Ping Pong (manga)

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.

Not to be confused with the comedy manga/anime series Ping-Pong Club.
Ping Pong
Cover of the first volume of Ping Pong
ピンポン
(Pin Pon)
Genre
Manga
Written byTaiyō Matsumoto
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
MagazineBig Comic Spirits
DemographicSeinen
Original run1996 – 1997
Volumes5
Anime television series
Ping Pong the Animation
Directed by
Produced by
  • Yuka Okayasu
  • Yōhei Shintaku
Written byMasaaki Yuasa
Music byKensuke Ushio
StudioTatsunoko Production
Licensed by
Original networkFuji TV (Noitamina)
English network
Funimation Channel
Original run April 11, 2014 – June 20, 2014
Episodes11
Related

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 11, 2014 and June 20, 2014.

In North America, Funimation streamed and licensed the series in 2014. Viz Media has licensed the manga for a 2020 release.

Premise

Despite having drastically different personalities, high school boys Peco and Smile have been friends since childhood. Now, they're 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
Yutaka Hoshino/"Peco" (星野 裕/ペコ, Hoshino Yutaka/Peko)
Voiced by: Fukujūro Katayama, Mitsutaka Nishida (child) (Japanese); Aaron Dismuke[4] (English)
One of the protagonists and 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.
Makoto Tsukimoto/"Smile" (月本 誠/スマイル, Tsukimoto Makoto/Sumairu)
Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama, Hiroshi Satomura (child) (Japanese); Micah Solusod[4] (English)
The second protagonist, Smile, is quiet and reserved. He is nicknamed Smile because he seemingly never does. 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.
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[4] (English)
Kaio's team captain and star player. Kazama is a pragmatic individual 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[4] (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 an aggressive nature 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[4] (English)
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.
Obaba (オババ)
Voiced by: Masako Nozawa (Japanese); Pam Dougherty (English)
The elderly chain-smoking owner of the table tennis dojo where Smile and Peco learned the sport as children. She cares for the two young players, despite her outwardly tough, jaded persona.
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[4] (English)
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 realize his potential through any means necessary.
Ota (大田)
Voiced by: Takanori Hoshino (Japanese); Tyson Rinehart[4] (English)
Team captain of Katase, known for his unusual hairstyle. 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[4] (English)
The second-best player on the Kaio team, who quietly envies Kazama and hopes to rival him.
Shuji Nekota (猫田 修二, Nekota Shūji)
Voiced by: Kenta Ōkuma (Japanese); Clifford Chapin[4] (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 and President of Kaio, a shrewd businessman who does not tolerate failure. He is Ryuichi's grandfather.
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[4] (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[4] (English)
Obaba's son, who trains professional table tennis players.
Egami (江上)
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese); Eric Vale[4] (English)
Recurring side character, a wanderer with a restless soul.

Media

Manga

Ping Pong is written and illustrated by Taiyō Matsumoto and published by Shogakukan. The manga ran in Big Comic Spirits weekly magazine from 1996 to 1997. The chapters were collected and released into six bound volumes from July 1996 to August 1997.[5][6] The manga was re-released and reformatted into three volumes between July 14, 2012 and August 10, 2012.[7][8] Shogakukan re-released the manga again in two volumes on April 1, 2014 under the new title, Ping Pong: Full Game No (ピンポン　フルゲームの, Pin Pon furu gēmu no).[9][10]

In North America, Viz Media announced that they have licensed the manga for an English language release in May 2020.[11]

