Review of Ping Pong the Animation

Ping Pong The Animation is my one hundredth completed Anime up until this point in my Anime watching hobby/career, and I would feel bad about myself if I did not review this amazing Anime, and let this opportunity all go to waste. So why did I choose Ping Pong The Animation, in particular, to be my one hundredth Anime to be completed? Why not choose any other Anime out of the thousands of Anime on the site? Why Ping Pong in particular? Well, there are many good reasons for that. First of all, I wanted my one hundredth Anime to be something of great quality,and for it to be something that has a different, yet a great art style and animation to boot. I also wanted it to be something that has a compelling story to tell and amazing characters to introduce and develop all the way through up until it’s final episode. Lastly, I wanted a great story, but a story that is short and can wrap up everything it introduced nicely in just eleven episodes of nothing but pure, adrenaline pumping ping pong matches. Since I very much enjoyed Kaiba, which was made by the same director, Masaaki Yuasa, I thought that I might give this one Anime a try and have it take the honor to be my one hundredth completed Anime. I had already watched and enjoyed most of the short and eminent works in Anime before, and Ping Pong The Animation looked promising to be next in line. So, did Ping Pong The Animation fail in entertaining me? Absolutely not! Was it amazing all the way through? Definitely! A not so great concept, an average sports concept, and a lame sport, all of those things turned into one of the greatest sports Anime of all time. It achieved this by using brilliant execution and cinematography, introducing three dimensional characters, and spicing it all up with a great and memorable soundtrack. I would be lying to myself if I said that I wasn’t addicted to this Anime, glued to my screen while watching everything these amazing characters did. Kaiba may have been a good Anime by Masaki Yausa, but this was truly something else.

The story of Ping Pong starts off with a very simple premise, some guys at an academy are competing to win the grand prize in a sport they are playing. The premise of Ping Pong is not so great to be honest. A lot of stories in Anime have way better premises to work with than what Ping Pong has here, but most of them fail when it comes to executing their basis and living up to their full potential. Ping Pong The Animation, in contrast, is a story about people who are working hard to be the very best at Ping Pong. It is not one of the best premises in Anime, it is not even good per say, it is just an average and routine premise. It has no fancy super powers, it has no mechas or magic, nor does it have any evil villains to work with. The premise is as average and realistic as a premise can get. What sets Ping Pong’s basic story apart from most other Anime titles, though, is the execution of it’s ideas and the subversion of the audience’s expectations. Ping Pong executes it’s ideas so well and amazes it’s audience by how good an average scene can turn out to be with just the right amount of angles and heart pumping music, and it is an Anime that lives up to it’s potential fully by doing so. I also mentioned that this Anime likes to subvert audience expectations and it is not as predictable as you might expect it to be. Really, I was blown away by how much my expectations were subverted during this Anime’s run. An example of a scene from Ping Pong, where expectations will be subverted, would be when two players are against playing each other and one of them has the upper hand during the match. Normally, you would think that the player with the upper hand has the victory secured in the bag, but you would be wrong to assume that. With one trump card from the loser, everything can be turned around and be reset again. This does not become cliché during Ping Pong’s run though, as Ping Pong does not depend on subverting audience expectations most of the time. Sometimes, if a match seems in favor of a player, then that match is guaranteed to be in their favor until the very end. With all of those things Ping Pong possesses, Ping Pong’s plot becomes realistic and surprising at the same time. It becomes surprising due to how unpredictable it can be, and it becomes realistic because it does not always lead to scenarios we want/we think it will go to. Ping Pong The Animation not only possesses those attributes in terms of storytelling, which make it a great Anime, but some more that make it stand out above most others. The three dimensional characters this Anime created, and their different motives and diverse disciplines, make this Anime a treat to watch all the way through. I was glued to my screen, wanting to know what character A will do next, or what character C will do when he faces off against character G. Speaking of the brilliant characters, all of them are developed and are given their own personality, not one is left out, which makes the story even more enthralling than it already is.

I also like how the story does not shy away from asking the deep, philosophical questions most other stories do not want to address. I do not think any other sports Anime has looked into it’s characters the way Ping Pong The Animation has looked into it’s own. The Anime not only unfolds an incredible journey of well developed, determined characters in front of your eyes, but also explores them deeply while asking meaningful questions and covering mature topics. “Why do we play ping pong in the first place? Why do we play the sport? Is it to have fun? Is it to win? Is it to pass time until we become mere bones?” and that is what I like about Ping Pong, it is a sports Anime, but it is also a psychological Anime as well, not shying away from asking important questions within it’s narrative and challenging the viewer. It is a simple story executed to almost perfection, and it adds to it's great narrative by not being shy of reaching out to cover heavier topics.

