Anime: Ping Pong the Animation

A simple story and premise can be incredibly effective when told and presented with great skill. This is a great anime. And I say only anime because it goes beyond the "sports anime" genre.

Just like Masaaki Yuasa and Nobutake Itou's other works, this show is remarkable in its art style and direction. Don't get me wrong - the over-simplistic design might be unappealing for some audiences that might find it "ugly" or "unfinished", but I bet that its manga-esque panels in the screen, oversimplified yet frenetic animation, beautiful palette and the whole aesthetics can grow on you even if you're not a big fan in the first impression. It is definitely more interesting than the average generic style we're tired to see in the industry.
Also, the rough style is certainly different from the wacky exaggerated slapstick animations from other Yuasa works, like Mind Games or Tatami Galaxy. However, the very well done direction can make these simple animations energetic, making your eyes bounce from side to side like a table tennis ball.

Now, the sound work in this anime is superb. It's a perfect layer addition that compensates for the lack of a more well polished animation. The voice-actors are very good and it's notable how the Chinese characters actually speak Chinese. I never saw that kind of thing in an anime. I think this is only overcome by the amazing original soundtrack that greatly elevates the characters and the action scenes specially the one theme that transforms the ping pong noises of a scene into the percussion).

The show isn't that much inventive towards the sports anime structure, but it makes a very smart decision of not following the cliché of focusing on training hard and self-sacrifice for a gain in the end. It's all about the way more interesting discussion on talent and the meaning and motivation of practicing sports.

We witness numerous matches that reveal the psique of the characters and we see them dealing with their desires, frustrations and choices. These characters' arcs are very well made, especially if we think the anime has only 11 episodes (like the amount of points in a table tennis match). Smile, the anti-protagonist who has potential but is holding himself back in his shell; Peco, the classic protagonist who doesn’t believe in his potential for competing and prefers to let it go; Wenge, who wants to return to his home country; Sakuma, who wants to be better than Peco and prove himself; Kazama, who sees the sport as a treacherous climb and a duty; and that one character who gave up on table tennis to try to find his way in the world. They all share the difficult reality of sports: the competitive nature of it, the practice that leads to defeat, the insecurity, the outshining of friends and so on. But in the end, is the fun and enjoyment of it that matters. Or maybe it's just not your thing.

Another outstanding aspect of the show is the well-crafted symbolism and thematic parallels. The coach, once known as Joe Butterfly, helps Smile emerge from his chrysalis, allowing him to gain his own wings. There's also the hero who initially rescues Smile from his isolation in the closet, and later, we learn who the hero is and how he helps Smile overcome his reserved attitude towards the sport and find the real value of it again. The way they use the robot analogy with Smile is great too, like the robotic video-game character being too powerful for every minion or the 'blood tastes like iron' motif that plays with the idea of being human and machine.

But the most predominant visual asset is the use of flight. The birds, the hero and the plane. The idea of flying or wings are connected with the idea of freedom and happiness in the show. Wenge literally says that he wishes he was a bird. Kazuma and Smile are only saved from their suffering when the flying hero shows them the real joy of playing. In the match with Peco, the ball going over Kazuma's head turns into a bird sometimes, symbolizing that the point of practicing a sport is not just winning and suffering, but to enjoy it.

However, the show has a few flaws. Smile is cold and blank and acts like a machine on purpose for the story, but it's hard to care for a protagonist like this. Peco, his counterpoint is what makes it more well balanced. We care more for characters like Wenge and Kazama because we can say how they're feeling.
Another issue is the lack of tension. Okay, I know sports anime are often predictable. It's win it or lose it, right? But this show goes beyond - every single match is predictable. We don't have any kind of turnaround that is not expected. But to be fair, the point of the show is not to let you in the edge of your seat. It's all about the characters, not the matches results. Still, if they're trying to point out that the real value of sports is having fun with it, they should try and make me have fun with the matches, right? Basically, these issues emerge because they're trying to make a point.

All things considered, Ping Pong the Animation has the perfect duration and its mature story is very well told. It's certainly a triumph of both narrative and artistic execution, but it's not only this that makes it stands out among the best in the genre. The themes of escapism, finding your way in the world and the cruel nature of sports are explored in a deep level and the final message of the importance of having fun, acceptance of being mediocre and embracing joy can be applied not only to sports, but to life itself.

Regarding Anime genres, after a certain point it is difficult to constantly find new titles to pique one's interest. I was avoiding Ping Pong the Animation for the longest time, because I really did not want to suffer through another Masaaki Yuasa overrated mess. But given the lack of any interesting sports anime (on my radar at least), the high rating, and the NoitaminA length, I decided to give it a go. On hindsight, maybe I should've tried to get into the Mahou Shoujo genre.

I already can hear the opposition arguing that this is not a sports anime. Well, we have high-school sports clubs, rivals, mentors, training montages, and tournaments. So, yeah, it is a sports anime. Maybe it transcends the genre you say? Failing the aspects that make the genre great does not imply transcendence. Not sure what the right word is, but it is not transcendence.

