The Prince's Ambitions, Do You Know Them-kai?
- Original Airdate: September 26, 2021
Written by: Junko Komura
Directed by: Hiroyuki Kato
Summary
It's the Demon Prince of Tennis! Did you know?!
Setchan: Previously on… Zenkaiger!
We learned about Zocks's secret hobby, while Ijirude started concocting some kind of scheme.
You guys! This is no time to be turned into manga! Time to stay on your toes!
We learned about Zocks's secret hobby, while Ijirude started concocting some kind of scheme.
You guys! This is no time to be turned into manga! Time to stay on your toes!
Something feels oddly familiar... do you know?! Tennis Wald's odd ability to change people into tennis balls wrecks utter havoc on the city. The manga-loving Zocks strikes once again as he tries to teach the team how to play tennis. Quickly dragging Kaito into a doubles match against this odd Wald, winning the match is the only way to defeat him! On top of all of this, Stacy makes his appearance on the field... to also play some tennis. Will Zocks's harsh teaching pay off? Who will win in this strange match of wits and skill?
Tropes
- Actor Allusion: Zocks mentions that he learned tennis from a manga he read a while back. Atsuki Mashiko was in The Prince of Tennis musical's third season as Shitendoji's Kuranosuke Shiraishi. He even strikes Shiraishi's pose during their training sequence at one point.
- Author Appeal: Writer Junko Komura is a huge fan of The Prince of Tennis.
- Didn't Think This Through: After Super Tennis Wald appears, Kaito and Zocks form Zenkaiju-Oh as usual... then realize they got a mech that can't hold a racket in its hands, making them lose and forcing Magine and Vroon to step up instead.
- Hidden Depths:
- Kaito is actually pretty decent at tennis, able to keep up with Zocks fairly easily.
- Thanks to his experience of playing tennis with his mother, Stacy is revealed to be a master of tennis, with Zocks outright calling him an ace when he easily goes against and defeats Tennis Wald.
- It's Personal: Tennis Wald already made it personal to the team and Stacy when he trapped Yatsude in a tennis ball. Then Stacy gets doubly pissed when he reminiscences about playing tennis with his mother, deciding to take matters into his own hands.
- Painting the Medium: Part of the opening song's percussion is replaced with the sound of tennis balls in this episode.
- Shout-Out: The episode is basically one extended, very unsubtle, love letter to The Prince of Tennis, right down to the flashy action panels of Kaito, Zocks, and Stacy playing against Tennis Wald.
- Training Montage: Parodied, to the point where Vroon meditates under a waterfall despite it not making any sense whatsoever. (Does come in handy when he gets set on fire by Tennis Wald, though.)
- Villainous Rescue: Stacy steps up to defeat Tennis Wald, after all of the Zenkaigers end up losing the match, even Kaito and Zocks.
- Wham Shot: When Stacy gets back to the Tozitend palace, Ijirude introduces him to Hakaizer, a robotic soldier designed by the Goshikidas.
