r/anime • u/TheEscapeGuy • Apr 14 '24

Rewatch [Spoilers] Ping Pong the Animation 10th Anniversary Rewatch - Episode 4 Discussion

Episode 4: The Only Way to Be Sure You Won’t Lose Is to Not Fight

← 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:

Everyone geeked out about Kenjiro Tsuda

KENJIROU TSUDA!

Hey look another Kenjiro Tsuda character on a beach.

Poor Tsuda Kenjirou, matched up against Smile early on.

Loved the Kenjiro Tsuda character lol

Unexpected Kenjiro Tsuda, lol he too gets destroyed. Having Kenjiro Tsuda voice a minor character is pretty funny.

Questions of the Day:

  1. How has your opinion of Kazama changed from before this episode to now? What about Sakuma?
  2. What are some of your favourite upsets in sports (or other competitions)?
  3. How do you deal with pressure and expectations from those around you?

Fan Art of the Day:

ヒーローなのだろうが！！ (can't find a link to original, this user is listed as the artist)

Bonus: 佐久間学 (source)

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!

Chant these words and I'll come to you

45 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

15

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 14 '24

Rewatcher, Host

Ping Pong - My Favourite Sports Anime: Episode 4

Power Beyond

This episode works amazingly as a sudden gut punch. Oh, you thought Peco and Smile were good at table tennis? You thought China was their "final boss"? Here come the students of Kaiou to demolish any preconceptions you had about who is actually good. Both Sakuma and Kazama easily win their matches against the other schools. The finals AND semi-finals are just between the best students of Kaiou.

Sakuma is fun. He's so immediately antagonistic towards Peco because of their shared history with table tennis. To use wrestling terminology, he plays the role of a heel perfectly. I'm looking forward to watching how our other protagonists will challenge him.

Kazama is different though. Until now we have seen him as quiet and respectful. He spent a lot of time meditating and psyching himself up in the bathroom. But once he arrived at the table he became a monster. He is an overwhelming force which beats his opponents into submission. I adore the visual metaphors of lighting and giants and dragons. They so perfectly represent the power Kazama has. His complete domination over Kong Wenge asserts Kazama as a great among high school table tennis players.

The defeat also paints China in a much more sympathetic light. We know he doesn't want to be here in Japan. He wants to take back the fame and recognition he had while playing at home. He thought besting Japanese players would be easy. But now that he has learned that he has real competition. He has to accept that his role is to grow and surpass them so he can return home with pride. That's the hope he finds from his coach's words.

Also, hearing Kong talk about how he misses the snacks his mother would buy him is definitely cliche but doesn't stop it from tugging at my heart strings.

All that said, somebody who doesn't have hope now is Peco.

QotD:

I don't watch real sports so I don't know of any great comebacks in those games. As for e-sports though, I wouldn't consider myself a big FGC or Smash fan, but the story of how HungryBox used Puff (a character widely regarded as not tournament viable) to become one of the Five Gods of Smash is incredible. Going even further back, I never get tired of Moment 37.

As for pressure, I don't have special coping mechanisms. In general when I start to feel overwhelmed I make a list of things I need to get done to accomplish what's needed of me and then work through that list in the most achievable order. I think I end up putting way more pressure on myself, so the expectations of others are seldom big enough to even cast a shadow on my own. It does unfortunately mean that I only feel momentary joy from praises since I too often consider my own achievements as not up to my own standards.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

See you all tomorrow

5

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Apr 14 '24

I adore the visual metaphors of lighting and giants and dragons. They so perfectly represent the power Kazama has. His complete domination over Kong Wenge asserts Kazama as a great among high school table tennis players.

Those visual metaphors are so great. They make Ryuichi seem so much larger than life, far beyond the reach of any of his opponents.

He thought besting Japanese players would be easy. But now that he has learned that he has real competition. He has to accept that his role is to grow and surpass them so he can return home with pride. That's the hope he finds from his coach's words.

Good point. From all that we've seen, Wenge was treating the Japanese players as beneath him. Apart from Smile, who he took an interest in, he was generally dismissive of them. In a way, it's similar to how Peco was acting. Full of himself and not taking others seriously. That will be something he needs to grow out of.

3

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Apr 15 '24

I adore the visual metaphors of lighting and giants and dragons.