Let us examine why. Firstly, there are no stakes in Ping Pong the Animation. There is zero interest for the outcome of the matches. And as a side-note, the outcome of each one is painfully predictable. The sports genre has been successful, for at least 35 years, in creating stakes using as simple a device as “Zettai Koshien”. Simply disregarding that characteristic takes away much of the flavor. Even the various skill levels and the closing of the skill gap is presented without consistency and logic, making the matches even less interesting (and I repeat, they are already predictable). A final note on the subject of the matches, I dare you to try to handle the cheese of the semi-finals.

You would think that since the sports facet is not emphasized, the characters would be well written and a coming of age story would emerge. It does not. The characters are a collection of over-the-top scenes that highlight their traits, and then, we receive neither substance nor development. Ok, I guess Wenge Kong, even though he started as a caricature, had an interesting story, but he is only a minor character.

That lack of substance is the major problem; no matter how many times you repeat “The hero comes” and “Blood tastes like iron”, no matter how artsy you make the image while you repeat it, if you fail to attach any meaning to it, it's just pretentious and hollow. I would rather hear “Katsu! Katsu! Zettai katsu!” for the millionth time from a character I care about, than this pointless drivel.

To be fair, there are some interesting psychological ideas present in the beginning, but they are not worth mentioning because they are immediately dropped in favor of the pointlessness and the pretentiousness. Even Battery, a later NoitaminA addition which the consensus (rightfully I think) judged as a failure, tried harder to get away from the typical genre tropes and touched more mature psychological subjects with better care.

I should say something about the weird art style.I do not even mind it. I think in general it is good to experiment with different art styles, especially when the CGI dominance is upon us, but the style was not something special. It had some artistic moments, but nothing that could come even close to saving the train-wreck.

I wrote too many words where one would suffice to describe Ping Pong the Animation. That word is insipid. My suggestion is also brief: Do not watch it. I know that taste is relative and “To each his own” is a very important axiom to me, but I think the Anime/Manga community should not fall so easily for blatant pretentiousness and/or hype. 3.5/10.

I find sport series to be boring, repetitive, and lacking tension because there is nothing to lose if you are defeated. I know the main point is constantly trying to improve yourself until you finally become the champion, but what’s the drawback while you are still trying? You are doing what you like. If you lose in a tournament, you will simply try again next year by continuing to train in what you like. And even if you win in a tournament, you are still going to compete next year because you still like doing what you do. It makes no difference.

The same thing applies to Ping Pong, a sport series everybody considers to be amazing for being very focused on the mentality of the characters, as well as having a very artistic presentation. I guess that enhances the experience of watching it, but it sure as hell doesn’t play out any differently compared to any other sport series. It looks visually unique, but I have seen so many different artstyles in anime to the point it doesn’t mean anything to me.

Kuroko no Basket looks polished but it’s otherwise pretty standard in artstyle. Did that work in favor of Ping Pong, somehow? No it didn’t, since not as many people watched Ping Pong, and if you ask them why, it’s because they don’t like the artstyle. It looks very silly. It’s a show that is supposed to be taking itself more seriously than most other sports and yet it makes the characters look like slapstick cartoons. And don’t you dare to mention how it was directed by Yuasa Masaaki, and how all his works look like that. This is a mundane setting, there is nothing supernatural about it, it should look normal for us to sympathize with its characters.

Also, the protagonist has the emotional warmth of a glacier. If he doesn’t care, why should you? Yes, that’s his character and it’s part of the theme of having to think like a machine if you want to be good at the sport. He is still making it hard to care about him in the exact same way as in any other show with an emotionless protagonist.

The Chinese rival is a better character, as he has emotions and you see how he considers himself unbeatable, while also feeling the pressure of defeat. He’s handled in a great way, but the show chickens out on the negative consequences, and thus it makes the drama of his defeat to be meaningless. Oh, no, I lost and I can’t go back home as punishment. I am forced to travel the world and be famous in dozen countries. Oh, the horror.

Same thing with Smile. He spends the whole show jumping from super positive to almost committing suicide because he’s cannot beat everyone in a harmless sport. And then he breaks his leg and still somehow manages to defeat the world champion with the power of friendship. Once again, the show chickens out on the negative consequences and ruins whatever realism it is going for.

In fighting shonen if you lose you will be killed, and perhaps the whole world will be destroyed. You can see the tension there. As much as they are trying to make it seem like Ping Pong means everything to the characters in this show, to the point they need to act like emotionless machines, when there is no actual penalty for losing, then what’s the point?

It’s a definitely very memorable for a sports anime, the kind of which come out by the dozens every year and get forgotten almost immediately. Is it superb? No, but it does the best it can with what it has, so I guess that counts for something.

This show is ass and not the good kind.

I am going to compare it to Van Gogh's 1888 "The Night Café" throughout this review. When anyone looks at "The Night Café", they see a subpar painting. They are standing there confused as to why everyone is proclaiming this to be a fine piece. You need to know that the light green bar is representative of the green fairy. You need to know that the clock is just past twelve so it isn't tactful to be drinking during either time. You have to know that the warm walls with the white tables will cause the tables to seemingly walk away from the walls if heavily intoxicated. Then you must be aware that the yellow room in the back is inviting and is everything that isn't the room you are currently in. I can go on about this piece for about ten minutes and I feel like I am pretending to be every zealot who loves "Ping Pong The Animation".

