(L+CR) Ping Pong (NoitaminA)

[cyth]

Leaving the wonderful direction and character development aside, it's the animation department that's got me worried. Hopefully future episodes won't be as clunky as this one.

[RoboMambo]

This is up there with JoJo for AOTS.

Smile's development this week and portrayal of his emotions was amazing. And I loved his attitude during the match. I know his cuurent behaviour is probably damaging to himself and maybe to others, but I still find myself empathising with it and the posture he took to life. On the other hand I can't help feeling Koizumi had it coming.

It was fun seeing Peco acting all dramatic from his defeat to China, and dropping the act the instant Smile is unfazed by it.

[Guardian Enzo]

Koizumi is like a reject from Friday Night Lights ended up in a Yuasa anime. He's awesome.

[Esclair]

The robot transformation scene was pure awesome.

[neshru]

Just wanted to point out that Ben Ettinger is writing some great blogs on this series. For those not familiar with him, he's one of the biggest western experts of animation in anime (he's kind of like a living animation encyclopedia when it comes to anime). If you want to know a little more about Yuasa and the people behind the ping pong episodes, check out his posts.

[Fevvers]

This the same Ben of Anipages?

Reminds me to watch Aim for the Ace!

[kuromitsu]

^Thanks for the link!

Here's another of his blogs with some very interesting (mostly wrt the animation) posts on Yuasa projects, including Ping Pong, although I'm partial to his posts about Kemonozume.

[leongsh]

Episode 3 soars. Monster match between Smile and Wenge. Added bonus is the true OP showing up with this episode.

The direction and style is perfectly matched to the material. Loving this show a lot. Brilliant so far.

[cleo]

Spoiler for ep. 3:

I had high expectations for this series, and wow, I'm so happy it delivers. Real OP, that ping-pong ball beat, that match!
Seeing Smile crawl out of his shell and playing offensive was awesome, as the entire math was. Too bad old habits die hard.
It'll be interesting to see the dynamics of Wenge, Koizumi and bald guy, making it clear that, instead of being considerate, his behaviour is degrading and disrespectful to his opponents. And on the other hand Peco (Smile's hero?), who wants the spotlight and doesn't want Smile to change his style. He sure wasn't pleased watching that match.

I can't say I agree with Koizumi's timing to change Smile's equipment though. I'm sure it's a good way to show he has faith in his his pupil, but right before the match with Wenge?

[HandofFate]

dang, I know the story is about him learning to want to win and get some drive.
But I want to watch him win, and show up China.

[cleo]

I don't. I mean eventually I do, and we've seen he has the potential, but having him pwn the strongest players right from the start, would make the series pretty boring. I want him suffer work for it and really earn it.

[musouka]

I'm running out of superlatives for this show.

Part of the reason it works so well is that it manages to be clear without being obvious, both in general direction and in the writing of the characters. There are tiny details which add to your appreciation of the whole, even though you might not consciously pick up on them at the time. (For example, it took two watches for me to realize that Peco makes the same "hero gestures" as Smile's hero when he plays ping pong.)

Another--lesser--series might have Peco outright framed as the villain when he talks to Smile about Smile's change in playing style, but instead he comes across as both selfish and vulnerable in that scene. Sure, he doesn't want Smile to outstrip him, but he's not to the point yet where it's fully dawned on him that the possibility is, in fact, a reality. So his warning to Smile about "changing your style all of a sudden" is less sinister and more pathetic as we see him trying to hang on to his "role" in Smile's life even as the ground shifts under his feet.

I love the cast in general. Sometimes I'll find what they're doing irritating in the moment, like Akuma and Peco's dick waving contest, but the "hmph!" and sour expression on Peco's face as Akuma walks away is so lovable, so ridiculously human, that I can't help but think, "Ah, yeah, I totally understand why Smile is friends with and admires this obnoxious, endearing brat..."

It's the same with Smile's "bad habit". A part of me was disappointed that he didn't go for the kill, but another--perhaps even stronger part--was happy that Smile symbolically flipped off all the people insisting that he take ping pong as seriously as they do by realizing that Kong needed the win more than he did and reacting accordingly. After all, we saw what happened when people were confronted with Kong's fifty meter wall of skill--they just gave up and found no joy in the game. While "letting Peco win" has begun to poison Peco's growth and their friendship, I don't think Smile's entirely wrong to want to have fun while playing ping pong either...

