Thank You! Ping Pong is also one of my all time favorites. Even though I generally don't like sports anime because how they often gravitate toward a power fantasy (especially how much emphasis is placed on things that matter little compared to things that do).
Great video! I will say, as an immigrant myself, the airplane also represents financial freedom and the ability for Kong to return home to China. He starts out feeling like he's been imprisoned or punished and wants nothing more than to redeem himself to his home country so he can support his mother. When he loses, he finally lets go of that dream, but he isn't suffering from it anymore because he realizes he can make a new life in Japan. You see this culminate in the epilogue scene where we find out Kong is now playing for Japan in the Olympics.
The editing alone made me emotional about the show again, seriously did a marvelous job at breaking down the elements, great video! I also really like the sound incorporation
Wanted to properly express my appreciation for this great analysis - really good work here, the manner of presentation was really fluid and goes well with the narration. You discerned some great themes that made me brood over and rekindled my love for this beautiful story. Thank you for your good work, i'm invigorated once again to engage and have fun with the sports in my life
A wonderful analysis that captured the essence of what makes Ping Pong the animation so endearing. Would've loved to hear you talk about the butterfly motif as it was a cornerstone in Tsukimoto's characterization and was heavily emphasized during his match with Koizumi. Regardless, I hope you keep producing content like this since you seem to have a great aptitude for story-telling and editing (as long as you enjoy it though!)
This essay is criminally underrated. Your assessment of ping pong is probably the best one available online. It brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction. Thankyou for making this.
It's a tragedy more people can't see your amazing work of editing and expression. This was an amazing video and I want you to be aware of that. Thank you for showing such a great analysis of one of my most favorite series and giving further insight into it as well.
Wow great video! As everyone else has said the editing is great! I think one thing you should think about is the kind of bird that is shown. It is a Kite, a bird that flies over the ocean and picks up small prey and steals food. We can see kites stealing food in a few episodes. The kite acts as two symbols, freedom from flying, and as a symbol for Peco's attitude at the beginning of the show. Peco begins as a talented player, but no one more than a noob crusher. He crushes small prey over and around the ocean. The ocean is used as a symbol for quitting throughout the show. When Peco becomes demotivated he goes to the ocean. This is most clear when he almost drowns after jumping in during the winter. So to wrap it up Peco is represented by the Kite, later showing his ability to fly, and earlier as his attitude of foiling his talent. Peco moves on from the symbol of the kite and onto the symbol of the winged hero. Check out this video, th-cam.com/video/ZPC37uBJDYQ/w-d-xo.html, it has a lot of good info to add to this one!
What brilliant editing. Wow. The way you put together all these clips is so elegant and pleasing. Matches what you’re saying perfectly. This is the first video I’ve seen of yours, but if you have other vids of this quality, it’s a quick subscribe from me.
This is an exceptionally well done video! The editing, screenplay and inference are all top notch. Showing why Pingpong is one of the greatest animes (or even works of art) out there in the world!
One of the best videos Ive seen. Your speaking needs a bit of work, you sound a bit monotonous and boring, but your script was really good and insightful, and the editing was masterful. Thanks for this video
Thank you! I'll keep that in mind. I tried not being so slow in my pace as last time (that was also a theme there so it was quite slow), but I guess I need more time and practice to get used to hearing my own voice. Hopefully, I'll be able to improve it in the next video.
I told this to My friend and it's worth sharing it here: "I finished the last episode of Ping Pong, I am crying so much. One of the best things I ever experienced, I came to recommend it if you never watched. For Me as an intellectual, this hurts so much. The combination of emotions is wonderful. I will search for more of Masaaki Yuasa. This masterpiece is something I always wanted and needed, I wish that everyone will watch it. I can't believe, the story is so sad and beautiful, I don't like sad stories, it always hit Me so hard, I don't want to live if My life will be as sad as that cartoon. I love this cartoon so much, so much. I would love if there are a lot more episodes of it, but knowing it's only this what I watched making Me cry even more. I assume this cartoon isn't known among the people, that just tells that people are terribly stupid. I can't imagine how was the author able to make such a sad thing, like how he overcome the sadness and wrote that story. Maybe he is a psychopath that wants people to suffer just like one who made "The little match girl", that story still haunts Me, and this one will too until My brain became unable to think.".
