jin:
Possibly the scariest character in the series. He's downright nasty and violent and he plays a mean game of tennis- BUT he stops playing after Ryoma beats him. Why? Because he was satisfied with the game. At first I really didn't even like seeing him onscreen, but now I smile whenever I see him in an episode because he can bring out other characters' (mainly Ryoma, Taka-san and Dan) fighting spirits. He claims to have given up tennis and doesn't care about it- but...he hasn't. ;)

Dan Taichi:
Fanboy! He trails Jin around like a lost puppy- strangely enough, he isn't afraid of Jin like most everyone else! In fact, he seems the character that Jin is "closest" to. I use this term in a very loose sense because Jin isn't really close to anyone, but the play between the big, violent guy and the small, devoted fanboy is so much fun to watch. Dan is so much tennis love. I can only hope he grows up to play in the Nationals against Ryoma some day- and I think he will, too!

Hyotei

Atobe Keigo:
To be honest, it took me a long time before I saw the gay in him. Atobe is narcissistic, proud and confident, as well as very, very flamboyant. He's filthy rich to boot and excellent at tennis and he knows it. You will be awed by the brilliance of his prowess. Now, seeing as Atobe is the buchou at Hyotei, which is more or less the main rival school of Seigaku in the series, you would think that Atobe is more or less an evil antagonist, an asshole. Interestingly, this is not the case. To quote one of my favourite fanfics, Atobe may be a dick, but he's not an asshole. He seems to have some sort of relationship outside of tennis with Tezuka (who calls him from abroad) as well as with Sanada, with whom he plays doubles. Kabaji is his loyal sidekick, in a sense- right, Kabaji?

Oshitari Yuushi:
The Hyotei prodigy, in a sense Fuji's foil, as both use the Higuma Otoshi in games. He usually plays doubles with Mukahi, but plays singles in the Nationals as a form of revenge against Seigaku. He likes romance movies and cries easily. He wears glasses but only because he looks good in them- not because he needs them, which seems to reveal a vain streak not unlike Atobe or old!Shishido's. Being that he's from a different part of Japan, he has an accent that is sometimes mocked and he seems to frequently engage in a comedic-style of banter with other characters (which is a type of comedy performed in the area of the country where he's from).

Mukahi Gakuto:
He looks like a girl, but sounds like a boy. His acrobatics are better than Eiji's and he seems to almost exclusively play doubles- usually with Oshitari, with whom he seems close. He is envious of Ohtori's height and grumbles about his shortness (in comparison). For some one of his appearance, he has a very low voice.

Akutagawa Jiroh:
Jiroh spends most of his time sleeping, which may or may not be a result from the fact he loves to eat lamb. When awake, however, he's absolutely hilarious because he is so excited about the game. His catchword is "awesome" and he's thrilled not by winning, as most of Hyotei seems to be, but by the actual game itself- if he loses in a good game, he's happy. Jiroh also idolizes and stalks Rikkai's Marui Bunta.

Shishido Ryoh:
At first when I saw him, I didn't think very much. Another guy from Hyotei, big deal, one with luxurious Nanjiroh-like hair. Except he's more than that as soon as he has his melodramatic breakdown in front of the Hyotei coach and chops his hair off, revealing a much more complex character, one who Atobe respects, even though Shishido is one of those losers. Dedicated, certainly. He's not tall, he's not spectacular and flashy, but he's fast and has the drive and willing to sacrifice himself, obviously. He seems close on a personal level to Ohtori and they do each other favours helping the other to improve their tennis. He also refers to Ohtori by his first name and seems to be frequently either asking Ohtori if he's all right or offering Ohtori advice during games. One half of the Silver Pair and pretty damn good.

Ohtori Choutarou:
The other half of the Silver Pair. Taller. Younger. Also dedicated, but nowhere near as the almost-masochistically driven Shishido. He is devoted and loyal, very much so it seems when he's willing to give up his regular spot for Shishido. That would take guts with the Hyotei team, where players are replaceable and regulars are the top players. He's terrified of frogs and does not sleep well in strange beds. He's polite and a strangely normal nice guy, if possibly somewhat naive, which is almost odd on a team like Hyotei, full of narcissists, masochists and creepy people like Hiyoshi. He seems to almost always play doubles and when he is forced to play doubles against Shishido, he gets very upset.

Hiyoshi Wakashi:
He scares me. I think he's evil. Well, not evil so much as determined to "beat his senpais one by one" using a form of tennis derived from his family's martial arts practice. He has some of the best Rajipuri lines- along with Yuushi- including: "Gekokujou...defeated."

