Many people have been recommending me to watch Ping Pong for a while now so I thought it’s two flies with a one swat if I watch it now. Oh boy that was one of the best decisions I’ve done.
Ping Pong the animation tells us a story of multiple high schooler ping pong players and their coming of age story. Our two main protagonists Peco and Smile have been playing since they were little. Peco is confident, arrogant and talented pong player who introduced our other main character Smile to the game. Smile on the other hand is a very melancholic, bored and lonely person looking for a hero to save him. Reason to his behavior is later told in the story. Peco has always been a ping pong prodigy and has never really practiced. Smile on the other hand is also good in ping pong but he’s always decided to stay in Peco’s shadow.
There are other characters as well, for example Kong Wenge a chinese player exiled to Japan, looking to win tournaments to get back on track and return home. He was my favorite character because in a way he was so relatable, struggling with the idea of talent vs hard work.
Even though the anime is named Ping Pong the Animation, It’s much more than just a story about the game. It introduces us to all these characters, their personal issues, dreams and hopes. When the show is over you might wonder was this about ping pong at all. I think that’s what the creator wants us to think.
The animation in this anime is beautiful, it has this raw power and rough around the edges but it is fluid in it’s own way. The art style has divided people in two camps where others absolutely love it and others dislike it. I personally belong to those people who loved it, after the first episode I kinda got hooked in to it. The style allows the characters to show emotions more clear and human which is very centered theme in this show.
Music in this anime is legendary, I can’t even count how many times I’ve re-played the OST. The ending theme and Ping Pong Phase 1 & 2 are my absolute favorites. There’s also song that I wont link because of spoilers but that one made me shed a tear.
Overall Ping Pong the Animation is a work of art and will be remembered as a masterpiece inside the medium.
Positives
+ Gorgeous art and animation
+ Relatable and realistic cast
+ Chillingly good OST
+ The story was very well put together and the ending was satisfying
Negatives
– Maybe the fact that they didn't explain much about ping pong techniques or the game itself but after all that is not what this anime is about.