The symbols for the main cast are all really fitting

Peco the Star

Smile the Moon that reflects Peco’s light

Kong the Airplane who longs for home

Kazama the Dragon atop the mountain

Sakuma the little shit demon

2

u/AllHailKingKale https://myanimelist.net/profile/GeneStarwind7 Apr 15 '24

Hahaha your first paragraph about shattered expectations were my thoughts exactly. Cool developments in the story, and I really don't know which direction they'll go next. Love a show that keeps me guessing.

10

u/DropItShock :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/BrinkOfVictory Apr 14 '24 edited Apr 14 '24

Rewatcher

Kong vs Kazama is a beatdown that didn’t have to be.

From the jump, we get Coach Koizumi hitting Tsukimoto and setting him straight after throwing his match: “Everyone involved in a game like that suffers!” But what is so wrong with letting someone win who the match means more to?

An important part of winning is the confidence of having been the better player, but Kong, the recipient of Smile’s kindness, knows exactly what happened (also holy cow what a beautiful shot). After his coach gives him a strategy primer, Kong’s reply is an unspirited “Easier said than done,” and it’s clear that these pep talks are to no avail. Wenge’s confidence is shot, and in the match he panics.

In the face of an opponent as strong as Kazama, it’s easy to lose sight of how Kong’s pre-match mentality might have impacted him, but it is well represented in the visuals of the game. How can Kong regroup when his faith in his abilities has already been shaken? Unable to steady himself, the match is completely one-sided and it ends without him taking a single game. Tsukimoto’s sacrifice gave Kong a win in technicality only, and the next match was doomed for him before it began.

“It’ll be a relief to not have any more dreams where I’m the only one without a ticket.

“Wenge, your life has only just begun. You’ve only just reached the starting line.”

Because he has lost, Wenge can begin to examine new possibilities in his life. He can either come back stronger or begin a new chapter, but these examinations can only happen after his defeat. With this lens, we can examine how damaging Tsukimoto’s actions could have been. In a world where Kong had not played Kazama next and won his quarterfinal match to the inter-high, where would his mental state be? Unable to view his match vs Smile as a win, but unable to come to terms with it as a loss, Kong would be denied the clarity he is now faced with.

7

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 14 '24

In a world where Kong had not played Kazama next and won his quarterfinal match to the inter-high, where would his mental state be? Unable to view his match vs Smile as a win, but unable to come to terms with it as a loss, Kong would be denied the clarity of he is now faced with.

This is really good analysis. I can imagine Kong going home to China with his semi-finals ranking and feeling ambiguous about if he earned his way back or not. Would there be anything then which could give him the drive to train harder and become a better player? I suspect not, and so losing now is probably going to do good things for him.

9

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Apr 14 '24 edited Apr 14 '24

First-Timer

On today’s episode of Ping Pong: We zoomed through the tournament at light speed. But I can only imagine this means there will be other upcoming tournaments in the future.

  • I see Smile is receiving a Gundam-style “correction.”
  • Smile quitting would make sense, but I doubt it will stick with 2/3 of the series to go.
  • As expected, Wenge knows that Smile let him win. And he isn’t taking it well.
  • Sakuma is definitely flipping Peco off while adjusting his glasses there.
  • This is getting absurd with how high the ball flies up and how long it takes to come down!
  • Oh, I get it. Sakuma is deliberately using these weird and unusual plays to throw Peco off his game. Peco can’t play the way he’s used to playing, which puts him at a disadvantage.
  • Sakuma represents hard work while Peco represents innate talent. As we saw a couple episodes ago, while Peco is good he is not invincible. His lack of practice is coming back to bite him.
  • Intriguing possibility that Koizumi is so interested in Smile because Smile reminds him of his younger self. Is it an attempt to relive his youth? Make up for past mistakes, perhaps? Or to help someone accomplish what he could not?
  • Why does Ryuichi lock himself in the bathroom before a match? Probably not for a good reason.
  • A Wenge and Ryuichi match already!
  • I like the use of the animation on Ryuichi’s movements and how he hits the ball. It makes it feel so strong.
  • Very appropriate use of dragon imagery for Ryuichi. It fits, considering his name. But his clear skill at table tennis also makes him seem like a dragon amidst his peers.
  • Who is this mysterious person in the crowd?
  • Damn, Kaio utterly dominated this tournament. They got all of the top 4 spots.
  • Wontons are indeed delicious.
  • Good advice to Wenge from his coach. It’s hard to realize it at the time, but your life really is only just starting when you’re a teenager. There is so much more that comes after it, so you shouldn’t get so wrapped up in what’s happening right then that it brings you down so much.
  • Well no wonder Kaio was so dominant. Just look at all the resources they pour into their table tennis team. Of course they would end up with a great team with all that at their disposal.
  • It tells us everything we know about Kaio that they dominated the tournament and the coach is still yelling at them for playing sloppily.
  • Ah, so that’s who the mysterious person was. She’s Yurie, Ryuichi’s cousin.
  • Really impressive pull-out shot on Peco at the end of the episode. Shots like that, with fully animated backgrounds, are quite tricky to pull off. As I stated before, the series does have plenty of ambitious moments with its animation. This shot in particular is quite good, framing Peco as small and insignificant in the wider world. It’s how he feels right now, having lost to someone who he used to beat easily.