Jyousei Shounen:

Kajimoto Takahisa:
I <3 him for the sole reason that he's hot. And wears an earring. And he even teams up with Mizuki in pairs at one point. I have a very shallow love for him, but he's also good at tennis, if a rather bland and forgettable character otherwise.

Rokkaku:

Aoi Kentaro:
He's loud. He's excited. He loves tennis and is a freshman, like Ryoma. By accident- or maybe serendipidous fate- he's the captain of the Rokkaku tennis team. I like him because he reminds me of myself (loud, excited), that and he and Ryoma are foils and rivals and similar in so many ways. He's fun.

Hikaru Amane:
Also known by his nickname, David because he looks like Michelangelo's statue. He tells awful puns- which crack me up to no extent- and seems to do this partially to get his doubles partner Bane going sometimes. When his hair gets messed up, he gets serious. When he ties his hair back in a ponytail, I crack up. He also has moments with Oshitari in which he purposely tells puns to get Oshitari going as well. Comic relief in many ways, but much appreciated.

Saeki Kojirou:
He has the white hair on top- if you look you can see his roots underneath. Apparently he's a "childhood" friend of Fuji's, which makes me, at any rate, wonder in just what ways Saeki is a strange person. I have yet to determine this, however. His myu actor is hot, by the way, and adds a certain fun flamboyancy to Saeki I really really like.

Rikkai Dai:
aka, MY HOME TEAM!

Yukimura Seiichi:
BUCHOU! For the most part, I just feel awful for Yukimura because of his disease and the fact that it takes away the one thing he loves most in the world- playing tennis. However, he does reappear in more than just green pajamas during the Nationals and his true self starts to shine through, in snippets, with some of the comments he makes towards the Rikkai team. Yukimura, it turns out, is an ass. At least as much as Sanada. He's got such high expectations of them- they will win the Nationals for the third straight time, but not only that, they have to win with a tennis that's up to Yukimura's standards. Apparently Yukimura is brilliant at tennis, and I'd assume even better than Sanada- do I expect a faceoff between Tezuka and Yukimura in S1 during the finals of the Nationals? Oh baby yes! Will he be brilliant? Oh yes.

Sanada Genichirou:
&hearts &hearts &hearts
The Emperor. The number one player on the junior high school tennis circuit (discounting Yukimura). He's such a dork- he's so serious and if Tezuka is characterized as having a stick up his ass, then Sanada has a two-by-four. I don't think he cares about much in the world except 1) tennis and 2) Yukimura. He's brilliant at tennis, obviously, strong and fast and determined to take the National title for Rikkai again, to make Yukimura proud. I don't know quite what all to say about Sanada. He's always so...serious, as though he's not fifteen, but thirty five. Somewhere deep down lurks a teenage boy, but maybe only Yukimura can bring it out (ie. see Sanada's letters to Yukimura). Oh, and when he takes off his cap? I do believe I should quote Taka-san here: "BURNING!" Yowza, that boy is manly hotstuff!

Yanagi Renji:
It took me ages before I finally warmed to Yanagi because it doesn't seem like he has much of a personality. We still don't know that much about him, actually. He is, apparently, the player who taught Inui data tennis. Inui seems to have some hang ups over Renji still, four years on, but Renji has clearly moved on to a new school, a new Best Friend Forever (Sanada, btw) and a new tennis club. He may have some sort of senpai-kouhai relationship with Kirihara that is slightly warmer than the others, seeing as how they protect each other from Sanada's fists. Aww. Yanagi is, probably, as much of an ass as Sanada and he clearly enjoys a good joke like Niou- see Genius 338 for more details.

Kirihara Akaya:
The Little Demon. Kirihara first comes across as cocky, but playful when he accidentally ends up at Seigaku for a day. He's fun, he loves to make little comments, especially directed towards Sanada. However, once you see him in the match against Tachibana, you see just how ruthless he can be. He fits on the Rikkai team, he deserves to be there, but he's just plain nasty when he plays and his eyes go bloodshot. I think he's a fascinating character to watch, despite how cruel he can be when he plays. Kirihara isn't evil, though, and in the anime during the Senbtasu arc, as well as in the manga, he starts to reform his violent ways. Sorta. He also appears to be in the midst of a miserable bout of puberty come the latter part of the series. Poor kid. Next year, he is expected to lead Rikkai Dai as captain and I think Kirihara will step up to the plate and shoulder the responsibility well on his own.

