Huh, this was intense, and it's only episode 3... The highest point of the ep was obviously the China vs Smile match, but I also liked the guy whom Smile destroyed one match earlier. (The one who went to the beach.)
I also liked how Smile was about to win, but in the end he fell back into his usual pattern when he overheard China's coach. I'm not sure if he understood what the coach said, or he just picked up on the emotions and put the picture together based on what Baldie had told him, but it was a really good change of rhythm and a great resolution to the match. I'm pretty sure both China and Smile are dissatisfied enough to put more effort into practicing and playing.
As for the visuals, my favorite shot in this ep was the ping pong ball morphing into the engine of an airplane that's taking off, with China's commentary. Man, that was awesome.
Also, hey, we have an OP! It's okay, but I still think the best part about it is the awesome song.
Quote:
Originally Posted by musouka
I don't think Smile's entirely wrong to want to have fun while playing ping pong either...
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I don't know if he really means it right now, though. I thought it was just an excuse for not putting more effort into the game and not being competitive. Smile may really enjoy playing, but "I just want to have fun" is also a convenient way to cover up for fear of the pressure, the failure, the changes in personal relationships, etc. that come with someone taking a sport (or anything competitive) seriously. (The mechanic, cruel way Smile played also didn't really seem like "fun" to me...)
In a way, that "I just want to have fun" reminded me of the beach guy. He's kinda good at stuff but not really good enough, so he does something for a bit for fun and when he finds he can't go further he moves along to the next something. And once someone destroys him the way Smile did, all his motivation and perhaps his feel of self-worth is completely gone.