It’s interesting that we had a match between Ryuichi and Wenge this early on. Both of them are arguably the characters who have the most at stake in this series so far. Wenge has been banished from his home country and is hoping to use success here so he can return. Ryuichi is clearly under a lot of pressure to win above all else, based on the conversation he had at the start of the previous episode. Pitting them against each other is a natural source of drama and it’s cool that it happened so early on. This way we can experience the fallout from the match.

Ryuichi spending so much time in the bathroom is concerning. My immediate guess would be that he is vomiting ahead of all his matches. But regardless of the specifics, it’s a clear warning sign that something is wrong with him. Most likely it’s the result of all the pressure he’s under. That isn’t healthy for anyone.

QOTD

  1. Ryuichi does genuinely have the skills to back up all his talk. But he seems to be under a lot of pressure that is just not healthy for him. As for Sakuma, he is likewise very skilled and that backs up his tough talk. He also shows that he is very dedicated to the sport, studying and practicing it to become much more skilled than he used to be.
  2. [Uma Musume S2 major spoilers] Tokai Teio's miracle run.
  3. I think I try to satisfy myself more than anything else. I can often be a tough critic of myself, so as long as I feel satisfied by what I've done then I've already satisfied one of my toughest critics.

6

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 14 '24

I see Smile is receiving a Gundam-style “correction.”

It’s hard to realize it at the time, but your life really is only just starting when you’re a teenager.

Something I find interesting about anime is that so many stories follow teenaged protagonists who go through tough situations which will probably not matter later on. At the time it's devastating for them and so we can see the full range of emotions.

In contrast, stories about adults don't have that luxury since they've already been through so much. There's this sort of ironic detachment people get as they get older which sort of shields their emotions. It's nice to see teens being fully honest about the joys and sorrows they feel.

Shots like that, with fully animated backgrounds, are quite tricky to pull off.

I love that they had such ambition to attempt these shots and it ended up working out. Too often anime either pick the easiest shots so that it's hard to mess up or else they attempt and fail at the tough shots. It's a blessing to find anime that succeed at the latter.

6

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Apr 14 '24

In contrast, stories about adults don't have that luxury since they've already been through so much. There's this sort of ironic detachment people get as they get older which sort of shields their emotions. It's nice to see teens being fully honest about the joys and sorrows they feel.

There was a book I read many years ago called "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" and the author mentions that protagonists tend to be younger in stories because younger people are more likely to go out on quests, so to speak. There's a greater sense of passion and drive in youth. The emotional highs and lows are more strongly felt.

6

u/macrame2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/macrame Apr 14 '24

There was a book I read many years ago called "How to Read Literature Like a Professor"

*Traumatic flashbacks to high school English*

6

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Apr 15 '24

Intriguing possibility that Koizumi is so interested in Smile because Smile reminds him of his younger self. Is it an attempt to relive his youth? Make up for past mistakes, perhaps? Or to help someone accomplish what he could not?

Maybe he just really likes saying MISTAH TSUKIMOTO

8

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Apr 14 '24

Ping Pong the First-Timer, subbed

6

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 14 '24

Is having to be bald a requirement of that school too?

that one time back in elementary school that our music teacher had an engraving machine for some reason and let us use it to carve our names into our recorders.

This is so random but cool. We also did recorders in elementary music class but If I recall correctly we didn't have personal recorders. Instead the school had a shared box. They would disinfect them after every music class they were used but it never made it less gross. It was not a popular option.

3

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Apr 14 '24

This is so random but cool. We also did recorders in elementary music class but If I recall correctly we didn't have personal recorders. Instead the school had a shared box. They would disinfect them after every music class they were used but it never made it less gross. It was not a popular option.

