(L+CR) Ping Pong (NoitaminA)

[Eudaimonia]

This show is simply marvelous. OK, let's start from the beginning.

The flashback was kept short and simple. No need to show what happend before that moment nor any external narration that tells us about it. Seeing Smile in the cabinet locked up from the outside was enough to make it clear to the viewer what the situation is all about. It's all the more heart-breaking that elementary-schooler Smile considers that cramped up space as a refuge that protects him (presumably from the bullies who put him in there) when that couldn't be further from the truth. At the same time it illustrates very well how many victims think. Instead of turning his aggression towards the perpetrator he turns inwards, sealing himself off from what bothers and hurts him. In this case it's the robot (surreal imagery alert!) who saves him from the cabin, the withdrawn place that he was put in by others but what he also partly imposed upon himself by keeping quiet. I like how it isn't quite obvious who the robot is supposed to depict. Is it Peco, and if it's him why bother with the symbolism, while in fact it is intentiously kept ambigious as the ending demonstrates.

This episode tied in with the first episode's ending pretty nicely. Smile's lack of competitiveness and drive in genral was immediately adressed, as was his habit of holding back during matches with his best friend, this show really wastes no time with how tightly-written it is as a whole.
I love how the dialogue flows so seamlessly, tying in previously mentioned subjects and putting a spin on it such as the milk products Peco always drinks or the one-sided wife-husband relationship between Smile and his Coach played for laughs in an understated, natural way. While the conversations are pretty much devoid of overt theatrics they still get the point across even though they don't spell out everything which is always a positive in my book.

It's an interesting juxtaposition: Smile plays for fun, Peco plays in order to win (The latter might talk about quitting Ping-Pong as the whimsical kid he is but all his remarks during the matches and the scene at the beach make it painfully clear that this sport is serious business for him). A pretty significant difference especially if we take into consideration that the robot in the flashback most likely represents Peco (at least initially) and how Smile talked about him like he was his saviour which doesn't really make for an even relationship as they are not fighting on equal footing. Is this some potential for conflict between the two friends that I see? In any case it will be interesting to see how the changes in Smile's personality will affect their friendship and there's no doubt that Smile will change. It's only a matter of time until teacher Koizumi and China break him out of his shell.

The final match got me all up in arms with how climatic it was. The visuals synchronized perfectly with the themes presented here, Smile as the butterfly, a quiet presence and incredibly fragile personality-wise (the butterfly on the coach's shirt was a nice eye-catcher), a single moment that reveals his state of mind hidden under his abrasive behaviour. All his actions are meant to ward off attention from himself, to remain unnoticed and to prevent getting hurt. To actually commit himself to that sport and participating at tournaments would mean going against everything what his personality is composed of, no wonder he is so averse to playing along the teacher.
The flashbacks is shown once again, though this time there's no hero to save Smile. He has to save himself by taking the offensive and accordingly the robot that opens the locker looks completely different and yet it's instantly clear that it's supposed to symbolize Smile's own fighting spirit as the robot's game-like appearance links back to what we've gotten accustomed to from Smile, which is playing video games. Taking this into account it becomes apparent that Mr.Koizumi reached his goal by calling forth Smile's fighting spirit despite losing the match. Losing the battle but winning the war or so they say.
Funnily enough the logical result of combining these two visual depictions of Smile's mental state would be a winged robot btw, haha.

[kuromitsu]

Yeah, if there's anything this episode confirmed it's that this is the anime of the season, at least as far as I'm concerned.

And while I could go on and on about how much I loved this episode, there's only one thing that I really want to say - damn, the sound direction/engineering for this series is great, I wish I had a better sound system (hah, I'm using a pair of cheap headphones) to appreciate it with. In this episode my favorite part was the mechanical sounds when robot mode Tsukimoto moved, but in general the ping pong sounds are as good as you can get with a decent anime budget.

Also, so far the voice acting is really good, and Uchiyama Kouki again proves that he's really good at quiet, introspective, complex roles. Give the man more of these!