Wow, i like the way your videos are styled! It is so high quality. The visuals are not heavy on the eyes and flowing - it definitely complements your voice over, which transitions from one explanation to the next seamlessly. Your viewpoints are insightful, and the script conveys these ideas well, while also being easy to understand. And all of this smooth styling goes well with your voice, though some might not like it, i think your voice and tone has a soothing quality to it.
Wow! Thank you for your feedback! I am glad you liked the video! I do feel that my voice needs some work since I'm not comfortable with a microphone yet. So, I'm practicing as I make the next one. Speaking of, if everything goes according to plan, I'll be able to release it in next couple weeks. So, look forward to it!
This is a great video i love the animations and your analysis is on point i also think that your voice is a little monotone and the music is a bit odd at some times because it changes abruptly or it doesnt match with what you are talking about. Keep up the good work!
Late to the party but so happy to have seen this. If you haven't seen a similar review already, "Ping Pong is a perfect coming of age story" by Steak Bentley is another one of my favorite TH-cam videos ever and this is up there with it. But yeah back to this video... The script, the in depth analysis of flight, and the visuals were all top notch (I do echo one of the comments rhsr delivery could perhaps be worked on but that's nitpicking and a stylistic thing that does not detract really from the amazing content). I'm so happy to see others as inspired by this show as I was. Its one of those shows that does a great job of making you learn about yourself and look more honestly at your own intentions and motivations for following any passion be it sport or craft or career even. I hope you make a followup video to this because there's still so much to talk about. A couple things off the top of my head I thought you could also talk about...Butterfly Joe and why he wanted to show Smile the tough winds of competition to develop "stronger wings". And the sort of sights you can see from the high vantage point of being at the top of the mountain (or being able to fly). And conversely for Kong and the theme that "wind makes you not be able to hear (yourself?). Obaba as the witch/sensei in the hero cutscenes. Kazama as the Dragon vs. the lion imagery we see when Peco struggles with announcing his identity. In Nietzsche's Zarathustra, the dragon had to be defeated by the lion in order for the final metamorphosis to take place. This sort of imagery is probably ancient and used in a lot of stuff (Zarathustra is of course part parody). Yuri needing to fly away to find herself. The beach guy quitting ping pong to fly around the world only to realize he had to return home to find what he truly loved. And finally, probably the most important thing I would love to see you dissect a bit is the key repeated line in the show of "blood tastes like iron". I think there is a link there to everything else you talked about in this video but it isn't entirely explicit. I would love to hear your thoughts!!! Thanks for making this gem!
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed the video. Ping Pong is chockfull of symbolism and clever wordplay, so there is a lot of stuff to cover. Plus it gives proper treatment to each of its side stories as well. The flight theme was something that tied all of the main characters together, while the other symbols are more localised and don't share a lot of connections/interactions with others. I've actually posted my thoughts on some of those things you mentioned on different social media platforms and here in the comments as well (so you can read those if you'd like). I am discovering things about the show even now. So once I have enough to put together into a video, I will make it. The Zarathustra connection you mentioned sounds interesting to me. I came across an interpretation of the scene a few months ago when I was watching Kyousou Giga and looking up some of the imagery in the show. The two statues that we see in the background during the flashback where Peco is announcing himself as the hero actually fit quite well in terms of their traditional meaning. The statues are called Komainu (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komainu) and they're often found in pairs at the gates of a shrine. In this pair, one statue has it's mouth open, while the other has it closed. The one with his mouth open, called "a-gyo", is supposed to be uttering the sound "A", while the other one, called "Un-gyo", utters "Un" or "Um". Together, they're uttering "Aum" or "Om" (ॐ). There is a very interesting relationship between the two utterances in the Hindu culture. The sound of "Om" begins with the "A" at the back of the throat and ends with the "Mm" at the lips. It is said that it covers the entire vocal range. Since the combined sound "Om" (ॐ) represents the essence of the universe (or the atman), the "A" part is said to symbolize the beginning/birth while the "Um" represents the end of the universe. Now, about Ping Pong. What's really interesting is that in the background, both the statues have their mouths open. We're missing the "Un-gyo" statue here. So the statues are actually symbolizing two beginnings. One is Peco's rebirth as the hero in the present moment (in his match with Kazama) while the other is representing the birth of the hero in Smile's memory in the past. I was very close to putting the beach guy (I think his name was Egami) into the video, but I could not find a connection with the flight symbolism. I think it's very interesting that he ends up as a spectator of the sport rather than a returning player (you can see him at the very end of the show). There is certainly plenty of material to cover into another video, but I feel I should give it more time so that I can discover more details about it. Once again, thank you for watching the video.