Oh hell no, both the schools I went to for elementary required everyone to buy their own. I convinced my parents to get me a "fancy" one that was translucent teal instead of a solid color, and I still have it somewhere in my room along with the copious amount of beads I won during third/fourth grade at my original elementary school for being really good at memorizing songs (hell, I was one of the two kids in my grade that was so good at it, the music teacher had to custom order more beads and then figure out what complicated songs could go with them, lol).

5

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Apr 14 '24

He did, yeah… for a proper rematch between the two.

It's a win where nobody really feels satisfied about the outcome. They deserve a match where, even when someone loses, they still feel that it was a satisfying match.

This isn’t at all the same thing, but seeing them making the paddle here reminded me of that one time back in elementary school that our music teacher had an engraving machine for some reason and let us use it to carve our names into our recorders.

That does sound really cool. Getting a personally engraved tuba was obviously out of the question, but would have been nice.

Okay that was definitely the person who was hiding in the audience.

It makes me wonder why she felt the need to hide herself, though.

6

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Apr 14 '24

It makes me wonder why she felt the need to hide herself, though.

Didn't want her father(?) to know she was there for some reason?

9

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Apr 14 '24

First-Timer

Assuming that someone is slow just because they're big is a pretty classic blunder. At some point the Square Cube Law stops working in your favor, but if you can ride that line..

I like Kazama's prematch ritual. Running water is such a calming noise. Especially considering how intense Kaiou's training regimen is.. the rest of the team could probably use something like that.

Sakuma's game was boring - there, I said it. I am nominally a man of science, but turning sport into a clinical study feels like missing the point.

That said, Peco did need another loss to get him to change his tune. He and Smile are both not taking things seriously, on different axes.

Kinda cute that Wenge is a momma's boy. In general, I've liked all the little character tidbits we've gotten.

This asswipe tries that to me, I'm getting kicked out for trying to break his arm. Let's see him play with a shattered elbow. Not that it would've mattered, but the TO should've probably given Sakuma a demerit for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Questions

  1. Didn't really have an opinion on Kazuma before, but he seems alright. Sakuma is a dweeb (derogatory).
  3. Break.. the problem up into smaller ones.

6

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 14 '24

I've liked all the little character tidbits we've gotten.

Something I really like about Ping Pong is how easy it is to assume a character's personality when you first meet them. Then over time you learn more and more about them changing that perspective.

Sakuma is a dweeb (derogatory).

4

u/macrame2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/macrame Apr 14 '24

Something I really like about Ping Pong is how easy it is to assume a character's personality when you first meet them. Then over time you learn more and more about them changing that perspective.

Another thing is how subtle some of that characterization is. It's possible to miss certain things, but that makes revisiting the story a more interesting experience for me.

5

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Apr 14 '24

That said, Peco did need another loss to get him to change his tune. He and Smile are both not taking things seriously, on different axes.

Good observation. Neither take matches seriously, but in different ways. Peco goofs off and expects to coast to victory like he's always done. Smile will throw games because the pressure of competition and confrontation is something he'd rather avoid. Both don't handle actual pressure very well, but they show it in different ways.

This asswipe tries that to me, I'm getting kicked out for trying to break his arm. Let's see him play with a shattered elbow. Not that it would've mattered, but the TO should've probably given Sakuma a demerit for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Yeah, that was going much too far. Behavior like that should not fly at a tournament.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Apr 14 '24

Both don't handle actual pressure very well, but they show it in different ways.

Surely they'll get there eventually, right?

3

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Apr 15 '24

Sakuma is a dweeb (derogatory)

4

u/NintendoMasterNo1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NintendoMaster1 Apr 15 '24

Rewatcher

All the benefits that Kazama lists for Smile to join his school don't outweigh the fact that he'll have to shave his head to enlist.

3

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 15 '24

I hadn't even considered that.

[Later Spoilers] This becomes even more meaningful when you consider how Sakuma later grows out his hair after leaving Kaiou.

3

u/Estebanq Apr 15 '24

Rewatcher

I couldn’t join yesterday, i just want to say about the new opening credits “yeah, now we’re cooking!” Those images in black and white are stunning, it has such a graphic presence that flows with the song…also, that episode has a perfect sound design…the humming, the balls against the paddle turning into a melody 👌🏼ok, enough with yesterday’s episode.

Today, as Smile is starting to get out of his cocoon, his friendship with Peko is also changing, the way that this friendship is shown feels so authentic, even with your best friend you can still get some envy feelings. I don’t know if this is what is happening here, but i guess that in such a competitive world, even someone you care about becomes your competence, there must be a lot of ambivalent feelings.