[Eudaimonia]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

And while I could go on and on about how much I loved this episode, there's only one thing that I really want to say - damn, the sound direction/engineering for this series is great, I wish I had a better sound system (hah, I'm using a pair of cheap headphones) to appreciate it with. In this episode my favorite part was the mechanical sounds when robot mode Tsukimoto moved, but in general the ping pong sounds are as good as you can get with a decent anime budget.

Yes, this is what I noticed as well! It's the part where Tsukimoto wiped his glasses accompanied by mechanical sounds that really made me pay attention to it and damn, is it good. His VA also sounded surprisingly vulnerable during this episode, good job.

[leongsh]

This is extremely good. I have to echo some people here - probably the best anime of the season. Definitely the best sports anime out of the 4 that started this season.

The content and the animation style are a superb fit with each other.

Bravo! Bravo!

[cleo]

Loving it. I really like the how natural the conversations and the humor are.
And speaking of humor: I had a big grin on my face when Smile did the Shaft-like head-tilt in the beginning of the match.

Originally Posted by cupumanager

Haha, Could already see how the animation would not be everyone's cup of tea...But this is wonderful, really.

Oh, anybody here a Ping-Pong player? The Styles and Techniques flew by my head, care to explain? I mean, I can imagine how Shakehand Grip, Penhold Grip, Chopper Style, Soft Racket may looks like, but how it really effects the play I have no idea...

Wiki explains it pretty well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_tennis#Racket

[Lina_Inverse]

Amazing episode, I swear if it wasn't for Jojo this would be my AOTS. I especially love the humor it just flows so naturally with their conversation.
"What are you thinking about right now?"
"Question 5"
This killed me XD.

[neshru]

Originally Posted by Eudaimonia

This show is simply marvelous. OK, let's start from the beginning.

The flashback was kept short and simple. No need to show what happend before that moment nor any external narration that tells us about it. Seeing Smile in the cabinet locked up from the outside was enough to make it clear to the viewer what the situation is all about. It's all the more heart-breaking that elementary-schooler Smile considers that cramped up space as a refuge that protects him (presumably from the bullies who put him in there) when that couldn't be further from the truth. At the same time it illustrates very well how many victims think. Instead of turning his aggression towards the perpetrator he turns inwards, sealing himself off from what bothers and hurts him. In this case it's the robot (surreal imagery alert!) who saves him from the cabin, the withdrawn place that he was put in by others but what he also partly imposed upon himself by keeping quiet. I like how it isn't quite obvious who the robot is supposed to depict. Is it Peco, and if it's him why bother with the symbolism, while in fact it is intentiously kept ambigious as the ending demonstrates.

I don't think the robot is supposed to be Peco. Peco is hardly a robot, quite the opposite. The robot is probably his own defense mechanisms. He doesn't want to be saved by the robot, he calls for the hero that saved him the first time around (the one that basically tells him "you're human, you're not a robot"). But since the hero doesn't seem to be coming, he has to rely on the robot.

[musouka]

Man, this series is already incredible.

I really love the friendship between Peco and Smile, how it's such a mixture of things for both of them--and not all of those things are good. That feels true to life in regards to how people who have known one another for a long time interact with one another. There is comfort to be had in that sort of relationship. For example, Peco's pouting assertion that he's going to quit ping pong that both he and Smile know isn't true; Smile doesn't even bother to pretend. Likewise, with Peco's clear pinpointing of when Smile had reached his breaking point and knowing exactly how to spend the day to wind him down, both of them just hanging out and talking.

On the other hand, Smile just passively accepts Peco's immature behavior, allowing him to act like a spoiled brat because that's the road of least resistance. And Peco revels in the fact that only he "understands" Smile; he has no interest in becoming a bridge between Smile and other people.

It feels like their relationship is on the cusp of a very important choice: to become an honestly balanced, positive friendship that betters one another, or to make a slid down into toxicity, with both of them becoming truly co-dependent on one another. Right now, it's a fascinating mixture of both.