[Edit 24/09/2018 : The next video is on Sangatsu no Lion's first season. I know I mentioned covering a more recent show but I remembered how much I loved Sangatsu's first season so I decided to work on that instead. It will be out soon!] So, first of all, let me start with an apology for such a long delay in the release of the video (nearly 5 months, wow!). I am really sorry about that. There were a lot of things going on my life during these last few months, starting with the exam in march and ending with the recent accident where I nearly screwed up my left wrist and everything in between those events. Still, this video was a lot of fun to work on and I appreciate the patience you guys had during its making. It was quite a challenge to put together the style and to cut off so many parts of content I wanted to talk about (like the other symbols, Koizumi's & Egami's story, more about Smile, about the absolutely brilliant directing of the show, etc), but I think that the end result turned out just fine. I'll try my best to release my next video sooner than this. It will be on a more recent show (probably from last 2-3 seasons). So, look forward to it.
Ah wtf. That comment I posted got deleted. But you’ve outdone yourself with this video. As someone who’s watched the show some two years back, the details were hazy, and I couldn’t pinpoint the accuracy as to why I loved it as much, but it left a huge impact on me. When I look at your video now, you’ve paid attention to detail to the theme or rather core of the show, and as you narrate the symbolism of flight you play the video of it side by side, making a lorn of things that is missed back then so much clearer. You’ve even gone to the tiniest of details in the surrealistic kazuma sequence as well. Honestly really really great stuff. I’m eagerly waiting for your next video even more now House chan~
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed the video! I feel that *"You cannot cross the sea on such thin wings"* is Koizumi referring to Tsukimoto's naivete. He is trying to teach him that in the real world loss and grief are unavoidable, and Smile's "delicate" way of caring about their opponent's feelings during a match will not let him reach the heights. That the joy of victory and the despair of defeat always coexist in the battlefield. In order to win, in order to cross the sea of competition and reach the other side, you'll have to accept that winning implies your opponent walks back home in despair. Of course, this is also a callback to his own past, his own story, and this is where his perception of Tsukimoto is wrong. Smile doesn't want to win. He does not want to cross the sea. He just wants to have fun. Someone asked me a similar question on reddit so I'll post my reply from there as well : "I felt that the usage of the butterfly in the show didn't fit into the theme I was covering (especially in relation to the idea of freedom). The butterfly is traditionally used as a symbol for rebirth (or transformation), and in the show we almost never see it after the first few episodes (it even disappears from Koizumi's jacket, and sometimes there's only Jo written on it). In fact, if I remember correctly, it is only seen much later in the final episode on Koizumi's jacket when the three coaches are gathered and then later on where Smile and Kazama meet 5 years later and a few butterflies can be seen floating around Kazama depicting how he has been, in a way, reborn (I am not entirely sure on the disappearance of the symbol, I simply do not recall seeing it that often). I think that the butterfly in the show relates to Koizumi and his past more than the players (since we see it with him most of the time). How he sees Smile as a chance to relive (and perhaps even redo) his past, but toward the end of the show it ends up in his rebirth, where he accepts Tsukimoto's decision to attack Peco's injury in the final match and calls him "the best player he knows". You could say that it relates to the sport, that how Koizumi's predicament questions the place of that sort of compassion in the world of sport, but I don't think I could have woven it into the script like that. I felt that the butterfly belonged with the symbols of moon, dragon, star, etc more than it did with the symbols of flight in relation to the idea of "freedom". Plus I was kinda short on time and the video was getting pretty long so I left it at "three prominent symbols of flight"."
Thank you for your response. I very much enjoyed reading and have to agree that it does not exactly fit into the theme of your essay. Very insightful. As to butterflies in the show, it has been a while since I watched so I can't recall many additional or late appearances. On some paddles there is an outline of an insignia that looks like a pair of wings, this I believe is in reference to a Ping Pong paddle/accessory manufacturer; Butterfly. butterflyonline.com/. Just a cool little thing I noticed. The only image of the insignia i can find right now is in the scene where the coach collapses during his match with smile, but I am sure there are more in the show.