Yagyuu Hiroshi:
He's really not characterized as much besides a D1 player in the anime, but in the manga, Yagyuu rocks my socks. He switches places with Niou during the match against the Golden Pair, and then he does the same thing with Kaidoh in Genius 240. Yagyuu must be into cosplay. This is all the more amusing because Yagyuu is the 'Gentleman'- polite, only speaks when spoken to, quiet, except he's clearly got a vicious streak and a wicked sense of humour, even if he only expresses that through the guise of another person or by mistranslating languages on purpose. He may or may not have some weird interest in golf and he certainly likes messing around with people as much as Niou, only Yagyuu is much more subtle about it. Yagyuu, like Yanagi, may have some sort of senpai-kouhai relationship with Kirihara as they fistbop after games and he affectionately- or cruelly? you decide- calls Kirihara a "stupid seaweed head". Bless him.

Niou Masaharu:
aka, the Trickster of the Courts. He's my (almost) birthday buddy so I like to pretend we understand each other on some sort of astrological level. Niou is...like Fuji, a bit of an enigma wrapped in a mystery. He's a lefty- the only one on Rikkai, not counting Yagyuu as the honourary one- and his true tennis style is unknown, although he has a high level of insight, like Atobe, and must be able to pick up the play styles of others fairly quickly. Niou is also one of the few characters in the entire series capable of dressing themselves. Niou likes messing with people- or does Yagyuu? Does it matter? He has big hands, flashy hair and he's got a nice little charm point right on his chin.

Jackal Kuwahara:
In the series, Jackal is more or less glossed over as a character for the most part. He only seems to play doubles, almost always with Marui, and he's brilliant at defensive play. He is also the only known half-Japanese character in the series, in Jackal's case, he seems to have been born in Brazil. Jackal is sometimes quite put upon, what with always babysitting Kirihara, and yet he's a bit of an ass too. Confident in his game enough to throw them, Jackal really truly shines in the myu, where he's fleshed out as slightly more dorky and with a wicked sense of humour that mocks both others and himself.

Marui Bunta:
Rikkai's volley specialist and resident self-appointed tensai. I have tried to like Marui, but I'm still rather indifferent about him. Short, stocky, chews disgusting apple bubblegum like a cow, he's also an ass and completely condident in his tennis abilities. So confident he's one of the few characters in the series to have fanboys. Yes, fanboys, namely Jiroh and possibly also Kentaro. Marui has never lost a game, except when he means to, and his special moves are flashy and dramatic and completely unique. A bit like Marui himself, I suppose.

Higa:

Kite Eishirou:
Kite is the Higa captain. Unusually, he's not very tall and may be the shortest on his team. he seems to have taught his entire team some sort of martial-arts-based tennis and he has some clear anger issues directed at the coach which remain rather mysterious to this day. Kite can be nasty and he sneaks about, sometimes talking to himself (see: the Tenipuri videogame), sometimes slipping hot sauce into the food of unsuspecting losers. Kite's one true love, besides tennis, is probably the bitter melon (gouya), which he frequently threatens to feed to his teammates. Kite must have dulled tastebuds or just like a bit of bitter in his life. ;)

Shitenhoji:
Those hippies from Osaka...

Shiraishi Kuranosuke:
The Shitenhoji captain and the Bible of Tennis. Kura has been captain for two years straight, the only player we know of who has. He seems to have had an injury on his wrist earlier in the year and gives him a good excuse for keeping the bandages as Kura uses it to his advantage to keep the Shitenhoji freshman ace in line- he is, furthermore, the only person who can keep Kin-chan under control. Kura seems to have a good sense of humour and is rather laid back, although fiercely competitive and driven. He also seems to be a bit anal about health issues. Beyond that, he's still rather unknown at this stage.

Chitose Senri:
One of the two wings of Kyuushu, along with Tachibana. I would argue that his backstory is the most sad rather than Tezuka's. Chitose's best friend caused him to go blind in one eye (although Chitose wouldn't admit it) and almost cost him his tennis career. Chitose, though, for whatever reason, kept playing, which shows he's just as driven as any other player, perhaps even more so because his goal was to play Tachibana alone, not anyone else. Not all players are obsessed with Seigaku and Chitose proves it. He's also the tallest player in canon and he is a bit of a hippy- dress-wise, since he's not as chillaxed as he seems. Chitose has a bit of an explosive temper, but it's only shown up once when he flipped out on his team (Shitenhoji).

Oshitari Kenya:
Poor put-upon Kenya, the Speedstar of Naniwa. Yes, he is Oshitari Yuushi's cousin and it seems that Kenya has anger issues and/or Yuushi issues, which may or may not be related. He pouts. I would argue he's not as selfless as he seems (ie. doubles one match). He's quite possibly a bit full of himself and his skills while at the same time being envious of Kura and Chitose. There's quite a bit of flesh to his character but unfortunately Konomi hasn't touched on it much.