[MeoTwister5]

Smile is clearly one those really gifted people who are so lacking in confidence and stuck in their own shells that they can't come out to their full ability. The way he and his flashbacks treat Peco makes it obvious that the "hero" he's been looking for is Peco, and he's turning himself into a doormat because of these deep seated admiration that's bordering on a one sided friendship. Not that Peco's taking advantage of him, but Smile almost offers himself entirely to him to the point that he depreciates himself to make Peco look good. As a result Peco has a rather... over inflated view of his own abilities. He's good, very good, but everyone else can see that Smile is much better and he's just dumbing himself down for Peco's sake.

So it's one of those classic self sacrificing friendships. Smile admires Peco too much that while he wants to be like him, he doesn't realize he's probably better than him. Now that the coach almost gave himself a myocardial infarct to drag the hidden Smile inside, maybe we'll see just how fracking good Smile is.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by Lina_Inverse

"What are you thinking about right now?"
"Question 5"
This killed me XD.

The best thing about it is that they're sitting in the middle of an English test. XD (Coach is apparently also the English teacher.)

Originally Posted by neshru

I don't think the robot is supposed to be Peco. Peco is hardly a robot, quite the opposite. The robot is probably his own defense mechanisms. He doesn't want to be saved by the robot, he calls for the hero that saved him the first time around (the one that basically tells him "you're human, you're not a robot"). But since the hero doesn't seem to be coming, he has to rely on the robot.

Yes, he pretty much says it out loud - the robot is basically the "be cold and aloof so nobody can hurt you" mechanism.

Originally Posted by musouka

It feels like their relationship is on the cusp of a very important choice: to become an honestly balanced, positive friendship that betters one another, or to make a slid down into toxicity, with both of them becoming truly co-dependent on one another. Right now, it's a fascinating mixture of both.

I think that's where the "outsiders" come in, like the coach, and more importantly China and whatshisname from this episode. It seems like Smile and Peko kind of exist in their own bubble, reinforcing each other's flaws in a sort of vicious circle. Peco at least has his own ambitions that drive him, but Smile doesn't allow himself that (it appears he's kind of living vicariously through Peko to a certain extent), so hopefully China et al will be a good influence on him. (Though baldie seems to be set up as Peko's rival, since it's implied that China is out of Peko's league and he's only interested in Smile.)

[BloodyKitty]

I have known Yuasa since Kaiba and The Tatami Galaxy, and while I don't particularly like how the art turns out in his anime, that doesn't stop me from enjoying his direction style. And yes, the first two Ping Pong episodes have been as good as the praises tell in this thread. Definitely my favorite show this season behind Mushishi.

[Eudaimonia]

Originally Posted by neshru

I don't think the robot is supposed to be Peco. Peco is hardly a robot, quite the opposite. The robot is probably his own defense mechanisms. He doesn't want to be saved by the robot, he calls for the hero that saved him the first time around (the one that basically tells him "you're human, you're not a robot"). But since the hero doesn't seem to be coming, he has to rely on the robot.

I was under the assumption that the blue robot was the visualization of his defense mechanism, a sort of bastardized version of the shining version with wings with the latter being a glorified version of Peco because I find it rather plausible that it was him who opened the locker which caused Smile to look up to him as a role model ("Can I be like you?") assuming it was Peco he was referring to, of course. And I would certainly say that that robot who bears more resemblance to an action hero would fit Peco's image as the exuberant figure exuding vitality, though whether he still fits that glamorized image is rather doubtful.

[Flower]

Hmm... I had not associated the hero with Peco, but rather with the multimedia entertainment industry content he immerses himself in.

Hard to say at the moment, but maybe it will become clear in later eps?

[MeoTwister5]

Smile seems to have some sort of dependent attachment to Peco. He doesn't do it in the outright needy demeanor but on a more subconscious level. Dependent people who don't express it physically tend to have behavioral patterns that "enables" and "promotes" the attached person to allow that person to succeed, sometimes at their own expense. The successes of that person become their own, and thus by supporting the person, the dependent fulfills their own needs.