What turns an Anime from a good one to a great one? Three dimensional, interesting characters. I like it when the characters are so interesting and developed, to the point where a face-off between them actually makes me want to see it, and gets me pumped up for it in the process. Ping Pong does exactly that. The characters are so realistic and interesting, each one of them going through their own development and having their own motives, to the point where the Anime can pit anyone of them against each other and it would still be interesting to watch. The thing about this Anime is that all of it's characters are so well developed, to the point where I cannot choose which one of them is my favorite. Obviously China is the best according to my heart, but he has some fierce competition coming his way from both Peco and Smile, who are both as brilliant as China when it comes to their motives/characterization. Let us start off with China/Kong Wenge, the best character in the show in my honest opinion. This is the guy that oozes cool whenever he appears on the screen, and he is legitimately entertaining and exciting to watch. Whenever China appeared on the screen, I thought “This is definitely going to become entertaining now.” China is seriously so cool, to the point where he would smoke both Spike Spiegel and Yusuke Urameshi in a cool contest. The best thing about China though, and what separates him from the other characters in this Anime, is that he starts off as one dimensional at first, while the rest of the cast get development right from the spot. It isn’t until China loses his cool in a match that we finally get to see more layers to him. With that being said, China becomes perfect for this series because he subverts the audience’s expectations, where the audience thinks that he is the typical Anime bad-ass with no feelings or emotions, and then he turns out to be the most layered character in the whole series. That is what I like about China, it is that he subverts viewer expectations into thinking that he is one dimensional at first, due to his egotistical attitude and calm demeanor, but you would be wrong to assume that. Yes, China is cool, calm and collected, and he does start off that way in the Anime, but he changes immensely once the plot kicks in. It is ironic how China is supposed to be portrayed as this bad-ass winner at first, but he becomes more human than the protagonist, Tsukimoto Smile.

Speaking of Smile, his character development is very satisfying to watch and look at, why? Because Smile is the opposite of both Peco and China. While the other two start off as calm and collected, thinking that they are the best at what they do and that no one can even touch them, Smile starts off as the complete opposite. Smile starts off thinking that he is a pathetic loser, and unlike the other two, he only plays the game to “pass time until he is dead” and not to win. It isn’t until Smile is finally pushed beyond his breaking point that he actually starts to become like the other two. It isn’t until Smile is put in a stressful situation like that of China’s that he finally starts to reach into his ego and become more like China. And that is the beautiful thing about China and Smile, both of them begin to change when they start to lose or when they are put in a stressful situation, but one of them begins to become the bad-ass while the other starts to become more on the emotional side. They do change, but they change and are still two opposites of the same coin. The normal guy passing time becomes the bad-ass trying to win, while the bad-ass trying to win becomes the normal guy passing time. Did I mention earlier how an Anime confrontation can be exciting to watch when the characters are well developed and interesting on their own? Well, when China and Smile faced off against each other, I was thrilled because those two had such a great dynamic with each other, due to them being polar opposites, but also being one in the same. Smile is a great character on his own, and as I said earlier, his development is satisfying to watch and to look at.

Other characters like Peco, who is supposed to be another main character, is also multilayered and three dimensional. He is the polar opposite of Tsukimoto, and his character arc is just as good as Tsukimoto’s. Peco starts off as your average born talent, born to win and conquer the ping pong industry. Peco, just like Wenge, also suits this Anime because of how unpredictable his character arc is. Peco starts off with a huge ego and an “I am holier than thou” attitude. We think that he is the main character of the Anime, but as it turns out, he really is not. After seeing Peco dominate the rookies, it isn’t until he is trashed and skunked by both China Wenge and his former teammate from Kaio academy, that his character arc takes a major turn. After his two big losses, he simply cannot believe the outcomes of the situations, and he finally starts to become less like China Wenge, and more like the old Tsukimoto, while Tsukimoto, due to his winning streaks and the stress he was placed under, starts to become more like China Wenge and less like the old Tsukimoto. We then get to see Peco go on his own journey until he can get back what he has lost, and it isn’t until reality crushes his hopes and dreams, and he is placed under the same situation Tsukimoto was placed in, that he actually starts to put in that hard work and sweat into his day to day life, instead of relying on his mere talents alone.

With of all of that being said, this is the beautiful thing about these three main characters. Tsukimoto, Wenge and Peco are all one in the same, but they change and develop to the point where they never are a copy of one another. The three of them all have huge egos at one point in the Anime, but they experience it at different times. They also start off as cliché characters, but their interactions with one another help turn them into brilliant characters on their own. This is especially the case with Wenge, who starts off as one dimensional as they can get, but develops to be the best character in the series.

Aside from the three main characters, I really liked Ryuuichi Kazama, the main member of the Kaio Academy table tennis club. He is highly respected by the other club members and is somewhat of a local hero. He represents the idea of the winner very well. You see all of these winners in life, all of these champions who have countless medals, but do you see what is underneath the act that they put on infront of the masses? Kazama is an amazing character because underneath the surface of being a hero and a champion, he is just a guy who feels pain like the rest of the cast, he has insecurities that he does not want to show, because he was placed in a situation in which he cannot escape from. He was born to train, the pressure was so great and overwhelming to the point where he can’t escape from it now, he has to do it because it has become a responsibility instead of a hobby. He is like an addict, no matter how hard he tried, and even if he wanted to, he just cannot escape the addictive nature of training and winning matches. There is a quote in the series which describes him perfectly, and that quote says “I am sure you will understand too, someday. The melancholy of winning. The pain of praise. The weight on your shoulders… the loneliness and agony. The time will come where your efforts will seem meaningless and your victories empty.”

