TV series

Ping Pong the Animation

2014 · 1 season

A visually kinetic, emotionally resonant journey that turns table tennis into a profound meditation on talent, friendship, and self-discovery.

Created by: Masaki Utsunomiya, Masatsugu Arakawa
Genres: Animation, Drama
Starring: Koki Uchiyama, Fukujuro Katayama, Yousei Bun

Tagline: Enter the hero! Enter the hero! Enter the hero!
Overview: Makoto 'Smile' Tsukimoto and his friend Yutaka 'Peco' Hoshino have been playing table tennis together since they were kids, but as they enter high school, they find that the game, and how they see it, has changed. Peco, brimming with confidence and energy, wants to be the best in the world, but the reserved Smile has little fighting spirit and doesn't want to sacrifice others' happiness just to win, despite his innate talent. As the two grow, and experience the ups and downs of the sport – and life – they try to figure out exactly who they really are and what drives them to play.

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Created by: Masaki Utsunomiya, Masatsugu Arakawa
Genres: Animation, Drama
Starring: Koki Uchiyama, Fukujuro Katayama, Yousei Bun

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How it feels

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Tone: earneststrength 3 of 3
melancholicstrength 2 of 3
upliftingstrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: identity
coming-of-age
friendship
obsession
redemption
Places: school
small town
Era: contemporary
Audience: teen
Form: serialised
ensemble
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence none
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	5
Horror	0
Humour	4
Realism	6
Romance	1
Tension	6
Darkness	4
Complexity	7
Emotional weight	8

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Where to watch in the UK

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Details

Genres: animation, drama
Created by: Masaki Utsunomiya, Masatsugu Arakawa, Choi Eun-young, Heo Pyoung-kang, Hideki Ito, Fumihiro Ueno
Written by: Masaaki Yuasa
Starring: Koki Uchiyama, Fukujuro Katayama, Yousei Bun, Shunsuke Sakuya, Subaru Kimura, Yusaku Yara, Masako Nozawa, Airi Ohtsu
Music: Kensuke Ushio
Cinematography: Shunsuke Nakamura
Length: 1 seasons, 11 episodes, 23 min each
Network: Fuji TV
Country: Japan
Languages: Mandarin, Japanese

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Ping Pong the Animation

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