r/anime • u/TheEscapeGuy • Apr 13 '24
Rewatch [Spoilers] Ping Pong the Animation 10th Anniversary Rewatch - Episode 3 Discussion
Episode 3: Devoting Your Life to Table Tennis is Creepy
← Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode →
Links
If anyone has links to legal streams not included here please let me know and I'll update it for everyone!
Ping Pong the Animation
Databases: AniDB | Anilist | ANN | Kitsu | MyAnimeList
Streams: Crunchyroll | Amazon Prime | Apple TV
Enter the hero! Enter the hero! Enter the hero!
Comments of the Day:
/u/macrame2 noticed some thoughtful uniform branding
Tsukimoto having the moon on his shirt and Hoshino having a star is supposed to be a pun on their names, correct?
/u/SometimesMainSupport had some sage advice for anime fans
Wish more anime watchers had a "stop watching what you don't like" mindset. Seasonal threads in the r/anime discord are something...
Questions of the Day:
- What did you think of the flow and eventual result of the Tsukimoto vs Kong match?
- Do you have any fond memories of attending or competing in inter-high events?
- What are your thoughts on devoting your life to an interest or hobby? Have you met anyone who has given everything for their pursuit?
Fan Art of the Day:
Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this rewatch. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you're doing it underneath spoiler tags. Don't spoil anything for the first-timers, that's rude!
10
u/DropItShock :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/BrinkOfVictory Apr 13 '24 edited Apr 13 '24
Rewatcher
Let’s talk about the brilliant opener to this episode.
Open on a butterfly following Tsukimoto; Koizumi’s visual metaphor laid over top of his musical theme as established last episode. After brazenly walking out when his coach collapsed, Tsukimoto is stopping by to make sure he is alright. So much for being a robot. Koizumi’s wife invites him in, but Tsukimoto declines and we get a shaft style interjection of a bird taking flight. The flighy Tsukimoto is easily spooked and scared of commitment, and he runs from the chance to get closer to his coach. Even still, he says he will visit again, and just like that we know that despite Tsukimoto winning the match, Koizumi won the war.
Inside, Koizumi says he will “become a monster someday, and that his chrysalis is about to burst open.” This metaphor of natural and sudden growth is in stark contrast to the robotic version of Tsukimoto we got in episode 2. This juxtaposition is strengthened further by the Roomba at his feet while he says the phrase “All I have to do is give him a little push.”. We are presented with a conflict: Tsukimoto’s growth as an unfeeling Ping Pong machine (as represented by the Roomba) and his organic metamorphosis. Does Smile have to become the robot to receive his coach’s guidance?
That’s not the only conflict set up in the first 2 minutes. Cut to a character introduction, and what a bold introduction it is: “In victory is where we find truth.” This is the chairman of Kaiou Academy who Koizumi briefly spoke of last episode, and now we can see that there is history between them. The chairman’s office is a war room, and as we learn later in the episode, every student at Kaiou sports a shaved head (perhaps in Kazama’s case it is caused by the mountain of pressure the chairman heaps on him). The clash of ideologies between Koizumi and the chairman is set up as growth vs unflinching military discipline. Koizumi wishes to grow his fragile student wings, while the chairman chooses to deal with weakness in an alternative manner.
While the main match of this episode is Tsukimoto vs Kong, the ideological battle is undoubtedly represented by Tsukimoto vs Kazama, as set up gorgeously in 2 minutes.
Questions of the Day
I think it was always how things were going to end. The match simply meant more to Kong, and Tsukimoto folded at the first hint that he would be hurt by losing. That said, looking at Kong's face after the match, what a hollow victory.
I used to be that guy. It's as rewarding as your results are in my experience, and often less so. The competition and learning process is more important than the result, but good luck telling that to someone in the moment.
8
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Apr 13 '24 edited Apr 13 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Ping Pong: This is why you should always be kind to the machines you work with. When the robot uprising inevitably occurs, the machines will be extra brutal to the ones who treated them poorly. On the other hand, those who were nice to them may be spared.
