Monday, February 29, 2016

[Rewatch] Ping Pong the Animation Episode 1 Discussion Thread


Welcome everyone to the first day of the /r/anime Ping Pong the Animation rewatch!EpisodeDate (MM/DD)Episode 1 The Wind Makes it Too Hard to Hear02/29Episode 203/01Episode 303/02Episode 403/03Episode 503/04Episode 603/05Episode 703/06Episode 803/07Episode 903/08Episode 1003/09Episode 1103/10 (Chuck Norris's Birthday)Rewatch FAQ:Where can I watch Ping Pong?Ping Pong the Animation is available for legal streaming within the United States on Funimation's YouTube channel or on their website.Is there an English dub and is it any good?Ping Pong does have an official English dub. Unfortunately the dub is not available for free in the United States. The general consensus is that the dub is serviceable. No one is badly miscast, but there seems to be a general preference for the subtitled version. If you dislike subtitles, then the dub is good enough to not get in the way of you enjoying the show, but if you're on the fence, then I would recommend watching the subtitled version.What is the policy concerning spoilers within the rewatch discussion threads?As I'm seeking to be accommodating of first time viewers with this rewatch, please mark any spoilers for future episodes with spoiler tags. Information concerning how to format spoilers is available in the /r/anime sidebar under the "Spoilers" heading.How can I help contribute to this rewatch (beyond standard commenting)?I'm currently looking for information concerning where Ping Pong is available for legal streaming outside of the United States, a guide to the various rackets and styles mentioned in the show, and general feedback concerning the content of the OP post. Responses addressing any of these three issues would be greatly appreciated at this time.Does /r/anime have shit taste because Kong Wenge lost in the first round of the Best Guy contest this year?Yes.Episode 1 Discussion Prompt (for those of you who would rather respond to specific questions)Episode 1 is all about character introductions as it introduces us to three of our four main characters, Smile, Peco, and Kong. Each of these three are also introduced in a different setting. Smile is standing next to a conversation of first years at ping pong practice, but not actively participating, Peco is skipping practice in order to play games for money, and Kong is seen filing his fingernails while lamenting his fate to be stuck in Japan as his plane lands.For first time viewers, what is your first impression of these three characters?For veteran viewers, how effective is the first episode in quickly giving the viewer a sense of each character's personality?For filthy elitists, how does the shot composition and camera movement during each of the characters' introductions inform the viewer about that character? Also what is your favorite episode of Legend of the Galactic Heroes?Assorted Thoughts on this EpisodeThe OP animation for the show wasn't completed in time for this episode, so if you're watching the broadcast version of the show, the OP will feature clips from this episode itself. If you're watching the DVD/blu-ray release version, then the standard OP animation will be present.People shit on this show's visuals a lot, but I think the visual presentation is pretty damn good regardless of opinions concerning how the characters actually are drawn. The consistent use of split screens and multiple frames in order to convey action or reaction helps make otherwise mundane scenes more intriguing.We sure spend a lot of time listening to ping pong balls getting hit back and forth in this episode, don't we? At the risk of sounding unbearably pretentious, I like that choice. It gives the episode a nice sense of rhythm.The conversation between Smile and Peco concerning how're they're going to sneak into the other school in order to spy on Kong is a nice little scene that demonstrates the differences between the two characters. Smile just walks in the front gate because doing anything else would be frustrating and unnecessary. Peco of course has some more elaborate plan that we never get detailed in mind because that's the thing you're supposed to do in these situations, right?I'm sorry about the delay in getting this episode thread up. http://ift.tt/1Uv86xt

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