In the end, what is so good about the thousands of victories, the thousands of medals, the thousands of fans and all the praise, when one cannot love themselves? Of course, Kazama, just like the others, gets his development sooner or later, because every character in Ping Pong does.

Moving on to the visuals, this part might seem a bit tricky. Ping Pong The Animation does not shy away from being something that is different. It does not care about the rest, it starts off not caring about the opinions of others and ends on the same exact note. It does not stick to the same old tropes that other Anime stick to and bore you with, it strays away from them. A lot of people mention that they are turned off by the art style for the show. I just have to say that I completely disagree with all of those people who are saying that. This is why this part of the technicalities is tricky, it is because people have contentions with the dirty looking, unorthodox art style. It might set some people off, but that just wasn't the case here with me.

The staff went for something different in this show. They did a lot of the animation in Flash, and it looks incredibly weird and awkward compared to most mainstream anime, but I think that lends a character to the show that a lot of Anime do not have. This type of visual and “dirty look” that the show has really distinguishes it from the rest, and makes it stand out as something that looks diverse. The visuals and character designs may not be the absolute best, but they are very memorable and recognizable. I like that it's not pristine, with sharp edges and smooth curves. The animation, especially later on in the series, feels wild and evokes emotion of it’s own. It feels like the animators are just letting loose and it gives so much weight to the actions of the characters. It makes Ping Pong The Animation seem more fluid when it comes to the movements of it’s characters, which is exactly what a sports Anime like this needs to be striving for.

I like the camera angles displayed in this Anime, they do not look amateur or mediocre, but look pleasing to the eyes. Yausa was a master when it came to representing scenes with different angles in Kaiba, and he does it very well here. I also like how they represent the allegories and metaphors in this show. For example, Wenge/China in the first episode shoots up the ball to the roof when facing off against Peco, an airplane appears in place of the roof. I like that, it shows us more depth to Wenge, but without grabbing our hand and giving us all of the details about his backstory in one go. China is supposed to be a transfer who left his country, or was transferred because of failure, using imagery to convey his story was a brilliant idea. Other than that, I thought that the designs were all great. Each character felt distinguishable from one another, but they actually felt like they belonged in the same Anime, different enough to give each one a unique sense of style and personality, but not so different to the point where they feel like they belong in a different show. I also like how all of them look realistic, no orange haired kid, no red haired kid, no blue haired girl or any of that sort, just natural and realistic hair color.

As for the soundtrack, it does more than it's job. It is striking and memorable, just like the art style. On another note, I liked “Initialize Me” and some other tracks while listening to the soundtrack of Kaiba, so I expected nothing less from the same director when it came to the soundtrack of this show. Really, what can I say? The coolest track in this Anime is “China”, and that is ironic because I also believe that China is the coolest character in this Anime as well. I also like the track that is called “Peco” because it perfectly describes Peco’s character (happy, go lucky, enthusiastic). All of these tracks are great tracks on their own to be honest, but the one that I was addicted to the most would have to be “Like A Dance”, which perfectly places the viewer in the mood to watch the adrenaline pumping ping pong matches this Anime displays in front of them. These are the types of tracks that you actually take time to download to your phone due to how amazing they are to listen to, especially the case with “Like a Dance”. The opening is great and the ending is great, nothing to complain about here, I was pumped with every “Oh Yeah” the opening slapped me with. I liked all of the voice actors, and the English dub is done by none other than Funimation, so it is guaranteed to be good. The one that stood out the most to me, though, was China as well. His Mandarin accent and voice acting were brilliant to listen to, and it added more character to him as a whole. China on his own is probably the best character in the series, but the mandarin accent was a very cool touch to a cool character like him.

Overall, Ping Pong The Animation is very close to being a masterpiece, and I am not just saying that because it is my one hundredth completed Anime. I do not like to give random nines or tens to any Anime that I watch, but this definitely deserves it. It is less of a sports Anime, and more of an amazing human psyche discovery. It asks thought provoking questions, it brilliantly presents amazing characters and develops them well, it pumps you up and keeps your blood boiling with some epic music and action packed, smooth animation to boot. Disregarding all of that, what Ping Pong The Animation does best, which most other Anime fail at doing, is that it also keeps the viewer glued to the screen. Once you start with Ping Pong The Animation, you will want to binge watch and finish it all in one go. Kaiba was good, but it was boring and discomforting during some parts. Ping Pong The Animation never felt boring at all, it keeps moving forward and entertaining the audience with something. I am glad that I watched and experienced Ping Pong The Animation, and I highly recommend anyone go check it out.