Do you think Sakuma still wants to play ping pong? Like do you think he still wishes to play the game again and be an amazing player or do you think he's over it. Or did he start out wishing to be a better player after quitting and then got over it over time. Because I have recently quit something knowing I had no talent for it and it only brought me suffering but after quitting I still get this feeling of wanting to play and win, be a better player. But I'm not sure if this feeling will ever go away I want my mind to be clear and not have these thoughts of wanting to be better and be a winner I just want to let it all go like Sakuma but even after quitting I still have these feelings of wanting to play and be better, not sure what to do but I guess ill just ask for advice and wait and see what happens down the road.
I went through the same thing, I actually had talent but decided to quit because I kept comparing myself to all the ones better than me and chasing after success. Whats the point of me making art if they can do it much better? So I quit for a few months, but that yearning to draw again wouldnt leave me alone, saying dont throw your talent away. Then one day I was looking back at previous works I did and remembered what a good time I had making them and thought "man I wish I could draw again". That moment I realized wait a minute, I can still draw! That's just a thought I've been listening to all this time like a spell, telling me that I cant do this or that, I'm no good compared to other's, blablabla. I realized then that the thought had no power over me and that as long as I'm alive, I will allow myself to live, to follow my heart and to make mistakes. The joys come with the pain but you do not need to fear either. Just live because you have such little time here and it would be the greatest tragedy if you look back a lifetime only to realize you wasted it listening to your thoughts instead of living.
Great video, you pointed out a ton of things I didn't think about or notice before even though I've watched the show like 3 times ahha. Man, I feel like I could rewatch Ping Pong over and over again and always find something new. *Btw, does anyone know the name of the ost that starts playing at 13:34? Much appreciated!
Thank you! Yes! Ping Pong is an amazing show with so much substance to chew on! I'm sorry about the late reply on this, the comment somehow missed my notifications and I only found it today while scrolling. And the song is titled Night Cruising. It's from the show's OST, so I'm sure you can find it here on TH-cam.
marvelous editing and great commentary about one of my fav shows of all time
Thank You!
Ping Pong is also one of my all time favorites. Even though I generally don't like sports anime because how they often gravitate toward a power fantasy (especially how much emphasis is placed on things that matter little compared to things that do).
I couldn't understand ping Pong
Great video! I will say, as an immigrant myself, the airplane also represents financial freedom and the ability for Kong to return home to China. He starts out feeling like he's been imprisoned or punished and wants nothing more than to redeem himself to his home country so he can support his mother. When he loses, he finally lets go of that dream, but he isn't suffering from it anymore because he realizes he can make a new life in Japan. You see this culminate in the epilogue scene where we find out Kong is now playing for Japan in the Olympics.
It is amazing how Paco and Smiles relationship has been shown with the symbols moon and star
I would have never picked out that bird on Kaz’s shirt in a 300 years. Good eye!
i love how this video is how pingpong feels as an anime. best pinpong video
The editing alone made me emotional about the show again, seriously did a marvelous job at breaking down the elements, great video! I also really like the sound incorporation
Wanted to properly express my appreciation for this great analysis - really good work here, the manner of presentation was really fluid and goes well with the narration. You discerned some great themes that made me brood over and rekindled my love for this beautiful story. Thank you for your good work, i'm invigorated once again to engage and have fun with the sports in my life
A wonderful analysis that captured the essence of what makes Ping Pong the animation so endearing. Would've loved to hear you talk about the butterfly motif as it was a cornerstone in Tsukimoto's characterization and was heavily emphasized during his match with Koizumi. Regardless, I hope you keep producing content like this since you seem to have a great aptitude for story-telling and editing (as long as you enjoy it though!)
I would like to know more about the butterfly motif, it's one of the more tricky symbols of the show for me to understand.
This essay is criminally underrated. Your assessment of ping pong is probably the best one available online. It brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction. Thankyou for making this.
masterpiece of a series. along with Ashita no joe. I highly recommend Joe
This video-essay is a masterpiece
This is what I call God-tier explanation..
WAT A BEAUTIFUL VIDEO, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS TO THE WORLD.
It's a tragedy more people can't see your amazing work of editing and expression. This was an amazing video and I want you to be aware of that. Thank you for showing such a great analysis of one of my most favorite series and giving further insight into it as well.
Holyyyyy...
