Ping Pong (manga)
Japanese manga series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ping Pong (Japanese: ピンポン, Hepburn: Pin Pon) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Taiyō Matsumoto about table tennis. It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1996 to 1997 and collected in five tankōbon volumes. The story follows high schoolers and childhood friends Peco and Smile, as they compete in the national table tennis tournament where they face talented players from all over the country.
| Ping Pong | |
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Makoto Tsukimoto | |
| ピンポン (Pin Pon) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Taiyō Matsumoto |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Big Comic Spirits |
| Original run | 1996 – 1997 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Anime television series | |
| Ping Pong the Animation | |
| Directed by | Masaaki Yuasa |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Masaaki Yuasa |
| Music by | Kensuke Ushio |
| Studio | Tatsunoko Production |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll
|
| Original network | Fuji TV (Noitamina) |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 11, 2014 – June 20, 2014 |
| Episodes | 11 |
| Live-action film | |
| |
It was adapted into a 2002 live-action film. An anime television series adaptation produced by Tatsunoko Production and directed by Masaaki Yuasa was aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina block between April and June 2014. In North America, Funimation (later Crunchyroll LLC) licensed the series in 2014. Viz Media released the manga in 2020.
Premise
Despite having drastically different personalities, high school boys Peco and Smile have been friends since childhood. Now, they are both talented members of table tennis club of Katase High School. Peco gets decisively defeated by a Chinese student and thus becomes so devastated that he quits practicing. Meanwhile, Smile's personality always prevents him from winning against Peco. Coach Jō, however, discovers Smile's potential and tries to motivate him to overcome his psychological obstacle.
Characters
- Makoto Tsukimoto/"Smile" (月本 誠/スマイル, Tsukimoto Makoto/Sumairu)
- Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama, Hiromu Satomura (child) (Japanese); Micah Solusod[3] (English)
- Portrayed by: Arata Iura
- A quiet and reserved teen. He is ironically nicknamed Smile because of his stoic nature. Smile is an exceptionally skilled player, but often lacks the drive and ruthlessness to win. Nevertheless, his talent is recognized by many, including Koizumi, Kong, and Kazama.
- Yutaka Hoshino/"Peco" (星野 裕/ペコ, Hoshino Yutaka/Peko)
- Voiced by: Fukujūrō Katayama, Mitsutaka Nishida (child) (Japanese); Aaron Dismuke[3] (English)
- Portrayed by: Yosuke Kubozuka
- Smile's childhood friend. Peco is loud, cocky, and carefree. He is initially considered one of the best players on the Katase team, but begins questioning himself after a couple of surprising losses. Peco is frequently seen snacking on various junk food items.
- Ryūichi Kazama/"Dragon" (風間 竜一/ドラゴン, Kazama Ryūichi/Doragon)
- Voiced by: Shunsuke Sakuya, Waku Sakaguchi (child) (Japanese); Marcus D. Stimac[3] (English)
- Portrayed by: Shido Nakamura
- Kaio's team captain and star player. Kazama is a dedicated and intimidating athlete who values winning above all else. His skill and power tend to overwhelm even high level opponents. Kazama attempts to recruit Smile to the Kaio team upon noticing his potential.
- Manabu Sakuma/"Demon" (佐久間 学/アクマ, Sakuma Manabu/Akuma)
- Voiced by: Subaru Kimura (Japanese); Anthony Bowling[3] (English)
- A childhood rival of Peco's and a member of the Kaio team. Sakuma lacks natural talent but tries to compensate with hard work. He has a combative streak and is fixated on beating Peco as well as proving himself.
- Kong Wenge/"China" (孔 文革/チャイナ)
- Voiced by: Wen Yexing (Japanese); Alan Chow[3] (English)
- Portrayed by: Sam Lee
- A transfer student from China who was kicked off the national team. His original goal was to return to his home country after redeeming himself abroad. Kong exudes an air of confidence that belies his feelings of shame and resentment.