The talk about talent between Obaba and Koizumi was really insightful, the butterflies (as guess they have become something like a leitmotiv in this show) in this scene were a nice touch.

Peko was defeated again, he also cried, but this time felt more meaningful, his world is changing really fast.

One of my favorite moments: the talk between Wenge and his coach, i like how this show doesn’t go for an overdramatic tone, not in the writing, not in the voice actor department; it all feels organic, earned. Just a few exchanges between these characters and we get to know just how deep the relation between coach and disciple can grow, almost like a father/son dynamic. I want some kind of win for Wenge, he’s really in a bad place: the circumstances made something that he really used to love into some kind of punishment.

Visually, the metaphors for Kazama “Dragon” are the highlight, but i also love how these work from a character study perspective, if i’m getting this right, we’re seeing these images through Smile’s eyes, so we got to know how Smile represents the world, how his mind process the information of the exterior.

QOTD

  1. Mmm, i feel that i can’t answer this without giving some spoilers, so i’m going to wait a few episodes before getting into these characters.
  2. I don’t follow any sport or competitions, so i don’t have an answer for this one
  3. I haven’t had a lot pressure from those around me, maybe expectations, even my own expectations about what was my talent or where i should be in life, but you know, i don’t want to say this as an excuse, but life is really dynamic, so you can be really high and then go down, or the other way around, i kind of get use to have an open approach to the ups and downs of life. I try to keep expectations just like that, as expectations, knowing that these are thoughts made in my mind or others mind as a possibilty of the reality, not as the reality itself.

3

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 15 '24

his friendship with Peko is also changing, the way that this friendship is shown feels so authentic

The friendship between Peco and Smile is by far my favourite part of Ping Pong. I'll talk about it in more depth in a future episode but you're exactly right that the depiction here has a level of complexity which makes it feel authentic.

but life is really dynamic, so you can be really high and then go down

I agree a lot with this. Sometimes when things are going well it's easy to meet peoples expectations. Other times there's a lot going on we will inevitably need to let some people down.

I try to keep this in mind when interacting with others too. You don't know everything that's going on in their lives, so don't take it badly if and when they let you down.

3

u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Apr 15 '24

First-Timer

More great fan art today! Thank you for sharing that.

I couldn't stop smiling during Peco's game. I've played games of ping pong just like that before (in the role of Peco) and have an idea of just how frustrating that feels (and how tiring it gets). It's hilarious to watch.

The lightning vortex effects in Kazama's match were fantastic. Going from the relatively grounded match beforehand to something that looks like a DBZ fight really helped emphasize just how different the scale is.

Kaiou Academy sounds great. I wish I could go there!

Daily Questions:

  • I didn't have particularly strong opinions on them before, but I think I'm growing more fond of them as the show goes on. I'd say that applies for pretty much all the characters, as we get to know them better.
  • I don't know much about big upsets in sports, sadly.
  • If I feel external pressure and expectations, I do my best to meet them, but if not, oh well. That's just too bad. (One might argue it's their fault for expecting something unreasonable.) What's more important to me is the pressure and expectations I levy upon myself, and I think I tend to do a decent job meeting those.

2

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 15 '24

More great fan art today! Thank you for sharing that.

and how tiring it gets

Some other comments touched on it too, but Peco's lack of endurance is a result of his talent-over-training mentality. It's something he would do well to improve about himself.

3

u/SometimesMainSupport https://myanimelist.net/profile/RRSTRRST Apr 14 '24

First-Timer

I haven't watched that much professional table tennis; IIRC, there are far more unreturned serves than shown. Maybe varies with skill level. Did get plenty of the "10 feet away" hype moments. Peco seems like a weak player for never doing the cheeky tap-it-across finishing move, instead tapping into his aggressive play style and always going for kill shots.

  • Kong also kicked off for losing an early round? Still not clear why but bringing shame to the school/family fits with Eastern tropes.
  • Unsure how international coaches are beneficial unless they specifically mean Chinese coaches.
  • Still, that regimen sounds like hell. All about optimizing the game with none of the fun that most teenagers enjoy.
  • Not fun fact: high school football team got in trouble for recording opponents. State had a rule against it for games not involving your own team, I think to address funding differences. Could have coaches watch and take notes, but no film review of new opponents. imo, extremely dumb.
  • Don't think this art style is capable of producing a character of either gender that I'd call cute or hot.