Original release
No.Release date ISBN
1 July 30, 1996[5]ISBN 4091847366
  • 01. "Smile" (スマイル, Sumairu)
  • 02. "Peco" (ペコ, Peko)
  • 03. "The Wind Makes it Too Hard to Hear" (風の音がジャマをしている, Kaze no oto ga jama o shite iru)
  • 04. "Kong Wenge" (孔文革, Kon Wenga)
  • 05. "Hero" (ヒーロー, Hīrō)
  • 06. "The Old Man and the Boy" (老人と少年, Rōjin to shōnen)
  • 07. "Dragon" (ドラゴン, Doragon)
  • 08. "The Youngsters" (若者たち, Wakamono-tachi)
  • 09. "Butterfly Joe" (バタフライジョー, Batafurai Jō)
  • 10. "The Men Are Gutsy!!" (男はド根性だかんよ!!, Otoko wa dokonjō dakan yo!!)
  • 11. "Talent" (性能, Seinō)
2 November 30, 1996[12]ISBN 4091847374
  • 12. "Boy/Old Man" (少年／老人, Shōnen/Rōjin)
  • 13. "Interhigh Table Tennis Qualifier Men's Singles" (インハイ卓球競技予選会 男子シングルス, Intāhai takkyū kyōgi yosen-kai danshi shingurusu)
  • 14. "Angry Boy" (少年怒る, Shōnen okoru)
  • 15. "Handle in Front" (前で捌く, Mae de sabaku)
  • 16. "No Hero" (ヒーロー不在, Hīrō fuzai)
  • 17. "First Game" (First Game)
  • 18. "Second Game" (Second Game)
  • 19. "Third Game" (Third Game)
  • 20. "Peco vs. Demon" (ペコVS.アクマ, Peko VS. Akuma)
  • 21. "Sea King" (海 王, Umi-ō)
  • 22. "Five Table Tennis Players" (5人の卓球選手, 5-Ri no takkyū senshu)
3 February 28, 1997[13]ISBN 4091847382
  • 23. "Autumn" (秋, Aki)
  • 24. "Dissonance" (不協和音, Fukyōwaon)
  • 25. "Winter is Near" (冬が近い, Fuyu ga chikai)
  • 26. "Leave It Alone Blues" (おいてけぼりブルース, Oitekebori burūsu)
  • 27. "Smile's a Robot" (スマイルロボ, Sumairurobo)
  • 28. "Wish Upon a Star" (星に願いを, Hoshininegaiwo)
  • 29. "Mogake Youth" (もがけ青春, Mogake seishun)
  • 30. "Trial to Become a Hero Part 1" (ヒーローになるための試練その1, Hīrō ni naru tame no shiren sono 1)
  • 31. "Q1: What Makoto Tsukimoto Needs Now" (問1・月本誠が今、必要としているもの, Toi 1・Tsukimoto Makoto ga ima, hitsuyō to shite iru mono)
  • 32. "My Coach" (マイコーチ, Maikōchi)
  • 33. "Continue to Wish Upon a Star" (続、星に願いを, Zoku, hoshininegaiwo)
4 June 30, 1997[14]ISBN 4091847390
  • 34. "Do You Understand?" (Do you understand?)
  • 35. "Tricks" (裏 技, Ura-waza)
  • 36. "Spring" (春。, Haru.)
  • 37. "Hero Seeing" (ヒーロー見参, Hīrō kenzan)
  • 38. "Let's Play Table Tennis" (卓球しましょう, Takkyū shimashou)
  • 39. "We Are Ping Pong Players" (We are ping pong players)
  • 40. "Review" (再 見, Saiken)
  • 41. "Monster" (モンスター, Monsutā)
  • 42. "Smile's a Monster" (スマイルモンスター, Sumairumonsutā)
  • 43. "Fall One Leaf and Know the Fall of the World" (一葉落ちて天下の秋を知る, Ichiyō ochite tenka no aki wo shiru)
  • 44. "Best 4" (ベスト 4, Besuto 4)
5 August 30, 1997[6]ISBN 4091847404
  • 45. "High School Hot-Blooded Sports Guts Story" (學園熱血スポーツ根性物語, Gaku-en nekketsu supōtsu konjō monogatari)
  • 46. "Trial to Become a Hero Part 2" (ヒーローになる為の試練その2, Hīrō ni naru tame no shiren sono 2)
  • 47. "Kazama's Soul" (カザマノココロ, Kazama no kokoro)
  • 48. "The Stars and the Moon..." (星と月と…, Hoshi to tsuki to...)
  • 49. "Play" (Play)
  • 50. "Fly" (Fly)
  • 51. "High" (High)
  • 52. "3:30-4:00 p.m." (PM3:30～4:00)
  • 53. "Resurrection Play" (復活劇, Fukkatsu-geki)
  • 54. "Ping Pong" (ピンポン, Pinpon)
  • 55. "The End of Spring" (春が終わる。, Haru ga owaru.)

2014 Re-release (Full Game Edition)
No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNEnglish release dateEnglish ISBN
1 April 1, 2014[15]ISBN 978-4-09-186089-7May 19, 2020[16]ISBN 978-1-9747-1165-9
2 April 1, 2014[17]ISBN 978-4-09-186090-3September 15, 2020[18]ISBN 978-1-9747-1166-6

Live action film
Main article: Ping Pong (2002 film)

Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by Tatsunoko Production and directed by Masaaki Yuasa premiered on April 11, 2014 on Fuji TV's noitamina block.[19][20][21] The opening theme is "Tada Hitori" (唯一人) by Bakudan Johnny and ending theme is "Bokura ni Tsuite" (僕らについて) by Merengue.

In North America, the anime has been licensed by Funimation.[22][23]