- Jō Koizumi/"Butterfly Joe" (小泉 丈/バタフライジョー, Koizumi Jō/Batafurai Jō)
- Voiced by: Yusaku Yara (Japanese); Mark Stoddard[3] (English)
- Portrayed by: Naoto Takenaka
- The elderly coach of the Katase team. Though his behavior is sometimes silly, he has a deep sense of commitment to the sport and can be demanding of his players. Koizumi takes great interest in Smile and decides he will force the young player to achieve his potential through any means necessary.
- Obaba (オババ)
- Voiced by: Masako Nozawa (Japanese); Pam Dougherty (English)
- Portrayed by: Mari Natsuki
- The retired chain-smoking owner of the table tennis club where Smile and Peco learned the sport as children. She cares for the two young players, despite her outwardly tough and jaded persona.
- Ota (大田)
- Voiced by: Takanori Hoshino (Japanese); Tyson Rinehart[3] (English)
- Team captain of Katase, known more for his unusual hairstyle than his athletic ability. He helps run the family appliance store and is often occupied with odd jobs after school.
- Masayuki Sanada (真田 昌幸, Sanada Masayuki)
- Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (Japanese); Ian Sinclair[3] (English)
- The second-best player on the Kaio team, who secretly envies Kazama and hopes to rival him.
- Shuji Nekota (猫田 修二, Nekota Shūji)
- Voiced by: Kenta Ōkuma (Japanese); Clifford Chapin[3] (English)
- Another top player from Kaio.
- Ryū Kazama (風間 竜, Kazama Ryū)
- Voiced by: Shinji Ogawa (Japanese); R. Bruce Elliott (English)
- Patriarch of the Kazama family, President of Kaio, and Ryuichi's grandfather. He is a shrewd businessman and former professional player who does not tolerate failure.
- Taku Kazama (風間 卓, Kazama Taku)
- Voiced by: Akihiko Ishizumi (Japanese); Bill Jenkins (English)
- Yurie's father and Ryuichi's uncle, coach of the Kaio team.
- Yurie (百合枝)
- Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese); Lindsay Seidel[3] (English)
- Ryuichi's fashionable cousin, who has feelings for him.
- Michio Tamura (田村 道夫, Tamura Michio)
- Voiced by: Takahiro Shimada (Japanese); Jeremy Inman[3] (English)
- Obaba's son, who trains professional table tennis players.
- Egami (江上)
- Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese); Eric Vale[3] (English)
- A player around the same age as Smile and Peco. He is restless by nature and tends to give up easily.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Taiyō Matsumoto, Ping Pong was serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits from 1996 to 1997. The chapters were collected in five wideban volumes, released from July 30, 1996, to August 30, 1997.[4][5] The manga was re-released and reformatted into three volumes between July 14, 2012, and August 10, 2012.[6][7] Shogakukan re-released a two-volume edition, Ping Pong: Full Game (ピンポン フルゲームの, Pin Pon Furu Gēmu no), on April 1, 2014.[8][9]
In North America, Viz Media announced in May 2020 that they have licensed the manga for English language release.[10] The two volumes, based on the "Full Game" edition, were released on May 19 and September 15, 2020.[11][12]
Original release
| No. | Release date | ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 30, 1996[4] | 4-09-184736-6 | ||
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| 2 | November 30, 1996[13] | 4-09-184737-4 | ||
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| 3 | February 28, 1997[14] | 4-09-184738-2 | ||
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| 4 | June 30, 1997[15] | 4-09-184739-0 | ||
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| 5 | August 30, 1997[5] | 4-09-184740-4 | ||
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2014 re-release (Full Game edition)
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 1, 2014[8] | 978-4-09-186089-7 | May 19, 2020[11] | 978-1-9747-1165-9 |
| 2 | April 1, 2014[9] | 978-4-09-186090-3 | September 15, 2020[12] | 978-1-9747-1166-6 |
Live-action film
A live-action film adaptation directed by Japanese filmmaker Fumihiko Sori was released in 2002. A 4K restoration and Blu-ray release of the film was announced in February 2026 by 88 Films, for a release on June 23 of the same year.[16][better source needed]
Anime
