Yay! A Tenipuri thread! ^ ^
I'm a late-comer here, but I've read thru the topic (not that much to read). I have to say, for a sports anime/manga, Tenipuri has surprisingly good dialogue and moments. At this point in time, I reckon the anime is better than the manga (I haven't read most of it.. but rather glossed thru most of it) for the fact that there are chibi episodes and fillers.
That's the best thing about this show I reckon! Btw, I refuse to believe the people are 12 - 14 year old middle schoolers..... there is some serious problem with that imagery: Ryoma looks at least 14 whilst Tezuka/Momo looks 17 or 18 respectively. To be realistic and avoid confusion, I've just decided to just think of them as high-school students (16 - 18 sounds more acceptable ne?
).
This show has got relatively good character-development. The characters don't change much over time, but I feel like I really got to know them and Ryoma whom at first I thought was a prat has become one of my favourite characters. I also love Eiji, Inui and sometimes Fuji (yes I agree he's unpredictable and abit scary.... but otherwise he reminds me abit of Yukito-san from CCS ^ ^). Tezuka is one of the only people I haven't warmed to much throughout the whole series because he's alway so stiff and poker-faced about everything (really the guy has had no development, in my opinion). I must also agree with
xrninja and say that Saeki is definitely the hottest guy in the show ^ ^ He's an ideal prince charming, in my opinion.
Regarding pairings..... mm I'm pretty much always a canon shipper person. So I really don't support any shounen ai/yaoi pairings in the show because I believe the guys can just be close friends without succumbing to the typical romantic interest deal. Also I just don't see any romantic connection between any of the guys... the only exception is Yukimura and Sanada (unless I'm greatly mistaken and their brothers).
Unfortunately for a show like this you don't have many strong female characters and the obvious choice of Ryoma/Sakuno don't really do much for me mainly because I see absolutely no connection right now (isn't it time they followed the lead of stuff like Naruto and start developing female characters?). I am still interested in that pairing if Konomi-san writes for it more in the future... but other than that, I don't see any pairings.
Regarding the impossible moves.... have you noticed that it's gotten worse as the series/manga moves on? I thought at first that this was a series/manga based in reality or mostly in reality and now each chapter has just proven me wrong (let's see.... Tezuka zone that killed the dinosaurs, Eiji's Kagebunshin no jutsu, the Dragonball Z charge-ups). Yep - just watch the movie (not the live-action one). Most of the in-series moves don't bother me so much, but I really can't take it when they push it too much... like Eiji trying to play doubles with himself as if he has no problem travelling at the speed of light...
I haven't read much of the manga about 50 chapters because that's how much at the moment is out and viz is behind too. Sakuno is more likeable in the manga for me , she still likes Ryoma but you really don't see much of her except for the first few chapters and from then on you see glimpses. Sakuno is really just air to Ryoma he couldn't even recall her name 
.
*evil grin*
I've seen enough though, I really started to like Ryoma even though he is a cocky rookie and Fuji. Fuji scares me, sometimes. @_@ If Tomoka was a real person I'd ask her to scare people for me.
j/k 
and the other charqacters also are very cool..well in conclusion i think i love this show and all its characters...and many people think that because of the subject of tennis its a bads program..thats not real!! well so people that havent saw it..why dont you try???