Zaizen Hikaru:
One of only two junior players on the Shitenhoji team, he is supposedly the team Tensai. However, we have never seen him play besides one missed shot, so his tennis is a mystery. His personality can be gleaned from his snarky comments and his backtalking- Zaizen makes fun of other teams, his captain tells him off, yet he keeps doing it. He's grossed out by his senpais (Koharu and Yuuji) but really, I think he's one of the most "normal" teenagers on his team. He acts like the teenage boy he should be.



Ships and Fic Recs

Seigaku

Tezuka/Ryoma:
Throughout the series it's implied that Tezuka sees himself in Ryoma and Ryoma wants to- if not become his buchou in some ways, then certainly at least to beat him. The dichotomy is played with: they're both lefties, they're both extremely talented and skilled at tennis, they're both brilliant at the game. They are also probably quite horribly dense when it comes to girls. Ryoma is, at any rate. I like the dynamics. They are both members of the Regulars, Tezuka is older, stoic, serious and Ryoma is not playful, per se, but he's got this much more "playful" side. They both have similar goals in life. Tennis is similar for both of them.

Not the Triumph by prillalar R.
Playing Grownups by sounczech R.
Everything That Falls by bookshop R.
Perfect Strangers by kessie PG13

Oishi/Eiji:
The Golden Pair. It's more than just tennis. In some ways, it's almost a case of opposites- outgoing, loud, carefree fun Eiji with the quiet[er], more serious, reliable worrywort Oishi. In fact, in flashbacks, you see that at first they didn't think too much of each other and really didn't know that much about each other either until Eiji asks Oishi if he'll be his doubles partner in their freshman year. By the time of their senior year, they're both completely in their element of playing doubles together- Eiji can toss an offhand remark about which way the teddy bear falls and Oishi knows what to do. In fact, when Oishi can't play in the Kantou tournament, it seems as though they are both devastated over the situation. Eiji is lost and Oishi is guilty of something he couldn't control.

I think it has so much potential for fun in fics: a little angst to start with, backed with a friendship and partnership on the courts, but happy and solid in the end. It seems that there is a standard in the Tenipuri fic that Oishi is the seme and Eiji the uke. Personally, I don't understand that (although I understand the terms). To me, Oishi is the uke/bottom. He's the mother of Seigaku, he's the mother in the Tenipuri family episodes, there is even an episode where he is shown doing ballet (I kid you not- I choked when I saw the clip). Eiji isn't "feminine" or the more girly- he's childish still, yes, he's a bit dramatic and flashy, but he's not a girl. Besides, I love to see the standard dynamics of pairings switched in many circumstances.

Attached by thehoyden Gish.
Pushing Foward, Pulling Back by marksykins PG.
Surface Tension by sarahofcroydon NC17.
From the Foundations Up by tayles PG13?

Inui/Kaidoh:
Possibly the most obvious ships in the whole of Tenipuri canon. And I am completely converted to it. While they do have very different play styles, they have a lot in common. Sure, they come off as the nerd and the jock on the surface to a non-fandom viewer, but they train a lot and they train together. Both are dedicated to the game and have that "never give up attitude". They play well off each other- Inui knows how Kaidoh will play during a game and Kaidoh knows what he has to do for Inui.

As for the shipping side of things: Episode 71 (It's a Date!) converted me, utterly and wholly. Whether Inui is playing with Kaidoh (likely) or simply did not get his whole message across, no one can deny Kaidoh's sexually-confused pseudo-fantasy. They have moments throughout the series- they train together, they play doubles together, they always seem to be together. It just makes me squee!

Come And Sit By My Side If You Love Me by prillalar PG13. (as well as ALL her other InuKai fics)
Discrepancy by bookshop PG.
The Jishin Series by sinsofwill Eventual NC17. Also Oishi/Eiji.
300 by prillalar R.

Momo/Kaidoh:
The ship I love to hate.

Tezuka/Fuji:
This ship is primarily about the interaction between Tezuka and Fuji for me. They share a lot in common- they're both brilliant at tennis, they are the top of their team, they have both been on the team since first(?) year and neither have lost their regular spot in the ranking games (at least in their third year). So, big deal. I focus more on the play of Fuji on Tezuka and Tezuka on Fuji. Fuji is...Fuji and I think he's one of the few characters who can really get under Tezuka's skin. For me, it's about what lies underneath and how Fuji manages to weedle his way there.

