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Are you disheartened by modern anime? Why havent you watched Ping Pong the Animation?

Jarate

Banned
Legit, one of the most frustrating things about watching anime is how garbage 99% of it is and how bad the fans are at curating it. This in my opinion is what makes this "genre" of cartoons so difficult to go through. You don't actually know if people actually Dragon maid show, or if people like cute girls doing cute things. But, staring at you straight in the face is a show that might be the best piece of animation released in this decade. Ping Pong the animation is not only one of the best pieces of animation, it also does not abide by any of the stereotypical anime tropes that pervade the anime industry today.

So let's discuss it

I DON'T LIKE MOE AND FANSERVICE, IS THERE ANY IN HERE?

Ping Pong is not about fanservice in the anime way, the cheap titties and ass take away from what the true fan service should be, well written characters who go through trials to become better people.

Anyway, there are no little girls doing cute things for the sole purpose of selling action figures to otaku. This piece of animation is unsullied by the heartless needs of the capitalistic japanese anime industry. All that is here is great animation, great characters, and some gosh darn Ping Pong.

I DON'T LIKE SPORTS ANIME, SO CLEARLY I WILL NOT ENJOY THIS

Do not sully the name of Ping Pong with the idea f it being, "just a sports anime." Saying Ping Pong is a sports anime is like saying Game of Thrones is just a fantasy novel. While both statements are true, it gives disservice to the intentions of the Author.

Im a big fan of sports anime, but Ping Pong is a character drama with the backdrop of Ping Pong competition. There is no sequence where the main character, a newbie to the sport needs to be explained the most basic of rules for 15 minutes, there are no secret anime special moves that can only be learned by an untrained japanese high schooler, there is no shonen crap in this series.

IM DISINTERESTED IN THE MODERN ANIME ART STYLE

Well you're in good luck fella, Ping Pong the animation creates an animation style unique to its own, and doesn't look anything like the noseless moeblobs you sometimes get in modern anime.

IKwgxmr.jpg


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And just remember, no little girl tropes, no shonen stuff. just real shit right here.

IM DISINTERESTED IN SHOWS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL INDIVIDUALS

While the characters are all high schoolers, its much different then any other slice of life high school anime out there. Teachers and old people are given very important characterization, the kids in the show are all given crisis that feel real and not manufactured, and like I said earlier, this show is free from the typical high school anime show tropes. Calling it a high school anime is like calling it a sports anime, it doesn't really work given the other focuses on the story.

I DON'T WANT TO GET INVESTED IN A SHOW THAT'S SUPER LONG

Ping Pong the Animation is 11 episodes long. This is a short series.

I DON'T WANT TO GET INVESTED IN A GOOD SHOW THAT ENDS HORRIBLY

I don't want to spoil anything with the ending, but let me just say that Ping Pong has the most satisfying ending of any any anime Ive ever seen. Every loose end gets resolved, all the characters go through shit and try to fight through it. There is no terrible storytelling in this show.

THOSE PICTURES YOU POSTED EARLIER LOOK FUNNY AND WEIRD

The art style to Ping Pong is divisive among anime fans. I can only assure you guys this much. Ping Pong looks fucking amazing in motion.

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The show looks gorgeous. It's an absolute stunner.

WHERE CAN I FIND SAID SHOW

Funimation has it on their website, and they have an excellent dub that I can only suggest. If dubs arent your thing theyalso have a sub. I see that Crunchy Roll and Hulu also have it.


GO AND WATCH PING PONG THE ANIMATION
 

Geist-

Member
I don't know if 99% of modern anime is trash (it might be), but I can definitely agree that Ping Pong the Animation is great.
 

Erheller

Member
It's only one of the best shows ever made

As someone who absolutely loved Ping Pong and The Tatami Galaxy, which other Yuasa works are worth watching?
 

Sakura

Member
Ping Pong is ok.
But there are plenty of modern anime out there that aren't filled with 'moe' or little girls doing cute things.
Also the art is shit.
 

