Review of Ping Pong the Animation

I must preface with some information before delving into the review, full-force. Pass over it if you are fine with God knowing you are a dunce (I'm joking, have a sense of humor): As Masaaki Yuasa rises in popularity, especially in the Western world, Netflix series: Devilman Crybaby, it is important to ask if there is a reason backing his rise to fame. I say yes. Not necessarily for the quality of his content, but the consistency, or quantity of good content. Ping Pong is only a milestone. Yuasa has been able to create fandom that does not cling to onlyone of his works, a fairly rare occurrence in the anime community. I personally prefer Kaiba over his other productions, however many fans would debate that. And that is the beauty of being a Yuasa fan, there is no definitive masterpiece.

That said, Ping Pong is easily one of Yuasa's most confident works. It has gorgeous, fluid animated art, not commonly found in anime, sadly. And the script and character arc work beautifully in the self-contained story dealing with the human condition as it relates to friendship, alienation, and sportsmanship. Like almost all of Yuasa's work, excluding Lu Over The Wall, existentialism is a common theme in his works. Ping Pong is not the most thematically existential, yet it still has the classic Yuasa touch. One of the biggest strengths in Ping Pong is characterization, because generating characters who come across as relatable is hard...especially for as skeptical a viewer as me. In each character is a semblance of someone you know, and I respect the craftsmanship of it. Art and animation in Ping Pong are epic, visceral, and overflow with style. Imagination runs rampant in Ping Pong, and those who watch it find it an instant classic. Although I would rather not compare them on any other plane than style and confidence, Ping Pong is clearly today's Cowboy Bebop.