Ryoma was definitely the character that drew me into the series to begin with. Mainly because he was the main focus of the first chapters so I got to know him first before all the others and I've always liked the young snarky genius chracters. And while I get why other people get annoyed with him and I agree that he should have lost at least one match. I also kinda understand where his chracter is coming from.
I've never really seen him as antisocial but more socially awkward. After all it's said his family traveled between America and Japan a lot (c1 p30) and it seems like he never really had any close friends or equals in tennis his own age. So his father was always his main opponent and influence. And he doesn't do well with attention off the tennis courts. As for him being irreverent. I don't think he's especially rude toward anyone who wasn't being a jerk first. He doesn't try to really start anything with Sasabe until he starts messing with Sakano. The second years were obviously out to scam the new first years. Arai was obvisly picking on him when he hid his racquets. And with Momo, it's a blink and you'll miss it moment but Momo did gives him and Horio the complete wrong directions to the tennis court(c2 p6) so if he's a litte short with him at the beginning it's kinda understandable. Ryoma directing Arai to Horio when he asked for the "great 1st year" was probably him being humble in a strange awkward way. After all he wasn't the one jumping to make himself known to anyone. So he wouldn't expect for Arai to be looking specifically for him and not the guy who was yelling about how much he knew.
For Momo and Ryoma's match. As I said previously he was probably still annoyed with Momo at the beginning but you can tell as it goes on Ryoma starts to loosen up and enjoy himself. Momo probably called the match because he was still tentative about his injury. After all it's still affecting him several weeks later against his match with Sengoku. How much more would it be bothering him when it's obviously recent. I think Ryoma partly played with his right hand because of Momo's injury but also partly because that's how he starts almost all his matches with opponents. I always saw it as a handicap that he'd give for his opponents, since as mentioned above he's never encountered anyone his own age that could match him when he's going all out. But I also see it as training for himself since it's harder to do things with your non-dominant hand. I've never really considered it rude that he starts off by limiting himself since it seems like all the people he came across before were nowhere near his level.
As for Tezuka allowing Ryoma into the ranking matches. I don't think it's an expressed rule that 1st years aren't included but more of a tradition, to make sure that they are truly grounded in the basics. But when someone who's obviously mastered the basics and are at a higher level they're allowed. After all I believe it's implied somewhere that Tezuka himself became a regular as a 1st year And making everyone run laps is just the captain thing to do because Arai was clearly picking on Ryome so he's at fault, the other were at fault to letting him pick on Ryoma without doing anything, and Ryoma's at fault for playing a match when he wasn't supposed to.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2012-03-11 06:00 am (UTC)I've never really seen him as antisocial but more socially awkward. After all it's said his family traveled between America and Japan a lot (c1 p30) and it seems like he never really had any close friends or equals in tennis his own age. So his father was always his main opponent and influence. And he doesn't do well with attention off the tennis courts.
As for him being irreverent. I don't think he's especially rude toward anyone who wasn't being a jerk first. He doesn't try to really start anything with Sasabe until he starts messing with Sakano. The second years were obviously out to scam the new first years. Arai was obvisly picking on him when he hid his racquets. And with Momo, it's a blink and you'll miss it moment but Momo did gives him and Horio the complete wrong directions to the tennis court(c2 p6) so if he's a litte short with him at the beginning it's kinda understandable.
Ryoma directing Arai to Horio when he asked for the "great 1st year" was probably him being humble in a strange awkward way. After all he wasn't the one jumping to make himself known to anyone. So he wouldn't expect for Arai to be looking specifically for him and not the guy who was yelling about how much he knew.
For Momo and Ryoma's match. As I said previously he was probably still annoyed with Momo at the beginning but you can tell as it goes on Ryoma starts to loosen up and enjoy himself. Momo probably called the match because he was still tentative about his injury. After all it's still affecting him several weeks later against his match with Sengoku. How much more would it be bothering him when it's obviously recent. I think Ryoma partly played with his right hand because of Momo's injury but also partly because that's how he starts almost all his matches with opponents. I always saw it as a handicap that he'd give for his opponents, since as mentioned above he's never encountered anyone his own age that could match him when he's going all out. But I also see it as training for himself since it's harder to do things with your non-dominant hand. I've never really considered it rude that he starts off by limiting himself since it seems like all the people he came across before were nowhere near his level.
As for Tezuka allowing Ryoma into the ranking matches. I don't think it's an expressed rule that 1st years aren't included but more of a tradition, to make sure that they are truly grounded in the basics. But when someone who's obviously mastered the basics and are at a higher level they're allowed. After all I believe it's implied somewhere that Tezuka himself became a regular as a 1st year And making everyone run laps is just the captain thing to do because Arai was clearly picking on Ryome so he's at fault, the other were at fault to letting him pick on Ryoma without doing anything, and Ryoma's at fault for playing a match when he wasn't supposed to.