Ping Pong the Animation (2014)

Name: Ping Pong the Animation
Genre: Animation, Drama
Cast: Koki Uchiyama, Fukujuro Katayama, Yousei Bun, Shunsuke Sakuya, Subaru Kimura

Enter the hero! Enter the hero! Enter the hero!

★ 8.2 23m/ep Animation · Drama Latest: S1 E11

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.

Cast: Koki Uchiyama, Fukujuro Katayama, Yousei Bun, Shunsuke Sakuya, Subaru Kimura, Yusaku Yara, Masako Nozawa
Country: Japan
First aired: April 11, 2014

Seasons

Season 1 · 11 episodes

Season 1 Episodes

1. The Wind Makes It Too Hard to Hear
Two old friends go to spy on a new table tennis champ at a rival high school, but meanwhile their own team is falling apart.
2. Smile Is a Robot
Coach Koizumi has started working Smile hard, and he definitely doesn't appreciate the extra attention.
3. Staking Your Life on Table Tennis Is Revolting
All the teams gather at the prefectural qualifiers, and China gets to play Smile at last.
4. The Only Way to Be Sure You Won't Lose Is to Not Fight
Peco learns a hard lesson from someone he never took seriously enough, and then we finally see how Dragon earned his name.
5. Where Did I Go Wrong?
Dragon's obsession with Smile prompts Akuma to do something rash.
6. You Love This Sport More Than Anyone!!
Five athletes have five very different Christmas Eves, and Peco gets a wake-up call.
7. Yes, My Coach
Players, coaches, captains, and their families.
8. The Hero Appears
Smile, Peco, Dragon, and China begin another prefectural qualifier. Will the results be different this year?
9. Gonna Cry a Bit
In the third round, Dragon has an unexpected visitor, Sanada questions himself, and Peco scares lots of people in lots of ways.
10. I Thought You Were the Hero!!
Peco and Dragon tackle the question of whether only birds can fly.
11. Blood Tastes Like Iron
The final match is on.