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View Full Version : Ping Pong: The Animation


Guaporense
11-08-14, 10:39 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v6iOVhw6mQ

While this is technically a TV series, the Sopranos was here as well, so I think I will review it here as well, given that more people look at this forum and it has more attention to direction than many films (like Adam Sandler's), while representing a significant work of visual art besides being a masterpiece of character driven storytelling. Also, it runs 11 episodes of 23 minutes, so it runs 250 minutes in length, shorter than Satantango and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

While it is animated and made in Japan it's very different from most other anime series and films in terms of art-style. Rejecting the art style of Tezuka and it's modern incarnations, which dominates most current anime, Ping Pong opts for a more realistic style without any cuteness in it's designs while presenting more subtle colours than most animation, which reminded me a little of the style of Only Yesterday though here it is much more crude and realistically looking and attempts to be a rough male style which character designs are are made to be intentionally ugly looking and project a image of pure masculine aggression.

standard anime style:
http://www.entravity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/hit-5-8.jpg
http://www.entravity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/hitsugi-no-chaika-akari-and-toru.jpg
http://www.entravity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/hit-5-14.jpg

Ping Pong the Animation style:
http://www.entravity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/pp-5-2.jpg
http://www.entravity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/pp-5-9.jpg
http://www.entravity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/pp-5-13.jpg

The animation is also more fluid and creative, incorporating angles and camera dynamics that one never sees in TV animation and rarely even in anime films. There is also the utilization of the medium of animation to express the psychological state of mind of it's characters to the fullest extent.

The character development is great and the center of the narrative is the development of each of the four main characters and their inner motivations. While I usually dislike sports related films and TV series, I found this to be incredibly great. Among the best works of screen fiction ever made, TV or film. This masterpiece is on youtube as well, at least for Americans. It's one of the finest examples I know tht show the possibilities of animation for fictional narrative in expressing emotions through the distortion of time and space while possessing an extremely well written narrative. I wouldn't say it's the best thing ever because I will probably discover other things that I like as well but it's top level stuff certainly.

Voigan
11-09-14, 03:17 PM
Can't say I like the animation style. It looks kind of rough and unfinished, like it's still in the storyboard process. I know that's deliberate but it still looks pretty damn ugly. :D How would you say the writing quality compares with the PMMM series?

christine
11-09-14, 04:41 PM
This looks great Guap. I'm lining it up to watch when I'm off work in December. The style of animation appeals to me, and the lack of cutesy faces, breathy voices and prepubescent girls makes it even better! I love the live action version as I've said to you, so looking forward to seeing this version :)

mistique
11-09-14, 04:51 PM
I saw an episode of this yesterday, either you or someone else had posted an episode here. It was alright, but after reading your review, I've got to watch it all, makes me too curious to see if I will also love it.

linespalsy
11-09-14, 04:55 PM
Looks good. I like Taiyo Matsumoto's art a lot (he also did the manga Tekkon Kinkreet is based on).

Guaporense
11-10-14, 10:53 AM
Can't say I like the animation style. It looks kind of rough and unfinished, like it's still in the storyboard process. I know that's deliberate but it still looks pretty damn ugly. :D How would you say the writing quality compares with the PMMM series?

Writing is perhaps better because it's more elegant although it's similar in some respects. PMMM is more brutal while this is more realistic but also similar since it depicts the brutality of the sport on the lives of the people who love it and how people can be crushed by it. It's very Japanese as well, more Japanese in mentality than many other movies and anime titles which makes it great.