Volley by rageprufrock R. (as well as ALL her other Tezuka/Fuji fics)

Inui/Tezuka:
This ship has the potential to be cracked out and skeevy. There is some rivalry in canon, certainly, but it's mostly a one-sided thing for Inui because I doubt Tezuka sees him as such. That said, Inui's data collection and desire to beat Tezuka could lead to some interesting situations...aw hell, I'm just trying to justify a ship based on one awesome fic that makes me squee from all of Inui's creeping around.

The Data of the Lock by marksykins PG.

Tezuka/Oishi:
Tezuka and Oishi share history on the tennis teams and, all things considered, they really are each other's best friends- not Eiji, not Fuji. If Tezuka is the pillar then Oishi is the entablature. They work best together on the team in their own ways- Oishi, the worrywart, Tezuka, buchou. I generally prefer seeing them in platonic friendships, but the occasional foray into Tezuka/Oishi is well-worth it because of the way they understand each other on a personal, as well as tennis level, without being doubles partners, without the comedic crack.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by maryskins R.
Reciprocation by prillalar G.

Fudomine

Tachibana/everyone:
Fudomine has a cult following around Tachibana. He is their complete and utter top. They idolize him. They look up to him. If Tachibana says "Jump", Fudomine asks, "How high?" I really think that Tachibana/any of the Fudomine regulars is possible and wonderful, even if Tachibana is the series straight man. Watching him go after Kamio with a pot of disgusting fish soup he'd made opened my eyes to the possibilities of Tachibana/Kamio, but really, Tachibana could work with Ibu or any of the others, because they love him so much.

And you should too.

Rhythm High by Trinity Helix. NC17. Tachibana/Kamio.

Kamio/Shinji:
I don't really read this ship, but I do like the occasional piece because of Shinji's character, for the most part. If an author can really hit his mumbling on the spot, I'm hooked. And if the dynamic between Shinji and Kamio is included, all the better. I'd say they are friends, I'd say they are rivals, too- Shinji wanted that S2 spot Kamio got behind Tachibana at one point in the arc, not the S3 he ended up with. He might mumble a lot, but his mumbling isn't always completely without warrant. This ship challenges me to want to read it and I like that.

90% Persperation by prillalar PG13. This is actually a MomoKai fic, but the small bit of Kamio/Shinji is perfect, with Shinji's mumbling down to a tee.
On Days Like These by grumpychild ( Part 2, Part 3) G.
Elaboration by bookshop G?

Kamio/Kirihara:
They loathe each other. Well, mostly Kamio loathes Kirihara for what he did to Tachibana in the Kantou Regionals. Fanservice provides a juicy arc with the Senbatsu and that's where I really come from. Why does Kirihara protect Kamio? Why do they then still work together? I think Kamio's one line really seals the deal for me when he thinks that one day he wants to play Kirihara for real in a match (after Kirihara has gone through some more reform). Their animosity makes me wonder if they can take that passion and direct it in a different direction. I say yes.

What's In a Name? by atama_ga_itai PG.

St Rudolph

Yuuta/Mizuki:
Both in anime and manga canon Mizuki appears to have issues with Fuji and a strange attachment to Yuuta. One could interpret this attachment as a derivative from Mizuki's perceived arch-rivalry with Fuji, but I prefer to take the view 99.9% of us have and assume Mizuki has the hots for Yuuta. Along with the purple shirt, training all night, and saying such classic phrases as "Give it to me, Yuuta-kun", the slashability of this pairing is endless. This could be more a one-sided ship on Mizuki's side, but I like the idea of Yuuta warming to him, even if he is rather creeped out at first.

Wrapped Around My Finger by branchfic Hard R.
A Devil to Pay by sublimeparadigm PG13 (Link to part 3/3)

Fuji/Yuuta (Fujicest):
One of the most canonical incest ship I have come across since Chris and Cathy in Flowers in the Attic. Even Tezuka notes that Fuji thinks "about his brother a lot", which says something. Fanservice provides horrible incentives for this ship, including Fuji's phonecalls, Fuji's little comments about "want to go on a date, too, Yuuta?". It's almost entirely from Fuji's side. He is the elder brother, he protects Yuuta from Mizuki's questionable training, but as much as Yuuta is annoyed with his brother, he doesn't seem to stop Fuji a heck of a lot. Eh, I just love this ship because it's one of the most canonical ships from the series. There is no subtext with Fuji's blatant words, but it's done very humourously.

Abide by akahannah R.
Run To Me by pixxers NC17.
Ovaltine by bookshop PG13? mpreg.
Yuuta's Favourite Christmas Story by poutonly G. Gen, but too priceless not to include.