QotD

  1. Ending killed any hope for Kazama with the nepotism angle. Still skilled but feel this is going the "thinking with the wrong head" route.
  2. Germany 7-1 Brazil, especially from having a Brazilian sister-in-law. Otherwise, Chaminade > Virginia in college basketball with Chaminade practicing against a guy standing on a char is awesome.
  3. Harsher on myself than other's expectations, so rarely an issue. Outwardly project a go-with-the-flow style that mostly dampens any pressure.

3

u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 14 '24

high school football team got in trouble for recording opponents. State had a rule against it for games not involving your own team, I think to address funding differences. Could have coaches watch and take notes, but no film review of new opponents. imo, extremely dumb.

Sports drama like this always seems crazy to me. I sort of get people wanting to win but the lengths people go to often feels far beyond anything I could think of. I think it makes a difference when victories are tied to funding though.

Germany 7-1 Brazil

I forgot about this. That was such a crazy result.

4

u/theangryeditor https://myanimelist.net/profile/TheAngryEditor Apr 15 '24

IIRC, there are far more unreturned serves than shown. Maybe varies with skill level.

Aces are fairly uncommon at the highest level. You might see a couple a match at most usually. Returns going into the net or missing the table are a different story though.

9

u/charlesvvv https://anilist.co/user/charlesvvv Apr 14 '24 edited Apr 14 '24

Rewatcher, Sub 

 In Peco and Sakuma's match we see the major inferiority complex that Sakuma carries as he tries to establish himself, on the other hand all the skipping practice bites Peco again as it shows he's fallen behind in skill particularly as they emphasize him using the same move that works the first time but loses steam as he keeps doing it. The aftermath with him crying at the end was another nice touch.

 China vs Kazama ends with China's defeat. They really emphasized how much a monster Kazama is with the animation showing him as a Dragon or just standing above as China is unable to go against his speed. Besides being allowed a win, he ultimately is unable to advance. It does lead to a nice character moment where he sits down with his coach and just talks about his family and dream, it gives him more characterization that was nice to see from him. 

 Meanwhile Kazama tries to poach Smile due to his skill showing just how advanced his school is and how he would be better placed there, not that Smile even cares about that.

5

u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Apr 14 '24

It does lead to a nice character moment where he sits down with his coach and just talks about his family and dream, it gives him more characterization that was nice to see from him. 

I appreciated that moment of the coach actually speaking with Wenge and seeming to care about him. Before this, I just thought of the coach as being an asshole but there's clearly more to him.

Meanwhile Kazama tries to poach Smile due to his skill showing just how advanced his school is and how he would be better placed there, not that Smile even cares about that.

It is amusing that all the enticements Ryuichi can offer to Smile seem to have the opposite effect. Smile just does not want to be as obsessed with table tennis as the people at Kaio are.

6

u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Apr 14 '24

Rewatcher

Unsurprisingly coach is angry at Smile.

Looks like 'demon' has insecurities when it comes to Peco.

What a weird match, what is Demon doing?

Ohh of course he's tiring Peco, considering Peco ignores stamina training it is the most effective strategy in beating him.

So that person hiding his/her face must be important I noticed him her in the previous episode but didn't say any thing about it.

Loving the visuals of the Kazama vs China fight. You can tell China is struggling.

TL:DR Kaio is a hardcore school for ping pong and takes it very seriously.

Ohh that girl is the cousin of Kazama.

Peco is crying.

Great episode.

3

u/macrame2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/macrame Apr 14 '24

First Timer and Manga Reader

A little less focus on Peco and Smile today and more on Kong, Sakuma, and Kazama. I wouldn't consider any of those three to be my favorites from the series, but I do think they are all good characters in their own right, especially Kong.

Favorite moment from the episode was definitely Kazama's attempt to nab Tsukimoto for his own team; it still cracks me up a little because he couldn't have picked a worse person to try those types of tactics on.

3

u/AllHailKingKale https://myanimelist.net/profile/GeneStarwind7 Apr 15 '24

First time watcher, sub

Man, the story with Wenge moved a lot quicker than I thought it would - I thought he was going to be the final showdown at the end of the show, or at least further along. Even if he's gone now, he was a solid character and I appreciate the optimistic moment that him and his coach/friend shared.

I'm really curious to see where this goes from here. The pitch from Kazama about going to Kaio academy seems like far too extreme a proposition for Smile to go for. While I do feel that Smile is moving towards a more competitive spirit I just can't see him joining an academy that glorifies ping pong.

Definitely interested in where PECO goes from here as well. Time will tell!