[Flower]

Originally Posted by leongsh

Episode 3 soars. Monster match between Smile and Wenge. Added bonus is the true OP showing up with this episode.

The direction and style is perfectly matched to the material. Loving this show a lot. Brilliant so far.

Not much more I can say to this. I totally agree.

One of my fave aspects of this ep was the blend of superb bgm and odd visuals. The OP and ED continue to fit perfectly, and the first three eps have been like a seamless single tapestry depicting a historical account.

Awesome.

[kuromitsu]

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.

Originally Posted by musouka

I don't think Smile's entirely wrong to want to have fun while playing ping pong either...

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.

[musouka]

I don't know that Smile "means" it either, since it's pretty much impossible to tell how he actually feels about, well, pretty much anything. I meant more in the sense of...Smile doesn't have to buy into "sports culture" if he doesn't want to. It's perfectly fine for him to feel like basing your life on the sport is dumb and something he isn't personally interested in.

Like, previously, a lot of people celebrated when the coach "broke through" to Smile, but I don't think it was an entirely positive accomplishment. Yes, the coach found the lever to move the boulder that is Smile's motivation, but it comes at the cost of putting undue stress on Smile. Yes, he'll win to get you off his back, or to prove a point, but that's just as miserable to me as losing because he doesn't want to make Peco cry, if not moreso, really.

So I'm fine either way. If the series is about Smile coming to learn the Value of Winning, I want him to do it on his own terms, for his own sake. Likewise, if winning never becomes as important as it is to the people around him, I think that's also a valid, if a more unusual choice for this type of story.

[Haak]

That "Umi" guy was hilarious. It didn't take him long to realise what was happening and we even got a Brick Joke out of him in the end.

The atmosphere in this show is just fantastic. It's just so unabashed and unafraid to portray Ping Pong as the meaning of life and I love it.

And you just gotta love Smile's humming.

[RollingPenguin]

I think the reason why Smile isn't competitive is that he is still trying to maintain simplistic views of a child.Everything was much simpler back when he was younger,winning or losing nothing mattered.But now as he is growing older he can see the effects his triumphs have on other people and the response he came up with is to simply let them win.Also,it is obvious that he isn't ambitious,unlike Peco he finds his happiness in places other than competitive sport.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by musouka

I meant more in the sense of...Smile doesn't have to buy into "sports culture" if he doesn't want to. It's perfectly fine for him to feel like basing your life on the sport is dumb and something he isn't personally interested in.

Of course, but I think Smile IS interested in this sport, even if he doesn't really want to be a pro player. He just has a truckload of issues that hold him back, not only in ping pong but also in life, and prevent him from actually living his life.

Originally Posted by musouka

So I'm fine either way. If the series is about Smile coming to learn the Value of Winning, I want him to do it on his own terms, for his own sake. Likewise, if winning never becomes as important as it is to the people around him, I think that's also a valid, if a more unusual choice for this type of story.

I think in Smile's case it's more than just about the value of winning. I mean, of course, that's important, but Smile has this incredibly thick wall around himself that he needs to dismantle so he can take control of his life and actually live, instead of just sort of wander through life as if living was something that happens to other people.

I mean, for example the part about him in the closet - it's obvious that he was closed up in there by bullies (there's a broom set across the door). It's also implied that the hero who "saved" him from there, and probably also from being bullied was Peko, and that ever since he's been following Peko's lead because Peko is everything that (he thinks) he lacks. He holds back partly because he's afraid of the pressure, the hurt, the prospect for potential failure, but also because he doesn't want to surpass Peko because that would mean losing the sense of security Peko gives him. So in a way, the "value of winning" that Smile needs to learn is more like a way to become his own person in control of his own life.

Originally Posted by Haak

The atmosphere in this show is just fantastic. It's just so unabashed and unafraid to portray Ping Pong as the meaning of life and I love it.

Well, ping pong is a serious sport, with athletes who dedicate their lives to it, so...

[Guardian Enzo]

Strong Searching for Bobby Fischer vibes with this one.

Great ep, but I especially loved what was effectively a tap dance musical number with ping pong. Brilliant.

[Kanon]

The animation and directing are truly brilliant. Very little directors can match Yuasa's sense of cinematography. The plot is also excellent of course. Smile is a terrific character. I loved his attitude throughout his episode, up until he went back to his old self and let China win. I was disappointed, but this isn't very surprising. It's going to take a bit longer for him to change, given that he's been this way for the longest time. His competitive spirit isn't completely ignited yet. He'll do better new time... in a year?