Editing is 10/10
The insights, even after rewatching this anime many times. I still learned so many because of this video
Wow great video! As everyone else has said the editing is great! I think one thing you should think about is the kind of bird that is shown. It is a Kite, a bird that flies over the ocean and picks up small prey and steals food. We can see kites stealing food in a few episodes. The kite acts as two symbols, freedom from flying, and as a symbol for Peco's attitude at the beginning of the show. Peco begins as a talented player, but no one more than a noob crusher. He crushes small prey over and around the ocean. The ocean is used as a symbol for quitting throughout the show. When Peco becomes demotivated he goes to the ocean. This is most clear when he almost drowns after jumping in during the winter. So to wrap it up Peco is represented by the Kite, later showing his ability to fly, and earlier as his attitude of foiling his talent. Peco moves on from the symbol of the kite and onto the symbol of the winged hero. Check out this video, th-cam.com/video/ZPC37uBJDYQ/w-d-xo.html, it has a lot of good info to add to this one!
Teared up watching this and I'm not sure why. Amazing video
the best editing ive seen
This video was amazing! You're really good at this!
We really NEED more videos from you, why is the channel so inactive now? Please come baaack!
What brilliant editing. Wow. The way you put together all these clips is so elegant and pleasing. Matches what you’re saying perfectly. This is the first video I’ve seen of yours, but if you have other vids of this quality, it’s a quick subscribe from me.
Beautiful edits, i could listen to your soothing voice all day.
Amazing video editing and analysis. I just finished Ping Pong yesterday and I loved it
dude your editing and analysis, Goddam. Excellent video man
This is an exceptionally well done video! The editing, screenplay and inference are all top notch. Showing why Pingpong is one of the greatest animes (or even works of art) out there in the world!
Wow, awesome editing. Seriously impressive. Crazy. Such a wonderful homage to the manga!
Beautiful.
Excellent video, I look forward to watching more of your content =)
Also the editing/presentation of the video was really enjoyable
One of the best videos Ive seen. Your speaking needs a bit of work, you sound a bit monotonous and boring, but your script was really good and insightful, and the editing was masterful. Thanks for this video
Thank you!
I'll keep that in mind. I tried not being so slow in my pace as last time (that was also a theme there so it was quite slow), but I guess I need more time and practice to get used to hearing my own voice. Hopefully, I'll be able to improve it in the next video.
You put to words everything I was thinking about the show. Really great analysis, please keep it up (but only if it's fun).
Just finished watching it, awesome video and commentary
Everything about this video is so good. I would love to see more from you.
I told this to My friend and it's worth sharing it here:
"I finished the last episode of Ping Pong, I am crying so much. One of the best things I ever experienced, I came to recommend it if you never watched. For Me as an intellectual, this hurts so much. The combination of emotions is wonderful. I will search for more of Masaaki Yuasa. This masterpiece is something I always wanted and needed, I wish that everyone will watch it. I can't believe, the story is so sad and beautiful, I don't like sad stories, it always hit Me so hard, I don't want to live if My life will be as sad as that cartoon. I love this cartoon so much, so much. I would love if there are a lot more episodes of it, but knowing it's only this what I watched making Me cry even more. I assume this cartoon isn't known among the people, that just tells that people are terribly stupid. I can't imagine how was the author able to make such a sad thing, like how he overcome the sadness and wrote that story. Maybe he is a psychopath that wants people to suffer just like one who made "The little match girl", that story still haunts Me, and this one will too until My brain became unable to think.".
ma fav anime. great rev!
I love the analysis and the editing. I wish to learn how to edit like that!
Love the editing and commentary.
Thank you so much for the support!
This video is wonderful. So glad I watched it.
And I am glad that you watched it. Thank you!
this is amazing dude, thanks for making it
Why doesn't this have more likes!?!? ;_;
Great video, made me wanna rewatch !
Wow, i like the way your videos are styled! It is so high quality.
The visuals are not heavy on the eyes and flowing - it definitely complements your voice over, which transitions from one explanation to the next seamlessly. Your viewpoints are insightful, and the script conveys these ideas well, while also being easy to understand. And all of this smooth styling goes well with your voice, though some might not like it, i think your voice and tone has a soothing quality to it.
Wow! Thank you for your feedback!
I am glad you liked the video!
I do feel that my voice needs some work since I'm not comfortable with a microphone yet. So, I'm practicing as I make the next one.
Speaking of, if everything goes according to plan, I'll be able to release it in next couple weeks. So, look forward to it!
