Review of Ping Pong the Animation
Finally, I had the opportunity to watch Ping Pong The Animation and I have to say some things about it. I decided to watch it for all the critical acclaim it garnered and I ended up liking it more than I expected. To enjoy the show you have to get used to the 'weird' visual proposal and interpret the first episodes as a period of adaptation. Probably it isn't so difficult for you because it depends on each one, but I can assure to everyone it's a grower. The story is simple, really simple, but it gets interesting because of the characters, its best feature. The pingpong is used as a resource to introduce and develop the characters, but the sport doesn’t get overlooked. Another good point is that emphasizes the value of friendship and the importance of having ambitions in life, in a good way. The pace of the story intensifies episode by episode, until to reach the masterpiece that is the last one. However, I think it could have been a little better if it had explored into other characters and the story can feel short and a bit rushed. Although it's understandable by the number of episodes.
The characters are almost all memorable and they develop naturally. To be honest, who caught my attention to continue watching the show was Hoshino, Yutaka 'Peco' with his carefree and bright personality. Later, you can be attracted by Kong, Wenge with his strong appreciation to his homeland and his mother or the coach Koizumi with his funny Japanglish. The list is long and I'm sure you will empathize with many of them.
The weakest point of the show is the visual proposal. It's unique, but that doesn't mean it's great. It has its moments, the color contrast is absorbent and most backgrounds are beautiful, but the character design and some scenes like Peco swimming at the beach can be irritating. The animation is fine. The good news is that the show is easily recognizable by its distinctive art and the risk they took is appreciated. The sound has high levels of quality and is fresh, suits the show. The voice actors did a great job too; Yousei did it phenomenal as Wenge.
In conclusion, Ping Pong The Animation may not be the most accessible anime to watch, but if you're a person that can highlight the good things of a show despite the difficulty to digest new proposals, I recommend you to give it a chance.