#tv-series/anime #finishedwatch-2023 # Ping Pong the Animation  [Genre:: Anime - Sports] [Approximate_Start_Date:: 2023-01-27] [Finish_Date:: 2023-02-02] ## [Rating:: 98] Excellent story, excellent character study, excellent art-syle and design choices, and excellent story telling. # Watch Notes Watched the English dub on kissanime while playing [[Pokemon Heart Gold]] ## My Thoughts and Notes After just three episodes, this series feels like a classic kind of anime. Hard to believe that this came out in 2014. It has some tropey moments, but it's wholly original in it's presentation of admittedly a common story. It's the presentation that makes it feel special, something I've really come to appreciate, how a story is told. The writing is also really smart and you learn so much from the small ways the character interact with each other. Episode 3 we learn just how much Kong is arrogant because he learns that he'd have to play Smile in the 3rd round, and he immediately assumes both will win. It's so cool from a writing perspective. ## Talent - Episode 6 at 7:30 - Talent theme - "Anyone lookin' to go career with Table Tennis is never gonna mesh with guys like you and me, we're just in it to make high school more fun." Really meaningful quote for me, gonna have to think about this one. It's immediately followed up with a scene with the Dragon where he has an internal thought of his father saying that "Having a dream requires talent. Those without talent are doomed and should walk away". This is intentional, no doubt. - Episode 6 - 16:23 - Sakuma, "not all birds are meant to fly", Sakuma stepping back from Table Tennis because he lacks talent, motivating Peco to get back into Table Tennis. The conversation is Peco acknowledging that his talent has ultimately failed him because he never worked hard to maximize off of his high starting point ## Contrast between Smile and Peco - Smile is naturally talented but only sees Ping Pong as a hobby, pass-time, something to fill the time, Peco loves the sport but is not nearly as good as Smile. The two are clearly meant to be foils of one another in their pursuit of a championship. - Both suffer difficult character defeats Peco losing and Smile breaking) from opponents who exploit their initial flaws (China and Coach Koizumi) to demonstrate that they're not the best and have room to improve in the rest of the series ## Art Style and Aesthetics Lots of cool rotoscoping and paneling. I really think it's a fascinating art style, especially when using the negative spaces as a way to show something, like when Smile is in the locker for example. Or when Smile channels the robot in Episode 2 and whenever Smile gets emotionless, the eyes flash like robots and the sound effects when he cleans his glasses, or run are robotic-sounding. I like that a lot. The start of episode 3 goes HARD, and the epic music being just sung yb Smile's VA humming to himself is both hilarious and surprisingly fitting. I love how artistic and unique this feels ## The End I was fully expecting the show to end without telling us who won that final match between Smile and Peco, though I suppose I should've known the moment I saw Smile coaching the kids. I am glad that in the end it's Peco that wins it all since it's not only a coming of age story for all the characters involved, but it's specifically about someone learning that their talent is important but it's important to also develop a love and passion for the sport and to grow as they continue. Peco was always the best, but he didn't realize it until he took a pressing defeat. It's a really encouraging story that I will likely think about a lot. The theme of talent vs. practice really does come all full-circle with Peco and his ability to use both to ascend to stardom in the sport through a continued passion. Even at the end, we know that for Smile, Ping Pong isn't his ultimate interest and passion in life, and that Ryuichi got good more out of fear, whereas Peco has always loved the sport. It's just cool, I really enjoyed it. [[Ping Pong's Ending Reminds us that Talent is only a foundation, and that it must be combined with hard work to be 'the best']] # Favorite Moments / Memories - Opening of Episode 3 with the balls leading into the music - Peco vs. (S)akuma in Episode 4, the show has guts to bring out a wild timing sequence of making you WAIT. There's so much tension in that spot. # What were you doing when not watching this? *Can we tie the time you did this watch to any real-world events?* # Relevant Links *Links to associated media.*