Just like "The Night Café", people go out of their way to polish a turd. People make it sound like it is the only "coming of age tale" when there are indeed tons of them. "Coming of age" may as well be it's own genre. They recycle the exact same scenes when showing character development. Let's watch Peco get slapped again. Let's see if Ping Pong Man becomes anything significant. I have played sports and I was good at some and not so good in others. Big deal! I personally lived the best part of this anime with little to no effort. I like abstract representational art. I appreciate the use of symbolism and scale to convey points. This show borderline took the piss with it's art. No one could have actually been touched by the guy on the beach. He was wandering around like an emo kid and it kept reoccurring without anyone caring about him.

The art-style is awful. I understand wanting to stay true to the source material, but alterations would have been seriously advised. Let's take something everyone loves; Steins;Gate. The art in the anime was similar to the VN, but someone with common sense realized that it would be a feat to keep that style up for an entire anime. They took some polish off and kept the same feeling. This is an adaption done correctly. I have seen cars hit by trains that had smoother lines than what this animation has given us. People fail to realize failure when they love something and overlooking flaws is a virtue. The quality of an abstract non-representational piece of "art" done by a 5 year old that has been given three colors will be of the same caliber.

I want to touch on the music quickly. There is one good song called "Dragon" and it goes "Hoo-Ha PING PONG" and then repeats. There is also one song that is so bad they didn't even put it on the OST. Listen for the humming song in the show if you want to go into an audio induced coma.

The show was not enjoyable and I cannot believe that this is rated so highly. This show demonstrates how strong the troll community is by jokingly rating this show a 10. Most people that love this show have an average of less than 6 because they are the wannabe anime critics/hardasses and they all need a joke like "Cory in the House" to keep in their own circle.

Avoid the show at all costs. Not worth your time

how good can a sports anime be? turns out - very good!
nobody should be really surprised at this initial assertion. after all, there are many shows that fit both requirements - be about sports and be very good. however, very few are quite like Ping Pong. things become clearer, when you realize that the show is directed by none other than Yuasa Masaaki, a man known for artsy, slightly weird and very lively shows.

Excellent production

Ping Pong, like Masaaki's other works, sports an unusual artstyle. one that might seem like a direct counter to the mainstream - characters change poses rapidly, their faces are overdetailed and displayed from weird angles, to the point of making you think that they're being shown as ugly on purpose. couple that with fast (but sometimes rough) animation, that really emphasizes movement and change, and you have a great antidote to the countless static scenery moeblob shows. I'm not quite sure about the production methods, but it did seem like some scenes involved at least a bit cgi, however, this is all very well masked up as a hand-drawn show, with a preference towards raw art, rough colours, sometimes even sketch-like animation. The total impression is very stylish and dynamic, never a dull shot.

No worse is the sound department, with excellently chosen BGMs enhancing almost every moment. Actors do a great and fun job, thanks to the lively roles they've been called to play. The contrast and play between Peco and Smile can be heard in their voices, which both differ greatly from the likes of Kazama Ryuuichi, not to mention the chinese characters actually speaking chinese. I can't say whether it's a horrible abomination of chinese, like engrish that we all know and love/hate, but to somebody clueless like myself it certainly sounded convincing enough. The show's cast is thus entertainingly diverse in both audial and visual ways.
All in all, Ping Pong has excellent production, one that is in line with Masaaki's previous work in terms of quality and "artsiness".

Simple story, amazing characters

The biggest departure from Masaaki's previous works is the fact that the core story itself is actually very simple. There are no plot tricks or weird worlds here, this is Japan, and these guys play Ping Pong, and, oh boy, do they love it.
The basic structure of the show follows a timeline over a year (and beyond), tracking the progress and personality changes of its cast in relation to their prowess in ping pong. It's a simple premise, but one that gains tremendous depth on account of its characters. There are arguably two main characters, but their stories would be incomplete without all the company that surrounds them. What we see in the show is how each of these characters deal with their personal limitations, circumstances and motivations. As such, ping pong is a kind of a character study, driven forward by the main competitive crux of the show, that in reality is just a flashy (and very exciting!) background for character transformations that make a damn lot of sense.

While Ping Pong itself might not seem like a terribly interesting activity, the themes that are explored with the help of this competitive sport are far more universal, applicable to almost every modern existence, that has dealt with dreams, ambitions, talent or lack of it, the value of hard work and personal limitations. One unexpected dimension in the show is time - show does a good job of illustrating differences between various generations and their approach to events at hand. We see how personal histories have started, where they ended up, and, most importantly, why did they end up the way they did.

Lively, entertaining and meaningful

Ultimately, Ping Pong is a show that is incredibly lively thanks to its diverse cast, their realistic struggles and the excellently executed flashy animation style. From what I've seen this show is probably the easiest to pick up and enjoy from Masaaki's works - there's no "weird shit" going on here, but it is no less satisfying and meaningful. The character stories it tells resonate greatly, the pace is fast, and the story is totally complete. What's not to like?