Jarate

Banned
No thanks, its not the type of anime I'm looking for.

What type of anime are looking for?

Ping Pong is exquisitely well made. It is legit one of the most well put together stories in all of anime. It ends incredibly well, has great characters, discusses the themes of competition in a unique and eloquent way.

Anybody who has ever competed in any type of sporting event is going to love this show
 

Sakura

Member

Come on now. There are tons of sports anime that aren't about moe blobs or kawaii girls or whatever it is you hate. It's pretty common amongst sports anime. Ping Pong isn't really unique in this regard. I think the only reason some people latch on to it is because of the animation style (which is ugly).
 

sonicmj1

Member
Ping Pong is an all-time great anime. Wonderful, human characters that naturally grow and develop from start to finish. No padding, no bullshit, just a movingly told exploration about what it means to be a competitor, and by extension, what it means to live. I would recommend it without reservations to pretty much anyone, regardless of genre preference.

There's a reason it won Anime of the Year here the year it came out.
 

Jarate

Banned
I'm sorry OP but I will have to call you out on this. Ping Pong won the NeoGAF AOTY award so the notion that anime fans are bad a curating is bollocks.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=983981

You should try listening to the infinite wisdom of the AnimeGAF shadow council.

Nothing against you guys, i lurk there every once in a while, but you guys dont know what the average anime fan wants, and ive seen plenty of bad suggestions from people in that thread

Think of it like this. Ping Pong the Animation won an anime of the year award on a fucking nerd forum. That should tell you how good it is

Come on now. There are tons of sports anime that aren't about moe blobs or kawaii girls or whatever it is you hate. It's pretty common amongst sports anime. Ping Pong isn't really unique in this regard. I think the only reason some people latch on to it is because of the animation style (which is ugly).

There are no sports anime that even comes close to the themes and elements in ping pong

I only avatar quoted you to let people understand who is saying that the show is "ugly" someone with a colourful anime little girl avatar, which is exactly the reason why a lot of people don't like modern anime.

If you don't like it, then it's a win for me
 

Theonik

Member
Nothing against you guys, i lurk there every once in a while, but you guys dont know what the average anime fan wants, and ive seen plenty of bad suggestions from people in that thread

Think of it like this. Ping Pong the Animation won an anime of the year award on a fucking nerd forum. That should tell you how good it is
#NotAllAnimeGAFfers
 

daveo42

Banned
I still need to watch Ping Pong. Been catching up on some of the better anime from the past few seasons and this is definitely on the list.
 

Hexa

Member
If you don't like sports anime you probably won't like it despite sports anime fans saying you will. And I don't like sports anime so I won't comment on the content of the show since I dislike it by default. But the art/animation is literally painful to watch.
 

Jarate

Banned
If you don't like sports anime you probably won't like it despite everyone supposedly saying you will. And I don't like sports anime so I won't comment on the content. But the art/animation is literally painful to watch.

yCmzVf5.gif


LITERALLY TOO PAINFUL TO WATCH

PS: People don't like sports anime because it usually tends to be a mediocre shonen that uses sports as a gimmick. It will then explain to you every single detail, no matter how dumb just so newcomers can understand.

Ping Pong isn't a sports anime. Ping Pong is a character drama with a sports backdrop that just happens to be there.
 

Mesoian

Member
Ping Pong is REALLY good.

It's pretty rare when the cast of a sports anime (or any anime really) comes off as actually pretty realistic. Regular guys, for better or worse, in an extraordinary situation.

It's a great quick watch.

Watch this and then watch Tatami Galaxy right after.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
What type of anime are looking for?

Ping Pong is exquisitely well made. It is legit one of the most well put together stories in all of anime. It ends incredibly well, has great characters, discusses the themes of competition in a unique and eloquent way.