Yamabuki

Dan/Akutsu:
Come on, the idea of Dan topping Akutsu? Priceless. Admit it- surely you've had the same thoughts! Dan is potentially one of the only people Jin can stand and they seem to be together an awful lot, including visiting Jin's mother's cafe. Aww, It's a [Dan] Date, desu!

Stupid Chemical Thing by werefox PG.
Needs by venivincere NC17

Hyotei:

Atobe/Jiroh:
Atobe is often paired with Jiroh. Why? It's a mystery. In some ways it could be a sort of, let's pair up the leftovers of Hyotei's characters for ships, BUT it could work in other ways too. Jiroh can be just as cocky as Atobe at times and I think he could give Atobe a run for his money come high school- growth spurt, anyone?

Sleeping Habits by becchan PG.
Untitled Ficlet by whisper132 R. (Read this for the Sanayuki and Atobe-Sanada interaction, by the way)

Oshitari/Mukahi:
They play doubles. Oshitari is gorgeous and brilliant and the Hyotei genius. Mukahi is...obviously close to Oshitari because they refer to each other by their first names, sans honoraries. Oshitari can take Mukahi to corny romantic movies and Gakuto can...indulge Yuushi, maybe. They are usually seen together, although Mukahi is not at either the Junior Senbatsu or the Special Invitational team stuff, so it's not a codependant relationship, but maybe one more of mutual respect and friendship and fun and something more. I like the idea. I think a lot of Hyotei fangirls do, too, actually.

Achilles Heel by orphneneritus PG13.
Between Normal by orphnenertus R.
Untitled Ficlet by akahannah PG13.
Reason Can't Say by orpheneritus R.
Neon by asahii R.
Strata by orphneneritus NC17.
Atobe the Snow King, or How Mukahi Gakuto Became a Hyoutei Regular by shikishi PG.
A Reason for Fighting by orpheneritus PG13.

Ohtori/Shishido:
The Silver Pair. An OTP to rule them all. They may be gayer than the Golden Pair, it's hard to say. Oishi possibly says it the best when he notes during the Kantou Regionals that Shishido and Ohtori have the perfect doubles team because they depend on each other in play. I would go further than that because not only do they depend on each other in the games, but also in practice. Ohtori is crucial to helping Shishido do the unprecedented and get back onto the Hyotei regulars and Shishido repays him by helping Ohtori perfect his scud serve.

But their partnership doesn't end with tennis. They are almost always seen together after episode 54- at other games, in other situations. When Ohtori has to play doubles against Shishido during the Junior Senbatsu arc, he gets very upset, but in the end he realizes it's not so much about playing against Shishido, but about improving. Ohtori frequently looks for Shishido's approval: "I did it Shishido-san". Shishido, on the other hand, worries about Ohtori, asking him how he slept, telling him off for goofing up a play. Maybe it's a close friendship, but I like to ship them.

They even have their own theme song. A duet between the two of them!

They practice all through the night until the rain clears and the dawn breaks and if that isn't corny and romantic, I don't know what else is! Ohtori also stalked Shishido at one point in the series and Atobe was aware of this, putting Shishido in doubles for a reason.

Ohtori is even willing to sacrifice his own regulars spot, just so Shishido can get back on the team, if need be. It's clear that after Shishido's "incident" and subsequent meltdown, he becomes a changed person, probably the most changed character of all of Hyotei. He's not perfect, he still has flaws, but I think that Ohtori brings out the best in him and he, in turn, brings out some of the best in Ohtori- Ohtori's not this passive wimp, this naif, but he's a determined, talented player.

Metallic by Ruebert. R.
Duet: Andante by ayatsujik G.
Failing Words by yukuro PG.
More Than Average by yumeyana PG13.
Twenty Things About Shishido by starsnkit G.
Christmas in Hyotei by mousapelli R.
The Moon in its Splendour by ver2frog PG. (Links to part 8/8) This fic is no longer online. If anyone has a download, please let me know!
Good Sempais by orphneneritus NC17. (Links to part 10/10)
Quicken to Silver by ME reposoir NC17. (Links to part 36/40-something- FLOCKED, sorry)
something by shikishi

Rokkaku:

Bane/Davide:
One of the few Rokkaku ships that occasionally crops up. And it could be argued by some that doubles partners automatically a pairing makes, even without a basis, but Davide and Bane have much more. They are friends and have a weird pun-hate relationship that really makes them fun to watch in the anime and read in the manga and even watch in the myu: Bane HATES Davide's puns, so Davide jokes around even more. With the difference in ages, there is angst that can be brought out and some authors and doujinkas have done a beautiful job with it.

All That's Left and Right by happiestwhen R.