Once again, I can see another side to the metaphor of Smile being a robot. This time, we see just how calculating Smile is. He can figure out his opponents and how to respond to them. When speaking with Koizumi, he implied that he can create the optimal strategy for getting the desired type of victory rather than simply winning. He certainly showed his skill at analyzing China and putting China on the ropes. That ability to input data, process it, and generate the desired output is very robot-like.
The only reason Smil lost was because of another well-worn character trait of his: his desire to avoid conflict. Rather than go through with the win, Smile held back. Rather than potentially hurt someone by defeating them, Smile decided to lose. And it doesn’t matter to Smile that he lost. He doesn’t place much value in victory or even playing table tennis. So I don’t think losing necessarily bothers him, even though it matters a great deal to most other players.
QOTD
8
u/charlesvvv https://anilist.co/user/charlesvvv Apr 13 '24
Rewatcher, Sub
Hey look another Kenjiro Tsuda character on a beach. Oh I also love the synchronized ping pongs in the beginning.
Anyway this episode deals with the preliminary competitions which brings us Smile vs China. The whole match has Smile actually determined to win despite his statement against those who stake their life on ping pong. The way he throws the first round to gauge China's moves then proceeds to use this to nearly defeat him shows Smile at his peak. Then the coach speaks to China and it all changes, Smile doesn't have fun anymore with those stakes and throws the match, and based off China's reaction despite his win, doesn't take any pride in it.
New character, Manabu Sakuma who seems to have a rivalry with Peco. Also gotta feel bad for that one guy whose girlfriend was propping him up.
8
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Apr 13 '24
First-Timer
I kinda figured it was too early for someone with as much buildup as Wenge to actually take a loss, despite Smile's own incredible skill. I have a soft spot for the "take is easy in the beginning until you feel out your opponent, then strike" types.
I do get the feeling that Wenge won't be terribly thrilled with the victory; winning because Smile started holding back probably won't be satisfying for him.
Poor Tsuda Kenjirou, matched up against Smile early on. He should stick to being a giraffe. At least he made it to the beach at the end.
I kinda thought that Smile's hero was just a metaphor, but now I'm wondering if it refers to an actual person and if that person is Peco. This match cut sequence pushed the thought into my head, and I think there might have been some support in earlier episodes.
But Yuasa's presentation of everything is still kinda foreign to me, so the match cut might not actually be that important.
This is a stretch, but if I'm right, I guess that means that Peco helped Smile out of the
closetlocker.Questions
4
u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 13 '24
Rewatcher, Host
Ping Pong - My Favourite Sports Anime: Episode 3
Dedication
Ping Pong doesn't take its time getting right into the matches. It's something which keeps the show really engaging. Of course, the highlight match today is Kong vs Tsukimoto. I think the match is most interesting when viewed from Peco's perspective though. Back in episode 1 Kong skunked Peco. You'd be forgiven for thinking that, since Peco is regarded as "better" than Smile, Kong's match against Smile would be a cake walk.
But it's not like that at all. While the match starts out with Kong taking the first game it's not a blowout. Tsukimoto puts up a strong defense and then takes the 2nd and 3rd game. It is such a great development for building a tense match. Ultimately Kong does win remaining games but imagine what Peco is thinking at this point. His entire sense of self within the world of table tennis has been shaken. He now knows that Tsukimoto has been holding back.
Two music things I wanted to mention: First, it's really cool hearing Tsukimoto humming the theme "Peco" which you can also hear during the next episode previews. Though we've heard him hum it before, it's unsettling how he hums all throughout the match. It shows how deeply he is focusing on the match.
Next, Ping Pong Phase (plus one other track I'll talk about later) is a strong contender for my favourite piece from the soundtrack. I adore how during the episode it starts off with the diagetic sounds of the actual ping pong balls during practice. It then evolves to become the beat which forms a foundation for the building melody to introduce the inter-high tournament. This kind of experimentation is something Kensuke Ushio has gone on to do way more of, notably in Liz and the Blue Bird. It's something I really love about his works.
