Twenty-seven years of impossible matches and powers defying gravity have finally come to an end. The legendary work known in our region as The Prince of Tennis (The Prince of Tennis), written and illustrated by the indefatigable Takeshi Konomi, published its long-awaited final chapter on August 4 through the September issue of the magazine Jump SQ., marking the definitive closure of its sequel The New Prince of Tennis. In an emotional farewell message, the author thanked the community for all the support and joked asking that he finally be allowed to take a well-deserved rest.

The original manga began its serialization in the pages of the legendary Weekly Shonen Jump back in July 1999, introducing us to Ryoma Echizen, a truly arrogant prodigy who joined the team at Seishun Academy to revolutionize this sport. Although it started as a traditional competitive shonen, Konomi knew that to stand out against the fantasy stories in the magazine, he had to take tennis to absurd limits. Thus were born the exaggerated techniques that became a hallmark of the franchise, with matches that evolved from simple rallies to incorporating pirates, horseback riders, and even the ability to create black holes on the court, always under the excuse that they still respected the rules of tennis.

The huge impact of this gem exceeded 60 million copies in circulation and inspired a successful animated adaptation, live-action musicals, and films over nearly three decades. To give the work the monumental farewell it deserved, the magazine included a special 48-page chapter with color illustrations, as well as an exclusive CD with the theme song “Memories Packed Into the Racket,” performed by over 143 voice actors and stage actors connected to the series. Knowing the frenzy this final set would unleash, the publisher increased the print run of the magazine by 165 percent, an unprecedented fact in its nineteen years of publishing history.

Considering that Ryoma’s journey went from basic techniques to battles that seemed taken from a space-fighting anime, what was the most ridiculous or epic move you remember seeing over all these years in The Prince of Tennis?