Rikkai Dai:

Sanada/Yukimura:
Sanada clearly thinks about Yukimura a lot, as seen in both the anime and the manga. I think this can easily be translated from a gen context of the series into a slash context without much effort. I love the way Sanada plays fukubuchou to Yukimura's buchou- they have completely different personalities, but they don't clash. Sanada backs up Yukimura as captain and Yukimura, I think, provides a lot of the drive and the heart of Rikkai. This ship can be so bittersweet at times, like a fine dark chocolate, one that melts in your mouth and doesn't leave you for a long, long time. I love it. One of my OTPs.

Untitled Drabble by provetheworst PG13.
Distant Stars by trixie_chick PG13.
Untitled Ficlet by ilanabean42 G.
Untitled 'One Sentence' Ficlet by helga_b PG13.
Happy by trixie_chick G?
Akaya's Brilliant Day by avamaria G?
Sex, Lies, and Ninja Noises by anonymous_u5ser PG13.
Rubix Cube by postingwhore PG13?
Through the Straight Pass of Suffering by incognito PG.
Glory Days by reposoir (ME!) NC17.
Only So Much Rain by giving_ground PG.

Sanada/Niou:
I think this ship has SUCH potential and is entirely overlooked because so many people OTP ship Rikkai pairings (myself included). We know Sanada is an ass, but he can be sweet. We know Niou is a trickster who probably loves to get under Sanada's skin- but can he get under Sanada's skin in a different way? Doujinshi artists have touched upon this pairing and they see something Western fans don't: a mutual appreciation of tennis, grilled meat and Niou bringing out Sanada's fun side, even if only between themselves.

Turning the Devious into the Direct by reposoir (ME!) R.

Niou/Yagyuu:
I'm not quite sure why I am so drawn to this ship, but once it caught me, I was ensnared. It could be the dynamics of the Switch, but there's just something about the way they work together, both on court and off court, that has me hooked. Yagyuu, the serious, polite, quiet one and Niou the trickster. Opposites? No, I wouldn't say that, more like compliments. A lot of Niou/Yagyuu fics have a strong emphasis on the whole dynamic of the Rikkai Dai team which also appeals to me. It's not just about the Niou/Yagyuu, it's about Rikkai. Yet another OTP, one I love sinking my teeth into.

Indivi/Duality by sesame_seed R?
wihout Him, I would be only Me by chzbrgr_of_doom R.
Variations on a Tilting Theme by sesame_seed. Rish?
Challenge by branchfic Hard R.
Briefly Held in the Manner of One's Shadow (Silhouetted) by two_if_by_sea PG13?
Perspicacity by kleos_fic PG13?
Untitled Word a Day Drabble by kleos_fic PG13.
Satisfaction by kleos_fic PG13?
Untitled Drabble by elyndys G.
First Sight: D1 Interlude by whisper132 PG?
Let Them Eat Cake by illogical NC17.
Rewind Forward by reposoir NC17. (Links to part 21- FLOCKED, sorry)

Yanagi/Kirihara:
They have very little interaction with each other in the anime that would make anyone really be interested in this ship, but in the manga? Oh yes. I think I was completely headlong and lost when Kirihara stepped between Sanada and Yanagi when Yanagi asked Sanada to slap him after losing to Inui. I don't think they are quite polar opposites, wild vs. subdued, but they do seem to understand each other on a basic level.

Chocolate's Good for the Soul by sinistera G.
The Common Senses by midorinomizu G?
Untitled by tongari PG13?
Might Be Found by reposoir (ME!) NC17. (Links to part 7/7)
Stamina Training by midorinomizu NC17.

Jackal/Marui:
Doubles two and so overlooked, perhaps because their interactions have no subtext, just friends being friendly. The myu opened up new avenues, though, both in terms of character personalities, but also interaction. I think there is so much potential with Jackal and Marui that can use their friendship and tennis partnership as a springboard to bigger and better things. There's not much angst with them, just light-hearted, self-assured fun, which can be a pleasant and refreshing change. It could be genius, even. ;)

Playing with Fire by solanum_d R.

Shitenhoji

Koharu/Yuuji:
The Idiot Couple. The ONLY canonically gay pairing within Prince of Tennis and flamboyantly so. We don't know that much about them, besides the fact they are gay, they love to joke around and cosplay (albeit, on a much more extroverted level than Niou and Yagyuu) and have major jealousy and betrayal issues- or at least, Yuuji does. Unfortunately, they break up- but given they are teens, I think they'll be back together again next week. And then break up. And then make up...

