How does Masaaki Yuasa live up to the near perfect masterpiece that was Tatami Galaxy? By making what is undeniably to me one of the most perfect anime series ever created. I can't say it any other way. I loved Ping Pong. It is one of my favorite shows of all time. It is what I consider the single best anime of the 2010's.
And it may very well be what I consider to be the single most perfect anime series I've ever seen.
STORY: 10/10
Ping Pong is not really about ping pong. Rather, it focuses on the players themselves outside of the sport. Their personal lives, their passions, their backstories, their motivations. It is raw and real, while the narrative itself is very artistic, impressionistic, and experimental. The anime follows four ping pong players all intertwined by fate who ultimately confront each other in two grand national tournaments, one at the beginning and one at the end. The characters change throughout the middle, and these changes ultimately impact the second tournament and make it leap bounds above the first in both thematic and stylistic ways.
ART: 10/10
Ping Pong's artstyle is unique. Many will brush it off as being "terrible" and it's very, very easy to see why. I believe it is a masterwork of animation. The animation itself is not crap. It is extremely fluid and dynamic, and hardly ever resorts to still images. The art perfectly replicates the style that is found in the manga it's based on. This dedication makes Ping Pong one of the most perfect manga adaptations to grace the medium.
SOUND : 10/10
Ping Pong's soundtrack is a masterpiece of itself. Such tracks like A Hero Appears and Dragon are among my favorite songs in anime, and others like Ping Pong Phase are in my running for among the greatest songs I've ever listened to. The OST is one of the few anime soundtracks I listened from beginning to end in one sitting, and is even one I'd buy a physical copy of. It is without a doubt one of the greatest soundtracks these ears have experienced.
The voice acting is also top notch. Each performance is raw and believable, and Kudos to Kong's VA for speaking Mandarin AND Japanese.
CHARACTERS: 10/10
It is utterly impossible still to me to believe that in only 11 episodes the cast of Ping Pong was so well developed. Hell, I'd even say it's the most developed cast of characters I've ever seen in a 26 episode or shorter anime series. Everyone is pitch perfect, and while they adhere to certain cliche stereotypes at first, it turns out that, like real people, there's more to them than their first impression. As the viewer spends time with these characters, a very real sense of growth is felt as they mingle with each other on the thread of destiny. I will never forget the angst and tribulations of Smile, Peco, China, Akuma, and Kazuma. I feel like I've known them my whole life, and that's the best compliment I can give for characterization.
ENJOYMENT: 10/10
When I can say an anime changed my perspective on life, you better know damn well that means I enjoyed it. While being touching and emotional, the anime is also hype as shit and has some truly adrenaline pumping action moments. Who knew ping pong could be so badass? On top of that, the series is laced with some mild subtle humor, but don't let that make you think this is a tongue in cheek comedy. The humor is there to make the series not a complete downer. It is a very serious and grave personal story about the lives on individuals with one of the most satisfying conclusions I've seen.
OVERALL: 10/10
I can't praise Ping Pong more than I have already. Perfect characterization, perfect chemistry, perfect development, perfect OST, and an art style to die for, Ping Pong the Animation transcends beyond its genre constriction as a sports anime. ping Pong is about much more than the titular sport. It is about life. It is about growing up. It is about finding, losing, and regaining your place in the world. It is about attitude, brotherhood, confidence, cooperation, dedication, discipline, respect, courtesy, honor, spirit, focus, integrity, courage, quality. The art style will throw many viewers away, but those willing to get entranced by it will not be disappointed with this ultimate coming of age epic. One of the greatest stories and experiences I've ever had in a storytelling medium.
