Season 1

The Prince of Tennis, Season 1 — watch online on iFILM: 26 episodes of the 2001 sports anime that first introduced Ryoma Echizen to Japan. He's twelve, freshly back from the States, and already carrying a nickname that sounds like a challenge.

Seishun Academy runs one of the country's top tennis clubs, and that means the competition starts before you reach an outside court. Ryoma has to fight through a string of challengers — Kaidoh the "Viper", doubles pairs who've trained together for years, senior regulars who won't give up their spots. His topspin serve is nasty, his backhand is as dangerous as his forehand, and he barely reacts mid-match. The final episodes shift the question: who's actually the strongest player already inside Seishun?

Season 1 earns its reputation as a gateway sports anime — tension comes from match structure, not melodrama. Stream The Prince of Tennis Season 1 online on iFILM, all episodes available in good quality.