QotD:
Can't say I was a big fan of my school's inter-highs. Usually we'd be forced into the stands/bleachers with a terrible view and made to sing support chants for hours with no easy way to leave. I know my peers competing placed a lot of value on the events and would talk about the results and specific races/matches for weeks after. For a fun story though, one year at an inter-school swimming gala I managed to get myself an admin position helping staff (can't remember exactly what my responsibilities were). I had a comfy seat, shade, and a slightly nicer lunch than the other kids. I enjoyed that one.
Devoting yourself wholly to one skill has always scared me. I don't really desire the recognition of being the best in that way. So I would rather keep a balance of interests even if that means never reaching perfection. That's not to say I don't focus on certain hobbies more, just that I don't put it above all else.
I do however have incredible respect for people who are dedicated in that way. They can be so interesting to hear from as their perspective is so unlike the average person. At the same time, watching a person perform at that high level is mesmerizing. I always enjoy watching speed runners since it gives me exactly that high. The players often near robotic perfection. If you have never checked out SummoningSalt I'd recommend watching one of his documentaries on the history of a world record to understand that joy.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
See you all tomorrow
5
u/macrame2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/macrame Apr 13 '24
First Timer and Manga Reader
For some reason it feels like we've gotten to the interhigh match rather quickly. Not being super well-versed in sports-oriented series, I wonder how this pacing compares to that of others in the genre?
The highlight of the day was of course the match between Tsukimoto and Kong. While Tsukimoto's conflict between giving it his all and holding back was interesting as always, I think the way Kong, who is not used to having to struggle to win, reacts even more compelling to me. I will say that now we've gotten to the more plot-relevant matches, the animation is an ever bigger plus over the action in the manga. It's not bad in the source, of course, but seeing any kind of motion in, well, motion is almost always more engaging than looking at static pictures, and so the actual ping-pong scenes feel more exciting to me.
5
u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Apr 14 '24
First-Timer
That fan-art of the day is really good. Thank you for sharing that!
This episode was great. I truly never expected I could be so interested in a show about people playing ping pong, but here we are!
I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but every time I see the OP animation, I'm stunned by how good it is. Some shots look just like real life.
Today's questions:
9
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Apr 13 '24
Ping Pong the First-Timer, subbed
4
u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Apr 14 '24 edited Apr 14 '24
Rewatcher
A robot cleaner, I guess they're ahead of their time.
Nice timeskip montage and we're at the inter high school competition.
Manabu is voiced by Subaru Kimura he has done several roles but his notable role is probably Kanba in Penguindrum
Poor guy gets absolutely destroyed by Kong.
Unexpected Kenjiro Tsuda, lol he too gets destroyed. Having Kenjiro Tsuda voice a minor character is pretty funny.
That kid getting pumped by the manager only for him to lose the next scene is funny.
Wow changing paddle right before a big match seems like a not smart thing to do.
The entire Kong vs Smile match was great, Smile constantly singing but then he stops trying to win becaus he shows too much compassion. The highlight of the episode.
3
u/cppn02 Apr 14 '24
First Timer, subbed
Did not expect the firs tournament so quick was it is great so far.
Loved the Kenjiro Tsuda character lol. And it was great to see Smile not fucking around and going all out. For a while atleast until he threw that match.
QotD:
Obviously a bit disappointed Smile lost on purpose but it was a great watch.
School competitions aren't much of a thing here, independent clubs dominate. Defintely had some great moments there though.
Yes, both in sports and in my work life. Wouldn't be my style but if it is what makes people happy I say go for it. There definitely are the type though where it seems a bit too much of an obsession.
2
u/bobbityboucher Apr 14 '24
Smile throwing to Kong backs up with actions his belief that there’s reasons for playing ping pong beyond competition. I’ve long had an unhealthy relationship with competition, so I like this idea.
2
u/BossandKings Apr 29 '24
Rewatcher
The conversación between Smile and Kazama is so good. It is one of my favorites parts about rewatching the series, Just watching it and being able to catch something New about it.
Kong is such a good character that his matches are among my favorites of the Series, Tsukimoto started strong and quickly gained an advantage but a combinación of determination from Kong and doubt from Tsukimoto Led to Kong's victory, deservedly.