Kenya/Zaizen:
They were supposed to play doubles one, which would automatically cause some fans to ship them together. However, even before the doubles-team-that-never-was, there was a lot of potential. Zaizen, the snarky junior, doesn't mind if Kenya gets in his way. Kenya, ever so gracious, calls his kouhai by the endearing term "idiot". My impressions of the relationship is that Zaizen looks up to Kenya in some ways- or at least sees him as a comrade in arms who is likewise grossed out by the Idiot Couple. Kenya, I see as being somewhat flattered by his kouhai looking up to him and happily milks it for all its worth. There's potential and I think it could potentially be a lot of fun and full of snark and misunderstandings and stalking in Osaka.

Other

Sanada/Atobe:
The Tango Pair. The anime provides the only fanservice for this pairing with the Senbatsu arc and the games against the American team. They also seem to know each other from earlier tennis circuits, but I'm not quite sure exactly how well besides passing knowledge. Sanada and Atobe share a match in the manga and it's clear that Atobe in particular has some...unresolved issues. This pairing is fun, mostly because narcissistic, flamboyant Atobe's so different from two-by-four-up-his-ass Sanada.

Let's Dance by morphaileffect. PG13?

Ryoma/Kentaro:
My [Kantou] freshman OTP. Ryoma seems annoyed with Kentaro, mostly because he's so loud and excited, but they both love tennis and they love playing against each other, whether Ryoma would ever admit that or not. Fanservice provides the cutest scene where their teammates find them sleeping together (literally) under a tree after they wake up ridiculously early to play. Awww.

Tachibana/Fuji:
The flowers. The grip tape. Fuji goes out of his way to see Tachibana, completely selflessly. The moments in canon between Tachibana and Fuji are, for me, some of the most humanizing moments for Fuji in the entire series. Kirihara unknowingly brought them together. The manga takes this even further than hospital visits and Tachibana cheering Fuji on against Kirihara because they play a game before the Nationals. Fuji shows up at Tachibana's house and more or less insists Tachibana follow him to the street tennis courts. Genius 243 is very telling in terms of Tachibana, but moreso as a moment between Fuji and Tachibana that happens outside of competition and verges on the realm of extracurricular. This is the most humanizing ship for Fuji, in my opinion, and I really like the idea behind it.

Saeki/Fuji:
I really, really like the idea of this pairing not for the tennis, but for the history. Fuji doesn't seem quite so weird when he's around Saeki. He seems...almost normal. They were childhood friends and are still acquaintances and I really like the possibility of the future for them- maybe after the OVA1/Nationals? I wouldn't say this has the potential to be sweet, more like nostalgic. A sense of a long, long past before tennis that somehow continued through tennis, whereas most other ships are rooted with the characters meeting through tennis first.

Lost Time by genx88 Rish.

Oishi/Shishido:
Now, I pretty much see this as a platonic friendship of sorts, but I really like the concept. Fanservice provides a couple anime matches that fuel my desire for friendship fics between Oishi and Shishido. And I blame Prillalar for infecting my mind with the idea of both Oishi and Shishido smelling really, really good.

Aromatherapy by prillalar PG.
Erosion by sublimeparadigm NC17.

Oishi/Kamio/Shishido:
Because nothing says threesome like a scene from the Gay Boyband AU. Do they really need to be leaning that close? Do they really need to be making those eyes at each other? It's gay and it's OT3.

Kawamura/Akutsu Yuuki:
I love the idea of Mrs Robinson!Yuuki and Taka-san. Taka-san is, for me, the straightest of the characters on the series, which is to say, he's still pretty gay, but not as much as, say, Mizuki. And he obviously knows Jin's mothers personally and Eiji, Momo and Ryoma all think Taka-san has a secret girlfriend (Yuuki), so...besides, can you imagine the look on Jin's face if he saw them together? Priceless. :D

Chitose/Tachibana:
Their backstory is full of bestfriendsforever! and pain and injury and yet they still seem to be on semi-friendly terms, despite all that has happened. Kyuushu-ben love. I really love the angst potential of this ship. It should be milked for all that it's worth because Tachibana has some major penetial issues he wants to atone for and Chitose...well...he's lied about his blindness for reasons we can only surmise. Best friends turned rivals turned lovers. Why not? This is my OTP for Tachibana by a long, long shot.

Unfinished Business by midorinomizu G?
Different Kind of Victory by reposoir (ME!) PG13? (links to part 1/2)

Osamu/Shiraishi:
The young, laid-back coach, the hot shot young team captain. It's like opposites attract, only over a plate of okonomiyaki. If there can be Tezuka/Ryuuzaki, then why not Osamu/Kura? It'd be even hotter. :D

Thousand Yen Bet by reposoir (ME!) PG13ish.