An anime television series adaptation produced by Tatsunoko Production and directed by Masaaki Yuasa was broadcast from April 11 to June 20, 2014, on Fuji TV's Noitamina block.[17][18][19] The opening theme is "Tada Hitori" (唯一人; lit. 'All Alone') by Bakudan Johnny and ending theme is "Bokura ni Tsuite" (僕らについて; lit. 'About Us') by Merengue. In North America, the anime series has been licensed by Funimation (later Crunchyroll LLC).[20][21]
Episodes
| No. | Title [22] | Directed by | Original release date [a] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Wind Makes it Too Hard to Hear" Transliteration: "Kaze no Oto ga Jama o Shiteiru" (Japanese: 風の音がジャマをしている) | Yūdai Kubota | April 11, 2014[24] | |
|
Makoto "Smile" Tsukimoto and Yutaka "Peco" Hoshino are two friends who are part of Katase High School's table tennis team. Peco is talented but regularly skips practice, while Smile attends but shows little enthusiasm for the sport. One day, the two visit Tsujido Academy to observe their new Chinese transfer student and table tennis star, Kong Wenge. Kong finds the two playing in the Tsujido practice hall and notes that Smile loses to Peco on purpose. Kong beats Peco in a game without letting him score a single point before challenging Smile, who refuses. | ||||
| 2 | "Smile's a Robot" Transliteration: "Sumairu wa Robotto" (Japanese: スマイルはロボット) | Hideki Itō | April 18, 2014[25] | |
|
Katase's coach Koizumi offers Smile special training sessions in an attempt to ignite his competitive spirit. When Smile refuses, Koizumi pressures him during school to get him to change his mind. Koizumi later meets with Ryūichi "Dragon" Kazama, a student of Kaio Academy and the winner of the previous year's Interhigh. Dragon recounts witnessing Smile's potential at a middle school tournament, wishing to have him join Kaio's team. At the next practice, Koizumi challenges Smile to a match, promising to leave him alone if he wins. While Smile loses the first game, he begins playing more aggressively and causes Koizumi to collapse, shocking Peco. | ||||
| 3 | "Devoting Your Life to Table Tennis is Creepy" Transliteration: "Takkyū ni Jinsei Kakeru nante Kimi ga Warui" (Japanese: 卓球に人生かけるなんて気味が悪い) | Masatsugu Arakawa | April 25, 2014[26] | |
|
Smile and Peco attend the Interhigh preliminaries. Dragon meets with Smile in the stands while they watch Kong's first round match, where Dragon reveals that Kong was kicked off the Chinese national team. Dragon expresses displeasure over how Smile appears to hold back out of consideration for his opponents' feelings, while Smile states that the way Dragon prioritizes winning is "nonsense". Smile threatens an upset of Kong in the third round, but once again holds back, allowing Kong to defeat him. | ||||
| 4 | "The Only Way to Be Sure You Won't Lose is to Not Fight" Transliteration: "Zettai ni Makenai Yuiitsu no Hōhō wa Tatakawanai Koto da" (Japanese: 絶対に負けない唯一の方法は闘わないことだ) | Fumihiro Ueno | May 2, 2014[27] | |
|
Koizumi berates Smile for going easy on Kong, who is shaken by their match. In the third round, Peco plays against Manabu "Akuma" Sakuma, a former acquaintance who used to play table tennis with him and Smile. Akuma wins by exhausting Peco with defensive play. In the quarterfinals, Dragon shocks Kong with his reaction speed and wins their match handily. Kaio takes the top four spots in the preliminaries, and Dragon wins in the finals. After the tournament, Kong is comforted by his coach, Dragon attempts to recruit Smile to Kaio, and Peco cries outside the arena. | ||||
| 5 | "Where Did I Go Wrong?" Transliteration: "Doko de Machigaeta?" (Japanese: どこで間違えた?) | Masaki Utsunomiya | May 9, 2014[28] | |
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Following the Interhigh, Dragon goes on to win the gold medal at the Youth Olympics. Smile has now embraced his new training regimen with Koizumi, while Peco has quit playing table tennis. Akuma, angered by Dragon's obsession with recruiting Smile to Kaio and fearful of being held back by his astigmatism, skips practice to challenge Smile to a match. Smile wins comfortably and tells Akuma that he lacks the talent for table tennis. A frustrated Akuma later assaults a passerby in the street, resulting in a suspension from Kaio and his removal from their table tennis team. Peco throws his racket into a river. | ||||
| 6 | "You Love Table Tennis More Than Anyone Else!" Transliteration: "Omae Dare yori Takkyū-zuki jan yo!!" (Japanese: おまえ誰より卓球好きじゃんよ!!) | Yūdai Kubota | May 16, 2014[29] | |
|
