Review of Ping Pong the Animation
In terms of sports anime, this is another excellent one. It's clear that this anime is a creation out of passion for art and for sport. The charts and diagrams and the dynamic poses and stunning strokes..! The rhythm of the animated ping pong matches was so lively, the ping-pong equipment talk was SO NERDY, the animating team clearly did their research! The music is SO thematic and sets the tone excellently, there are constant pop-culture references (Akira!!! NGE!!!), and the animation ... wow... This is anime, visually, at its finest. Exaggerated motions, blurs and smears, so much use of contrast. There was a scene witha flashlight and the RESPECT that the animating team had for light and dark in that scene.... Perspective was just wild, no rules just guidelines, and combined with a moving "camera"....!!!!!! There was a variety of textures, the colors were interesting and moody, and the way they drew out split-second moments, it's almost undescribable.. the athletes would be running fast while the scene passes in slow motion, only anime could make that look right lol
There was one thing I really didn't like about this anime. Not like it's a huge flaw or anything, but I guess the characters bored me. They would just offer their short monologues while joining their peers for a thousand-yard-stare, or be yelling about how passionate they are, or they would just. leave. just cuz fuck you i guess. It was hard for me to keep watching this one, because of the dialogue being too boring or too confusing for me to follow. There are MANY characters from different schools, and the anime often cuts very quickly. There are also frequent semi-metaphorical flashbacks and personally i found that confusing and unhelpful, but yknow, the music and animation teams carried still. It's all very anime!!!! I enjoyed it despite my confusion! Maybe if I watch a second time, I will be able to keep track of all the characters and their relationships to each other..... We'll see haha
Similar anime, cuz i love sports anime:
Hajime no Ippo- also very individualistic, sports anime about boxing, however this one builds up the interpersonal relationships and the warmth much much better, though it's a much slower paced show as a result.
Haikyuu- This one is a lot less individualistic, a lot less artistically talented, way longer, and way way cuter. That's it it's just kawaii cute haha
If your passion is closer to writing and storytelling, I think you might find this one to be a little disappointing, tho maybe it'd be a fun study! Every beautiful work has room for improvement!
All in all, Ping Pong the Animation is a GREAT anime to watch for your viewing pleasure, and for animation buffs i recommend: "Probably should watch it! Just to know how good this shit can get." This is a unique watch! Don't miss out!