Yeah! Im looking forward to see content from you, whatever it may be.
I think you are a student like me so, good luck on finals!
Perfect. 10/10 for the content. Keep it up dude.
Thanks man!
wonderfull video, wonderfull editing, for a wonderful anime
Beautiful
Great video and editing it kinda pains me that Ping Pong and this video don't get the attention they deserve
I ADORE the presentation on your vids! thank you!
This is a great video i love the animations and your analysis is on point i also think that your voice is a little monotone and the music is a bit odd at some times because it changes abruptly or it doesnt match with what you are talking about. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for your feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I know my speaking needs more work, I'll make sure to keep those tips in mind.
how is this vid not popular yet
What a beautiful video and analysis
Late to the party but so happy to have seen this. If you haven't seen a similar review already, "Ping Pong is a perfect coming of age story" by Steak Bentley is another one of my favorite TH-cam videos ever and this is up there with it. But yeah back to this video... The script, the in depth analysis of flight, and the visuals were all top notch (I do echo one of the comments rhsr delivery could perhaps be worked on but that's nitpicking and a stylistic thing that does not detract really from the amazing content).
I'm so happy to see others as inspired by this show as I was. Its one of those shows that does a great job of making you learn about yourself and look more honestly at your own intentions and motivations for following any passion be it sport or craft or career even.
I hope you make a followup video to this because there's still so much to talk about. A couple things off the top of my head I thought you could also talk about...Butterfly Joe and why he wanted to show Smile the tough winds of competition to develop "stronger wings". And the sort of sights you can see from the high vantage point of being at the top of the mountain (or being able to fly). And conversely for Kong and the theme that "wind makes you not be able to hear (yourself?). Obaba as the witch/sensei in the hero cutscenes. Kazama as the Dragon vs. the lion imagery we see when Peco struggles with announcing his identity. In Nietzsche's Zarathustra, the dragon had to be defeated by the lion in order for the final metamorphosis to take place. This sort of imagery is probably ancient and used in a lot of stuff (Zarathustra is of course part parody). Yuri needing to fly away to find herself. The beach guy quitting ping pong to fly around the world only to realize he had to return home to find what he truly loved.
And finally, probably the most important thing I would love to see you dissect a bit is the key repeated line in the show of "blood tastes like iron". I think there is a link there to everything else you talked about in this video but it isn't entirely explicit. I would love to hear your thoughts!!!
Thanks for making this gem!
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed the video.
Ping Pong is chockfull of symbolism and clever wordplay, so there is a lot of stuff to cover. Plus it gives proper treatment to each of its side stories as well. The flight theme was something that tied all of the main characters together, while the other symbols are more localised and don't share a lot of connections/interactions with others. I've actually posted my thoughts on some of those things you mentioned on different social media platforms and here in the comments as well (so you can read those if you'd like). I am discovering things about the show even now. So once I have enough to put together into a video, I will make it.
The Zarathustra connection you mentioned sounds interesting to me. I came across an interpretation of the scene a few months ago when I was watching Kyousou Giga and looking up some of the imagery in the show. The two statues that we see in the background during the flashback where Peco is announcing himself as the hero actually fit quite well in terms of their traditional meaning. The statues are called Komainu (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komainu) and they're often found in pairs at the gates of a shrine. In this pair, one statue has it's mouth open, while the other has it closed. The one with his mouth open, called "a-gyo", is supposed to be uttering the sound "A", while the other one, called "Un-gyo", utters "Un" or "Um". Together, they're uttering "Aum" or "Om" (ॐ). There is a very interesting relationship between the two utterances in the Hindu culture. The sound of "Om" begins with the "A" at the back of the throat and ends with the "Mm" at the lips. It is said that it covers the entire vocal range. Since the combined sound "Om" (ॐ) represents the essence of the universe (or the atman), the "A" part is said to symbolize the beginning/birth while the "Um" represents the end of the universe.
Now, about Ping Pong. What's really interesting is that in the background, both the statues have their mouths open. We're missing the "Un-gyo" statue here. So the statues are actually symbolizing two beginnings. One is Peco's rebirth as the hero in the present moment (in his match with Kazama) while the other is representing the birth of the hero in Smile's memory in the past.
I was very close to putting the beach guy (I think his name was Egami) into the video, but I could not find a connection with the flight symbolism. I think it's very interesting that he ends up as a spectator of the sport rather than a returning player (you can see him at the very end of the show). There is certainly plenty of material to cover into another video, but I feel I should give it more time so that I can discover more details about it.
