Series · 2014
Ping Pong the Animation
ピンポン THE ANIMATION
Peco and Smile are friends in the same high-school table-tennis club, but they approach the game differently. Peco advertises his confidence; Smile rarely smiles. A Chinese exchange player and a coach determined to develop Smile’s ability disturb the balance between their friendship and their competitive ambitions.
Peco is already skipping club practice to beat customers at a local table-tennis hall when coach Koizumi notices Smile’s defensive skill. The opening places talent in two different situations: one boy treats winning as a given, while the other needs someone to press him into using his ability.
The competition reaches beyond their own club. Dragon captains the formidable Kaio team, where Peco and Smile’s childhood friend Akuma also plays, while Kong represents another school. Friends and rivals meet inside institutions with different expectations, giving the approaching tournament more than one measure of success.
Complete television anime · Approx. 4.2 hours · 11 episodes
Complete 11-episode 2014 television adaptation; excludes live action and manga.