Episode list
No. Title[24] Directed by Original Airdate[25]
01"The Wind Makes it Too Hard to Hear"
Transcription: "Kaze no Oto ga Jama o Shiteiru" (Japanese: 風の音がジャマをしている)		Yūdai KubotaApril 11, 2014 (2014-04-11)
Two old friends go to spy on a new table tennis champ at a rival high school, but meanwhile their own team is disintegrating.
02"Smile's a Robot"
Transcription: "Sumairu wa Robotto" (Japanese: スマイルはロボット)		Hideki ItōApril 18, 2014 (2014-04-18)
Coach Koizumi has started working Smile hard, who definitely doesn't appreciate the extra attention.
03"Devoting Your Life to Table Tennis is Creepy"
Transcription: "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 ArakawaApril 25, 2014 (2014-04-25)
All the teams gather at the prefectural qualifiers, and China gets to play Smile at last.
04"The Only Way to Be Sure You Won't Lose is to Not Fight"
Transcription: "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 UenoMay 2, 2014 (2014-05-02)
Peco learns a hard lesson from someone he never took seriously enough, and then we finally see how Dragon earned his name.
05"Where Did I Go Wrong?"
Transcription: "Doko de Machigaeta?" (Japanese: どこで間違えた?)		Masaki UtsunomiyaMay 9, 2014 (2014-05-09)
Dragon's obsession with Smile prompts Akuma to do something rash.
06"You Love Table Tennis More Than Anyone Else!"
Transcription: "Omae Dare yori Takkyū-zuki jan yo!!" (Japanese: おまえ誰より卓球好きじゃんよ!!)		Yūdai KubotaMay 16, 2014 (2014-05-16)
Five athletes have five very different Christmas Eves, and Peco receives a wake-up call.
07"Yes My Coach"
Transcription: "Iesu Maikōchi" (Japanese: イエス マイコーチ)		Ryōta ItōMay 23, 2014 (2014-05-23)
Players, coaches, captains, and their families.
08"Enter the Hero"
Transcription: "Hīrō Kenzan" (Japanese: ヒーロー見参)		Hirayasu KyoMay 30, 2014 (2014-05-30)
Smile, Peco, Dragon, and China begin another prefectural qualifier. Will the results be different this year?
09"I'm Gonna Go Cry a Bit"
Transcription: "Sukoshi Naku" (Japanese: 少し泣く)		Ryōta ItōJune 6, 2014 (2014-06-06)
In the third round, Dragon has an unexpected visitor, Sanada questions himself, and Peco scares many people in many ways.
10"You're the Hero, Aren't You?!"
Transcription: "Hīrō na no darouga!!" (Japanese: ヒーローなのだろうが!!)		EunYoung ChoiJune 13, 2014 (2014-06-13)
Peco and Dragon tackle the question of whether only birds can fly.
11"Blood Tastes Like Iron"
Transcription: "Chi wa Tetsu no Aji ga Suru" (Japanese: 血は鉄の味がする)		Masaaki YuasaJune 20, 2014 (2014-06-20)
The final match is on.

Reception

In 2015, the anime received the Grand Prize award for Television Animation of the Year at the Tokyo Anime Awards Festival.[26]

In November 2019, Polygon named Ping Pong the Animation as one of the best anime of the 2010s,[27] and Crunchyroll listed it in their "Top 25 best anime of the 2010s".[28] IGN also listed Ping Pong the Animation among the best anime series of the 2010s.[29]

References
  1. Nicoletta Christina Browne. "Ping Pong:The Animation". THEM Anime Reviews. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  2. "Ping Pong the Animation". Funimation. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  3. "The Official Website for Ping Pong". Viz Media. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  4. Michelle Lee. "English Cast Announcements for Ping Pong the Animation and Wanna Be the Strongest in the World". Funimation.com Blog. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
  5. ピンポン　1 ビッグ　コミックス　スペシャル (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  6. ピンポン　5 ビッグ　コミックス　スペシャル (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  7. ピンポン　1 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  8. ピンポン　3 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  9. ピンポン　フルゲームの　1 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  10. ピンポン　フルゲームの　2 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  11. Sherman, Jennifer (October 4, 2019). "Viz Media Licences Fushigi Yūgi: Byakko Senki, How Do We Relationship?, Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  12. ピンポン　2 ビッグ　コミックス　スペシャル (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  13. ピンポン　3 ビッグ　コミックス　スペシャル (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  14. ピンポン　4 ビッグ　コミックス　スペシャル (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  15. ピンポン　フルゲームの　１ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  16. "Ping Pong, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  17. ピンポン　フルゲームの　２ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  18. "Ping Pong, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  19. "Kick-Heart's Yuasa to Direct Ping Pong Anime for Noitamina". Anime News Network. January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  20. "noitaminA Adds 'Ping Pong' Anime For Spring 2014 Season". The Fandom Post. January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  21. ""Ping Pong" Manga to be Adapted as Spring Noitamina Anime". Crunchyroll. January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  22. "Funimation to Stream Ping Pong the Animation". Anime News Network. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  23. Loveridge, Lynzee (November 8, 2014). "Funimation Adds Ping Pong, Tokyo Ravens, Puchimas Home Video Rights". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  24. "Funimation Ping Pong Episodes". Funimation.
  25. "Ping Pong episodes" (in Japanese).
  26. Saabedra, Humberto (March 22, 2015). "Masaaki Yuasa Wins TAAF Award For "Ping Pong The Animation"". Crunchyroll. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  27. "The best anime of the decade". Polygon. November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  28. Wolf, Ian (November 27, 2019). "Crunchyroll Names The Top 100 Anime of the 2010s". Anime UK News. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  29. "The Best Anime of the Decade (2010 - 2019)". IGN. January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
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