Once again, thank you for watching the video.
yooo this video is awesome!!!
Thank you
An incredible video. Masterfully articulated. Well done mate! Well done. :)
Truly exceptional video. Hope you are well and enjoying what you're doing!
Incredible editing worthy of the ping pong name, keep up the great work!
great editing and commentary
deserve more views bro 👍
this is one of the best produced videos on ping pong the animation, great editing style. Great pacing, just fuckin perfect
Thank you!
I'm putting out another one on Sangatsu soon :D
this anime released 8 years ago, but i think about it everyday
What an amazing video! Thanks for sharing with us your insight towards one of the best anime ever made (it is my Top 1 haha).
Really nice video, content and visual presentation were on point!
Thank you!
I am glad you enjoyed it.
Great video. Got a lot of new insights into the show even though I finished the anime just an hour ago. So thank you.
Great observations!! Make more videos.
[Edit 24/09/2018 : The next video is on Sangatsu no Lion's first season. I know I mentioned covering a more recent show but I remembered how much I loved Sangatsu's first season so I decided to work on that instead.
It will be out soon!]
So, first of all, let me start with an apology for such a long delay in the release of the video (nearly 5 months, wow!).
I am really sorry about that.
There were a lot of things going on my life during these last few months, starting with the exam in march and ending with the recent accident where I nearly screwed up my left wrist and everything in between those events. Still, this video was a lot of fun to work on and I appreciate the patience you guys had during its making. It was quite a challenge to put together the style and to cut off so many parts of content I wanted to talk about (like the other symbols, Koizumi's & Egami's story, more about Smile, about the absolutely brilliant directing of the show, etc), but I think that the end result turned out just fine.
I'll try my best to release my next video sooner than this. It will be on a more recent show (probably from last 2-3 seasons). So, look forward to it.
just rewatched this beautiful piece :) love it
very well made video, in depth analysis and explanation, bravo
good stuff please make more
Oh my god please keep making videos your voice is so good to listen too 😩
Thank you very much, with this I can see myself cleary that why I'm feel unstable with my life.
Just wonderful
Wonderful. ..
Nice editing & voice 10/10
Thank you! :D
This is the best review, thank you so much.
Amazing video
Ah wtf. That comment I posted got deleted.
But you’ve outdone yourself with this video. As someone who’s watched the show some two years back, the details were hazy, and I couldn’t pinpoint the accuracy as to why I loved it as much, but it left a huge impact on me.
When I look at your video now, you’ve paid attention to detail to the theme or rather core of the show, and as you narrate the symbolism of flight you play the video of it side by side, making a lorn of things that is missed back then so much clearer. You’ve even gone to the tiniest of details in the surrealistic kazuma sequence as well. Honestly really really great stuff. I’m eagerly waiting for your next video even more now House chan~
I'm glad you liked it!
Thank you as always for the support :D
Thank you.
Our boi's back at it again.
Yeaaaah! xD
Thanks mate!
Really great video. Sound, music, storytelling everything is on the right spot.
This video is produced amazingly well
Thank you so much.
There's a new one coming on Sangatsu no Lion soon! So, watch out for that :D
Really good vid on one of my favorite shows
great video thank you for this
Fantastic video, but I think you missed an opportunity to talk about the symbol of the butterfly. "you cannot cross the sea on such thin wings"
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed the video!
I feel that *"You cannot cross the sea on such thin wings"* is Koizumi referring to Tsukimoto's naivete. He is trying to teach him that in the real world loss and grief are unavoidable, and Smile's "delicate" way of caring about their opponent's feelings during a match will not let him reach the heights. That the joy of victory and the despair of defeat always coexist in the battlefield. In order to win, in order to cross the sea of competition and reach the other side, you'll have to accept that winning implies your opponent walks back home in despair. Of course, this is also a callback to his own past, his own story, and this is where his perception of Tsukimoto is wrong. Smile doesn't want to win. He does not want to cross the sea. He just wants to have fun.
