Review of Ping Pong the Animation
"My blood takes like iron." Ping Pong the Animation is a show about the game Ping Pong, but it actually isn't. Rather it's more used as a catalyst for the characters, who all struggle with something about life. The show does go into some depth on techniques and styles, but they don't delve too much into it. Just like any seinen anime would, the show will be using the game Ping Pong to convey its message. And it delivers it extremely well. Art - The art style is a hit-and-miss. To sum it up, the art is crude and a little dilapidated. There isn't huge detailon the characters nor the environment. In fact the art looks like it was drawn without realism in mind. And that fact alone makes the art style very unique and interesting. You still know that the artists and animators put in a lot of effort in each episode in spite of the crude art style, and in the end it's very appreciated. At times it does get a little hard to discern what's what, but this isn't the issue. This is another thing that the style works wonders. It convinces the viewer to take in the moment, not worrying over the subtleties. And in spite of the cruelties, the emotions the characters have are still conveyed without much problem.
The animation is free-flowing as well. During matches it still maintains the crude style but the action goes up a notch to match the tension of a game. At times even the sequencing goes into a manga-like state, where each box can represent a technique or the strains of a character.
Story - It's pretty difficult to review this aspect without going into spoilers, because as I said earlier the story is solely on character development. Even though this anime is only 11 episodes long, the story is incredibly fleshed-out
As this is a Seinen, it'll deal with life and be very mature about it. Ping Pong the Animation will deal with five people, all around high school age. And everyone should know the teen sentiments at this age: What should I do with my life? What do I want out of it? Each character struggles with these questions, and the game of Ping Pong helps establish their answer. Thus these characters will grow more and more each episode. Even if one tries their hardest but still lose, anyone can learn from what they got out of it and see a new day. This is exactly what this show does, creating a very mature atmosphere around a relatively simple game of Ping Pong. As I said earlier, Ping Pong serves more as a catalyst for the characters and drives the plot forward more than the technicalities of the sport.
The pacing actually slows down in many parts of the show. Not in a way that breaks the show or is used as "filler". In fact this slowing down helps establish that the people involved are just normal human beings. They know the little nuances of life and use it as a way to push something out of themselves and ultimately enjoy life itself.
Characters - As I said earlier, character development is a key aspect in this show. Since this show is tagged as Seinen, the characters will surely be flesh-and-blood and down-to-earth. And they are. Every character will have a journey of their own, dealing with what they're struggling with. The only way to experience these characters is to see it for yourself.
These characters can literally walk out of the screen and exist in real life. It's outstanding how these characters go about their struggles with the game of Ping Pong, learn from it, and make do with their problems. Even the side characters will support the main ones, having a change of their own. The friendship between Smile and Peco. Kong's homesickness. In one way or another every character is quite relatable.
Sounds - The OP and ED work very well for the atmosphere. The OP has a more exciting tone to it, while the ED moves into a more reflective sort of tone. Exactly matches how the pacing goes in each episode.
Enjoyment - I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. I can watch it multiple times and still get enjoyment out of it. These characters become extremely relatable, and you'll grow affection for each person and with their hardships. Ping Pong the Animation takes a spin at the Sports genre. And it's a very, very good spin at it.