Smile begins to build up his reputation as a table tennis player, isolating himself from his Katase teammates as a result. Kong is visited by his mother and holds a Christmas party for the Tsujido table tennis team, while Dragon continues his training to the dismay of his cousin Yurie. Akuma meets with Peco and asks him to keep playing table tennis, pointing out his talent and reminding him about his love of the sport. After seeing a picture of him and Smile holding up a trophies at the local table tennis hall, Peco asks the hall's owner, Tamura, to help him get back into shape. | ||||
| 7 | "Yes My Coach" Transliteration: "Iesu Maikōchi" (Japanese: イエス マイコーチ) | Ryōta Itō | May 23, 2014[30] | |
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Tamura sends Peco to train with her son Michio at the Japanese national team's facility. Dragon visits Smile with Koizumi's permission to make another attempt to recruit him to Kaio. Smile, conscious of his role in Akuma's removal from Kaio's team, refuses. Dragon's uncle tells Yurie about how Dragon's late father, Nori, was blamed for a series of business mistakes, and how Dragon plays to uphold his family's honor. Koizumi recounts to Smile his past as professional player; once considered a favorite to represent Japan in the world championships, he refused to take advantage of an opponent's knee injury during a match and lost, leading to the end of his career. Peco begins to improve at a rapid pace, though Tamura becomes concerned once she sees a bandage on his knee. | ||||
| 8 | "Enter the Hero" Transliteration: "Hīrō Kenzan" (Japanese: ヒーロー見参) | Hirayasu Kyo | May 30, 2014[31] | |
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Tamura meets with Koizumi to sign Peco up for the upcoming Interhigh preliminaries, claiming that Peco's talent surpasses that of Dragon's. Yurie urges Dragon to play table tennis for himself instead of for others. In the second round, Peco plays against Kong. Smile, seeing Peco play again for the first time, calls him a hero. Outmatched by Peco, Kong realizes that he will be unable to fulfill his dream of returning to China and is defeated. | ||||
| 9 | "I'm Gonna Go Cry a Bit" Transliteration: "Sukoshi Naku" (Japanese: 少し泣く) | Ryōta Itō | June 6, 2014[32] | |
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In the third round, Smile faces off against Kaio's vice-captain, Sanada, who hopes to win in order to earn Dragon's respect. Despite falling behind early, Smile figures out Sanada's weakness and defeats him, eventually making it to the finals. Akuma finds Dragon meditating in the bathroom and asks about his reasons for playing table tennis. Peco qualifies for a semifinal match against Dragon, but begins to struggle with his knee. Despite urging from Tamura and Michio to withdraw, Peco resolves to continue playing so that he can meet Smile in the finals. | ||||
| 10 | "You're the Hero, Aren't You?!" Transliteration: "Hīrō na no darouga!!" (Japanese: ヒーローなのだろうが!!) | Eunyoung Choi | June 13, 2014[33] | |
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Peco and Dragon begin their match. Angered by Peco's claim of being a hero, Dragon handily wins the first two games and builds an early lead in the third. Peco imagines Smile telling him to focus on having fun and begins to mount a comeback. Despite being in danger of losing, Dragon finds himself enjoying their match and is able to forget his burdens. As he is eliminated, Dragon acknowledges Peco as a hero. | ||||
| 11 | "Blood Tastes Like Iron" Transliteration: "Chi wa Tetsu no Aji ga Suru" (Japanese: 血は鉄の味がする) | Masaaki Yuasa | June 20, 2014[34] | |
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Before the final, Smile tells Koizumi that he intends to exploit Peco's knee injury, though he notes that heroes do not have weaknesses. Years later, Smile coaches children at Tamura's table tennis hall. Dragon meets with Smile and shares that he has been cut from the Japanese national team in favor of Kong, who has been naturalized and now uses the surname "Tsujido". Peco, who is revealed to have defeated Smile in the finals, now plays professionally in Germany. Dragon wonders if choosing a career playing table tennis was a mistake, though Smile encourages him to continue. | ||||
Reception
Manga
In 2021, the manga received an Eisner Award nomination in the category Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia.[35]
Critical reception