Anybody who has ever competed in any type of sporting event is going to love this show

I enjoy ones like Zone of the Enders: Dolores i, Planets and stuff like that. Personal but epic stories that span time and space.

Dont get me wrong, I can appreciate all the work that goes into stuff like this, it just tends not to hold my attention long, esspecially when its stylized just for the sake of being stylized.
 
Legit, one of the most frustrating things about watching anime is how garbage 99% of it is and how bad the fans are at curating it.

Its more like that usually the anime-fans who watch stuff like Ping Pong, Tatami Galaxy, Kaiba, Aku no Hana etc. arent as "loud" as the ones who promote Attack on Titan, SAO etc.
 

Jarate

Banned
Its more like that usually the anime-fans who watch stuff like Ping Pong, Tatami Galaxy, Kaiba, Aku no Hana etc. arent as "loud" as the ones who promote Attack on Titan, SAO etc.

Im working to become that loud obnoxious anime fan.

The world needs better anime in people's hands

That shot isn't bad, but the majority of the show isn't like that, and it's awful.

QOKqmY5.gif


OOCH OUCH OOF MY EYES, IT HURTS TO LOOK AT IT
 

jett

D-Member
Legit, one of the most frustrating things about watching anime is how garbage 99% of it is

Some time ago I read there were 300 anime shows currently in production, so it's not surprising there's such a large amount of crap. :p
 

Savitar

Member
Do I care for much modern anime?

No.

Do I care about this series?

No.

Why?

The animation style as it is portrayed here and the subject matter. I couldn't care less.
 

Jarate

Banned
Some time ago I read there were 300 anime shows currently in production, so it's not surprising most of it is crap. :p

not denying that, it's easy to produce garbage anime.

Do I care for much modern anime?

No.

Do I care about this series?

No.

Why?

The animation style as it is portrayed here and the subject matter. I couldn't care less.

You're legit missing out on one of the best character driven pieces of media ever made. I can't say that your tastes and preferences are wrong, but remember, this show is not about Ping Pong, it's about the role of competition in peoples lives and how that motivates them. If you don't like expertly crafted character, then idk what you will like
 

Cirruss

Member
Come on now. There are tons of sports anime that aren't about moe blobs or kawaii girls or whatever it is you hate. It's pretty common amongst sports anime. Ping Pong isn't really unique in this regard. I think the only reason some people latch on to it is because of the animation style (which is ugly).

Almost all sports anime seem to revolve around male characters only with only one or two female side characters at all. What sports anime actually follows a female team/protagonist? I actually tried looking for one recently but the only one I found was Keijo.

I really dislike the art style of Ping Pong and I like regular sports anime but not sure I like character drama's so I'm not sure if I'll like this.
 

Narag

Member
Nothing against you guys, i lurk there every once in a while, but you guys dont know what the average anime fan wants, and ive seen plenty of bad suggestions from people in that thread

Think of it like this. Ping Pong the Animation won an anime of the year award on a fucking nerd forum. That should tell you how good it is

Yeah we made a great push for people to watch it so it could win AOTY.

Same with Yamato 2199 which is something else more should check out.
 

Jarate

Banned
Can you recommend other shows in the same style and tone as Ping Pong?

That's gonna be hard to find in anime, and im not really the biggest expert on the field (I tend to watch a lot of punchy muscle shows)

The closest thing sports anime "shonen" got to Ping Pong was Hajime No Ippo, which I enjoy quite a lot. But it's also a bajillion episodes and tends to get repetitive.

Aku no Hana is similar, but uses rotoscoping.

Tatami Galaxy maybe?

Aku no Hana also has one of the least satisfying endings and leaves on a major cliffhanger that will never be resolved (You can go and finish the story in the manga, but the art style is a lot different, and the anime in general is honestly my favorite way too experience it.)
 
Your OP has me intrigued, and some of the images/reactions reminded me a little of Mob Psycho which is another anime that plebeians people said looked ugly that actually looked amazing. Might check it out.
 
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