Smile's behavior of losing intentionally to Peco suggests this, which in turn makes Peco and others think that Peco is better than he already is. When Peco is on a high, Smile manages to keep the image of a "heroic" Peco in his mind since he seems to consider Peco the hero that saved him from that dark locker. Thus he is attached, and his own fulfillment is somewhat dependent on Peco.

Peco, when you look at it, is something of the opposite of Smile: vocal and confident. Smile probably idealizes this image of Peco, and inside wants to be the hero he considers Peco to be. He thinks he can't, so his consolation is to maintain that heroic Peco image, even if it means that he puts up the facade of inferiority when it is clear that he is the better player of the pair.

[Eudaimonia]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Smile seems to have some sort of dependent attachment to Peco. He doesn't do it in the outright needy demeanor but on a more subconscious level. Dependent people who don't express it physically tend to have behavioral patterns that "enables" and "promotes" the attached person to allow that person to succeed, sometimes at their own expense. The successes of that person become their own, and thus by supporting the person, the dependent fulfills their own needs.

Smile's behavior of losing intentionally to Peco suggests this, which in turn makes Peco and others think that Peco is better than he already is. When Peco is on a high, Smile manages to keep the image of a "heroic" Peco in his mind since he seems to consider Peco the hero that saved him from that dark locker. Thus he is attached, and his own fulfillment is somewhat dependent on Peco.

Peco, when you look at it, is something of the opposite of Smile: vocal and confident. Smile probably idealizes this image of Peco, and inside wants to be the hero he considers Peco to be. He thinks he can't, so his consolation is to maintain that heroic Peco image, even if it means that he puts up the facade of inferiority when it is clear that he is the better player of the pair.

Yes, I think that is a very viable interpretation. By being so dependent on his friend and making himself smaller than he is Smile basically outsources the actions needed for emotional fulfillment. As you said if Peco succeeds he can share the satisfaction but when Peco loses Smile can just encapsulate himself to prevent the feelings of failure from reaching him. However, it's impossible to keep that up during his entire life, Peco won't be by his side forever and even stated before that he would like Smile to change, though I doubt he is aware of the extent of their relationship yet. As the match bewteen him and his coach showed Smile is going to have to commit himself to something seriously in the long run and not by acting like a robot who goes throught the actions but by actually getting emotionally involved.

[Guardian Enzo]

No argument from me - that was really superb. Indelible characters, interesting dynamic between them, savage psychological warfare. Far better than the premiere.

[Kanon]

This can't possibly be the best anime of the season with Mushishi airing, but damn if it isn't close behind. I can only echo the praises here. To think there are tons of people saying this season is garbage when there are marvelous works like this one airing... what the hell are they watching?

[leokiko]

Originally Posted by Kanon

This can't possibly be the best anime of the season with Mushishi airing, but damn if it isn't close behind. I can only echo the praises here. To think there are tons of people saying this season is garbage when there are marvelous works like this one airing... what the hell are they watching?

Mushishi, Haikyuu, Jojo, Ping Pong, No Game no Life, Baby Steps, Utusukishii Sekai, Isshukan Friends...This season rocks so far.

[cupumanager]

Ah, How couldn't anybody love Mr. Koizumi...He's such a Lover...His love may be tough, but you'll return his love...What a Glorious Springtime of Love for this 72-yo Penhold Player...

I notice that the senior Third-Grader sort of interacts normally with Peco, something even Smile doesn't get - Even though Both basically make them look like chumps.

[ChainLegacy]

I love Coach K . He's so dedicated to bringing out the greatness in his player that he derides his own profession (high school English teacher) as useless. The humor is great, and the characters are intriguing. I'm not ready to make any speculations about Smile's inner psyche yet, but there's definitely some kind of mental block that the Coach was able to unlock. Wonder if it'll be permanent, or just temporary?