Rose Bridges from Anime News Network praised the two omnibus editions of the manga, in particularly its characters and story giving it an A, and stated "The real story is about Smile and Peco's relationship with each other. This ultimately becomes the catalyst that sets forth their futures, and understanding that relationship is key to understanding the manga's ending—which may come out of nowhere if you're not paying careful attention. It's even more the story of how his friendship with Peco changes Smile, becoming something like his emotional lifeline. Reading Ping Pong 25 years after it wrapped, it's easy to see where it's been so influential. The series changed how sports manga was created, and that's obvious: so many modern-day sports anime clearly have Ping Pong in their DNA. If you haven't seen or read Ping Pong, I won't tell you what happens. The journey they take and the finale should both be richly savored, and these two omnibus editions are the perfect way to do just that. Deservedly one of the classics of sports manga; does a great job juggling the excitement and details of the sport, and building rewarding and layered story and characters; flowing art style that perfectly fits frenetic match scenes; rewards active, deep reading".[36]
Anime
In 2015, Ping Pong the Animation received the Grand Prize award for Television Animation of the Year at the Tokyo Anime Awards Festival.[37][38][39] The anime series was part of the Jury Selections at the 18th Japan Media Arts Festival in the Animation category in 2014.[40] In November 2019, Polygon named Ping Pong the Animation as one of the best anime of the 2010s,[41] and Crunchyroll listed it in their "Top 25 best anime of the 2010s".[42] IGN also listed Ping Pong the Animation among the best anime series of the 2010s.[43]
Critical reception
Nick Creamer from Anime News Network praised the anime adaptation and consider it to be a great anime with excellent character design and development, as well as magnificent soundtrack with great animation and story. And describes it as "The show only finds time for all this character development because absolutely zero scenes are wasted. This doesn't mean the show feels rushed - it simply means every line tells you something about a character, and every confrontation between two players changes something in both of them. Ping Pong's characters care about winning, but the show itself rises to make points beyond the field of battle. Failure is actually necessary and welcome in Ping Pong, as it is through failure that we grow, and become more than what we were. The show's music and sound design aren't just good, they're indispensable - they are a critical part of the show's aesthetic whole, rollicking opening song and contemplative ending included. Overall, Ping Pong is a triumph of artistry and treasure of storytelling. It's one of the shows I'd recommend to really demonstrate what anime is capable of, and yet it's light and engaging enough to be enjoyed by almost anyone. Highly recommended for all fans of anime as an art form, or just fans of good stories told well. Poignant storytelling, creative art design, propulsive direction, and resonant sound design come together in a brilliant, can't-miss package".[44]
Nicole MacLean from THEM Anime Reviews gave it a 5 out of 5, and describes the anime as not the most beautiful one compare to other animes directed by Masaaki Yuasa like Kaiba, but the show stands out by its wonderful development and storytelling.[1] Andy Hanley from UK Anime Network also gave a positive review of the anime series and gave it a 9 out of 10, calling it "Its visuals won't appeal to everyone but its story and handling of its characters are almost flawless, resulting in a compelling package that will live long in the memory. Less divisive will be the rest of Ping Pong's presentation - its soundtrack is utterly superb and fits the series perfectly, and the voice cast all do a good job of representing their characters in a way which is never overstated and again slots nicely into everything that the show is trying to achieve. Its thanks to Yuasa's take on both the story and how it's presented that this series is more than just another sports anime - it's a pitch-perfect examination of growing up, sporting endeavour and plenty more besides. No matter your take on its animation style, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better character study in animated series".[45]