Someone asked me a similar question on reddit so I'll post my reply from there as well :
"I felt that the usage of the butterfly in the show didn't fit into the theme I was covering (especially in relation to the idea of freedom). The butterfly is traditionally used as a symbol for rebirth (or transformation), and in the show we almost never see it after the first few episodes (it even disappears from Koizumi's jacket, and sometimes there's only Jo written on it). In fact, if I remember correctly, it is only seen much later in the final episode on Koizumi's jacket when the three coaches are gathered and then later on where Smile and Kazama meet 5 years later and a few butterflies can be seen floating around Kazama depicting how he has been, in a way, reborn (I am not entirely sure on the disappearance of the symbol, I simply do not recall seeing it that often).
I think that the butterfly in the show relates to Koizumi and his past more than the players (since we see it with him most of the time). How he sees Smile as a chance to relive (and perhaps even redo) his past, but toward the end of the show it ends up in his rebirth, where he accepts Tsukimoto's decision to attack Peco's injury in the final match and calls him "the best player he knows".
You could say that it relates to the sport, that how Koizumi's predicament questions the place of that sort of compassion in the world of sport, but I don't think I could have woven it into the script like that. I felt that the butterfly belonged with the symbols of moon, dragon, star, etc more than it did with the symbols of flight in relation to the idea of "freedom". Plus I was kinda short on time and the video was getting pretty long so I left it at "three prominent symbols of flight"."
Thank you for your response. I very much enjoyed reading and have to agree that it does not exactly fit into the theme of your essay. Very insightful.
As to butterflies in the show, it has been a while since I watched so I can't recall many additional or late appearances. On some paddles there is an outline of an insignia that looks like a pair of wings, this I believe is in reference to a Ping Pong paddle/accessory manufacturer; Butterfly. butterflyonline.com/. Just a cool little thing I noticed. The only image of the insignia i can find right now is in the scene where the coach collapses during his match with smile, but I am sure there are more in the show.
amazing video for an amazing show
thanks
Coming back after a few years, this video must've influenced me towards graphic design. Hope I can make a video as cool as this one.
amazing video bro
sick vid, sick show
Keep going~ quality is so high
Thank you!
I worked on it quite a bit and it was a lot of fun putting it together in that particular style.
Dude. Why is your acccent so cool?
Great video!
Incredible, I can't believe how good this was lol
Do you think Sakuma still wants to play ping pong? Like do you think he still wishes to play the game again and be an amazing player or do you think he's over it. Or did he start out wishing to be a better player after quitting and then got over it over time. Because I have recently quit something knowing I had no talent for it and it only brought me suffering but after quitting I still get this feeling of wanting to play and win, be a better player. But I'm not sure if this feeling will ever go away I want my mind to be clear and not have these thoughts of wanting to be better and be a winner I just want to let it all go like Sakuma but even after quitting I still have these feelings of wanting to play and be better, not sure what to do but I guess ill just ask for advice and wait and see what happens down the road.
I went through the same thing, I actually had talent but decided to quit because I kept comparing myself to all the ones better than me and chasing after success. Whats the point of me making art if they can do it much better? So I quit for a few months, but that yearning to draw again wouldnt leave me alone, saying dont throw your talent away. Then one day I was looking back at previous works I did and remembered what a good time I had making them and thought "man I wish I could draw again". That moment I realized wait a minute, I can still draw! That's just a thought I've been listening to all this time like a spell, telling me that I cant do this or that, I'm no good compared to other's, blablabla. I realized then that the thought had no power over me and that as long as I'm alive, I will allow myself to live, to follow my heart and to make mistakes. The joys come with the pain but you do not need to fear either. Just live because you have such little time here and it would be the greatest tragedy if you look back a lifetime only to realize you wasted it listening to your thoughts instead of living.
Mint job
at 10:33 the panels take the shape of an aircraft
subbed
VERY VERY GOOD WOWW
I need the part 22222
Hey man I subbed please make more videos!
You forgot the butterfly as a symbol of flight!
why indeed
Great video, you pointed out a ton of things I didn't think about or notice before even though I've watched the show like 3 times ahha. Man, I feel like I could rewatch Ping Pong over and over again and always find something new. *Btw, does anyone know the name of the ost that starts playing at 13:34? Much appreciated!
Thank you!
Yes! Ping Pong is an amazing show with so much substance to chew on!
I'm sorry about the late reply on this, the comment somehow missed my notifications and I only found it today while scrolling.
And the song is titled Night Cruising. It's from the show's OST, so I'm sure you can find it here on TH-cam.
Also if you’re looking for good shows to do videos on, Revue Starlight an ongoing seasonal anime has a lot of potential.