I wasn't that into The Prince of Tennis when I was a kid, but then I found out about the musical adaptations...
The scene in the anime where Little Seaweed is covered in blood left a deep impression on me. He must have been under so much pressure... Everything was for Rikkai's third consecutive championship.
I feel like Little Seaweed needs a friend his own age, so I wanted to create an original male lead to keep Akaya company. He'll have a music-related cheat ability, and he'll be strong at tennis in some areas, but he'll also have obvious weaknesses. He'll make life easier for the Rikkai team without taking Akaya's place as everyone's favorite. I just want him to share some of the burden Akaya carries as the promising junior everyone looks up to, so that even when things are tough, he'll have someone by his side. The male lead will be vice captain.
I plan to write through the year Little Seaweed is in his third year, after the U-17 tournament. I won't cover the World Cup in between, since I can't keep up with all the ideas.
Theme: May friendship last forever
